~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[gryeyes]

More chickens are home with me, now. Not all, but more. Much harder when there aren't two other people assisting with the process; there really needs to be a box handler to open and close the flaps when adding more than one bird to a box.

Licorice came to me and I took advantage of her trust to shove her into a cat carrier. When I could, during the drive, I put my fingers through the front grate to scratch her under the chin or rub her ears. This did not stop the unhappy noises she made, but she pushed her head into my fingers for some awkward lovin'.

Unfortunately, I started to gather chickens too soon, before dark, and before they were in that sleepy roosting phase. They were up on roosts, but not somnambulant. My taking them and stuffing them into boxes did not contribute to anybody settling down, either. Chickens ran everywhere.

I didn't even fill all the empty boxes. Got too sweaty, dirtier, and exasperated. And the ducks laughed at me. Ha! Their turn will come!

 

[HHandbasket]

It's so neat to hear all the chicken & goose sounds coming from your coop at your new homestead! NOW it feels like home, doesn't it?

 

[gryeyes]

Not sure how the neighbors are feeling about it, but I sure do love the sound of my roosters announcing the day!

Although it was in the shavings on the floor and not in the fancy-schmancy roll put nest boxes, there was a lovely light green egg for me yo find last night as I was releasing the newest chicken immigrants.

 

[gryeyes]

I don't know how they knew the set of roll-away nest boxes attached to the coop wall were for laying their eggs, but several of the hens laid their eggs in them! Buffy the Vampire Slaying Hen was the first to lay in one of the nests; i was privy to the event. She was confused when the egg rolled away out of sight - "Wait, didn't I just lay an egg here?! I know I did, where did it go?"

She figured it out, though, and tried to reach under that shield to pull it back.

She's been acting slightly broody of late, but I took that egg away right away.

Over the course of the day, four more hens laid in those nests, and two others checked them out quite thoroughly, before choosing to lay their eggs in a corner of the coop.

Bartholomew, the HUGE BJG, actually stuffed himself into one of the nest boxes to encourage the girls to use them. I do not know how he fit in there - his tail feathers were hanging out and he had his head mashed against the back wall.

Alice Sebright checked out several of the nest boxes and tinkered with the idea of laying there over a period of an hour. She jumped up, went into three or four in the top row, jumped down, jumped back up, two or three times. Finally laid her perfect little, white, banty egg in one of the nests.

I opened the auto-door for the flock to be able to venture out into a very temporary run and the first ones outside were chicks. Then some of the older chickens, and finally Carl, Bartolomew, Alex, George, and Charlie made it outside to check things out. Then a couple hens followed. Before the end of the day, Angus the gander had also used the door about 3 times, "round trip" so I am no longer worried if the not-all-that-large opening will allow goose & gander passage.

The pergola is complete except for spraying the clear, preservative stain, which will be done on Tuesday.

At one point during the day, the contractor and I realized there was a black chicken out of the run, standing in the middle of some vinca growing in the gully on my property, behind the garage/coop. Dunno when she jumped the temporary, not very tall, plastic garden fence which comprised their interim run (used only when I am on the property), but she looked very happy there. She did come when I called her (it was Molly, my BA) and she let me pick her up and put her back in the coop.

So I spent most of my third day off, Monday, watching chickens when I wasn't doing some other, snail task.

I will be gathering chickens every night after work this week, and hopefully I will have the last third of the flock transferred to the new home by the weekend.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Very nice pergola. What are your plans for it?

 

[HHandbasket]

It's a grape holder.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:

My contractor apparently had not heard the word "pergola" before, when I asked him if he would build one for me. He responded with, "Where do you want it, and how big?" After our discussion, during which i mentioned i wanted to plant some Thompson seedless and red flame seedless grapes to grow up over it, he nodded sagely and said, "Ah, a grape holder."

He did a little research on the 'Net and brought me a printed photo of a very nice pergola, along with the description of the pergola origins, back in Roman times, as covered-but-open walkways or grape arbors. "See, he said, "a grape holder."

So that's what he built me. I think it's perfect!

 

[jtbrown]

I love the grape holder, pergola, or whatever it is. There is a great plan for one in the magazine "THe Family Handyman" a few months back. I will never look at one again and not think "Grape Holder." Thanks! By the way glad you have safely moved most of your buddies. I cannot imagine moving mine, but then again, chickens are still new to me. I have been thinking about how I am going to transport some of my roosters to new homes, cat carrier is looking pretty small to me as those birds get bigger!

 

[gryeyes]

Well, here's a wrench in the works: today I was viasited by the Cointy Code Enforcement officer, who brought me a "courtesy notice" informing me I was in violation of zoning regulations, to whit, keeping chickens on less than an acre.

I researched this, had my real estate agent AND broker research it before I made an offer on the property. But apparently we all found information related to "residential agrigultural" zoning, for larger lots of property, not less than an acre zoning.

I am so ..... Gob-smacked by this. The code enforcement guy was very friendly, explaining he only inspects upon complaint (for these types of issues) and he'd received complaints on or before July 13th. It's not a noise complaint - it is merely an infraction of the zoning codes with regard to property use.

July 13th. Before I had adult chickens on the property. Interesting.

He also explained the appeals process, and time-lines, to provide me plenty of time to comply. He really didn't hold out much hope that I could get the zoning restriction overturned, but at least nobody is gonna confiscate my flock any time soon.

This is the entire reason I bought property!

Time for an adult beverage. A hefty one.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:

How strange. Do you think there is anything you can do?