Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Ladies-Eight]

So sorry for the pain and your loss.

And a happy and lazy easter to you all.
View attachment 3461001

Thanks.

Happy Easter to you.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning X Batts. Happy Easter!

 

[Shadrach]

Three hours today. It was supposed to be warmer than yesterday but the wind got up and it was quite chilly by late afternoon. I got the door control unit working. A bit to do on the front ventilation. I've covered most of the old vent with the mounting board, plus the pop door is now shut at night. I also nee to put a strip in front of and along the bottom of the door runners to prevent noses and feet from lifting the door and squeezing under it.

Henry had a nice bath. I could hear him gurgling and clucking quietly away to himself as he rolled around while I worked in the coop run. A couple of the hens tried joining Henry but I think the soil is still a bit to damp for their tastes

I was still testing the door out when Henry came in to roost and I sat on the roost bar with the hens for a while.

 

[BDutch]

I no longer wanted a muddy piece of 'grass' on rainy days, to get to the door of the coop and run.

Finally I made a path with simple (second hand) sidewalk tiles from the small terras to the door in the second run today.

 

[saysfaa]

Thank you all for your encouragement and advice. These pictures are their first few minutes out in the garden, and a few pictures as they came to terms with the scariness of the shovel vs the joys of what the shovel turns up.

Two pool noodles worked well to show them where to go. I just used them to make my arms longer and easier to see. No chasing, flopping, or flapping involved; they all walked slowly to the garden and back.

 

[bruceha2000]

About the ChickenGuard: True, it aint easy to install with the poor instructions.

Not denigrating a product I don't have but I will say the PulletShut door is super simple to install. Cut a hole in the wall, screw the frame of the door to the wall. It is a side swing, not a vertical lift door so no issues of friction or gunk in the door slots. Connect the wires from the battery or 120V plug to the motor and done.

and I sat on the roost bar with the hens for a while.

I am concerned you may be metamorphosing into a chicken!

 

[Perris]

Thank you all for your encouragement and advice. These pictures are their first few minutes out in the garden, and a few pictures as they came to terms with the scariness of the shovel vs the joys of what the shovel turns up.

Two pool noodles worked well to show them where to go. I just used them to make my arms longer and easier to see. No chasing, flopping, or flapping involved; they all walked slowly to the garden and back.

your birds look lovely @saysfaa - what are they?
I hope you and they have a wonderful time exploring your garden over the next months and years

 

[saysfaa]

Coco, Pepper, and Mocha are Black Australorps. Nutmeg is a Brown Leghorn. They will all be two years old in a few days.

The plan is they will have regular time in garden (like most days) as long as I can still get enough produce from it too. If they eat or dig up too much of what I want to eat, then this years expansion will be for just them. This year's garden expansion will be about 3 or 4 meters by about 22 meters (10-12 feet by 75 feet). It is really good soil, too. So it should be good.

That is my knee in the corner of the last picture second to last picture. They explored for a while then came back to beside me until the next time I picked the shovel up. I liked how calmly they took the whole adventure. But they are used to me sitting with them, holding greens and grubs and such. Or just talking with them. And used to being moved into the storage space of the shed and back.

I don't want to say too much so hijack the thread at all. But this thread has been helpful.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good afternoon one and all!

Just got back from an appointment in Jax.

Temperature is in the 60s.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you all for your encouragement and advice. These pictures are their first few minutes out in the garden, and a few pictures as they came to terms with the scariness of the shovel vs the joys of what the shovel turns up.

Two pool noodles worked well to show them where to go. I just used them to make my arms longer and easier to see. No chasing, flopping, or flapping involved; they all walked slowly to the garden and back.

You must be very pleased. They look lovely.