Show and tell... PICTURE HEAVY... added pictures of chicks roosting!!

[jinxschuh]

Enlisted the kids to help today and we got LOTS accomplished!!!… We started by getting the next step on the gazebo sandbox going. We added a piece of plywood for the bottom (salvaged from the neighbors roof pitching project from last fall) and used peal and stick tiles (left over from when we were trying to get an FHA inspection completed before we bought the home) with some extra glue to help keep them in place and caulking on all the seams. My son helped a lot with this and we kept reminding ourselves ‘it is just for chickens’ and once we got over wanting everything to be perfect and decided just to get it done we had a lot of fun working together. (This, BTW, also included a caulking fight, which really hurt pealing off places where I have peach fuzz once it all dried.)

My son then got to work on our tree. We measured the chicken room to verify how tall it needed to be and he cut it down to size and stripped all bark.

While he worked on that, my daughter and I went to start work on the cement patch on the inside of the chicken door. We first started cleaning up a bit around the door and moving waterer and feeder and everything out to give us some room to sit in there. We found a big nest of baby earwigs under the 2x8 scrap we’ve been using to hold the waterer above the bed shavings. So we decided to clean out the whole room to make sure we didn’t have any other infestations some where and happy to report we didn’t find anything else, not even mice droppings. I used a little DE under the waterer board when we put everything back together hoping to fend them off from coming back until I can get it hung… any way, after sweeping and moping we got busy with the cement patch.

By the time we were done with this my son had the tree ready to bring in. We measured everything off 1 more time and made a few additional cuts and then hauled our tree in, added some short branch pieces for ladders and longer branch pieces for longer roosts that all the chickens will be able to roost together on if they choose. The pictures don’t give it justice because I wasn’t able to back up far enough to get the whole tree into one picture, any way, here it is after we got the bedding and everything put together.

From the tack room:

Bottom from water station corner:

A different angle:

The top of our tree:

Again from a little bit of a different angle:

I was quite pleased with the outcome. They have plenty of flying room in front of the door area to fly up to any point on the tree or the laying box landing. They can also choose to climb up, or jump from branch to branch or fork to fork. There is 5 different natural tree forks they can roost on individually (2 of the forks are probably big enough to hold 2 hens if they felt like getting really snuggly) or several of them could line up in the bend of the tree just above the first set of ladder rungs, or there is 2 long roosts that all of them will be able to roost on together, one in the middle, second up top.

So after we were all satisfied and anxiously waiting to see how the chicks would react to their new toy (we had locked them out all day with the run open for them to free range in the back yard while we were working. I put a small waterer out for them and we took turns throwing them a handful of feed every once in a while) we opened up the chicken door to let them in.

They were very curious and almost cautious at first which created a road block at the door.

We decided to leave them to their own and get some dinner. After dinner I took the dogs out in the yard and the 7 hens were in the run but our Lil Roo “Fancy Man” wasn’t. So I went to peek in on him in the chicken room and he was climbing all over the tree, jumping into the nest boxes and seemed to be having a good time. When he finally noticed me he jumped into the nest box and peeked around the corner at me, I SO wish I had had my camera and was able to capture the look he had, it was hilarious!

Then as it started to get dark I went out to shut the chickens in and fetch the ponies home (they have access to the neighbors pasture for extra grazing during the day but I always bring them home into our pasture and shut the gate at night). I peek in on the chickens again and there is chickens EVERY WHERE!! LMAO, again I didn’t have my camera and felt sorry for it. I counted chickens and could only see 7, so I open the egg door thinking I’d find one in a lay box, no #8. I take a step into their room to get a better look and recount, only 7. So I get a little panicky because we don’t have the screen door in yet and just using a scrap of ply wood that only covers half the door. I end up finding her at the end of the barn hall way nested down in and under some feed bags I have stored to use as garbage bags. Silly girl must have jumped the plywood from the nest box landing. I guess I know what tomorrow project is gonna be… the screen door. I did put up some netting over the top half of the door to keep them all safe through the night, but I have to get that door done now that they have access to be higher then what I've been using to keep them in.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
seanb - like I stated above it took a lot of time and patience to get the dogs trained to be chicken friendly. I grew up with training See and Eye Dogs for the blind so training a dog is something I can do. Raising chickens is new to me and the verdict is still out on if I can do it or not... LOL... My Blue Heeler is a known bird killer so I was really worried. He has killed a robin and a young duck. But I found starting out with small chicks made it really easy. Once I felt the chicks were strong enough for a little excitement (about 2 weeks old) I started by just letting the dogs smell the chicks as I cupped one in both my hands to protect the chick but just give enough space between my hands to allow the dogs to smell them. I did this regularly, every time I cleaned the chick bedding up which was at least every other day if not daily because they were in my basement and I couldn't stand the smell. When the dogs stopped having any negative reaction to that then I opened up my hands and let them see and smell (and occasionally ‘taste’ them by licking) them at the same time. When they got good with that then I started to move the chicks up and down in the air to get them to flap their wings. Once the dogs stopped having negative reaction to them flapping around then I set one on a news paper covered coffee table and stayed close to keep the chick on the table and the dogs off the table. When I moved the chicks outside I gave them a few days to get used to their chicken room and run once and then a few days to get used to the back yard to free range before I continued training with the dogs. The first time I introduced the dogs to them while they were out to free range I collared and leashed them and took them out one at a time. I got the air horn out of the boat and kept that handy. First I kept a tight grip on the leash and just walked the back yard with them. Once I felt comfortable I dropped the leash. I had to air horn each of the dogs at least once, the Red Heeler twice, when they started chasing a chicken. After each dog had a turn then I took all of them out with collars and dropped leashes so I could grab them easily for correction if they needed it and just stayed close and watchful. At this point as long as I'm in the yard I can hear a hen put up a fuss if the Red Heeler follows them to closely. Most of the hens don't even seem bothered by them any more and will walk right up to them. This whole process took about 8 weeks once I started.


O, and as far as the concrete saw, we couldn't find one to rent and the lowest bid I got for someone with a saw to come out and do it for us was $500 because the cement was 8 inches thick. So, ya. I got cement patch while at Lowe's a little while a go, so I'll get it patched up and post more pictures to see what you think then.

Thanks for the dog tips, Jenn. Our cattledog loves to chase stuff, just like most of them. He's killed plenty of critters too. I'm somewhat confident though, that once he realizes that the chickens are part of the family and not strange intruders, he'll be okay. He's been fine with our cats the same way. The only problem it would pose if he doesn't come around is that I wouldn't be able to let the chickens free range while he's around.

Thanks again.

I've got got a Heeler too. No way I'm letting Katie anywhere near my chickens. Her prey drive is just too dang strong. It moves she's on it. My last Heeler was totally different, but then again, Katie is just over a year old. She was born deaf and dumped at Animal Control for the first 4 months of her life. She's lots better with the cats. The chickens will just have to stay outside the dog yard!!!

Great coop!

 

[jinxschuh]

Quote:
Hey Coyote!

I've never had the challenge of working with a deaf dog. I could see how it could be difficult especially in situations like with chickens because if she is running and can't see you then there isn't an easy way to correct her with out physical contact. You'd have to keep her on a leash ALL the time and that might not be the easiest thing to accommodate. I'm curious though what training tools would be available to help with that kind of situation. I wouldn't want to put a shock collar on her because that is just a horribly mean way to get her attention. I wonder if any one has invented a remote control vibrating collar. If you could train her that a vibration means I need to turn and look at my master for hand signal commands I could see how maybe you could still train her to be chicken friendly. She is young enough that anything is possible. I'll have to do some research and see if a remote vibrating collar even exists. Maybe I should've kept that idea a secret so if it hasn't been invented I could paten the idea and become a millionaire!! LOL... I could picture myself in this situation and not finding a remote vibrating collar and rigging one up... that could leave LOTS to the imagination... HAHA

 

[jinxschuh]

Quote:
Hey Coyote!

I've never had the challenge of working with a deaf dog. I could see how it could be difficult especially in situations like with chickens because if she is running and can't see you then there isn't an easy way to correct her with out physical contact. You'd have to keep her on a leash ALL the time and that might not be the easiest thing to accommodate. I'm curious though what training tools would be available to help with that kind of situation. I wouldn't want to put a shock collar on her because that is just a horribly mean way to get her attention. I wonder if any one has invented a remote control vibrating collar. If you could train her that a vibration means I need to turn and look at my master for hand signal commands I could see how maybe you could still train her to be chicken friendly. She is young enough that anything is possible. I'll have to do some research and see if a remote vibrating collar even exists. Maybe I should've kept that idea a secret so if it hasn't been invented I could paten the idea and become a millionaire!! LOL... I could picture myself in this situation and not finding a remote vibrating collar and rigging one up... that could leave LOTS to the imagination... HAHA

<br>
Someone has thought of it... look at this website of someone who rigged up their own:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-a-simple-Radio-Control-toy-to-a-Dog-Caller/

And here is a ready to use one listed at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/SmartPets-Training-Shock-Vibration-Collar/dp/B0017QEQHY

Maybe in a few months your comment 'the chickens will just have to stay outside the dog yard' will change to something like 'it is so much fun to have my chickens with us in the dog yard'... Good luck!

 

[debber]

i love your roosts! Im going to try something like that for my girls, it looks so cool!

People are always commenting to me that they are surprised that our dogs dont try to eat our chickens.
I had a talk with the dogs that went like this

"the chickens are part of our family. you dont eat the chickens, and we wont eat you."

So far, so good!

 

[chicmom]

I really like your sandbox idea.....I might have to make one of those myself....I think I could.

 

[scooter147]

Must have pictures of the chickens roosting. Will be curious as to how they all settle in on they jungle gym.

 

[ll]

I must see them roosting too

-subscribes for roosting on tree pics-

 

[jinxschuh]

Quote:
Thanks Debber! I owe the idea to seanb. He posted pictures of his recently finished coop a few days ago. And his roosting system inspired me. With the room having cement walls my attempts at rigging up roosts with a gun powder blank nail gun was a major fail and I had been pondering how I was going to do it for weeks. My son is going to manufacture me some poop trays to add to it as we figure out where they need to be. They have open shop days at the high school where he will have access to their tools and we also have a welder at home for him. We have a stack of metal cubical wall panels that were thrown out from my husbands office. I knew some day we’d find a use for them and that day is now manufacturing removable/washable poop trays. LOL, I love the chicken talk with the dogs... It really is fun to be able to have them all out in the yard together. It adds an additonal source of entertainmet, to say the least, watching them interact.

Quote:
LOL the idea came from a kind of selfish reason. I love my grass. I’m hoping if I give them a designated area to dust bath in they will not have any reason to dig up my grass. Wanted something that would be covered to keep the sand dry as well as to contain the sand so it would not burry and kill the grass. So, sandbox gazebo it is. We are having so much fun. I will be posting more pictures.

Quote:
I am going to keep the camera around my neck today in hopes to catch a photo of them. It might be later tonight as dark sets in before I get any to share, but I also am determined to get a few snap shots to share. It was so fun to see them on it because I was worried it wouldn’t work like I was hoping and thought we’d need to make a lot of adjustments. We may still have to, but so far so good.

Just finished up my job hunt for the morning... so guess it is time to get busy on getting that screen door in. Hoping also to at least get the posts added to the sandbox and start building the tresses for the roof. Have a great day everyone! Hopefully will have some more fun pictures to share with you tonight.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Hey Coyote!

I've never had the challenge of working with a deaf dog. I could see how it could be difficult especially in situations like with chickens because if she is running and can't see you then there isn't an easy way to correct her with out physical contact. You'd have to keep her on a leash ALL the time and that might not be the easiest thing to accommodate. I'm curious though what training tools would be available to help with that kind of situation. I wouldn't want to put a shock collar on her because that is just a horribly mean way to get her attention. I wonder if any one has invented a remote control vibrating collar. If you could train her that a vibration means I need to turn and look at my master for hand signal commands I could see how maybe you could still train her to be chicken friendly. She is young enough that anything is possible. I'll have to do some research and see if a remote vibrating collar even exists. Maybe I should've kept that idea a secret so if it hasn't been invented I could paten the idea and become a millionaire!! LOL... I could picture myself in this situation and not finding a remote vibrating collar and rigging one up... that could leave LOTS to the imagination... HAHA

<br>
Someone has thought of it... look at this website of someone who rigged up their own:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-a-simple-Radio-Control-toy-to-a-Dog-Caller/

And here is a ready to use one listed at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/SmartPets-Training-Shock-Vibration-Collar/dp/B0017QEQHY

Maybe in a few months your comment 'the chickens will just have to stay outside the dog yard' will change to something like 'it is so much fun to have my chickens with us in the dog yard'... Good luck!

Thanks but, we tried to use one with her. Scared her so badly that she wouldn't let me get near her for hours. I think someone may have tried to use it on her when she was little and abused her with it. "The Girls" have a 2800 sqft yard to run in with tires to climb on, ramps to climb and jump off of and even a garden pool (that I flopped into last night as it was so hot!!) As soo as we can get a break in the heat we want to expand by at least another 400sqft. Katie has a 30inch vertical leap from a sit so we have to have 6ft fences, lol. They stay on leash except when we are at the dog park. Katie is very good about "checking in" with me. I give her the Good Girl sign and she is off and running again. Icee doesn't leave my side. Icee is a Lethal White Aussie, deaf and nearly totally blind. She can see in lower light levels. The bright light of the day or nighttime she is lost. We have holiday lights at the top of the fence so she can get around. And boy does she!!

Katie is in training to be my next Service Dog. She has already alerted to an anaplylatic episode.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE ME SOME AUSSIE DOGS!!!