The Front Porch Swing

[Beekissed]

Thanks,Bee. I was one of those people who was told to leave the feeders in all the time so they could eat whenever the urge hit.

I didn't really have a system - just changed the feeder and waterer when they needed it and made sure both were always full and accessible. And of course the heat lamp was on all of the time too, although I raised it regularly as they grew until a couple of days ago when I turned it off and watched to see how they'd do. I really need to keep things simpler, huh? Took the feeder out tonight when I tucked their little hineys in. I am amazed at the big girls - they let the little ones (those new ones I beat Ken buying) snuggle right under them when they hit the sack.

Coop progress is slow.....I'm doing things so much differently with the next batch of chicks. If I wait until I have all the dust cleaned up from these that should be a couple of years.

"They" tell folks that all the time but it's not necessary. "They" are the same ones that will tell you to free feed the adult birds and most likely they keep their dog and cat food bowls always filled. Like all animals need a constant buffet to graze all the time....never could figure out where that thinking comes from but I think it's from somewhere in the city.....

Sounds like yours are doing fine! Maybe next time you brood chicks you can do it right in the coop and skip all the dust.

 

[Blooie]

Progress!! But really, do these chickens need a coop 8 feet high?

 

[Beekissed]

Comes in handy if your roosts are 6 ft. high...

I'd rather have the width and depth than the height, to be sure.

 

[PrairieChicks]

I never have feed in the brooder at night anyway, so not sure about your system? I feed chicks twice a day and enough to last them a couple of hours each time but with gaps between an empty feeder and the next meal. Chicks don't need constant feed in front of them, though people for some reason feel like they do. If I come to feed and there is still more than just a skiff of feed in the feeder, I dish out less the next time. If the feeder is picked clean and practically licked, I'll dish out a little more next time. I've got it perfect if there is still a residue of feed in the bottom but not too much.

I think the only way you'll get them used to sleep at night is to turn off the light at night.

Right now little Hootie is as quiet as a mouse under his little heating pad in a darkened room.


You've got the perfect dog for a chicken flock!

Smart and naturally fit for the job. Take the time to train her effectively on your chickens...you'll need to have established pack leadership and basic obedience before then, but she will be worth her weight in gold for your flock management if you can get her there. Here's some tips on successful free ranging and they really and truly do work:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

Thanks, Bee. A very helpful article on free ranging. I'll need to think things through and this will help with that. Kimber is turning out to be a good dog. I am top dog - she challenged that at first - but hasn't now for quite a few months. She pretty good with the basic obedience commands. We also had a golden retriever that died a couple months ago of old age. Kimber is much smarter - which I found frustrating at first. I was used to "blind obedience".

When I got my chickens as day old chicks last June, I brought Kimber into the 6x8 ft shed where the chicks were and made her sit. I had the chicks running in 3/4 of the shed with a 2 foot cardboard wall fencing off the first quarter of the shed. So with the sack of feed, Kimber and myself in that first quarter, there wasn't much room. Plus it was dark in there with a red heat lamp over the chicks. Then after a couple days of bringing her in with me, I picked up a chick and was going to let her sniff it. She thought it was lunch. The chick screeched loudly and I yelled louder as I rescued the chick and told her what a terrible dog she was. The heat lamp waved around with the commotion and with her and I in there with the chicks, it was very full so she had nowhere to go. The next time we went into the brooder, she sat down with her back to the chicks and refused to look at them.

Now she trots up to the coop and checks that they're there and keeps going on her rounds around the yard. So she may be ok with them out - I just haven't tried it. The main thing I'll have to think through is where their safe places would be. Our chicken coop is a 6x8 insulated shed that looks like a hip roof barn with a fenced in area beside it for them to go outside in. No trees right near it. A goat pasture behind it and a lawn in front of it.

 

[Blooie]

Comes in handy if your roosts are 6 ft. high...

I'd rather have the width and depth than the height, to be sure.

It wasn't supposed to be 8 feet tall.

We had each drawn a set of plans, in addition to Evan's Legoland and Katie's Castle. Then we took what we liked from each set and put them together to get just what we wanted. Um, I guess when I transferred them I wasn't careful in printing out the dimensions. He took the 8ft, 6 ft to mean the roof line drop instead of 8' X 6 feet for the length and width. I had written that out on one side of the sketch and the 8ft (Comma) 6 feet right smack dab in the middle of the coop. He did ask me,"Why do you want the front so tall?" Well DUH, Ken! "So I can walk inside." So I guess he did just what I asked for - a shed roof 8 feet tall at the front and 6 feet tall at the back. When I went out to check the progress he and Kenny had made in raising the frame I didn't have the heart to ask him to rip it apart and start over, so my coop is 8'x6' with an 8' high front and a 6' high back wall. Well, I figured that maybe I could put a shelf on the tall side and use it for storage of stuff for the chickens, right?

 

[Beekissed]

It was likely she was not going to eat the chick...my poor dog Jake has the same confusion when I offer a chick for him to smell, he will politely try to take it from my hand. Not to eat, just to hold because I offered it.

The first time that happened I about scared the dog to death by yelping at him because I thought he was going to bite down but he was just holding the chick for me. Funny thing! Little legs sticking out of his soft mouth...no harm done.

 

[PrairieChicks]

It was likely she was not going to eat the chick...my poor dog Jake has the same confusion when I offer a chick for him to smell, he will politely try to take it from my hand. Not to eat, just to hold because I offered it.

The first time that happened I about scared the dog to death by yelping at him because I thought he was going to bite down but he was just holding the chick for me. Funny thing! Little legs sticking out of his soft mouth...no harm done.

You're probably right. I just thought she was going to eat it. We all got a scare - all 33 chicks, the dog and me! Makes me laugh now to think of it.

Lindz, how is your girl this morning? I thought of her when I woke up and prayed for her and you.

I thought I'd drop by the porch at this early hour just in case anyone else was up. It's as I thought. All are wiser than me and either in bed sleeping or busy going about life. I'll make my own coffee and head to work. Have a wonderful day everybody!!

 

[Blooie]

Well, 26 degrees and woke up to snow on the ground. Doesn't look like we'll get much done on Motel Chix today. It's way more painful to hit your thumb with a hammer when your hands are cold.

Katie stopped over last night with a huge apple - I mean this thing looked like a red pumpkin. She brought it over so we could chop it over and give "her" chickens a treat.

"Which ones are yours, Katie?"

"Well, Sweet Charlotte, Gladys, Pearl, Daphne, and Agatha. You know, Gramma, whoever named the chicks, then it's their chick."

"What about the other girls? Don't they get some apple too?"

I got what we around here refer to as the "Katie look". It's hard to describe. Her nose wrinkles, one eyebrow sails skyward, and one side of her lip curls up ala Elvis. She sighed. "Okay, Gramma,, you just put the apple on their side of the box and tell the other ones that I'll bring them something tomorrow. They're old enough to know that sometimes one gets something, and sometimes they all get something."

Um, yeah, okay Katie, let's give that a try. That should work well with 22 greedy chicks. We cut the apple into quarters and chopped one quarter into chickie sized pieces. The rest of the pumpkin/apple got wrapped and put into the fridge. Then we went into the office and I dumped the apple into the treat lid.

"Did they get grit today Gramma so they can chew the apple in their tummies?"

"Yep, they did, Katie. Do you want to put this in or do you want me to?"

She took the lid, leaned over the brooder and said, "Now, girls, I'm sorry but you don't all get this. It's not for everyone." She called the chosen few by name, then lifted the netting. You know what happened then! Before she even got the lid put down she had every chick on her like stink on chicken poop. She dropped that lid right quick and jerked her hand back.

Wide eyed she looked at me. "Gosh, Gramma, you really need to train those chickens to behave and use their manners better."

I'll get right on that, Katie.

 

[TexasLisa]

Well, 26 degrees and woke up to snow on the ground. Doesn't look like we'll get much done on Motel Chix today. It's way more painful to hit your thumb with a hammer when your hands are cold.

Katie stopped over last night with a huge apple - I mean this thing looked like a red pumpkin. She brought it over so we could chop it over and give "her" chickens a treat.

"Which ones are yours, Katie?"

"Well, Sweet Charlotte, Gladys, Pearl, Daphne, and Agatha. You know, Gramma, whoever named the chicks, then it's their chick."

"What about the other girls? Don't they get some apple too?"

I got what we around here refer to as the "Katie look". It's hard to describe. Her nose wrinkles, one eyebrow sails skyward, and one side of her lip curls up ala Elvis. She sighed. "Okay, Gramma,, you just put the apple on their side of the box and tell the other ones that I'll bring them something tomorrow. They're old enough to know that sometimes one gets something, and sometimes they all get something."

Um, yeah, okay Katie, let's give that a try. That should work well with 22 greedy chicks. We cut the apple into quarters and chopped one quarter into chickie sized pieces. The rest of the pumpkin/apple got wrapped and put into the fridge. Then we went into the office and I dumped the apple into the treat lid.

"Did they get grit today Gramma so they can chew the apple in their tummies?"

"Yep, they did, Katie. Do you want to put this in or do you want me to?"

She took the lid, leaned over the brooder and said, "Now, girls, I'm sorry but you don't all get this. It's not for everyone." She called the chosen few by name, then lifted the netting. You know what happened then! Before she even got the lid put down she had every chick on her like stink on chicken poop. She dropped that lid right quick and jerked her hand back.

Wide eyed she looked at me. "Gosh, Gramma, you really need to train those chickens to behave and use their manners better."

I'll get right on that, Katie.

Yes Gramma, I would love to see you do this!

Lisa

 

[enola]

I would buy a ticket to see this 'manners' session