What did you do with your flock today?

[Nomadicus]

Being cool weather is hear I brought home a 100lbs of scratch feed for the girls and boys in addition to the high protein starter grower.

 

[Shetland lover]

"The giant brought us grapes!"View attachment 3655167

We're out of home-grown tomatoes, just a few little green plum tomatoes are hanging on (the vine), and since the chick(en)s finished the last watermelon yesterday, grapes it is!

Mine adore grapes! But only the red type. And they refuse to eat them at all when they're moulting for some unknown reason

 

[Shetland lover]

I have one roo that jumps up on a roost by the door as I leave and stands facing me, making eye contact and happy noises. I'm also convinced he wants attention so I always stop and give him some before I leave. Once in while I scoop him up and tote him around for a little bit and pet him. He settles in and acts content and happy. There's always a few that find ways to be special

Chickens do love routine! I've found special chickens like routine best of all. For example, Ferdy gets very upset if we deviate from his evening routine. He and Stan work together to herd the ladies into the coops and as soon as Stan hops into his coop, Ferdy jumps onto my shoulder, I close up the coops and we go indoors for t.v. time and snuggles. If anything is done differently, I don't hear the end of it!
And, god forbid, I'm more than 5 mins late going out to collect him, he comes to the kitchen door and shrieks angrily until I attend to him
He obviously knows he can play me, though, as he goes straight to bed if we're away and someone else is looking after them.

 

[Nomadicus]

Took them out for some scratch.

 

[kurby22]

Sorry I have missed a few days...been super hot here and busy with kid stuff and burned out. Needed a few days off...spent almost all day yesterday in the big chicken run in the cloudy cool weather reading a book and it was glorious. Chickens did their thing and it was simple and quiet. Definitely what the doctor ordered!

On a much less happy note...I don't know what to think...I was out with my bantam run chickens today and discovered a missing chicken. Just vanished...like Sia. No feathers, no sign of disturbance, no commotion...I have other chickens that escape their run all the time and have never disappeared but two seemingly protected birds in the run next door that never escape...vanish? It's all very weird and upsetting and I'm not sure what to do! I set a camera back up in their run that I had been using to look for the fox in other parts of the yard. Are foxes so very careful and sneaky they can get in the run, remove the chicken, get back out of the run, and out of the yard without leaving any feathers and causing any other chickens to alert? I'm just so upset...Opal was the sweetest girl and we had just started bonding enough that she would come visit me while I was in the run. So sad

 

[ChicksnMore]

Sorry I have missed a few days...been super hot here and busy with kid stuff and burned out. Needed a few days off...spent almost all day yesterday in the big chicken run in the cloudy cool weather reading a book and it was glorious. Chickens did their thing and it was simple and quiet. Definitely what the doctor ordered!

On a much less happy note...I don't know what to think...I was out with my bantam run chickens today and discovered a missing chicken. Just vanished...like Sia. No feathers, no sign of disturbance, no commotion...I have other chickens that escape their run all the time and have never disappeared but two seemingly protected birds in the run next door that never escape...vanish? It's all very weird and upsetting and I'm not sure what to do! I set a camera back up in their run that I had been using to look for the fox in other parts of the yard. Are foxes so very careful and sneaky they can get in the run, remove the chicken, get back out of the run, and out of the yard without leaving any feathers and causing any other chickens to alert? I'm just so upset...Opal was the sweetest girl and we had just started bonding enough that she would come visit me while I was in the run. So sad

I've never dealt with foxes but have always read they're crazy clever and stealthy. I'm so sorry to hear about Opal . Do you have any ideas to increase the security on the coops? Predator skirts or solid sides close to roosts etc? I did have a bobcat get a chicken that liked to sleep against the wire once.

 

[kurby22]

I've never dealt with foxes but have always read they're crazy clever and stealthy. I'm so sorry to hear about Opal . Do you have any ideas to increase the security on the coops? Predator skirts or solid sides close to roosts etc? I did have a bobcat get a chicken that liked to sleep against the wire once.

Well that is the thing, there is no way it's getting into the coop, so it must be getting them right at bedtime before they all make it into the coop for the night. With the day getting dark so much earlier I'm wondering if they are just slow to bed and easy pickings? The run is fully fenced and has bird netting over the top--however where the gate is there is a small gap. I just don't know how he is able to get thru it with a bird in his mouth without leaving some sort of sign! I am not sure how else to secure things that won't electrocute my children

 

[TropicalBabies]

@LTAY1946 , your young flocks look lovely ♡ So nice to see the faces behind the stories.

Hope everyone had a terrific holiday weekend.

I had 0 luck trapping. Koke'e 1st pavilion I set traps about 8:30-9pm, stayed till 10p, then drove to cabin (1/10 mile, lol) and took a 2 hour nap. Checked cabin traps, 0, so I pulled thinking I would have full traps at the pavilions. When I check on them they are surrounded by camping hunters and their dogs, lol. So, step around people and pull traps. Did not see that one coming.
Headed down to Kaumakani. Got there around 1am, set 4 traps, left at 3am with nothing. I did get Poppy in to be fixed!!! She is a real kitty now!!!!

Brooders aren't just for chicks anymore... she did make it back into the condo after 24hrs ♡ and she say "meow" to you all.

I spent the rest of Sunday basically napping sitting up and blowing bubbles.

Last little sick pullet has wet/dry pox now. Gulp. She is loaded with antibiotics so.... we shall see.

None of the ferals have... so, this is another illness out of the blue. She was out running with the gang yesterday, doing well. I did put her back in iso so she could eat soften food on her own.

here she is escaping, terrified I am going to syringe feed her again. And I will if don't see her eating!!

The human is doing well. We have rearranged furniture and every pillow in the house (I have a lot) has been moved to suit his needs. See, having pillows comes in handy. Can't say I am thrilled that he has his foot on them all but at least it is a clean foot. And I am glad he is finding it so easy to stay comfortable for his quick heal.
Welp. Better continue on continuing ♡!
Have a good safe day all!!

 

[Nomadicus]

I lost another little pullet that was just not thriving. She got some nutridrench at bedtime and was dead the next morning. My neighbor lost a cat to the mongrel dog that killed some chickens. He is on the warpath to rid the neighborhood of the predator.

 

[fuzzi]

They are lovely, I have a fondness for BR patterns, and of course spots, is that 4 BR and 1 spotty chook I see there ?

They're Dominiques, very similar to Barred Rocks. The spotty one is a Speckled Sussex. They're all bantams.