What have you done for your chickens today?

[Beekissed]

Well...today I fed and watered them again. Sometimes I get a little wild and change things around....sometimes I water and THEN feed. I know, I know....I'm just an adrenaline junky, what can I say?

 

[LeghornLisa]

Check out Jeffers.com. I went to get a heated waterer at my local Agway, they were asking $70...Jeffers.com $30. Can't beat that with a stick!

 

[Moabite]

I was in the local health food store today looking for fermented veggies called Kim-chi for a recipe for my food dehydrator. They didn't have any, but I scored a big ol' produce bag full of slightly wilted greens for free for my chickens! I'm so grateful to have a HFS available.

I've been organizing in my mind next years garden plan. I'm gonna build a solar food dehydrator to help handle the yields. I've got a 1/8 acre homestead going on and besides that, I've got the whole family set up with bicycles and gear so we can save money on gas while avoiding the heavy tourist traffic. If someone 20 years ago told me I'd be raising chickens, growing gardens, riding bicycles, listening to Bluegrass while I raise children, I would have thought they were crazy.

What do I do for my chickens today? Besides feeding them, I appreciated them. My wonderful wife fried me up two over easy eggs with glowing orange yolks. I swear they were the best tasting eggs I have ever eaten. Life is good. Maybe I should have called the thread "What have your chickens done for you today?' instead. I had no idea that chickens were so easy.

 

[amberflea]

Mixed up a big pan of bread, chopped up hard boiled eggs, alfalfa pellets, seed and poured kefir over it... they gobbled it up in no time... also my wonderful hubby made them a small dusting box inside the coop, as we have over 14" of snow and its been anywhere from 0 to -20 F the last week. Even tho I shoveled the fenced in yard, they won't dare venture further than the end of their chicken door ramp...

 

[foxnthehenhouse]

Bought the girls a brand new large hanging feeder and a new metal water dispenser with a heated base. No more thawning out frozen water and wasted feed.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I had to bring in one of my BO girls and check her over. Last night when I checked on them after work, I noticed she was looking a little different, sort of bedraggled across her back. I couldn't get my hands on her last night, but after work tonight I was able to get her off the roost. I brought her in the house and started parting feathers and found a big bare patch not quite as big as the palm of my hand on the left side of her back. The skin wasn't really broken but was dry and sort of...scraped. I am assuming that Rudy has been over zealous while cooped up the last few days (due to the weather). I didn't have any antibiotic cream so I just spread some vaseline on it and on her comb then put her in the dog crate for a day or two away from Rudy, or I might catch him on the roost tomorrow night and put him in the crate for a day or two to give the girls a break from him. I am glad the weather is not as cold. The snow didn't seem to bother the chickens but the freezing cold wind did. I filled the feeder and left for the night. DH will refill the waterers tomorrow while I am at work.

 

[Moabite]

I popped some popcorn in a hot-air popper for them, scrubbed inside and out on the galvanized 5 gallon waterer. I'm switching to nipples this spring. The girls have been real happy. It has been about 50 degrees everyday for the last couple weeks. I got 6 eggs today!

My neighbor gave me some oak sawdust. It seems like it is lofty and absorbent enough, so I'm gonna shovel a bunch into the coop tomorrow.

 

[Count Orloff]

I cooked some spaghetti noodles for my birds this evening. It is funny to see how two hens will go after the same noodle; it's like tug-of-war! I will probably let them free range for several hours tomorrow also.

 

[pontoosuc]

geeze, let's see. today: had to shovel off, then sweep off, the area in their outdoor run so they didn't have to walk in the new snow!
then I swept off the wooden boxes (read wine boxes (empty)) that are in the outdoor run so they didn't have to get their toes in the snow!

put a newly filled waterer on the water heater and removed the old; scraped the frozen poo off the "coffee table" that some roost on; bring the poo bucket out to the compost pile.

refresh both feeders; make sure the oyster shell and grit plates were full; scratch up the "dust bath' I made for indoor bathing; check both "flock blocks"

paid the electrician for installing the outdoor motion lights.

put holiday ribbons on two dozen eggs for gift giving. I LOVE IT!!!!!

 

[Moabite]

It is fun to give 'em spaghetti! I noticed my girls like worm shaped food, like they love carrot peels, but have no interest in carrot pulp that comes out of the juicer. They like ginger peels too.

Pontoosuc, You might be guilty of spoiling your chickens. At least you are in good company! Eggs as presents should be appreciated