Ribh's D'Coopage

[WhoDatChick]

We have been flat out inside trying to earn the money to pay for a whole heap of ponds for a whole heap more waterlilies. *sigh* Both me & my mate can be completely obsessive when we get a bee in our bonnets but all this stuff has to be paid for. Sadly that has meant not so much time for my chookies & this afternoon I decided that needed to change because my newbies are still getting bailed up in the coop. So I went in with treats & a chair & became *Top Chook*, pecking at anyone who tried upsetting the newbies as they tentatively inched downstairs for corn, scrambled egg & some dustbathing. So glad I made the effort. The enjoyment amongst the girls was contagious! Tomorrow that extra run is definitely going up. I need to shake things up a bit but I swear my girls are weird. I have 2 in full on molt. We are going in to winter & I got 4 eggs today ~ & it must be my old girls! None of the others are laying yet.

Good to hear! That’s exactly what I do.. “PECK” whoever pecks on ANYONE! I do not have the tolerance to put up with “chicken behavior”... I know I should cuz it’s the natural way.. but I just can’t stand it!! They also know what I mean when I yell.. STOP!!!

 

[Kris5902]

I hear you! I spent the morning in my cockerel pen making sure the bottom guy could get some water and feed. He is on my cull list for the next time we have a morning we can process on. But he still needs to have some quality of life in the meantime. I literally squatted down by the waterer, practically right over him, and kept the others back so he could get a drink, poor little guy.

Him and the large Barnvelder that isn’t quite respectful enough of my space, and the last of the little white devils (not Sammy), well husband and I are sort of at odds on him, but I think long term he should probably go, are on the list for joining freezer camp. Maybe one of the younger Barnvelders as well, but I’m not sure which.

There needs to be some sort of Chicken Peacekeeping medal or something for these sorts of days...

 

[Ribh]

Sleep well

I did. I had a cat who thinks winter's already arrived & snuggled into my arms. It's not necessarily comfortable but his purr is as good as a drug!

 

[Ribh]

Good to hear! That’s exactly what I do.. “PECK” whoever pecks on ANYONE! I do not have the tolerance to put up with “chicken behavior”... I know I should cuz it’s the natural way.. but I just can’t stand it!! They also know what I mean when I yell.. STOP!!!

Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's acceptable. I will put up with a certain amount but not denying access to food & water & outdoor time! The big girls know now. lol They keep trying to convince me they're not doing anything they shouldn't but when half the flock is in the coop after sunrise I know they're being bad!

 

[rjohns39]

Well, I'm finally caught up, loved the coop builds and all the pics, I have to admit the flower talk went right over my head. I need to start preparing my raised beds for planting They'll be veggies, my herbs are in pots.

 

[Ribh]

I hear you! I spent the morning in my cockerel pen making sure the bottom guy could get some water and feed. He is on my cull list for the next time we have a morning we can process on. But he still needs to have some quality of life in the meantime. I literally squatted down by the waterer, practically right over him, and kept the others back so he could get a drink, poor little guy.

Him and the large Barnvelder that isn’t quite respectful enough of my space, and the last of the little white devils (not Sammy), well husband and I are sort of at odds on him, but I think long term he should probably go, are on the list for joining freezer camp. Maybe one of the younger Barnvelders as well, but I’m not sure which.

There needs to be some sort of Chicken Peacekeeping medal or something for these sorts of days...

lol Chicken Peacekeeping Medal! I know something's up when the man calls plaintively: Your chickens neeeeed you! And it always involves peacekeeping. Those BAs of mine are sneaky little devils!

Last night when I checked on the roosting arrangements everyone was on the top bar except the 2 bantams ~ even Lavender! I was so impressed. She'd got herself a corner where she couldn't be jostled off. lol However Pebbles wasn't happy & wouldn't cosey up to Lottie who still likes to get in under someone like a little chick & she's the only one I worry about getting cold because she's so tiny so I squeezed her in under Lavender which really pinged Pebbles off 'cause that left her all on her own as bottom ranking chook! So I shoved her up too. When I went to bed everyone was on the top bar & snuggled up nicely.

We are still getting rain scuds coming over @ night but so far nothing has come in the coop & the girls don't seem to mind it being so open.

 

[Ribh]

Well, I'm finally caught up, loved the coop builds and all the pics, I have to admit the flower talk went right over my head. I need to start preparing my raised beds for planting They'll be veggies, my herbs are in pots.

That was a marathon effort! lol My man is a horticulturalist though most of the garden is mine. Apart from being partially disabled he doesn't like soil so he has these massive bush houses for air plants, stags & elkhorns & now we are moving into lotus & waterlilies. lol I'm not very scientific about things but in our climate I can grow veggies pretty much all year round & once he gets his ponds up & running I am going to start pushing for native bees, which are stingless & which I know nothing @ all about!

 

[rjohns39]

That was a marathon effort! lol My man is a horticulturalist though most of the garden is mine. Apart from being partially disabled he doesn't like soil so he has these massive bush houses for air plants, stags & elkhorns & now we are moving into lotus & waterlilies. lol I'm not very scientific about things but in our climate I can grow veggies pretty much all year round & once he gets his ponds up & running I am going to start pushing for native bees, which are stingless & which I know nothing @ all about!

Here soon I have to go out and see if mine survived winter. I started with three colonies killed two off within six months (over fiddling, apparently killed the queens). I fed them sugar water the first winter, let them keep a super of honey for last winter. Hopefully, I'll get honey this year.

 

[Ribh]

Here soon I have to go out and see if mine survived winter. I started with three colonies killed two off within six months (over fiddling, apparently killed the queens). I fed them sugar water the first winter, let them keep a super of honey for last winter. Hopefully, I'll get honey this year.

Ah, now I know where to come for advice! I think Kris has done bees too.

 

[Kris5902]

Ah, now I know where to come for advice! I think Kris has done bees too.

Not yet, but it’s on my to do list!

So after my cockerel games morning I took Puffy and Bossy (I renamed B****y) out of the tractor with Chickie Hawk, and went down to rescue the “outside chickens” before they become “inside chickens” and get all sorts of heath problems. Turns out chicken integration is usually tougher than my last one.

Chickie Hawk got some new digs this afternoon, because his new ladies aren’t so lady like after all. The feathers were flying and they looked fit to kill him... so the little rehab coop won’t be done until tomorrow... oh and apparently Bossy misses him, she kept calling to him from the barn which was making him go totally nuts after I took them out. Turns out I can bang together an integration box in about an hour by myself... good to know.