Ribh's D'Coopage

[rjohns39]

Jeannie, just keep the oats under 10%... They are wonderful, but can be too much of a good thing.

 

[Ribh]

Jeannie, just keep the oats under 10%... They are wonderful, but can be too much of a good thing.

Thanks, Bob. Yeah I know oats aren't so good in large amounts. I save them as a super special treat for really nasty days like today. This has been a pretty mild winter so far so they haven't been able to guilt me into doing this too often. Which is a good thing.

 

[MaryJanet]

It's been a very restful week I've been halving my time between chores and sitting quietly with a book. The chickens have had lots of yard time in the winter sun, dust bathing, eating a few weds, living a fulfilling chickeny life. Blossom the cat is also very happy, purring loudly.

About the future coop, I think building is the best way to go, that way I can get the quality and dimensions I'm after as well as provide employment for a couple of chippies. The build is about five years off yet, I live in an old house (built by great-grandfather) and it's a little dilapidated here and there. The house takes precedence over chicken keeping. However, I've been thinking of a raised roosting area above a litter bed that has a gently sloping, waterproof floor for washing out. The roosting box would have walls on three sides to allow heat to escape during heat waves, and its back to the rain. It would have a long run out front of the roosting box and a skillion corro roof would cover the roosting box and half the run, the other half rooved with galv mesh. The run walls would also be galv mesh. I'd pave around the coop to prevent foxes and dogs digging in (and to use up some of dad's old pavers), so the run won't need flooring and the chooks can make dust baths and do their scratching. I'd harvest the rainwater and use it on my veg. Both the run and the roosting box would be capable of halving down the middle for introducing new birds. The roosting box would have nest boxes either side, the kind that can be opened from outside, and it would have a tail gate like a trailer at the back for cleaning out - about the height of a wheelbarrow - so I'll just sweep all the litter out in the barrow and give it a quick hose out and dry off before spreading feesh litter. The whole thing would be human height to save me stooping and it'll house a bench for me and a few logs for the chooks to enjoy. I'll probably also put the little coop in there as a hospital zone. I'll hang some baskets of flowers around the outside and paint it french navy blue with pale cream posts and joists and frames. I'll add a misting system and shade cloth to keep the heat down in summer.

And that's all I've thought of so far. But I daresay the old noggin will keep turning it over and over until its just right

 

[Ribh]

It's been a very restful week I've been halving my time between chores and sitting quietly with a book. The chickens have had lots of yard time in the winter sun, dust bathing, eating a few weds, living a fulfilling chickeny life. Blossom the cat is also very happy, purring loudly.

About the future coop, I think building is the best way to go, that way I can get the quality and dimensions I'm after as well as provide employment for a couple of chippies. The build is about five years off yet, I live in an old house (built by great-grandfather) and it's a little dilapidated here and there. The house takes precedence over chicken keeping. However, I've been thinking of a raised roosting area above a litter bed that has a gently sloping, waterproof floor for washing out. The roosting box would have walls on three sides to allow heat to escape during heat waves, and its back to the rain. It would have a long run out front of the roosting box and a skillion corro roof would cover the roosting box and half the run, the other half rooved with galv mesh. The run walls would also be galv mesh. I'd pave around the coop to prevent foxes and dogs digging in (and to use up some of dad's old pavers), so the run won't need flooring and the chooks can make dust baths and do their scratching. I'd harvest the rainwater and use it on my veg. Both the run and the roosting box would be capable of halving down the middle for introducing new birds. The roosting box would have nest boxes either side, the kind that can be opened from outside, and it would have a tail gate like a trailer at the back for cleaning out - about the height of a wheelbarrow - so I'll just sweep all the litter out in the barrow and give it a quick hose out and dry off before spreading feesh litter. The whole thing would be human height to save me stooping and it'll house a bench for me and a few logs for the chooks to enjoy. I'll probably also put the little coop in there as a hospital zone. I'll hang some baskets of flowers around the outside and paint it french navy blue with pale cream posts and joists and frames. I'll add a misting system and shade cloth to keep the heat down in summer.

And that's all I've thought of so far. But I daresay the old noggin will keep turning it over and over until its just right

Wow That coop will be a mansion! It sounds great! What are you reading?

 

[MaryJanet]

Hopefully it will provide safe housing for about ten chooks, with flexibility for introducing new ones and isolating sick ones. Looking nice but not pretty is also important, so I can honour dad, nana and great-grandfather.

I've been sitting on Middlemarch for ages and I'm delighted to get through a few chapters this week! I'm in a slow slog book club for people who read and write for work, so never read or write for fun, and we've been (not) reading Middlemarch for a couple of years I'll take great delight in telling them I'm up to chapter 'whatever' at last

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks so much
I’d like to give it a shot but on the other hand now that he is separate I feel like there is peace in the flock.. at least on my end.. I don’t have to worry about what’s happening.. and don’t have to continue to be on watch so to speak... plus, just after all this integrating and things are finally settling down to now have these whole new issues arise ... I don’t know.. this’ll be tough... I’m torn...

Whatever support you need, I'm here. Just let me know how I can help.

 

[rjohns39]

We have winds gusting to 40 knots @ present. I was a little worried about our coop ~ given its construction but I went out twice to check & though the curtain was flapping in & out & great gusts were galloping through underneath there was no air movement in the coop itself. I did do some shuffling. I had 4 girls on the 2nd roost, but not cuddled up together so I shunted them along until I figured they were close enough for good body heat. I was happy to find Namaste up on a roost & not in a nesting box, which was where she was the other night. I couldn't cope as it was the one Nugget died in so I moved her up on a roost & last night she roosted herself, but with Soda, Patricia & Lottie ~ all birds who have issues within the flock & tend not to buddy up. Patricia is a large bird & usually chooses to roost alone. Soda, one of my BRs, has days where everyone seems to be on her case & everyone ousts her. She is a big bird but the Favorelles can give her a run for her money these days. Lottie is a bit of a loner anyway. Everyone survived the night & I made warm rolled oats for them this morning ~ something I almost never do but it is cold, wet, windy & distinctly lacking in sunshine this morning so I figured something warm would be welcome. They certainly gobbled it down!

Hate that winter weather. Stay safe.

 

[Ribh]

So John says to me: Those cats of yours are really chatty.
Yeah. So are the chooks, I respond.
He sorta rolls his eyes [probably thinking how he's meant to cope next time I go away] & goes: They call for you. Really LOUD.

They have already put themselves to bed. I think everyone's had enough of the wind & the cold.

 

[MaryJanet]

Fair enough! I hope you won't be too far behind them.

 

[Ribh]

It lovely inside. Lovely big fire going but I've been in & out because the girls are used to waaay more attention than they got today & congregated @ the house end of the run to call & tell me their long sad story.