What did you do with your flock today?

[Smokerbill]

I accidentally scared the feathers off of my poor pullets a little while ago. I've been wondering if some were laying eggs underneath the coop, so I figured I should check.

I layed a big piece of cardboard down on the run floor and got on my belly with a flashlight. I guess that seemed a little unusual to the chickens because they started clucking nervously and all grouped together in the corner.

After looking and seeing no eggs under the coop, I clumsily got back up to my feet the chickens pretty much went crazy! Running, jumping, flying into the fence around the run, I'm surprised one didn't end up with a broken neck!

Once I made it to my feet and picked up the cardboard, the girls were all hiding underneath the coop. I feel kind of bad for scaring them so badly, but it's good to know that they don't have a hidden nest in the woodchips under the coop.

If I ever have to look there again I'll make sure to do it when the chickens aren't around. LOL

 

[Nomadicus]

I found another egg in the feeder in the white giant coop. I must get them girls a nest box built. The weather is so much better maybe by the end of the week I'll have 3 new nest boxes built. The Cornish need one. the white giants need one, and a new coop of 18 Rhode Island Reds that we hatched out needs one. All are starting to lay.

 

[Nomadicus]

The rain stopped and I've closed up the coops. I'm very proud of my WG girls. Everyone was on the roost in their coop. Before the rain started they were on the log pile like ornaments on a Christmas tree. I didn't know what to expect. They are gonna get a treat tomorrow. It will be cool enough for them to have a little cracked corn. It's been weeks since I've given any out and these girls have never had any.

 

[Maddcatter]

... when your cat knows you have bacon...

Finished shoveling out the deep bedding in the coop today.

.... I made enough trips from the coop to the compost pile that the chickens decided to dig around in the compost pile. Lmao

View from the top of compost pile...

Put up the 4 "walls" of the smaller chicken run. (That was mostly my DH and kid. I mostly played with poop).

And found out a sam's club flat of chicken breast smelled a little funky when I went to use it for dinner, so it's getting simmered in the crock pot to be used as chicken treats tomorrow.

 

[ChicksnMore]

... when your cat knows you have bacon...View attachment 3646347

Finished shoveling out the deep bedding in the coop today.

.... I made enough trips from the coop to the compost pile that the chickens decided to dig around in the compost pile. Lmao

View from the top of compost pile...
View attachment 3646348

Put up the 4 "walls" of the smaller chicken run. (That was mostly my DH and kid. I mostly played with poop).

And found out a sam's club flat of chicken breast smelled a little funky when I went to use it for dinner, so it's getting simmered in the crock pot to be used as chicken treats tomorrow.

Pretty nice view!

 

[ChicksnMore]

Sold a call duck today and finally got a negative test result ...so got the neighbor paid too. Didn't talk to him about the water etc. I'll just look elsewhere next time. We've been friends and neighbors for too long to fuss about it.
My youngest wouldn't let me cook her breakfast til I tested again this morning.
Let my hamburgs out to play for the first time today. Wanted to get some pictures but somehow never got around to it. They sure are pretty birds though. They had a so much fun running everywhere... they're definitely the most hyper, active birds I've ever owned. None of them are laying yet but they should be getting close.

 

[Smokerbill]

Started thinking about the cold weather coming this winter so I just ordered these waterer nipples. Price was right, especially since I had a $5 gift card balance to use. I just hope they work ok. I'm using auto fill watering cups now, and those will freeze up when it gets cold.

I'll have to rig up a heat source underneath the water bucket...

 

[Shetland lover]

Mine doesn't....she carries herself like a boy now and her comb and wattles more than doubled in size. I was so confused at first. It took me months to figure out what happened. I don't have any younger pictures of her but here's a picture of her since she changed. I usually just call her a roo to save explaining...she doesn't look or act like a hen at all anymore.
View attachment 3645813
This breeds hens look like the ones below and that's what her comb etc used to look like. Even her tail and carriage changed. But all her feathers are still round. She's an old girl. I'll have to get a pic of her posturing and strutting.View attachment 3645817

Just love that pic of your girl. What a looker she is!

Aww, thank you! That will make her day as she tends to get overlooked in favour of her mom and auntie. They are very 'correct' bantam Cochin and do have show winning great-grandparents. Penelope has a huge personality though and has gone from biting my face as a youngster to being super affectionate. She used to launch herself at me when I opened the coop in a morning and latch onto my lip. It was somewhat painful so I'm glad we've got past that

Roo or hen, your girl/boy is so pretty! I just love her colour ❤

 

[Shetland lover]

She grew a ton! She's small but almost double the size I was thinking she'd end up. She took off growing like a weed

Oh wow! I can still remember her sitting with the sparrows. She looked barely larger than them.

 

[Shetland lover]

Came across an older pic of Rowan getting his daily hug. He still wants held for a moment in greeting every day. Just a big baby.View attachment 3645834

Too cute! I've got a real soft spot for geese