Throwing a chicken train update here since it's just been mentioned and it's more efficient than a bunch of separate PMs... I was hoping to make some stops on my way east on Friday the 30th and then a few stops on my way back west on Monday. Turns out my niece's birthday party is Friday night and my kids school Halloween parties are Friday morning so I'll be racing from one thing to the other with no stops on Friday. I'm going to look at the places on a map and figure out a new plan... I do have to get down to Chiques chicks at some point before I leave (probably Saturday morning) because he has some chickens for my sister, so I'll see what I can do on Saturday morning and which route I can take to hit the rest on my way out. Will send out messages as it gets closer and I figure out my routes.
I hope my chickens are all okay tonight. Haven't had any predator issues since I started locking the foster chickens up in plastic crates every night, it's a hassle to go out so late (have to put my kids to bed first so sometimes it is really late), but it keeps them safe. Tonight I went out and found my main coop empty! The run door had slid closed - my oldest let them out this morning and must not have anchored the pull sting down. So the chickens were locked out of the coop and sleeping in the tree in the run. Three of the girls were actually on the ramp and the water bucket next to the ramp so I opened the door and put them in, I tried to get Romeo out of the tree but I couldn't reach him well enough to pick him up, I only succeeded in knocking him down and he took cover under the coop where I can't reach him. All of the other girls were too high up in the tree. We've had a lot of losses from birds sleeping in that tree over the summer and I'm afraid for them.
Also, anyone have any experience with a chicken scratching around in the nest boxes? For the last week or so the straw has been all scratched up and kicked out of the nest boxes and we've been getting broken eggs as a result... The eggs aren't pecked or eaten, they are getting cracked by being kicked around. The straw kicking is taking place in all nest boxes, even the ones that no one uses... Especially the ones that no one uses. What gives?
Hope everyone makes it through the night ok. As for the nest boxes, do you have any pullets who may be getting ready to come into lay? I've noticed that when some of my girls start exploring the nest boxes, they can really tear them up and make messes out of them.