~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[wolftracks]

OK...I'm coming out...of the coop. Been following your story from the start, but till now had nothing to contribute beyond the numerous well-wishing and support that has already been posted...UNTIL NOW! Ok, maybe this is not a good idea as you know your home best...but would it be possible, and easier on everyone (you and your wee-hour alert, noisy roo) if you could simply hang a room darkening shade in your bathroom window? Pull it down when you head to bed...pop it up when you get up in the morning....voila..no light to cause rooster alarm.
I am now returning to my coop in Ohio and will remain here, lurking on my perch....until another brilliant (in my opinion of course) idea strikes me. Until then, keep on trucking and I'll keep reading!

and funny

 

[gryeyes]

DelcoChix, that is an EXCELLENT idea! The bathroom window is one of those frosted ones, so I'd never use it to check night-time yard activity, anyway. Perfect. Thanks! Now, don't just wait for brilliant ideas to strike you - chime in anytime!

My house-cleaning gal came Tuesday. I got home to another couple spic & span clean sections of the house PLUS laundered sofa cover and blanket. She had also laundered my bedding, leaving an apologetic note about the electric mattress pad left in the dryer. My new washer and dryer are front loading, high effeciency units which take more time to work, so she had miscalculated how long it would take to have the bedding ready to make the bed.

Apparently John had been by to pick up the heavy-duty extension cord and concrete bucket and tools he'd left behind. He made a dump run to get rid of the accumulated garbage bags and styrofoam packing material stacked up for the past two weeks. (Kate and Angus cannot leave ANYthing alone! They have been tugging at them to rip some open, while the chickens decimated chunks of styrofoam.)

Lizbeth is just a chunky, full-bodied kitty. She doesn't appear to have had any kittens recently or currently be preparing to be a mother. I will be asking which of the local vets are the most appreciated so I can make an appointment for her to be checked over and spayed, if necessary. She's been a stray long enough to have gotten pregnant if she's able, I think.

This morning when I opened the guest room door, she was sitting on the floor watching the 3 silkie chicks in their brooder cage. Her nose and whiskers were right there against the cage wire. I placed the cage inside the big Rubbermaid tub for some additional protection on three sides. Those babies are so tiny I am afraid to put them out with the older, larger NYD Hatch chicks out in the Chicken Kindergarten pen inside the coop.

There are now at least six hens which perch in the coop rafters or on the top of the Kindergarten walls.

Yesterday I composed a flyer with photos of Alex, George, Cardigan, Ross, Joey - and with heavy heart - Nugget and Frick. I'm offering two hens with each roo, if someone wants to start their own little mixed-breed flock. None of those boys will mind having standard sized ladies in their own personal harems, as they already jockey around the yard with the Big Girls. (I pick the hens... From the Cinnamon Queens and some second-generation Delawegger Something crosses. My mostest favorite hens stay here.). I will print color copies and drop them off with the folks who attended the meeting on Sunday. It's important THEY see my efforts and what those boys mean to me!

 

[HHandbasket]

DelcoChix, that's an awesome and practical idea! I like the way you think.

Linda, while I'm sorry you have to rehome so many of your boys, it'll make for more peaceful relations with your neighbors. I think once George and Alex are gone, the rest will calm down significantly. They keep the flock riled up, and when there's a "crow-off" in your coop, seems to me the first ones that start it are the sebrights! Naughty little boys. If they were bigger, you know we'd be roastin' 'em. hehehe.

 

[gryeyes]

Last night Mr.Retiree called me to say he'd given my phone number to a woman who was interested in taking all my roosters. I had gotten home late and noticed the porch and interior lights were not illuminated, so I did not drop off any of the fliers. When I mentioned I had some, he said, "Hold off on those, she may take them all. If she was just blowing smoke at me and doesn't call you, then they'll be useful. But I wanted to let you know a lady might call you about taking your roosters."

He HAD been asleep, but when I was greeted by the Rooster Chorus upon my arrival home it woke him up and he called me. :/

I hung up with a sense of.... Oh, I dunno, but he'd said "all [my] roosters.". All? I think not.

HHandbasket and Farmer Lew took a few fliers (I had dinner at their place) and will post 'em various places. I had already placed one on the bulletin board at the grocery in Plymouth on my way up the hill.

When I went into the coop, the chorus started again. Filled the chick feeders in the Kindergarten and checked to see the levels in two of the rest of the Big Birds' feeders. The auto-waterer is working well; correct level , no overflow or dripping. Several more pullets have decided they like roosting on the top of the Kindergarten walls or in the rafters.

The rabbits are fine, if somewhat crowded - I am going to clean up the rabbit hutch I had previously used as an isolation coop when it was on the rental property, then put a couple of the baby bunnies into it. Hope I can tell which are the two boys... The previous owner told me Lionhead does have a sort of "skirt" of fur so "they're easy to sex." Uh huh.

Lizbeth explored more of the guest room during the day and had obviously climbed onto some stacked boxes, as there were a couple on their sides on the floor, with some spillage of contents. She's discovered one wicker basket is a great place to sharpen her claws. (No surprise, as I've had to shoo Smudge away from the same basket when he had the idea first.)

Althkough Lizbeth likes to sprawl out on the day bed, she did show me she also likes the covered cat bed I inherited from my sister. It is also made of wicker, but the afore-mentioned basket is "better" for scratching. She is a really sweet cat. Like most torties, she's kinda schizo; mew, purr, rub against me, then suddenly HISS. Then more rubbing and purring. But I was able to check her tummy. No active faucet action or any discernible kitten lumps. Another hiss, a bit of a paw grab, then more purring.

Once Lizbeth had retired to her basket, I let Zorro and Dooley into the room but made sure they didn't get as far across the room as her sleeping quarters. They sniffed all over the day bed. Zorro, no surprise, wanted to get to her bowl of cat kibble, but I forestalled that plan.

The silkie chicks are safe inside their cage protected inside the Rubbermaid bin. Simba makes Lizbeth hiss. He is just as interested in staring her down as she is in fixing him with her steady gaze. Smudge is miffed he doesn't get to go into the guest room with me, yet.

With the kitchen so squeaky clean, Smudge has been parking himself where he can watch and wait for the mouse who left evidence of its presence in one lower cupboard. I have to find the RatZapper units I used at the rental property......

Seven months, less two days, to retirement. At my age, that time will go fast.

 

[remuda1]

Ewwww, I hope he didn't mean ALL of them

"I hung up with a sense of.... Oh, I dunno, but he'd said "all [my] roosters.". All? I think not."

 

[gryeyes]

Well, the "Bantam Roosters need good homes" flyer got great raves from the Retirees, the gal and her boyfriend (son of the very first complainant). I drove up to the Retirees' house to drop off a few. No, the lady who had been given my phone number has not called about the roosters.

The vet tech gal also told me the closest vet hospital is a "sister company" to the one in Placerville where she works, and she recommends it. She remarked she thought Nugget "was adorable" and she'd love to have him herself if he just didn't crow. I drank a glass of wine with everybody. It was a very convivial meeting.

 

[gryeyes]

. Do you think you could keep a roo if he was in a sound box until later in the day?? I can give you his info if you want it.

Well, the little guys (and the big guys) crow all day long, not just in the mornings or at night when disturbed. Plus, I'm gone from the house during the week from 6 AM to 7:15 PM, so there wouldn't be anybody to let roos out of sound boxes.

Not that I haven't thought of just shoving George into a box and closing the lid, then just leaving him there, out of frustration. He can scare the bejeebers out of you if he lets go right next to you and you hadn't noticed he was there!

My suggestion, and probably not what you want to hear, is that you reduce down to just a couple of roosters max. I know it is nice to have a good rooster who will watch out for the flock, so having a back up is not a bad thing. But two roosters sure can get in some crowing contests! More than that and it could be more than your average neighbor (with out chickens) can stand.

Since they are pets and not really a breeding program, maybe keeping a couple of bigger roosters and not the noisy ones is the way to go. I know George is a favorite and a tiny guy, that does not put him in a great spot.

Have you thought about seeing what would happen if you took George inside at night? He might be part of the reason Carl wakes up at night. Worth a try?

I had not thought about that, because he's loud enough outside - inside the house would be deafening.

He responds to Carl's crows - Carl is always the first to crow from inside the coop. I am almost positive it's noise outside, lights coming on, and/or the ducks and geese who set him off. Those waterfowl party at night.

Quote:

Just wondering if this was addressed before--did you ever figure out how Lizbeth got out the first time? Sure she doesn't have some secret bolt hole that you don't know about??

So glad you have her back!

And--is she still preggers?

I think she snuck out when the front door was not closed tightly. Smudge often uses a paw to pull the door open and exit in that manner - I may have thought it was HIM pulling that trick. I don't think she is or was pregnant when I first brought her home - she's just a chunky kitty who likes to eat. Some time in the next three weeks while I keep her house-bound, she's gonna have a vet visit.

Look at what she does for entertainment:

.

I hope the silkie babies don't get complexes from it!

Linda, can you check her nipples to see if shes been nursing at all?? Or anything??
Maybe she had the babies already?? I hope not..

No sign of nursing. (She finally let me check her tummy really well.) No lumps inside, either. I dunno. The Warehouse folks SAID she was preggers and two of them are "cat people" so I believed 'em. She is obviously a "dumped" cat or at least a lost one - not feral. Just stray; who knows how she ended up hanging around the Warehouse for six months. She never brought any kittens around there, so

maybe she's already been spayed.

Here's a photo of another one of the free range chickens I visit on my lunch hour. This is such a gorgeous cockerel! His legs are almost ORANGE.



I have three important things to do tomorrow: assist John with the deck build, ask him to build a box - or something - around the new auto-waterer, because SOMEBODY with feathers and - BET - webbed feet knocked it over and there was another flood in the coop. This time, however, the water only trickled unabated, instead of spewing a torrent. Mucky section of the coop again, but not as much, and the chicks in Kindergarten had some dry area left. Nobody got too wet and chilled enough to die or even sicken. I righted the waterer and stood there looking at it, thinking of a method to secure it so no suspects can knock it on its side again.

Oh, and the third important thing? I must go hunting wabbits. <*sigh*> SOMEBODY who messes with things managed to open the sliding latch for the bottom section of the Bunny Hutch on the porch. There were NO bunnies in it this morning. When I got home in the dark this evening, there was one of the young bunnies hiding behind it. A little bit later, it was out from behind the hutch, sitting placidly on the front door steps, but it dashed behind the hutch again when I came up onto the porch after completing my coop chores. I am keeping the water bottles and food dish full, hoping to lure more of the rabbits back. I picked up a small carabiner at Home Depot today, to secure that latch.

I HOPE like heck the rabbit family members are hiding under the house, and that all are well.

 

[redhen]

Linda, your neighbors are starting to piss me off.
Dont let them bully you into doing something that you're not comfortable with..,..
Its YOUR choice where those roosters go... NOT theirs..
They are "acting" all nice right now.. trying to "work" with you,.. but really what they are doing is a quiet, sneaky way of bullying you into doing what THEY want,...
Smile in your face and plot behind your back... i cant stand that crap..
Just my opinion, but i'm a witch with a bad attitude.. , so maybe they ARE being nice..
I just dont trust them..

 

[redhen]

Well, the little guys (and the big guys) crow all day long, not just in the mornings or at night when disturbed.  Plus, I'm gone from the house during the week from 6 AM to 7:15 PM, so there wouldn't be anybody to let roos out of sound boxes.

 
Not that I haven't thought of just shoving George into a box and closing the lid, then just leaving him there, out of frustration.  He can scare the bejeebers out of you if he lets go right next to you and you hadn't noticed he was there!
I had not thought about that, because he's loud enough outside - inside the house would be deafening.    He responds to Carl's crows - Carl is always the first to crow from inside the coop.  I am almost positive it's noise outside, lights coming on, and/or the ducks and geese who set him off.  Those waterfowl party at night. 

 
Quote:
I think she snuck out when the front door was not closed tightly.  Smudge often uses a paw to pull the door open and exit in that manner - I may have thought it was HIM pulling that trick.  I don't think she is or was pregnant when I first brought her home - she's just a chunky kitty who likes to eat.  Some time in the next three weeks while I keep her house-bound, she's gonna have a vet visit. 

Look at what she does for entertainment:

.

I hope the silkie babies don't get complexes from it!



No sign of nursing.  (She finally let me check her tummy really well.)  No lumps inside, either.  I dunno.  The Warehouse folks SAID she was preggers and two of them are "cat people" so I believed 'em.  She is obviously a "dumped" cat or at least a lost one - not feral.  Just stray; who knows how she ended up hanging around the Warehouse for six months.  She never brought any kittens around there, so maybe she's already been spayed.

Here's a photo of another one of the free range chickens I visit on my lunch hour.  This is such a gorgeous cockerel!  His legs are almost ORANGE. 



I have three important things to do tomorrow:  assist John with the deck build, ask him to build a box - or something - around the new auto-waterer, because SOMEBODY with feathers and - BET - webbed feet knocked it over and there was another flood in the coop.  This time, however, the water only trickled unabated, instead of spewing a torrent.  Mucky section of the coop again, but not as much, and the chicks in Kindergarten had some dry area left. Nobody got too wet and chilled enough to die or even sicken.  I righted the waterer and stood there looking at it, thinking of a method to secure it so no suspects can knock it on its side again.

Oh, and the third important thing?  I must go hunting wabbits.   <*sigh*>  SOMEBODY who messes with things managed to open the sliding latch for the bottom section of the Bunny Hutch on the porch.  There were NO bunnies in it this morning.   When I got home in the dark this evening, there was one of the young bunnies hiding behind it.  A little bit later, it was out from behind the hutch, sitting placidly on the front door steps, but it dashed behind the hutch again when I came up onto the porch after completing my coop chores.  I am keeping the water bottles and food dish full, hoping to lure more of the rabbits back.  I picked up a small carabiner at Home Depot today, to secure that latch.

I HOPE like heck the rabbit family members are hiding under the house, and that all are well. 

Oh no! The bunnies!

 

[maclady]

Maybe the waterfowl need to find a place of their own away from the chickens. It would help with the water mess they like to make, maybe. Just a thought. I really hope you find the bunnies. Do they have a favorite food? My bunny will do absolutely anything to a piece of banana. Keeping my fingers crossed for you with your rosters.