What did you do with your flock today?

[Smokerbill]

Nipples are the best thing ever. No dirt in the water bucket, less scrubbing. I don't think I scrubbed it since summer began. I also setup my bucket with an auto fill/shut off valve. As for freezing temps, last year I bought a heated waterer. It was a pain to fill it, and then have to turn it over, as it was 3 gallons and my upper body is not too strong. So, what I eventually did was to get a block to raise the up bucket with nipples, and just put the heater under the bucket. It worked great when we had those freezing temps for days last December.
I also have a nipple installed on a large plastic spice bottle for my hospital/broody cage, or for older chicks.

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The auto fill cup waterers I have get kind of dirty every day, so the nipples will make things easier. I have a pair of 2 gallon buckets and one 5 gallon bucket set up for watering.

I came across an easy way to heat water buckets in the "Reviews" section of the water nipples I bought. Just position a concrete block so the openings face up and put an incandescent light bulb down inside one of the openings, then set the bucket over that. I'd probably put aluminum foil over the top of the block so the water bucket doesn't glow all night.

 

[kurby22]

The auto fill cup waterers I have get kind of dirty every day, so the nipples will make things easier. I have a pair of 2 gallon buckets and one 5 gallon bucket set up for watering.

I came across an easy way to heat water buckets in the "Reviews" section of the water nipples I bought. Just position a concrete block so the openings face up and put an incandescent light bulb down inside one of the openings, then set the bucket over that. I'd probably put aluminum foil over the top of the block so the water bucket doesn't glow all night.

I have the auto fill cups and some work great and others are constantly dirty and clogged it’s very annoying!

 

[fuzzi]

My dh and I are going out of town for a few days of vacation, so I'm training my brother to do the chicken chores. Yesterday I walked him through basic water, food, and egg tasks.

Today I shadowed my brother, standing in the run, watching him do the chores on his own.

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in my calf, and I yelped in surprise. I turned and Joel, my main boy, was standing there. He used to do small pecks before, a couple months ago, but not recently. This one drew blood.

I suspect the presence of a stranger may have triggered the attack, and my inattentiveness certainly didn't help. He's 7 months old now, too.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Made a feather jar today...love keeping pretty feathers but don't like dusting them! So emptied my nut jar, gave it a wash and filled it up.

Couple feathers have me confused. I know they came from my peas but I have no idea who! These feathers don't show on the birds so they must come from somewhere tucked away.

 

[Nomadicus]

Nice feather collection.

 

[Nomadicus]

I spent some time just talking to the girls. The RIR and Delaware hens while I was filling there watering fountains. The next thing I knew I had a RIR hen on my left arm and a Delaware rooster on my right leg. I have one of 7 Delaware boys that likes to help me in the feed bin. I think he really things he will get his faster that way.

 

[Smokerbill]

Nothing special, but I let the girls out to forage for about a half hour before dark. I walked around with them and my pale ale, and just enjoyed them enjoying their freedom for a while.

They gorged on lots of greenery, explored a little, then went back into the run to squabble over who got the best spot on the roost. It was a nice evening.

 

[PopoMyers]

While picking apples, I lost a few choice ones to the chooks. Most of my fruit trees are in their fenced in area. They had fallen to the ground either by missing my picker or getting knocked off. I think they finally got full and ignored more that had fallen, so I was able to get to them before being pecked full of holes. We've had apple flavored eggs for quite awhile now. Well, no, not really.

 

[Shetland lover]

There's a first time for everything. How are you getting along? Loved your pics. Such pretty gals.

Aww, thank you! Still testing positive for covid and still feeling pretty rubbish but I do feel a bit better today. Good news yesterday in that I was told I can permanently work from home, so now I can spend even more time with the chickens How's your thumb doing?

 

[Shetland lover]

I missed seeing my Shuster on his roosting place and he wasn't on the other roost he sometimes sleeps on. Then I remembered that he had slipped into one of the coops of girls. He wasn't there and I hadn't seen him all day so I was prepared for the worst. The when tending to a coop with 18 RIR pullets that we had hatched out there he was looking as he hadn't done a thing. I picked him up and had a little talk about how he had me worried. He slept last night on his high up roost under a roof where protected. He was so mad with me from taking him out of the girls coop that he wouldn't eat his treat. Sometimes you just can't win with a chicken.

You certainly can't! Cats either
I'm waiting for tantrums later as we're moving Ferdy and Penelope's coop into the covered run. I have explained at length how it will benefit everyone (mainly me as I won't get wet anymore scooping poop) but I'm sure they'll both have a lot to say about it come bedtime