Sunday, August 30, 2009
Here is an update on the chickens, as of August 23 by Peg and Jeanne.
The chicken coop and front pen are finally finished. It has taken many hours on the part of co-op members to get it done, with new skills to learn, illnesses and schedules to work around, rain, and design challenges, but we have done it! After David and Keith put up the skeleton structure, roof and floor, and Amy dug the back trenches, the rest of us got to work. Keith, Frank, Peggy, and Jeanne put in the rest of the outside walls, the insulation, the inside walls. Keith made the front chicken door and ramp, and Matt and Peggy refined it a bit. Frank, Jennie, Keith, Matt, Wendy, Peg and Jeanne all worked hard on the outside front pen: digging post holes, digging trenches, laying in the wire, building the fence, stringing the wire to hold it together, building the frame on top to hold the fencing up, building the porch roof over the front ramp for winter outings, finishing the covering on the gate and making adjustments so it will open with a roof cover on. We took a bit of time designing the structure around the window so it would still open. We are pleased with the results. We have built two roosts inside and one outside. Matt put in the nest boxes we have so far, which are enough for four chickens. We could use one more wooden orange crate or something similar. We moved the feed and water cans. We had to put slanted roofs on the nest boxes to prevent roosting on them and chicken poop buildup. Jeanne has painted three sides with solid stain. The fourth is awaiting the finish of the back pen and more paint. The back pen still needs to be re-done, with a real gate put on the side nearest to the door and the posts connected by 2 x 2s and support for the top secured. But for now, both pens are operational, and the girls happily run back and forth looking for amusement.
All 26 are getting rather big and are healthy. The rooster does not know yet that he is in charge of a harem or that he can make more noise when he gets bigger. He just goes with the pack. The girls like to be entertained with fresh greens, weeds, grasshoppers, stale bread, chicken scratch, and clean water. They do try to get out when you open the front fence, and we have had to capture a few escapees. They come running as soon as someone comes out there, expecting a treat. They are still eating the grower food, and will until they start laying. Then we switch to the layer food. Peggy just bought two more bags of feed. We include a small handful of gravel with every other can of food, so their digestion works for the greens. Young Keith has been bringing corn cobbs and other goodies for them regularly. Frank, Jennie and young Keith visit often, change water, as well as feed if needed.
Peg & Jeanne let them out in the morning and put them in after dark, feed and water regularly, clean out the coop once a week, and provide daily entertainment. They will be gone on vacation for two weeks starting August 24, returning September 8. Wendy & Matt and Frank & Jennie have worked out a plan for caring for the chickens as well as our gardens while we are gone. We are sure they will welcome any visitors as well. Just watch for escapees and hawks.
We still need to put the heavy duty fence around the outside of the pens (to protect from coyote and fox), finish the back pen and gate, trench the two sides and dig in the fine mesh wire (a priority to avoid mink and weasal attacks), wire the place for electricity, find one more double wide nest box, and maybe build a bin outside the side door with a latching lid to store feed in the winter (we will have enough to do to get ourselves out there in four feet of snow, we think it would be useful not to have to haul feed also). There is fresh straw or bedding in the back of the pole barn, if anyone wants the treat of cleaning out the coop. We have just been using straw for now, but in winter we might want the bedding also to cut down on the smell, when there is less ventilation.
If you visit the chicken condo while we are gone, make sure water pump is shut off if you use it, and don't forget to bring a treat. They like sour weed the best, or corn cobbs and grasshoppers. Congratulations to all chicken condo builders and hen caretakers. The girls (and one boy) are quite happy. Eggs by October perhaps.
The chicken coop and front pen are finally finished. It has taken many hours on the part of co-op members to get it done, with new skills to learn, illnesses and schedules to work around, rain, and design challenges, but we have done it! After David and Keith put up the skeleton structure, roof and floor, and Amy dug the back trenches, the rest of us got to work. Keith, Frank, Peggy, and Jeanne put in the rest of the outside walls, the insulation, the inside walls. Keith made the front chicken door and ramp, and Matt and Peggy refined it a bit. Frank, Jennie, Keith, Matt, Wendy, Peg and Jeanne all worked hard on the outside front pen: digging post holes, digging trenches, laying in the wire, building the fence, stringing the wire to hold it together, building the frame on top to hold the fencing up, building the porch roof over the front ramp for winter outings, finishing the covering on the gate and making adjustments so it will open with a roof cover on. We took a bit of time designing the structure around the window so it would still open. We are pleased with the results. We have built two roosts inside and one outside. Matt put in the nest boxes we have so far, which are enough for four chickens. We could use one more wooden orange crate or something similar. We moved the feed and water cans. We had to put slanted roofs on the nest boxes to prevent roosting on them and chicken poop buildup. Jeanne has painted three sides with solid stain. The fourth is awaiting the finish of the back pen and more paint. The back pen still needs to be re-done, with a real gate put on the side nearest to the door and the posts connected by 2 x 2s and support for the top secured. But for now, both pens are operational, and the girls happily run back and forth looking for amusement.
All 26 are getting rather big and are healthy. The rooster does not know yet that he is in charge of a harem or that he can make more noise when he gets bigger. He just goes with the pack. The girls like to be entertained with fresh greens, weeds, grasshoppers, stale bread, chicken scratch, and clean water. They do try to get out when you open the front fence, and we have had to capture a few escapees. They come running as soon as someone comes out there, expecting a treat. They are still eating the grower food, and will until they start laying. Then we switch to the layer food. Peggy just bought two more bags of feed. We include a small handful of gravel with every other can of food, so their digestion works for the greens. Young Keith has been bringing corn cobbs and other goodies for them regularly. Frank, Jennie and young Keith visit often, change water, as well as feed if needed.
Peg & Jeanne let them out in the morning and put them in after dark, feed and water regularly, clean out the coop once a week, and provide daily entertainment. They will be gone on vacation for two weeks starting August 24, returning September 8. Wendy & Matt and Frank & Jennie have worked out a plan for caring for the chickens as well as our gardens while we are gone. We are sure they will welcome any visitors as well. Just watch for escapees and hawks.
We still need to put the heavy duty fence around the outside of the pens (to protect from coyote and fox), finish the back pen and gate, trench the two sides and dig in the fine mesh wire (a priority to avoid mink and weasal attacks), wire the place for electricity, find one more double wide nest box, and maybe build a bin outside the side door with a latching lid to store feed in the winter (we will have enough to do to get ourselves out there in four feet of snow, we think it would be useful not to have to haul feed also). There is fresh straw or bedding in the back of the pole barn, if anyone wants the treat of cleaning out the coop. We have just been using straw for now, but in winter we might want the bedding also to cut down on the smell, when there is less ventilation.
If you visit the chicken condo while we are gone, make sure water pump is shut off if you use it, and don't forget to bring a treat. They like sour weed the best, or corn cobbs and grasshoppers. Congratulations to all chicken condo builders and hen caretakers. The girls (and one boy) are quite happy. Eggs by October perhaps.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
reasons not to have chicks in the house.
Baby chicks are just too much fun for frisky Labradoodles... those six chicks drove our pooch NUTS!
Once the need for the constant heat passed, we relaxed a bit and kept the chicks on our screened porch --that was MUCH better. (NOTE: we kept the chicks in a horse trough that we had on hand, it worked fantastic and only had to put on chicken wire to keep them in for the last couple of weeks, and it was REALLY easy to clean.)
Once the need for the constant heat passed, we relaxed a bit and kept the chicks on our screened porch --that was MUCH better. (NOTE: we kept the chicks in a horse trough that we had on hand, it worked fantastic and only had to put on chicken wire to keep them in for the last couple of weeks, and it was REALLY easy to clean.)
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