I moved the 8 week old chicks out to the small pen today. The ducklings are supposed to hatch next week and I need the room in the nursery for them.
The days have been lovely and warm, but the nights are getting cold. So we ran a power cord to the small pen and hung a 100 watt light bulb. When I went to check at 6pm the kids were still hanging in the yard. They know how to get into the hutch, though, so I'm hoping that they have some survival sense and go upstairs for the night.
Egg production is down. I'm getting 4 eggs a day from the hens, and one from the ducks. The Welsummers still aren't laying, and neither are the Americaunas.
The chicks I raised from eggs think I am mama, and they follow me all around the yard. Until they run into Maybelline, the Great Pyr. Then they head back to the house.
Today we were all hanging around in the yard, and Inky the black cat was sneaking on a hen. She turned around and pecked him but good. Ink retreated. Far. Score one for the chicken.
I put extra straw in the duck house, added some pine shavings to the other houses, and plugged in the lights. I expect if we all survive the winter we will have fabulous egg production in the spring.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
No Chickens Were Harmed in the Making of this Post
Today we moved the small pens into the sunshine. The leaves on our oaks don't fall until spring, for the most part, so that nice shady spot we picked for spring and summer was too shady for winter.
We've been tallking about it for awhile, but this morning while I was doing my house chores I heard Big Daddy fire up the tractor, and I knew it was happening. Unfortunately, I was still in my nightie and flip flops, but I threw on one of his jackets and went out to see.
The Ducks were first- he hooked up some straps and drove backwards up the hill to the spot I deemed perfect, dragging the pen up the hill. The Ducks seemed to enjoy going for a ride, and they definitely liked the new sunny spot right next to the big chicken house. I filled up their bath tub- they have an old enamel baby bath- and fed them, then waited for him to hitch up the chicken pen.
The Chicken Pen had to be lifted in the air- it's not sturdy enough to drag. So he hitched it up and raised it into the air with the bucket-and the bottom fell out. There were chickens cascading out in every direction. Our old dog Buddy got so excited at the sight he ran into the fray. I ran down shouting "No, Buddy, No!" and he fell back. Poor dog, I'm always ruining his fun. I was also laughing hysterically, which slowed me down.
I grabbed the net- or what's left of it-and went into chicken recovery mode. Maybelline the Great Pyr helped me corner one of the little brown hens, and since Mike had the chicken house sited by then I had a place to put her. Then I went after the others with some bait. They hadn't eaten yet, so a bit of feed in a bucket brought them all around. I had to climb down into the creek bed to get to them though, which is a bit swampy. They all gathered round and I was able to grab four of them, two by the feet and the other under my arms. There was still one little white one left. Mike went down into the creek bed with the net and snabbed her. She yelled like she was being killed, but she was ok. Americaunas make a strange noise when they are alarmed, not like the other breeds.
So that was our excitement for today. Again, I wish I'd had someone there to take some pictures, because it must have been quite a sight. I hope the next time he decides to do anything with the pens he waits until I am dressed with shoes on.
We've been tallking about it for awhile, but this morning while I was doing my house chores I heard Big Daddy fire up the tractor, and I knew it was happening. Unfortunately, I was still in my nightie and flip flops, but I threw on one of his jackets and went out to see.
The Ducks were first- he hooked up some straps and drove backwards up the hill to the spot I deemed perfect, dragging the pen up the hill. The Ducks seemed to enjoy going for a ride, and they definitely liked the new sunny spot right next to the big chicken house. I filled up their bath tub- they have an old enamel baby bath- and fed them, then waited for him to hitch up the chicken pen.
The Chicken Pen had to be lifted in the air- it's not sturdy enough to drag. So he hitched it up and raised it into the air with the bucket-and the bottom fell out. There were chickens cascading out in every direction. Our old dog Buddy got so excited at the sight he ran into the fray. I ran down shouting "No, Buddy, No!" and he fell back. Poor dog, I'm always ruining his fun. I was also laughing hysterically, which slowed me down.
I grabbed the net- or what's left of it-and went into chicken recovery mode. Maybelline the Great Pyr helped me corner one of the little brown hens, and since Mike had the chicken house sited by then I had a place to put her. Then I went after the others with some bait. They hadn't eaten yet, so a bit of feed in a bucket brought them all around. I had to climb down into the creek bed to get to them though, which is a bit swampy. They all gathered round and I was able to grab four of them, two by the feet and the other under my arms. There was still one little white one left. Mike went down into the creek bed with the net and snabbed her. She yelled like she was being killed, but she was ok. Americaunas make a strange noise when they are alarmed, not like the other breeds.
So that was our excitement for today. Again, I wish I'd had someone there to take some pictures, because it must have been quite a sight. I hope the next time he decides to do anything with the pens he waits until I am dressed with shoes on.
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