Violet's only companion died today - and it's freezing

[LipsChicks]

Good for you! I can just picture the mess. Your hubby must think you're nuts!

 

[yogamebird]

Hubby is as much of a sap about them as I am!! But he's not quite as interested in their creature comforts as I am - as I said before, I am completely anthropomorphizing them - thinking, *I" would not put up with standing in poop slime and melted chicken feed! Since they seem to be OK with it, he's ok with it.

Time to put the perch up! it's gotten dark!

 

[Acornewell]

Awww Yay! So glad to hear! We are now snowed in. The birds want nothing to do with the snow. My hubby is the same way! Such a softie!!!

 

[deacons]

Can't wait to see pictures of the hen motel

 

[KayTee]

My husband thinks I'm completely nuts about my girls too - he's very much of the same mind as yogamebird's other half - chickens should live like chickens, not people!

Having said that, he decided to build a fully glazed dust bath area for them a couple of weeks ago, out of two old crates and some discarded secondary double glazing. His argument was that it had nothing to do with being nice to them or making their lives more comfortable, just that he "needed to use up the old stuff that was hanging around, and it was easier to build something with it than take it down to the rubbish dump" - yeah, right

(I know that when I'm not around he talks to them and gives them extra treats

)

 

[deacons]

How are your girls holding up with yet another snowstorm?

 

[yogamebird]

Well, for now the snowstorms don't matter as the girls are still in the garage. Our biggest challenge is trying to keep the pine shavings out of the water. They were very thirsty this morning, and I couldn't not figure out where to put the icky chicken water/shavings guck from their water feeder. Everything outside is pure ice over white snow. I quickly put a plastic dish of water down and of course Violet hogged it while poor Tilly cried. I'm delegating this job to my husband as I'm getting ready for a big trade show but of course I still try to micro-manage.

 

[KayTee]

Can't you do the same with the water as you did with the food bowls - pierce holes near the top of two small bowls and wire them to the cage, so that they're not on the floor? They don't need to be full of water, just to have a couple of inches in the bottom that the girls can reach.

 

[deacons]

Do you have any old flower pots? Preferably a sturdier material, like clay or ceramic? If so, just flip it over and put the waterer up on top. Puts it at a good height for drinking. You can push it into a corner to make it less likely they will tip it over (which could be a real concern in these cold temps).

 

[KayTee]

Do you have any old flower pots? Preferably a sturdier material, like clay or ceramic? If so, just flip it over and put the waterer up on top. Puts it at a good height for drinking. You can push it into a corner to make it less likely they will tip it over (which could be a real concern in these cold temps).

Good idea - you can also use it the right way up, filled with stones (or a plastic bag filled with sand or earth), to a little bit short of the top, and then sit a small bowl in the top with the water in. The weight of the stones / sand will stop the flower pot being tipped over, and sitting the bowl slightly lower than the top of the pot will stop the girls knocking it off.