Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

I don't think the chickens would agree with that.
Admittedly my outdoor furniture doesn't have cushions but is appreciated anyway (I keep a little paint scraper tied to the back, just in case).
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I've got paint scrapers that have never seen a decent gloss, let alone a nice satin finish. They have seen an awful lot of chicken shite though.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a broody...​

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Ohhhhh, she looks very fierce.

 

[Ribh]

Is the yard secure from four legged predators Ribh. It looks a great place for chickens.

More or less. The fences are pretty good but some of the gates are dodgy. A very determined dog could get in but the chickens can't be seen from the roadside. Next door has a kelpie X [ a herding breed]. He gets very excited when I start rounding the girls up but he's never attempted to jump the fence. That would be my lot. They actually have more free ranging & more space here ~ not that they really seem to spread out all that much. They have adjusted very quickly. It was only the first night I was chasing Campines round the yard on dusk & hoying them out of trees. Now everyone comes looking for me @ dinner time & rush to get in the shed.

 

[Shadrach]

Needles to mention it's raining. It rains a lot in this country. I had forgotton just how much. I took the opportunity to shelter from the rain in the coop run with the chickens. Nobody objected and the one at the bottom of the picture stood on my foot and looked for a moment as if she was going to risk a leap for my leg.

This is the coop showing the coop run the covered portion and the outside run. When I let them out they get out of both these areas into a fenced area of about 600 square meters.

 

[Shadrach]

More or less. The fences are pretty good but some of the gates are dodgy. A very determined dog could get in but the chickens can't be seen from the roadside. Next door has a kelpie X [ a herding breed]. He gets very excited when I start rounding the girls up but he's never attempted to jump the fence. That would be my lot. They actually have more free ranging & more space here ~ not that they really seem to spread out all that much. They have adjusted very quickly. It was only the first night I was chasing Campines round the yard on dusk & hoying them out of trees. Now everyone comes looking for me @ dinner time & rush to get in the shed.

One advantage for you I imagine is the terrain is easier for you to get around on (?)

 

[Ribh]

One advantage for you I imagine is the terrain is easier for you to get around on (?)

Now there's a point I hadn't considered! Yep, heaps easier. So is the land of the places I've been looking @. However it is a lot harder to corner a chicken I want.

 

[Ribh]

Needles to mention it's raining. It rains a lot in this country. I had forgotton just how much. I took the opportunity to shelter from the rain in the coop run with the chickens. Nobody objected and the one at the bottom of the picture stood on my foot and looked for a moment as if she was going to risk a leap for my leg.
View attachment 2851417
This is the coop showing the coop run the covered portion and the outside run. When I let them out they get out of both these areas into a fenced area of about 600 square meters.
View attachment 2851418

That actually looks pretty good all things considered. Always room for improvement but that's the fun part.

 

[Shadrach]

This and one other are the hens giving me most concern. She's a very friendly hen. She was one of the first to let me pick her up which is good because I needed to get a good look at her. I've seen her poop a couple of times now and there is no sign of worms or cocccidiosis. It doesn't mean she doesn't have either but no evidence is a good start. She's not eating the commercial feed which isn't helping. I'll be trying out various foods like fish and wlanuts which she will eat in an attempt to get her weight up while she's moulting.
I'm spending a couple of hours a day with them at the moment. The weather makes things rather difficult but I've got decent rain clothes and they are well worht a bit of personal discomfort. It's all going to be slow progress but progress we will make, one way or another.

 

[Ribh]

This and one other are the hens giving me most concern. She's a very friendly hen. She was one of the first to let me pick her up which is good because I needed to get a good look at her. I've seen her poop a couple of times now and there is no sign of worms or cocccidiosis. It doesn't mean she doesn't have either but no evidence is a good start. She's not eating the commercial feed which isn't helping. I'll be trying out various foods like fish and wlanuts which she will eat in an attempt to get her weight up while she's moulting.
I'm spending a couple of hours a day with them at the moment. The weather makes things rather difficult but I've got decent rain clothes and they are well worht a bit of personal discomfort. It's all going to be slow progress but progress we will make, one way or another.
View attachment 2851422

Wow, she does look unhappy, poor thing. Hoping it's just her moult.

 

[MaryJanet]

Needles to mention it's raining. It rains a lot in this country. I had forgotton just how much. I took the opportunity to shelter from the rain in the coop run with the chickens. Nobody objected and the one at the bottom of the picture stood on my foot and looked for a moment as if she was going to risk a leap for my leg.
View attachment 2851417
This is the coop showing the coop run the covered portion and the outside run. When I let them out they get out of both these areas into a fenced area of about 600 square meters.
View attachment 2851418

600m2 is pretty good! I mean, it's not Catalan luxury, but it's better than most.