What did you do with your flock today?

[RedwoodCoastChick]

I brought Legs inside tonight and handled him some. I had not picked him up in several months. He has really packed on the pounds. I need to way him. He turns 7 months in about 4 days and must weigh 8 lbs now.

Wow, Legs is growing up to be gorgeous! He makes a mighty big lap bird already. So great that he likes hanging out with you like this!

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

DH fixed the tarps so that there is more of an eave effect on the side of the run, and I took a sheet of plastic and clipped it to the bottom 2 feet of the opposite fence as a splash guard. Seems to be working.

The rainy season is certainly bringing its challenges! We had another 1.32" the past two days, and after all the previous rains the ground is saturated. The clear plastic tarp over their run is helping (top & halfway down the sides) but moisture is seeping in from underneath. (My first winter having chickens, so it's a learning experience.)

I like your splash guard idea, thing I'll try it for the space where I'm trying to keep their dust bath area dry under the coop. (Coop's about 18" off the ground, the space is covered sides & bottom with HW cloth.) The light-feathered girls have muddy spots on their feathers from damp dirt baths.

Of course, they still excavate hollows in the wood chips in the outer (uncovered) run, all the way down to the wet dirt beneath, so their whites are none too bright this time of year!

Today's flock fun was a 15-gallon bucket of fresh weed clumps I'd pulled out of the raspberry beds during today's lull between rains, dumped in one big mound for their scratching enjoyment. Kept them busy all afternoon.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I've never been one to do selfies but couldn't pass this up. I brought Legs inside tonight and handled him some. I had not picked him up in several months. He has really packed on the pounds. I need to way him. He turns 7 months in about 4 days and must weigh 8 lbs now. We also got a second photo of him snacking on tidbits of fresh bread. This will become a ritual with him like it is with a pullet that came to us along with him. I put my old raggedy coat on expecting him to fuss but he didn't. A perfect gentleman. She sat while eating and the only time he got some bit anxious was he didn't want to do the selfie.
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He's certainly growing up beautiful!

 

[kurby22]

Have a lovely time in Leavenworth. So funny, I live here and haven't gone there yet. Maybe the Christmas lights are still up?

They are! It’s so fun here! I even got to see chickens today We did the tourist stuff and went for a sleigh ride and to a reindeer farm! Snow flakes were some of the biggest I’ve ever seen! I loved it! You should definitely come sometime!

 

[kurby22]

I think this is the first mention of the actual number of coops you maintain. Wowza! That was a huge job. Yay for teamwork. Now for a.much deserved playcation.

Yeah it’s pretty insane…my husband is a trooper! Builds character in the kids too

 

[kurby22]

I've never been one to do selfies but couldn't pass this up. I brought Legs inside tonight and handled him some. I had not picked him up in several months. He has really packed on the pounds. I need to way him. He turns 7 months in about 4 days and must weigh 8 lbs now. We also got a second photo of him snacking on tidbits of fresh bread. This will become a ritual with him like it is with a pullet that came to us along with him. I put my old raggedy coat on expecting him to fuss but he didn't. A perfect gentleman. She sat while eating and the only time he got some bit anxious was he didn't want to do the selfie.
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Legs is quite impressive!! He sounds like a pretty good boy! I love the selfie!

 

[Shetland lover]

Today was THE winter preparation day for the coops and OMG am I exhausted. We cleaned out and added fresh shavings to ALL 15 coops and the 6 breeding cages, filled the feeders, cleaned, scrubbed, and filled all the waterers, laid down straw and PDZ for the mud, refilled oyster shell, cut down annoying new tree branches and made them into roost bars, and set up tarps and draft blockers. Took from 7 am till 3 pm…chickens and quail were so happy to have clean bedding and dust bathing piles it helped make it worth the agony to my back! It was an all hands on deck kind of operation…kids cleaning coops, husband hauling feed and shavings and crap all over and trouble shooting auto doors and battery changes, me scrubbing algae waterers in the mud…good day of hard labor. I hope they appreciate it! By 5:30 the sky opened up and dumped for the rest of the night, so so much for the drier runs But at least tarps will help keep some areas dry-er.

We leave at 6 am for a short family vacation to see my friend up in Seattle tomorrow so they better stay alive and healthy! My friend has a cabin 25 mins from Leavenworth so we are going to go enjoy a fun German Christmas town with reindeer visits and a sleigh ride, and maybe some sledding and evenings in the hot tub. The chickens better behave so I can enjoy the time away without stressing! Must sleep now! Goodnight chicken friends

Fantastic work! Hope your poor back didn't suffer too much.
Your trip sounds wonderful, have a fabulous time

 

[Shetland lover]

Today I held one of my chickens and her abdomen felt weird to me. I don't know how to explain it. I don't know if I've spent too much time without holding a chicken or if it's actually swollen/distended.

I hadn't seen my chickens in about 10 days and I don't know if she is perhaps a bit fatter?

I mean, the chicken looks good and acts normal, but I'm kind of traumatized because her sister used to look good and act normal while she was laying eggs internally.

Have you ever felt that something is wrong with one of your chickens but you are not able to differentiate whether there is something truly wrong or it is all in your head? After dealing with IBV in my flock, I kind of have what I'd call "CIA" - Chicken Illness Anxiety.

I lost my first chicken when she was just 18 months old. She had been laying internally too and passed from egg yolk peritonitis. Ever since then I've had CIA.
BUT...it has made me hyper vigilant with my flock and I've been able to nip problems in the bud before they've truly become problems.

Trust your gut. You know your ladies best.

 

[Shetland lover]

They are! It’s so fun here! I even got to see chickens today We did the tourist stuff and went for a sleigh ride and to a reindeer farm! Snow flakes were some of the biggest I’ve ever seen! I loved it! You should definitely come sometime!

Wow! Reminds me a bit of the Alps. Looks like everyone is having a ball
I love reindeer! My mom lives near a reindeer farm and it's so nice watching the calves charge around the fields as they grow.

 

[Shetland lover]

Yesterday afternoon, I went out back to find Ferdy and Stan having their first fight of the year. They were both muddy and soaked to the skin. It wasn't raining - for once! - so they must have been rolling on the ground. Took them both in for a bath and blow-dry. When I'd got them cleaned up and assessed injuries (limited to a few minor comb scratches, thankfully) I took them both out and separated them with 2 girls each. When I went to check on everyone an hour later, Stan was still really wet. He wouldn't sit still on my knee while I dried them so I wasn't really surprised. I ended up bringing him back indoors for the rest of the day to keep him warm. He settled on my chest and slept until chicken bedtime. DH said it was the most relaxed he'd ever seen him