The Middle Tennessee Thread

[Tracyree]

Troyerchicks- how do you like the sand? Do you find it easier to clean? I like the idea of it, but wonder if it would look dirtier than pine shavings.


So here's my coop all painted and with new wire!!

 

[Brown Chicka Brown Cow]

Hey Sam! Been following your threads. Happy to have someone closer to me as well....Middle TN is such a large area lol....hope all goes well with your hatch...I havent had any luck with my two tries....first one had too much humidity at 70% on lockdown and they all drowned....last one had 45-50% and they all shrink wrapped...

I have French Black Copper Marans from Bev Davis and Wade Jean lines, a Welsummer hen and 3 welsummer babies, Black Australorpes, EE's, a pair of Silver laced wyandottes, one lil partridge rock, A pair of Blue Splash D'Anver's, 2 pairs of Porcelain D' Anvers, one lonely silver sebright hen, and one lonely silver spangled hamburg....lol...wow...sounds like a lot when I write it all down...the only ones laying now are my 2 black coppers and 3 black australorpes and my welsummer, those are all covered by the black copper roo as of now until I/husband finishes separate coops...

 

[Brown Chicka Brown Cow]

Sam...forgot to ask....what type of bannies do you have? Maybe we can help each other on hatching eggs and chicks if one of us needs what the other has...lol...


Tracyree...love the colors that you chose for your coop and it looks cozy...i might just move in...lol....

 

[Tracyree]

Brown Chicka Brown Cow - your user name is the best one ever. Thanks for the laugh

 

[Brown Chicka Brown Cow]

Aww...thanks tracyree...lol..

Ya know...I was wondering bout the sand myself...how well it does in the heat and cold of TN...

 

[cpegram]

Tracyree wow that coop is ADORABLE!!! oh and good work on the brooder!!


Ok here is my hatch wheaten Ameraucana (the yellow ones), EE and Barn Yard mix...

I still have one barnyard mix egg in the bator...not sure if it'll hatch but going to leave it one one more day....not bad 99.9 % hatch

I started getting back into the gym today to lose some weight gain from quitting smoking, 3 mos tomorrow

now to get off a few pounds!!

Oh Anne I got double doors on the back for easy access and some extra wire on that freebie...not much else for now...I am using each side as a small grow out pen for now......eventually want to get a run for each or something....when they get bigger i move them over to what will be the breeding pens ...and eventually some will move to population some stay separated...one of my chickens gave me glorious poison ivy UGH....going to a walk in clinic tomorrow to get some steriods to get it to dry out quicker UGH....I guess i gotta watch out how or what i pick up for at least now....anyway i got to get some sleep tomorrow is friday (for me anyway)

Have a good nite all!!

 

[Troyerchicks]

Tracyree and Brown Chick - I really do like the sand. It's so much easier to clean, just use a kitty litter scooper. I think as long as the sun doesn't hit it the floor will stay cool. Not sure how it will work in the winter, maybe spread some straw over the sand for the really cold spells. We'll play that by ear. The downside - I really liked the smell of the pine shavings. I just never felt like I was getting all the stuff they left behind.

 

[Troyerchicks]

1newegg - Cute chicks!!

 

[believer01]

Hey y'all - sand works great! My coop originally was 4x4 with 5 hens - nest boxes on the side, using straw there. I have 2 old girls who prefer sleeping in the next boxes and I let them, as it only takes an extra 30 seconds to scoop the poops every morning. All told, I spend about 60 seconds first thing every morning and there is never poop growing old and smelly. Builders sand has larger pieces of sand/grit and doesn't shift as much as multi-purpose or play sand (hubby keeps buying the wrong one). This past winter I covered the sand with pine shavings for warmth for the girls. Took way much longer to clean and I often found stuff that looked like it had been around awhile which I didn't like at all.

Every 6 mos I'm switching the sand out (takes 2 60# bags for good coverage) for fresh. Costs about $8 each time. I put the old sand in their dust bath area so it doesn't go to waste.

Those babies are sooooo adorable! Would love to have some of my own - perhaps some day. 1NewEgg I get poison ivy from just being in the vicinity...don't even have to touch it or anyone that has! No Fun! I use homeopathic Poison Ivy pills from health food store. Brand is Boiron I think. Works great. And if I take rhus tox every day before exposure I won't get any breaking out, or it'll be limited to just 1 or 2!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Tracy, I LOVE your coop!!! It's so nice. What a great job y'all did.

1newegg- cute babies! What is the white one up by the waterer in the first picture? It looks almost lavender. Very sweet! Congrats on quitting smoking. That is so hard to do. You rock!

Believer- the sand sounds great. If I ever redo all my coops I would love to put about 6" of sand in all the runs. I use shavings in the coops right now. I like that I can toss it on the compost heap or on the garden. Recycle, reuse and all that.

Jenski- nice to see you popping up now and again. I hope your computer problems are improving. I miss your cheery morning reports.

Troyer- do you mix DE in with your sand? I had gotten out of the habit of using it, but have recently started dusting the coops with it again. It keeps the flies down some. The AM babies (5 weeks old?) have been chasing the flies in their pen. They are little stealth velociraptors on the prowl. It cracks me up watching them attack.

Econman and Matlock- how are those hatches coming along? Have you candled anything recently? When is hatch day?

Brown Chicka Brown Cow- I keep "singing" your name everytime I see it.

Thankfully the neighbors are too far away to hear me or they would lock me up for sure.


All is well at my place. I finally got my flower watering system up and running. It is so blasted hot that things had started dying off. The chickens have discovered my freshly planted flower beds and are merrily digging them back up while dustbathing. I fuss at them everytime I catch them at it and run them out of the flower yard. They have started freezing when they see me coming. La, la, la... you don't see the dirt covered chicken wallowing in the flower bed... dum de dum... Silly chickens. They have also discovered the cat's food bowl and make a beeline for it when I let them out of the runs. Poor Fred just gets out of the way and lets them steal his food. I guess he knows I'm a sucker and will put more out for him once the chickens are locked up.

I have ten official broodies right now and another 2 that are thinking about it. Five hens have chicks tagging along after them. There are another dozen eggs in the incubator (wheaten marans and welsummers). It is baby central around here right now! Whoohoo!!