What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

I started like this...View attachment 3686382and morphed intoView attachment 3686383View attachment 3686396
Tomato plants did not survive the chickens... rip
When the egg machine is on and sales are good.
@ForFlocksSake you will have fun finding what works for you ♡ another fun fact of chicken keeping.

I had a friend with a charming wooden wall mounted egg holder. Can't say it was as charming as @Shetland lover 's Victorian thriftstore find ♡♡♡, but it was darn cute. Sorry, no photo.
My mom had a beautiful vintage wire chicken basket, so that explains me not falling far from that tree.

I love your wire baskets! I have a vintage French egg collecting basket upstairs but I've never thought to use it for it's intended purpose. Doh!

I went thrifting again yesterday. I got quite a haul - an Edinburgh Crystal powder bowl, an enormous Hornsea Pottery flour canister, some silver cutlery, 2 cute individual jello moulds (think they're 1940's), a carnival glass dessert bowl, a little purple malachite slag glass jug (1870's) and my absolute favourite, a carnival glass hen on nest!
The whole lot came to £14. Bargain!

Of course, DH pulled a face and asked "where is all that crap going to go?". He soon changed his tune when I told him the powder bowl was worth about £40, the Hornsea pottery about £20 and "that tiny, hideously ugly" glass jug upwards of £80!

The plan is to sell them and split what I get between the British Hen Welfare Trust and the charity shop I found them in.

I'm keeping the hen on nest and jello moulds, though...

 

[Shetland lover]

I keep a plastic egg flat in the fridge and an ice bin. Fresh eggs go in the flat. When it's full they get moved to the bin and that's what we usually eat from. Any eggs left when the flats full get pickled in tea/soy sauce and five spice, frozen, or scrambled and used for treats. Usually scrambled for treats though these days.

I don't keep any in the fridge but I rarely, if ever, have to wash any. And of course, I don't have to cope with your temperatures.
Your pickled eggs sound intriguing, love five spice! Would definitely give them a go if l could bear to put a boiled egg in my mouth

 

[Shetland lover]

Happy Saturday everyone! I don't write much on this thread because these days DH does most of the caring for the chickens. The last couple days I have had chicken duty and really enjoyed the little fluffs. Reminds me how much I miss them when I don't go out there. They are not near the house, so I don't see them much if I don't go out there, only when we drive by.

We have a fairly young, new rooster (cockerel until January) who has been learning the ropes and taking good care of the girls. He had the opportunity to watch our prior rooster get all the hens into the coop at night and took over that duty with ease. DH went out to close them in the other night and several were still out, so he said, "Ok Cooper, get the girls in." And Cooper did just that. I love a good rooster!

I think they were happy to see me and all gathered at the gate as soon as I arrived. Of course I never go out without some treats. lol Bribery is not beneath me!

We have lost a couple of the older girls and our old rooster in the past few months, so we are down to 17 chickens now. That's actually good news. Maybe the broodies will give me some new chicks in the spring.

A lot of our hens are past the laying stage. I think we have about 7 who still lay fairly regularly, and the old gals surprise us from time to time. Nice to be getting eggs again after the Fall molt.

I keep our eggs in the refrigerator. And I wash them. I know they are fine on the counter, but I just prefer the cleaned and prepared cartons of eggs. It's easy to rotate the cartons that way and always be eating the oldest eggs.

Well, that's a pretty thorough update from the Pampered Peeps farm. I am enjoying all your chicken stories and mourn your losses right along with you. I have nursed sick chickens back to health, and it doesn't always work. So heartbreaking when it doesn't. But when it does, it always feels like a miracle.

Thanks for being such an inspiring group of chicken chatters. Love the kitty and farm animal stories too!

It is lovely to hear more about you and your flock!
Especially about your older hens who are no longer laying. As you may have gathered, I'm a big lover of ex-battery ladies. I rescue hens when I can and support the British Hen Welfare Trust's work as I don't believe that hens are a disposable commodity for us to exploit. As you know, they are intelligent little beings with so much personality and that doesn't change when their producing life is over. It's great that you (and most others on here) keep them around ❤

 

[Shetland lover]

Changed Hops set up today. Still trying to find a safe, out of incubator, food and water always there, way to keep him. He's definitely getting stronger but having water there all the times been a challenge so far. He keeps falling into it and thinks it's scary stuff. He's getting there though. He can get up on his one leg for short spells now as long as he has something to lean against. And he's eating well. Just need to convince him to drink water. He'll sleep in the incubator still for now, but trying him with a heat lamp today. View attachment 3686605

Oh my goodness! He is doing so well and you are doing an amazing job (as ever - definitely have healing hands ❤).
Is it worth trying a nipple waterer with him?

 

[Shetland lover]

Today was bath day, especially since she was kicking and spinning around in her box, and on top of the poo she made last night off of the pad, which she had kicked to one side.

Trimmed her beak, as it was a bit hooked, and she is flapping and kicking more, stronger neck, as it does not wry much now. Still hopeful for her balance to return so she can be back with everychick. She prefers the sling over lying down, and complains some when she has to. It's only been a day over 2 weeks. Found one of those brown stink bugs in my house, and she ate it with gusto.
Here's a question. If and when she is ready, would I need to gradually expose her to the lower temps, and over what period of time? There is a temperature difference, daytime about 15-25 F, nights about 25 - 35 F.

She sounds like she is improving so much! Go Ginger!
Have you started physio with her yet?

Chickens can tolerate temps of 0°C so theoretically no, but personally I'd gradually get her used to the lower temps. If and when she's ready (which could take months yet and therefore will be much colder). Given what she's going through, I'd do it over a couple of weeks, extending her time outdoors each day. She's going to need integrating back with the flock anyhow.
I wouldn't let her sleep in the coop until she's fully acclimated and you're certain she's able to roost all night.

 

[Shetland lover]

I made bone broth from chicken drumsticks that were in the freezer over a year.

View attachment 3686712

Bones and gristle were tossed.

Meat for sandwiches and meals went in a bowl, put it in the refrigerator.

But the soft stuff that isn't meat was offered to the flock.
View attachment 3686715
They weren't sure about this new food at first, but grabbed the tidbits and ran away to check them out without interference. THEN all the chickens returned and cleaned the plate!

I also scrubbed the 5 gallon cup waterer, which was slightly green on the inside.

Mine go absolutely crazy in the coconut over a chicken carcass and swarm it like little beaked piranhas! Not much left at the end.
Of course, it's illegal to feed any household scraps to chickens in the U.K. so obviously I don't

 

[Shetland lover]

I was out running errands on this gusty, rainy day until dark. So glad I decided to check on the chooks when I got home even though they've all been faithfully trooping into the coop long before the auto-door closes at dark, for MONTHS now, even with the much-shorter days.

I slogged through the soggy yard and dang if FIVE of the 8 girls weren't all huddled against the side of the coop in the rain, all forlorn, having "missed curfew"! The naughty pullets were so dark-drunk I had to open the big access door and pick them up, one by one, and place them inside, where they hunched rather blearily like, "Where am I? What just happened?" After I checked for late eggs they were STILL sitting on the coop floor, so I ended up placing each sleepy, passive girl on her regular roosting spot while the 3 "good girls" grumped at being disturbed.

Why on earth they decided to be tardy on such a rainy day, I've no idea. And the Queen was one of them! Poor leadership, Miss Pauline! Good thing for y'all I'm obsessive about checking on you at night!

This is the reason I haven't got an automatic door. Knowing my lot, there would always be someone getting left outside. Most probably Stan, who'd run around in a panic like the proverbial headless chicken

 

[Shetland lover]

Well, Ferdy Bird is 'punishing' me this morning by ignoring me and doing things he knows are naughty. He's even been in the kitchen and pooped on the floor. I'm certain it was a dirty protest

I had a rare, Ferdy-free night last night as we were going out.
Ferdy did NOT want to go to bed and made his feelings clear by running back to the house several times whilst protesting very loudly and angrily. The last time he ran indoors and I lost him. Finally found him upstairs, squashed behind some Christmas decorations under the bed in the guest room, muttering quietly to himself.
I put him to bed eventually after allowing him half an hour where he got to snuggle as usual and had a LOT of treats to compensate. Even so, he still definitely hates me this morning.

To add insult to injury, he could have been in as normal. By the time everything needed to be done was done and he was in bed, we were both too tired. Ended up staying in and finally watching John Wick 4 (which I think he'd have enjoyed - he seems to like watching casual violence).

 

[ForFlocksSake]

This is the reason I haven't got an automatic door. Knowing my lot, there would always be someone getting left outside. Most probably Stan, who'd run around in a panic like the proverbial headless chicken

I was worried about this but I set mine on a timer instead of light sensor and have a camera on the coop. I check it every evening. It’s never failed me and I still don’t fully trust it

 

[ForFlocksSake]

No and I'm afraid that she's gone. I've looked all around where she might have gone off to nest in secret. No sign of her coming in for feed. I just have no idea what could have slipped in and took her with out a trace. No feathers left behind at all.

That’s so sad. I’m so sorry! I hope she’s just off hiding somewhere and shows up sometime soon.