The Old Folks Home

[Debbie292d]

We're going to an Amish poultry swap very early in the morning. We have five, two-month old silkie and silkie/bantam cochins. They are 3 hens and 2 roos, so the deal I'll give is $10/each or $15 for all.

We went to the poultry swap, but they closed due to rain. They don't have internet much less Facebook to post on to let people know, but the Amish guy ran out to tell us and saw our 5 chickens inside and asked what we wanted for them. Hubby jumped to say what I said above, but I interrupted and blurted out $10 for them all! He happily took them. I'm a bit heartbroken as they had become close to me and me them, but they sure have it good now!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Plain old half and half in mine flavors do not agree with me at all.
cleaned the coop spread like 6 large blue bags of spent coffee grounds shop we stop at
has bags out back in a big garbage can no lid for us to take them.
Coop smells good too.

 

[Debbie292d]

Plain old half and half in mine flavors do not agree with me at all.
cleaned the coop spread like 6 large blue bags of spent coffee grounds shop we stop at
has bags out back in a big garbage can no lid for us to take them.
Coop smells good too.

We just use horse bedding pellets. They are around $8 for a 40# bag and it takes about 3 bags for our 8x12 coop. They last the whole year, never smells, and keeps the poop so dry we can walk in there barefoot, although we don't. We just clean them out in the spring and put what's left around trees, some in the garden, and some in the compost bins.
The game changer was using them in our brooder. We use paper towels for the first week, then switch them over to the pellets. They're too big for the little ones to nibble on but we put grit in there just in case as sure as I'd say they don't eat 'em, they probably do eat a bit. They're 100% pine so all-natural. I'd never use anything else.

This picture was with a day-old orphan silkie I put with three 3-week-old speckled sussex to see if they'd get along. She needed her paper towel floor yet, so gave her a little tupperware dish and a board to stand on as at her age/size the pellets can trip them up lol. They did all get along for a month in there.

 

[Nomadicus]

I bought a bag of horse pellets to use in a dog kennel that I use for injured chickens of all ages. They don't seem to work in there as well as pine shavings. Nothing I'm found works good. I've got to build a small coop with a grassy run I think.

 

[getaclue]

Peeps, I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Nomadicus]

Good morning Old Folks.

 

[bruceha2000]

Sad news:
Last night our sweet Selene crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
She was kind of a phenom inasmuch as in her 77 races she came in 1st or 2nd 45% of the time and then spent many years at the breeding farm with 27 of her offspring going to the tracks. We adopted her as a 10-year-old (advanced age for a greyhound) to give her a soft place to land after being so, well, industrialized. We enjoyed her gold-star golden girl presence for over 3.5 years before her elderly body betrayed her.
Run free and R.I.P. Selene.

View attachment 3660172

Condolences. You gave her the very best years of her life.

 

[getaclue]

Good morning OF.

 

[Debbie292d]

I bought a bag of horse pellets to use in a dog kennel that I use for injured chickens of all ages. They don't seem to work in there as well as pine shavings. Nothing I'm found works good. I've got to build a small coop with a grassy run I think.

It could be the smaller area and not enough chickens to scratch around or walk around in it. In the coop, it works fine, but in the brooder, I have to take a stick and stir them every other day or so, especially when they poop a cecal poop as the brooder is in our living room. If you ever give it a try again, I'd use a metal rake and just move them around now and then.

 

[Nomadicus]

I have a metal rake. Right now they spend way more time out of the coop than in. With some extra help now every so often I hope to change out the litter more often. I built coops with 4' walls and those walls are on hinges so I can open them up and rake out the litter and haul it to the garden area where it gets spread and tilled under with some lime.