The Front Porch Swing

[tntchix]

Thank you!!! there are a couple videos on Youtube, but the cow was great! Keep that camera on you - never know when people what people want photos of!

In other news, my renos are nothing near Bruce's... But I need to make some prep for our new addition:



We pick him up next week! We are picking out names this week! He's going to be our Chicken Dog! He's a Maremma and about 8 weeks old now. I'm pretty excited but nervous at the same time. I've never had a dog of any particular breed before!

Lastly, how does one entice the chickens to lay in the nest box rather than somewhere in their elatively large run that they fancy (under numerous 5' tall ferns). 2 days ago we got 5 eggs, yesterday 4, and today 2... from 6 chooks (Plymouth Barred Rock). Today the two eggs we found were in the nest box, but we searched the run for any others to no avail. Not putting it past them to only have laid 2 eggs, but it seems like a big drop. We have only had them since Sunday (Saturday? Friday?), and they have been through a bunch of work (hammering, fence building, no roosts, beautiful roosts... Nothing new for them today, but tomorrow I need to finish the door that separates the hen house into a 6x6 foot coop, and the feed/dog house. I didn't take any before photos, but there were two old camper windows that the previous owner's 3 sons had spent many a day throwing marbles at... and broken glass all over inside. Lots of cleaning and now she looks like this:



A good 18' of roosts (easily removed), room for another 6' of roosts, and 4 nest boxes (easily doubled), and about 4-5" of sawdust. I would be a happy chicken there! It smells so nice! And boy do they love their fermented feed!!! They follow me and flock all over me whenever I get near the coop! They don't seem worried by the dog (our ancient deaf, partly blind, pet heeler cross). If anything they flock to her too!

Now, won't DH be surprised when he gets home in 1.5 weeks? The kids are all excited and want to go check for eggs every 5 minutes...

What's the cheapest way to redo a roof? Currently there is a 25yo cedar shake roof that rains potato bugs on me when I swing a hammer! I can see through it in various places! It's mostly water proof because of the moss holding it together though!

Ooh, the pup looks like our old Pyr, Rocket. A livestock dog she was, a nanny she was Not. She would plow over my toddlers every time they went outside no matter what we did. She eventually went back to the breeder and we waited a couple yrs to get a GSD.

Best decision for us. I hated giving her up but my kids were getting hurt so...

 

[mimischicksnat]

After a couple of requests for pics, I will have to gag one of our dear members with pics of deer..and a young cow.......being skinned with a rope, hammer and a vehicle. Sorry, but inquiring minds wanted to see.

Hubs and I recently started a custom butcher shop. We do deer, beef and hogs so far. We'd like to get in to sheep and goats too. Not sure if doing chickens is worth it. I help with everything but the kill and skinning. I'm a big time wuss. I don't mind seeing it hanging in the freezer and handling the meat to process, I just really don't want to do the killing.

I lost half of my right index finger in December because we were spending long hours in the shop and I did something incredibly stupid (and I really do know better). I didn't use the right tool for the meat grinder and the rest is history. Hubs was mortified especially cause I'm a computer programmer and type for a living. He thought my work days were over. I chuckled in the ER and said I'll still be able to type faster than you even with 9 fingers, and I do! I was back at work 2 weeks later.

Such is life...

 

[Beekissed]

Hubs and I recently started a custom butcher shop. We do deer, beef and hogs so far. We'd like to get in to sheep and goats too. Not sure if doing chickens is worth it. I help with everything but the kill and skinning. I'm a big time wuss. I don't mind seeing it hanging in the freezer and handling the meat to process, I just really don't want to do the killing.

I lost half of my right index finger in December because we were spending long hours in the shop and I did something incredibly stupid (and I really do know better). I didn't use the right tool for the meat grinder and the rest is history. Hubs was mortified especially cause I'm a computer programmer and type for a living. He thought my work days were over. I chuckled in the ER and said I'll still be able to type faster than you even with 9 fingers, and I do! I was back at work 2 weeks later.

Such is life...

Wow!!! Now, that's a woman!

Get a digit cut off and back to work, using it, in a couple of weeks...... You'll have to tell us more of your custom butchering tricks as we go along towards fall...I'm betting you know some cool tricks we could steal....er...um...borrow.

 

[love2grinchicke]

I think my five adorable silkies have cocci. So I'm not very happy right now.

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you!!! there are a couple videos on Youtube, but the cow was great! Keep that camera on you - never know when people what people want photos of!

In other news, my renos are nothing near Bruce's... But I need to make some prep for our new addition:



We pick him up next week! We are picking out names this week! He's going to be our Chicken Dog! He's a Maremma and about 8 weeks old now. I'm pretty excited but nervous at the same time. I've never had a dog of any particular breed before!

Lastly, how does one entice the chickens to lay in the nest box rather than somewhere in their elatively large run that they fancy (under numerous 5' tall ferns). 2 days ago we got 5 eggs, yesterday 4, and today 2... from 6 chooks (Plymouth Barred Rock). Today the two eggs we found were in the nest box, but we searched the run for any others to no avail. Not putting it past them to only have laid 2 eggs, but it seems like a big drop. We have only had them since Sunday (Saturday? Friday?), and they have been through a bunch of work (hammering, fence building, no roosts, beautiful roosts... Nothing new for them today, but tomorrow I need to finish the door that separates the hen house into a 6x6 foot coop, and the feed/dog house. I didn't take any before photos, but there were two old camper windows that the previous owner's 3 sons had spent many a day throwing marbles at... and broken glass all over inside. Lots of cleaning and now she looks like this:



A good 18' of roosts (easily removed), room for another 6' of roosts, and 4 nest boxes (easily doubled), and about 4-5" of sawdust. I would be a happy chicken there! It smells so nice! And boy do they love their fermented feed!!! They follow me and flock all over me whenever I get near the coop! They don't seem worried by the dog (our ancient deaf, partly blind, pet heeler cross). If anything they flock to her too!

Now, won't DH be surprised when he gets home in 1.5 weeks? The kids are all excited and want to go check for eggs every 5 minutes...

What's the cheapest way to redo a roof? Currently there is a 25yo cedar shake roof that rains potato bugs on me when I swing a hammer! I can see through it in various places! It's mostly water proof because of the moss holding it together though!

Nest training....leave some of the eggs in each or your nest boxes and then confine the birds into the coop for 3-4 days, so they get really familiar with the safety of the nest boxes and can see the other birds are using them too. That is a really nifty coop!!

You'll have to remove all the rotten wood shakes and hope your rafters/struts are still sound, then I'd just use tin roofing...it's cheap, lasts a long time, is easy to put on and sounds lovely in the rain.

Your Maremma pup is so sweet! I've heard they are an excellent LGD breed and less prone to wandering like the GPs. Let us know how he shapes up?

 

[mimischicksnat]

Wow!!! Now, that's a woman!

Get a digit cut off and back to work, using it, in a couple of weeks...... You'll have to tell us more of your custom butchering tricks as we go along towards fall...I'm betting you know some cool tricks we could steal....er...um...borrow.

actually, we are beginners learning from an old pro. his health isn't good right now so we are winging it for now. BUT, if he gives us some kernels of wisdom worth passing on, i certainly will!

 

[Beekissed]

I think my five adorable silkies have cocci. So I'm not very happy right now.

I'm so sorry.

What will you do?

 

[love2grinchicke]

That's what I'm trying to figure out. I'm not even sure how many have it. Maybe my dad can take me to the co-op, and get some Corid.

 

[mimischicksnat]

I think my five adorable silkies have cocci. So I'm not very happy right now.

Are they chicks or grown. Did you feed them medicated feed? I'm asking because I have 2 sets of chicks that all get medicated feed and I worry that even with that, they can still be susceptible to cocci. I have corid on hand but know not to give it to them while they are on the medicated feed.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this.

 

[Beekissed]

That's what I'm trying to figure out. I'm not even sure how many have it. Maybe my dad can take me to the co-op, and get some Corid.

Let us know how it goes? I'm hoping you can get it cleared up soon!