Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[OneMountainAcres]

We finally put a light in the coop! I know we're a few months late since the days are getting longer lol but we're doing an experiment with solar power. We had a coupon for some 45 watt solar panels at harbor freight and we hooked it up. It came with a regulator and a couple lights that attach to it. We have it all rigged up to a battery. I'm going to test it out tonight and turn on the coop like from about 4:30-7:30 ish. I'm curious to see if it runs that long and what the chickens think lol.

update on Fria. She's been hanging out in our matter bath since yesterday and I just basically let her have the run of the room (she doesn't go far). She's been eating yogurt and eggs with olive oil for 2 days now. She seems to get uncomfortable still when her crop is full and does a little genie move with her head and neck. Her crop did am smaller this morning though than it was tartrate so I'm thinking this is working. She's amusing me though. I've been spending a lot of time with her, holding her and babying her. She really seems to be bonding with me well for being a broody raised girl. She has figured out that she loves to stand right in front of the vent when the heat is on and on a towel on the edge of the tub. I think she can see her reflection in the mirror from there lol. Anytime I walk into the room, I say her name and ask where she is and she immediately starts talking to me I'm hoping to bring that affectionate silkie gene out in her since my other silkies are so skittish. She's a Silkie/Marans cross.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

My tractor supply has asked me if I want a job.
They prefer people with animal experience. A lot of people that go there have no idea what they are doing and welcome advice/help. I frequently find myself spending more time helping customers than getting what I need. Of course I know where almost everything is in the store.

your hired!

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Burrrr, it's going to be bitterly cold out there this week!

• Brutally cold weather is expected Wednesday night, when it will be partly cloudy, with a low of about 4 degrees.
  The combination of brisk winds and very cold temperatures will produce wind chills of 10 degrees to 20 degrees below zero Wednesday night and Thursday morning. A wind chill advisory may be needed.​

I hope everyone will stay warm!!! Thank goodness I have the heated water bowls, one less thing to worry about!

i have already changed the coop water..going out to do it again...pretty darn cold out there, but then it is January

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Sounds like a great fit, you should take it! You'd love getting paid to help people with their animals. You do it here for free, right?

Really, we should organize an in-store chicken workshop. Compared to the average person buying chicks at TSC, we are all "chicken whisperers".

My big news of the day --- 10 CCL eggs, all hatched, looks like 2 cockerels in there. I keep running in and looking again, I can hardly believe it.

LMP: Not sure about PA but Ohio doesn't require pwrmits for red-eared sliders. Petshops are only supposed to sell baby turtles "for educational purposes" but there is no documentation required to prove you are a teacher or homeschooling or anything. I have a Peninsula Cooter that is over 12 years old now. She was barely bigger than a quarter when I got her. We added a red-eared slider as her companion over the summer & he's just a little smaller than her but no clue on his age. We have also been looking at a gorgeous Painted Musk to add to the family but are still debating on it. Pokey, our original turtle, has been a member of the family longer than 2 of the children...lol

i am not sure about permits either...there are some varieties we aren't supposed to house, but I honestly don't know much in that area, i think something was passed in 2007 about having a one-time permit..but not much after that...it was just disturbing to watch/see so many of these turtles being treated not unlike a goldfish is at a carnival...being swung around in the bags/ boxes they were in...just not being handled with the care they deserve...

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Mine are also completely aquatic. We got them some feeder fish over the weekend, but usually we just toss a handfull of frozen mixed veggies in about twice a month in winter & weekly in summer. The key is to not overfeed them so that they stay smaller & don't outgrow their tanks. We also toss them nitecrawlers & crawldads as extra treats when we go fishing or wading in the creek. Pokey (12 yr old peninsula cooter) is so tame you can pet her on the nose with no chance of even a nipped finger. Spike (red-eared slider, age unknown) has never tried to bite any of us, but we also don't stick our fingers in his face since we did not raise him. I have no worries that my kids & grandkids will continue to care for them once I am no longer able. We joke that Pokey is more family than the 2 youngest kids since she has been here longer...lol

yes, definitely agree with dheltzel..you are to be commended...I have only ever known one other person to keep their turtles..he loves his(2)..made a special place in his garden for them, helps them get ready to hibernate..he is very caring.

Any one going to the Farm Show? Any one exhibiting?

omgosh..i totally forgot about it..

..i can't even believe it...welp, there goes another year

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Thanks for the advice!
I'll die laughing if you one day find a secret nest with 300 eggs in it!

Seriously though, hoping your girls pick up the pace in the spring.
Congrats! Can you sex them at day one by color?

haha, i'll have a party & everything will be an egg dish

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[LittleMissPurdy]

We finally put a light in the coop! I know we're a few months late since the days are getting longer lol but we're doing an experiment with solar power. We had a coupon for some 45 watt solar panels at harbor freight and we hooked it up. It came with a regulator and a couple lights that attach to it. We have it all rigged up to a battery. I'm going to test it out tonight and turn on the coop like from about 4:30-7:30 ish. I'm curious to see if it runs that long and what the chickens think lol.

update on Fria. She's been hanging out in our matter bath since yesterday and I just basically let her have the run of the room (she doesn't go far). She's been eating yogurt and eggs with olive oil for 2 days now. She seems to get uncomfortable still when her crop is full and does a little genie move with her head and neck. Her crop did am smaller this morning though than it was tartrate so I'm thinking this is working. She's amusing me though. I've been spending a lot of time with her, holding her and babying her. She really seems to be bonding with me well for being a broody raised girl. She has figured out that she loves to stand right in front of the vent when the heat is on and on a towel on the edge of the tub. I think she can see her reflection in the mirror from there lol. Anytime I walk into the room, I say her name and ask where she is and she immediately starts talking to me

I'm hoping to bring that affectionate silkie gene out in her since my other silkies are so skittish. She's a Silkie/Marans cross.

glad to hear she is doing better...give us a update on the solar lights..we have come into a set of them & want to try them out also(i won a contest.

)....very curious how long they will stay on and the bulb brightness

 

[OneMountainAcres]

glad to hear she is doing better...give us a update on the solar lights..we have come into a set of them & want to try them out also(i won a contest. )....very curious how long they will stay on and the bulb brightness

I'll keep you updated as to how well it works. So far they are holding the battery at a 13 volt charge. I'll try to get some pictures in the coop (no flash) after dark to try to show how well the light works. I'm anxious to see myself. Until then, here's Fria, hanging out with that chicken in the mirror

 

[LadyBehir]

LMP, if you want, you can ride down to the show with me on the 15th.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

I'll keep you updated as to how well it works. So far they are holding the battery at a 13 volt charge. I'll try to get some pictures in the coop (no flash) after dark to try to show how well the light works. I'm anxious to see myself. Until then, here's Fria, hanging out with that chicken in the mirror

I had a cockatiel, he absolutely LOVED the bird in the mirror! He would sing /talk & whistle at himself..funny...i guess chickens wouldn't be any different.
cool, if you can get a pic of the light it gives, that would be great!...

On an unrelated topic...
I took some pics of my ferment set-up this afternoon...just to give a visual for those wanting to know if having ferment outside is an option..the only issue i have is the lid hgets a bit froze to the cooler because of the condensation, but if i can remove it then i would think just about anyone could..it was quite froze this-morning! I did replace the cooled-off water jugs this afternoon for hotter-ones, just making sure things stay good to go..




the girls after their 4pm pre-bed meal...the inevitable "creamed-corn coma"...




all stuffed and fluffed

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[LittleMissPurdy]

LMP, if you want, you can ride down to the show with me on the 15th.

wa..woah....hold on..let me check the all-seeing calendar..okay?
omgosh..this would be so awesome!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

This one is actually looking in the window from outside in the run.

@LittleMissPurdy the pictures make it look darker than it is. There's a lot of shadow under the poop boards but it's not dark. The panels actually came with 2 lights but we only have one hook up on the ceiling so we only hooked up one.

 

[dheltzel]

I have lights on a timer in my new coop. The come on at 3 or 4 in the morning and turn off at 7 AM. That seems better to me than trying to extend the evening and having it suddenly get dark when the lights go out.