Seven dead hens within 4 hours, not attacked. UPDATE: Teflon Poisoning!

[bruceha2000]

A man should be good at his profession

Heck, you live in warm Tucson with high concrete block perimeter walls. With that secure run, your coop could almost be a few roosts in a covered area! And you have months to procrastinate making the nest boxes.

 

[Hamiam]

Yes, it's completely my fault because I lost interest and things came to a halt. I'm a Work Avoidance Specialist and excel at procrastination.

The run was built almost two years ago and even has a chicken observation deck. The top and sides of the run will be completely screened in with quarter-inch hardware cloth. The cloth will also extend about two feet outward and will be covered with raised planter beds. Only the deck will be exposed.

All that's left is building the coop, finish the screening and add a gate at the front next to the deck.
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I also have a 12-ft x 20-ft tarp to cover the coop and most of the run.

Bobby, you've got skills! And 12 feathered friends cheering you on.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Bobby, you've got skills! And 12 feathered friends cheering you on.

Thanks so much. I've got some more plans out there including an irrigation system for all the future boxes and some solar power to have some music out there.

They've been listening to our 24/7 Classical station (one of the few left in the country) since day one. I've read that they like Classical music and NPR radio...LOL. A little Mozart or Chopin shouldn't hurt anybody.

I used to sit out there on the deck figuring out my next move, but I only had one of these to take out there temporarily...

Please don't laugh...I collect/repair old vintage stuff as a hobby, and have over 3,000 plus LP's. Just throw on a stack of albums and continue with my work. Of course, that couldn't stay out there exposed to weather, so I could also run some underground wire for some extension speakers from another source.

I have a small collection of old repaired relics and have given many away to friends and coworkers. Just too many in the house right now.

 

[lazy gardener]

Bobby, you have made my day. Your chooks will love you for providing them with classical music. They will also greatly enjoy observing their human pet from such close proximity on that bench!

 

[Bobby Basham]

Bobby, you have made my day. Your chooks will love you for providing them with classical music. They will also greatly enjoy observing their human pet from such close proximity on that bench!

Thank you, and right where that spool is standing, there will be a tilt "chute" where I can chuck in a few treats without entering the run.

There will be other creature comforts as I move along. Yeah, they'll probably live better than me. What a person will do to get a few eggs.

 

[Hamiam]

Thank you, and right where that spool is standing, there will be a tilt "chute" where I can chuck in a few treats without entering the run.

There will be other creature comforts as a move along. Yeah, they'll probably live better than me. What a person will do to get a few eggs.

Wow! I never thought about a treat chute. Great idea! I've played music for cows but never thought about doing it for chickens. I really think you should start a thread regarding your chicken adventure. Your a great writer & have an interesting story @Bobby Basham ...

 

[aart]

there will be a tilt "chute" where I can chuck in a few treats without entering the run

Why I made all my coop and run doors 'dutch doors'.

..I really think you should start a thread regarding your chicken adventure. Your a great writer & have an interesting story @Bobby Basham ...

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[Bobby Basham]

Why I made all my coop and run doors 'dutch doors'.


Ditto Dat^^^

I like the idea of Dutch doors. Could possibly divide the front gate in half, but I need to throw those treats far enough so that I won't be stepping into poop when I set foot in there.

 

[bruceha2000]

You want to scatter them a distance as well so the chickens can all get some without a "meanie" chasing off the less aggressive ones. Chickens are pretty stupid with regard to that. Throw a bunch in one area and all the girls run to it. Then throw some off to the side and all the girls run to it ... leaving the pile that was right in front of them.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Wow! I never thought about a treat chute. Great idea! I've played music for cows but never thought about doing it for chickens. I really think you should start a thread regarding your chicken adventure. Your a great writer & have an interesting story @Bobby Basham ...

I don't think my story is worthy of any thread, but I'll share something else with you. I don't mean to hijack this thread, just wanted to give you some entertainment at my expense.

Well, I can't figure out the pecking order in my gang of twelve...because they're all crazy. Everybody takes turns pecking and jumping on each other like they're having a cock fight then settle down chirping peacefully while they're scratching around.

The icing on the cake today was that I walked into the bathroom and everyone had escaped because my hardware cloth sagged and the box bowed out. They were just hanging out on top of the box, the counter and the floor just having a Pooping Convention.

I was out in the garage for at least seven hours, working like a snail, finishing up to give them this from three sheets of plywood that I mostly assembled a few weeks ago...

Now comes the fun part...You all know I don't like flapping things with a BEAK, so I had to muster up the courage to go in there and round them up. Grabbed a milk crate and two old bath mats, one for cushion/protection in case they poop in transit, and the other for cover to keep them calm.

It sounded like a fox had raided the hen house with all the squawking, flapping and that horrible noise they make once you grabbed them. It was hard trying to hold one under the mat while trying to grab a couple more, slipping on poop at the same time, so this endeavor took several trips and a few lost feathers and was glad when it was over.

Oh, there's more....

I envy you folks that have Delawares because their feathering is nice and they have calm and inquisitive dispositions. They were sold out, so I tried to find the other breeds that look similar because I believe in Affirmative Action and wanted an assortment of colors in my flock...LOL.

Anyhoo, I settled for that new cross breed of RAPTOR called the Austra-White. They are very skinny with long legs and very brave.

They are very sensitive to movement, and one goes after my fork (always carry a weapon) with a vengeance while I'm scraping the bedding out of the waterer and feeder. So, I end up in a French fencing match with it and keep shooing it away, but it comes right back. At least it doesn't go for my hand. Then, the mean RIR wants to get in on the action, but I think it wants a piece of me and not the fork because it bit (not peck) me before. Now we are in a three-way and I have to stab both of them and shoo them over to the other side of the brooder.

Sheesh, what did I get myself into?