Where did they come from???

Well that was fun...50 mph sustained winds with 70 mph gusts. I spent yesterday praying to the Wind Gods not to make a parachute out of my kids' coop/run and sail it away to parts unknown. Also did some praying to the Tree Gods to keep the oodles of trees that surround my kids' coop/run upright and firmly secured to their roots. Flying tree debris was like mini missiles shooting through the property.

I prepared for this wind crap in advance knowing that I wouldn't be braving the trek through the property to get to the coop. Getting impaled by a tree is not on my bucket list. I provided plenty of food and water and a little chat with the kids to hunker down. Secured all the loose stuff I had outside the coop. Double checked the rebar hooks to make sure they were still in the ground.

I went up this morning when the sustained winds were down around 35 mph. I half expected to see chickens stuck to the fence of the run...feathers protruding through the holes and crap. But...they were going about there chicken business as if nothing happened. And...I had 4 eggies waiting for me!!!

Many thanks to the Wind Gods for not relocating the coop/run and many thanks to the Tree Gods for keeping the trees from crashing down on the coop/run. I do have plenty of firewood from the event though...more dust bath material. :)

As I go though the woods picking up various colored siding pieces delivered from parts unknown, I have to pat myself on the back. My little half-assed-built in a weekend-scrap material coop held up completely unscathed. Not too shabby for a bookkeeper with a cordless drill...
 
Well that was fun...50 mph sustained winds with 70 mph gusts. I spent yesterday praying to the Wind Gods not to make a parachute out of my kids' coop/run and sail it away to parts unknown. Also did some praying to the Tree Gods to keep the oodles of trees that surround my kids' coop/run upright and firmly secured to their roots. Flying tree debris was like mini missiles shooting through the property.

I prepared for this wind crap in advance knowing that I wouldn't be braving the trek through the property to get to the coop. Getting impaled by a tree is not on my bucket list. I provided plenty of food and water and a little chat with the kids to hunker down. Secured all the loose stuff I had outside the coop. Double checked the rebar hooks to make sure they were still in the ground.

I went up this morning when the sustained winds were down around 35 mph. I half expected to see chickens stuck to the fence of the run...feathers protruding through the holes and crap. But...they were going about there chicken business as if nothing happened. And...I had 4 eggies waiting for me!!!

Many thanks to the Wind Gods for not relocating the coop/run and many thanks to the Tree Gods for keeping the trees from crashing down on the coop/run. I do have plenty of firewood from the event though...more dust bath material. :)

As I go though the woods picking up various colored siding pieces delivered from parts unknown, I have to pat myself on the back. My little half-assed-built in a weekend-scrap material coop held up completely unscathed. Not too shabby for a bookkeeper with a cordless drill...
:eek::wee:wee:wee

now you can side the next coop :lau
 
Well that was fun...50 mph sustained winds with 70 mph gusts. I spent yesterday praying to the Wind Gods not to make a parachute out of my kids' coop/run and sail it away to parts unknown. Also did some praying to the Tree Gods to keep the oodles of trees that surround my kids' coop/run upright and firmly secured to their roots. Flying tree debris was like mini missiles shooting through the property.


I prepared for this wind crap in advance knowing that I wouldn't be braving the trek through the property to get to the coop. Getting impaled by a tree is not on my bucket list. I provided plenty of food and water and a little chat with the kids to hunker down. Secured all the loose stuff I had outside the coop. Double checked the rebar hooks to make sure they were still in the ground.

I went up this morning when the sustained winds were down around 35 mph. I half expected to see chickens stuck to the fence of the run...feathers protruding through the holes and crap. But...they were going about there chicken business as if nothing happened. And...I had 4 eggies waiting for me!!!

Many thanks to the Wind Gods for not relocating the coop/run and many thanks to the Tree Gods for keeping the trees from crashing down on the coop/run. I do have plenty of firewood from the event though...more dust bath material. :)

As I go though the woods picking up various colored siding pieces delivered from parts unknown, I have to pat myself on the back. My little half-assed-built in a weekend-scrap material coop held up completely unscathed. Not too shabby for a bookkeeper with a cordless drill...

oh what fun wind can be, Good to see the girls are laying well for you but you had a good head on hyour shoulders and did it the best part
 
As The Coop Turns...it's better than your Momma's soap operas from yester-year. There's love triangles...well actually pentagons on some days! :D Villans! A damsel in distress (not real distress). A diva. A handsome hero. Some dark and stormy nights...and more comedy than Abbot and Costello.

The latest episode stars Miss Mocha who I believe wants to win the heart of Mr. King by providing some little Princes and Princesses. :jumpy

So...Saturday, I'm puttering around the coop and run. Doing some additional security to the chain link fence run. I was patiently waiting on Miss Fancy and Miss Mocha to finish up in the nest boxes before collecting eggs. Miss Mocha was in the center box (apparently the favorite of all the girls) and Miss Fancy on the north end box...the backup box. I had figured that Mocha was probably sitting on Miss Bashful's egg as she likes to just get in there, drop the prize and dash out to the run first thing in the morning. Wasn't sure if Miss Beauty's precious egg was under her or not...as she kept visiting the coop. Not sure if she was waiting in line or just visiting the others. (There is a 3rd identical box...but you know...it ain't dang good enough :rolleyes:)

Some time passes and Miss Fancy starts singing...and singing...and singing! Jeesh...loud enough I think the hairy bulls from two pastures away started mooing back at her! She laid her prize in the north end box and was sharing the joyous event with the entire world...Mr. King would join in with a few bars of his own. Miss Mocha was still sitting in the center box giving the stink eye to the singing duet. Out of politeness, I continued on with my work to give her some privacy to deliver her prize in her own time.

*** Commercial Break (ran to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store 1/2 hr away) ***

Well...after splitting wood, stacking wood, hardware clothing the 10 x 10 run, building a platform to raise the water jug thing in an effort to keep the water a bit cleaner and a wasted trip to the HfH Store for absolutely nothing, (well, I did pick up drawer slide rails for my sliding nest boxes in new coop so I guess not completely wasted) I decided an adult beverage at the local hosey would hit the spot. :drool Lucky me, there was a meat raffle! Won me a ham and pork chop tray! lol Anyhoo...it was dark when I returned home. I went up to the coop to collect the day's stash. I quietly approach the coop....lift the exterior lid to the egg box...and...:barnie Miss Mocha is STILL SITTING THERE!!!! And...and...Miss Fancy's egg from the north end box is missing! :eek: I'm not quite sure what to do at this moment... Do I remove her from the box, carry her around to the door to the coop...waking the others and creating chaos to put her on the roost? Or...just leave her be and deal with it in the morning? I chose to let her be.

Sunday...I take my mug of extra strong coffee and my sleepy derriere up to the coop. I open it up...count the little fluffy heads as they come down the ramp into the run. 1, 2, 3, 4....no Miss Mocha. **sigh** I peek through the door window...there she is...all content in the center nest box. :th I decide to discuss these new events with the other feathered creatures that have taken over my life. I sit in my chair, sip my coffee and start rambling about how now is not the right time for new chicks...not until I build a new/larger coop. How I think a broody hen would be a great way to get new chicks...all natural and all...and Miss Bashful's eggs would a prime candidate as she's my top layer. But now is not the right time...no coop and the BF just got a pacemaker so he's out of commission for at least 6 weeks. :hit Mr. King, he's so polite, he looks at me, cooing a little...pretending to care about my woes...

I proceed to the egg box...lift the lid carefully so not to scare the bejesus out of Miss Mocha. She doesn't move...just gives me the stink eye. I reach in...she pecks my hand...I pick her up...and there's 7 warm eggies under her!!! I cuddle her and leave the eggs. We go for a walk as I explain to her how wanting to be a Mommy is cool and all...but if she could just hold off a bit, that would be fantastic. I decided that since I have her here in my arms...I should try out that new chicken harness I picked up. :gig Poor girl...ripped from her clutch of eggs...taken away from the coop and her clucking Mr. King...and now this human is putting some dang contraption on me!!! Once in the harness (which was much easier than I had envisioned), I put her down. She ran around a bit...then scratched a little at the new ground....walked a bit more....then stopped. She put her butt in the air, her face to the ground...and just stayed like that. I figured that wasn't such a good thing...so I picked her back up, removed the harness and returned her to her Mr. King...AFTER I stuffed my pockets with the 7 eggs. She went about her business in the run like nothing happened...

Sunday night. Mocha slept in the nest box again...even without any eggs under her.

Question(s): Should I just leave her be and continue to take the eggs out from under her? Will she suffer from some long-term emotional scars that will require a therapist? Will she eat and drink or just continue to just sit in there? Will this pass or is will she be forever like this?:idunno
 
As The Coop Turns...it's better than your Momma's soap operas from yester-year. There's love triangles...well actually pentagons on some days! :D Villans! A damsel in distress (not real distress). A diva. A handsome hero. Some dark and stormy nights...and more comedy than Abbot and Costello.

The latest episode stars Miss Mocha who I believe wants to win the heart of Mr. King by providing some little Princes and Princesses. :jumpy

So...Saturday, I'm puttering around the coop and run. Doing some additional security to the chain link fence run. I was patiently waiting on Miss Fancy and Miss Mocha to finish up in the nest boxes before collecting eggs. Miss Mocha was in the center box (apparently the favorite of all the girls) and Miss Fancy on the north end box...the backup box. I had figured that Mocha was probably sitting on Miss Bashful's egg as she likes to just get in there, drop the prize and dash out to the run first thing in the morning. Wasn't sure if Miss Beauty's precious egg was under her or not...as she kept visiting the coop. Not sure if she was waiting in line or just visiting the others. (There is a 3rd identical box...but you know...it ain't dang good enough :rolleyes:)

Some time passes and Miss Fancy starts singing...and singing...and singing! Jeesh...loud enough I think the hairy bulls from two pastures away started mooing back at her! She laid her prize in the north end box and was sharing the joyous event with the entire world...Mr. King would join in with a few bars of his own. Miss Mocha was still sitting in the center box giving the stink eye to the singing duet. Out of politeness, I continued on with my work to give her some privacy to deliver her prize in her own time.

*** Commercial Break (ran to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store 1/2 hr away) ***

Well...after splitting wood, stacking wood, hardware clothing the 10 x 10 run, building a platform to raise the water jug thing in an effort to keep the water a bit cleaner and a wasted trip to the HfH Store for absolutely nothing, (well, I did pick up drawer slide rails for my sliding nest boxes in new coop so I guess not completely wasted) I decided an adult beverage at the local hosey would hit the spot. :drool Lucky me, there was a meat raffle! Won me a ham and pork chop tray! lol Anyhoo...it was dark when I returned home. I went up to the coop to collect the day's stash. I quietly approach the coop....lift the exterior lid to the egg box...and...:barnie Miss Mocha is STILL SITTING THERE!!!! And...and...Miss Fancy's egg from the north end box is missing! :eek: I'm not quite sure what to do at this moment... Do I remove her from the box, carry her around to the door to the coop...waking the others and creating chaos to put her on the roost? Or...just leave her be and deal with it in the morning? I chose to let her be.

Sunday...I take my mug of extra strong coffee and my sleepy derriere up to the coop. I open it up...count the little fluffy heads as they come down the ramp into the run. 1, 2, 3, 4....no Miss Mocha. **sigh** I peek through the door window...there she is...all content in the center nest box. :th I decide to discuss these new events with the other feathered creatures that have taken over my life. I sit in my chair, sip my coffee and start rambling about how now is not the right time for new chicks...not until I build a new/larger coop. How I think a broody hen would be a great way to get new chicks...all natural and all...and Miss Bashful's eggs would a prime candidate as she's my top layer. But now is not the right time...no coop and the BF just got a pacemaker so he's out of commission for at least 6 weeks. :hit Mr. King, he's so polite, he looks at me, cooing a little...pretending to care about my woes...

I proceed to the egg box...lift the lid carefully so not to scare the bejesus out of Miss Mocha. She doesn't move...just gives me the stink eye. I reach in...she pecks my hand...I pick her up...and there's 7 warm eggies under her!!! I cuddle her and leave the eggs. We go for a walk as I explain to her how wanting to be a Mommy is cool and all...but if she could just hold off a bit, that would be fantastic. I decided that since I have her here in my arms...I should try out that new chicken harness I picked up. :gig Poor girl...ripped from her clutch of eggs...taken away from the coop and her clucking Mr. King...and now this human is putting some dang contraption on me!!! Once in the harness (which was much easier than I had envisioned), I put her down. She ran around a bit...then scratched a little at the new ground....walked a bit more....then stopped. She put her butt in the air, her face to the ground...and just stayed like that. I figured that wasn't such a good thing...so I picked her back up, removed the harness and returned her to her Mr. King...AFTER I stuffed my pockets with the 7 eggs. She went about her business in the run like nothing happened...

Sunday night. Mocha slept in the nest box again...even without any eggs under her.

Question(s): Should I just leave her be and continue to take the eggs out from under her? Will she suffer from some long-term emotional scars that will require a therapist? Will she eat and drink or just continue to just sit in there? Will this pass or is will she be forever like this?:idunno
They say hens will tuck an egg under their wing and take it to their nest.

Put her in a dog cage w/ a wire bottom.. no bedding.. ASAP they are harder to break the longer they sit.. the open cage will help her cool off.. some people dunk the hen in cold water, but most advise against that.
some will sit for months and get very skinny.. bugs seem to be attracted to the sitting hens too
 
They say hens will tuck an egg under their wing and take it to their nest.

Put her in a dog cage w/ a wire bottom.. no bedding.. ASAP they are harder to break the longer they sit.. the open cage will help her cool off.. some people dunk the hen in cold water, but most advise against that.
some will sit for months and get very skinny.. bugs seem to be attracted to the sitting hens too
Where do I put the crate? In the run? The coop isn't big enough to put it in there?
 
Where do I put the crate? In the run? The coop isn't big enough to put it in there?
if the run is secure from predators.. I had a plastic dog crate in the poultry yard, coons can get in there. I locked some food in it overnight, because I was too lazy to take it back to the house, and in the morning it was rolled around 50 ' and open.
 
if the run is secure from predators.. I had a plastic dog crate in the poultry yard, coons can get in there. I locked some food in it overnight, because I was too lazy to take it back to the house, and in the morning it was rolled around 50 ' and open.
Okay...so let me see if I get this... Put Miss Mocha inside a dog crate with food and water. Place the crate in the run. Do I cover it with a tarp or anything? Will she be okay exposed like that to the elements? Keep her in there 24/7? If so, for how long?
 

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