What did you do with your flock today?

Today I offered the girls a tasting board of 5 different feeds. They've been a bit stubborn with eating, so I wanted their input on which food they preferred.

Mushroom beaked out the first sample, then they proceeded to scream at me. The other foods remain untouched as they graze on bedding and dirt.
 
Learned something today. I went to get piddle pads for Ginger, as I'm running out of newspaper that a friend has given me. As I'm standing in the pet aisle talking to another customer, she gave me a tip. Instead of spending nearly $14 , I could go get the same thing, bedliners in the adult department for $6.50. What a racket the pet supplies are! @kurby22 What do you get?
I buy them in bulk from Costco, so we get a huge box of puppy pee pads. I had never considered the idea of old person bed liners until my husband brought home a whole bunch of his grandma’s after she died. They’re good sized too! I didn’t know they were that much cheaper! Gonna have to look into them now!
 
I buy them in bulk from Costco, so we get a huge box of puppy pee pads. I had never considered the idea of old person bed liners until my husband brought home a whole bunch of his grandma’s after she died. They’re good sized too! I didn’t know they were that much cheaper! Gonna have to look into them now!
Cut in half is the perfect size for the box and my lap. More bang for the buck.
 
I buy them in bulk from Costco, so we get a huge box of puppy pee pads. I had never considered the idea of old person bed liners until my husband brought home a whole bunch of his grandma’s after she died. They’re good sized too! I didn’t know they were that much cheaper! Gonna have to look into them now!
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From Walmart.
 
I had a hen brooding and an egg got broken in the nest. The fire ants came for the egg and attacked the hen too I think. Not sure how long she tried to stay in the nest box...but when I found her she was covered in bites and ants and trying to get away but couldn't because they were all over her. She died from it shortly after I found her.

I'm so upset. Never had anything like this happen before. Not sure why the fire ants are so bad this year... we haven't had them bad here before this year.

Any ant killing tips and tricks? I've never tried to completely rid my property of them but that's my goal now.
The fire ants were like a plague this year, everywhere except the hoop coop. They even came in the house, were in my dresser drawers and I was bitten after putting on a t-shirt!

When I went to bed they were under the blanket, all over the sheets. I sprinkled talcum powder wherever I saw the ants, (NOT corn starch) and they left. I figured out that they were coming in through the AC/heat pump.

I'm an organic gardener, I never use poison, but I knew I needed something that worked, to make a dent in the fire ant population. I researched online and discovered something referred to as the Texas Two-step. The first ingredient is granules that the ants take to feed the queen. It kills her. The granules also inhibit growth, so keep the larvae from maturing. A couple weeks after sprinkling that around the yard I followed up with an actual pesticide that you sprinkle on the mounds. I counted 55 mounds in my backyard!

And now there are no fire ant mounds in my yard.
 
I got to sit on the porch for a few with 2 of my wandering boys. Johnny Reb and Phil Silvers. Johnny Reb or Johnny for short doen't ever want to share. Phil is more like his danty mom and takes little tibbits at time. Finally I held Johnny so Phil could get his share. Both are some that were hatched here on the farm. Phil is just beginning to learn the routine of coming for treats when called. Honey had already had treats and had finished topping off with weeds and bugs only showed herself in the bushes and never came out for me. Ma spoiled her today. Mr. Muff and Legs also spent their treat time with ma. They may be turning in to Mama's boys.
 
The weather today is perfect for yardwork. I'd been trimming an overgrown slope in the front yard when I heard an egg call from the backyard.

It was Hannah, I saw her emerging from the nesting box. She was letting the entire neighborhood know what she just did.

Hannah:
View attachment 3680490
Speckled Sussex? We're hoping to add one in the spring. They sound like such sweethearts.
 

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