What did you do with your flock today?

[Smokerbill]

Yall I tried catching up but life has been so crazy with these 2 new grandbabies and both families having been sick off and on for like 2 months.
Between helping them and tending to the gardens I'm exhausted
I popped on to ask a question bout my run...yall might remember my run is on a slight slope behind our house.
Whenever we don't have any rain for days it has always gotten super super dry to the point I would have to hose it down periodically to keep the dust at bay cuz I do deep litter method. (I think that's I right one and I do deep bedding method in their coop).
Anyways it has had a massive WET area for quite some time now and I know that can get to be unhealthy. I've been putting put the PDZ, first Saturday lime, and one other one I can't remember name of. I've also done out nearly 2 big bags of pine shavings to help dry it out...still wet.
What could be causing this?
The only thing at all I can think of that has changed is when I "tried"(being keyword) to clean out somewhat a layer on the bottom for composting my gardens I got a layer or so down into the ground...should I NOT have gotten the ground and only gotten the loose stuff just at the ground level?
I've thought of yall often and hope yall are all doing well! Especially @kurby22 with the news of the recent earthquake out yonder. Again please forgive me for being absent so long! I'm just trying to stay a float lol

Could there be a water line under the run that's ruptured?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Could their be a water line under the run that's ruptured?

Hum...I don't think so cuz it is only in the areas I dug.down into the ground a bit...I filled it back in for most part with the uncomposted stuff in the run. The area just above the run isn't that wet that I've noticed.

 

[Smokerbill]

I have a question. My Barred Rock pullets are 9 weeks old more or less. Their comb and wattles haven't really grown in size at all. Is that normal? I figured I'd be seeing red combs on top of their heads by now.

Thanks!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Hum...I don't think so cuz it is only in the areas I dug.down into the ground a bit...I filled it back in for most part with the uncomposted stuff in the run. The area just above the run isn't that wet that I've noticed.

Can you take a photo for us? How far down did you dig?
Maybe ask DH if there are any waterlines running under your coop and run or wherever it is. You may have hit something when you were digging. I find it strange that you suddenly have a soggy spot and coop and run is on a hill or slope.

*** also check your water bill.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I have a question. My Barred Rock pullets are 9 weeks old more or less. Their comb and wattles haven't really grown in size at all. Is that normal? I figured I'd be seeing red combs on top of their heads by now.

Thanks!

No, count your lucky stars you are not seeing red combs and wattles at 9 weeks . They are still babies ♡♡♡ enjoy. Probably around 11-12 weeks you will start noticing changes, they will start becoming more hen like and less awkward teen.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Had cat colony duty this morning. Hubby went back to bed but I stayed up and scraped boards, scrubbed waterers and added vitamins, refilled feeders, de-moonscaped run, raked garden.

Mazie was looking slow again this morning, she was laying down in cool wet sand. I picked her up and checked her out and her bum felt a little swollen this time. Did i miss it or is this new.. ? well, ascites is my guess. I have her on antibiotics and hopefully have caught the infection early enough to stave off the inevitable. The beginning of the end for my sweet girl.

Sewed bags as I need to refill Koke'e.

Had a helper/paperweight/boss.
Rode Boo 🏍 up to the lodge and dropped bags this afternoon. Locked chickens in the run b4 i left and tossed in a few mangoes for them. Good ride, got rained on ♡, fed feral chickens, enjoyed.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Can you take a photo for us? How far down did you dig?
Maybe ask DH if there are any waterlines running under your coop and run or wherever it is. You may have hit something when you were digging. I find it strange that you suddenly have a soggy spot and coop and run is on a hill or slope.

*** also check your water bill.

Water bill has stayed the same. He knows less bout all that than I do...he's computer man as opposed to outdoor man lol. He did say he would help me rake it all out for composting and put down all new pine bark, shavings, etc. cause having twice as many babies as I've ever had I'm sure plays a part in it...even if it is only 13 bantams.
I couldn't have dug more than a couple inches - I thought when cleaning it all out for composting (couldn't find anything on BYC to give clear instructions) that's how to do it so as to start with fresh stuff then.
It has all been in place and covered almost 2 years now. It has to be spent and ready to be cleaned out? I mean even if it wasn't wet in areas. It is only like that where I dug and just below the area all in the center of the run.
Here's an older pic...not now. Funny thing is the red marked area is where i do have mounds i am composting on the outside of the run...i just do the lasagna method of.layering i dont stir or anything. Could that be adding the moisture?

 

[ChicksnMore]

Yall I tried catching up but life has been so crazy with these 2 new grandbabies and both families having been sick off and on for like 2 months.
Between helping them and tending to the gardens I'm exhausted
I popped on to ask a question bout my run...yall might remember my run is on a slight slope behind our house.
Whenever we don't have any rain for days it has always gotten super super dry to the point I would have to hose it down periodically to keep the dust at bay cuz I do deep litter method. (I think that's I right one and I do deep bedding method in their coop).
Anyways it has had a massive WET area for quite some time now and I know that can get to be unhealthy. I've been putting put the PDZ, first Saturday lime, and one other one I can't remember name of. I've also done out nearly 2 big bags of pine shavings to help dry it out...still wet.
What could be causing this?
The only thing at all I can think of that has changed is when I "tried"(being keyword) to clean out somewhat a layer on the bottom for composting my gardens I got a layer or so down into the ground...should I NOT have gotten the ground and only gotten the loose stuff just at the ground level?
I've thought of yall often and hope yall are all doing well! Especially @kurby22 with the news of the recent earthquake out yonder. Again please forgive me for being absent so long! I'm just trying to stay a float lol

So good to see you! Hug the little grandbabies for me

If a broken waterlines not the issue, it could be the undug dirt is so hard it repels water a bit and the dug spot creates a shallow catch basin where the water can pool. Maybe it's catching the water from your water bowls, watering system, or something else? Then soaking in there in a way it can't on the undug dirt?

Had cat colony duty this morning. Hubby went back to bed but I stayed up and scraped boards, scrubbed waterers and added vitamins, refilled feeders, de-moonscaped run, raked garden.

Mazie was looking slow again this morning, she was laying down in cool wet sand. I picked her up and checked her out and her bum felt a little swollen this time. Did i miss it or is this new.. ? well, ascites is my guess. I have her on antibiotics and hopefully have caught the infection early enough to stave off the inevitable. The beginning of the end for my sweet girl.

Sewed bags as I need to refill Koke'e. View attachment 3518501
Had a helper/paperweight/boss.
Rode Boo 🏍 up to the lodge and dropped bags this afternoon. Locked chickens in the run b4 i left and tossed in a few mangoes for them. Good ride, got rained on ♡, fed feral chickens, enjoyed.

That's the best paperweight I've ever seen

 

[ChicksnMore]

That fellow Bert from the White mountains is coming tomorrow with his whole family to pick out chickens. I give him so many freebies but they decided they want to buy some too. Amazing. Looking forward to meeting his mum...she sounds like quite a woman . So today I'll be looking over my birds and trying to decide which ones I'll say ok to if they're wanted. I'm going to let them pick but know there's some I'm just not willing to let go, so better to have those firmly in mind beforehand.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Can I teach my chickens this?