Trip to the Tractor Supply Store

After breakfast our dear grand son helped with the chicken chores he's the fill in person to help out when needed around here. I had the grand kids eat breakfast on the deck I put a table cloth on it dear grand daughter wanted to know why there was a "cloth" on the table. Later we did some errands to the Tractor Supply Store got the hens some more food, putting away stuff from the farm and tractor store. 

I got a galvanized chick feeder I wanted a spare and they were out last time I was checking on them. I cut the bottom out of a plastic mayo. jar so I could use it for this one it makes so much easier to fill the feeder just being able to pour it in. The hens use this as well. 

Then Hubby got busy trying to beat the heat fixed the roosts and perch in the chicken run. The hens were not happy with him messing around out there in the chicken run one was really squawking a lot. It was really quiet outside unsualy so not a sound from other birds; I said "maybe that hawk is back who knows". Then I got busy with the tasks at hand and I rinsed off the ramps for the roosts got the roosts scraped off and the chicken ramps got those back up. 

Hubs grilled lunch yummy burgers for us for our lunch those were great. We also got a small five gallon sized galvanized bucket, like a trash cans we had when I was a kid. This one is like a miniature one of those. Saw they had them on sale, this one is for chicken feed. The clerk said this shipment came without a handle but I knew we had a wooden knob at home from another project. So I rounded that up and hubby put it on while the burgers were cooking. I filled the galvanized mini can with the bottom of the bag feed that was left and I'm glad that worked out so well. 

One egg was broken today when I gathered them seven so far today. Yesterday our grandson came up to the deck grinning ear to ear our grand daughter was tattling that "he got eggs without the basket"; he had eggs stuffed in all of his pockets; such memories we are building around here! They do love to gather eggs and help with the chicken chores.  

I set the waterer up on some 2" x 4" blocks to get the water up off the ground to keep it cleaner that is working well. 

I got a plastic egg carton for the fridge and some of the foam cartons for when folks want eggs those were on my list. 

Mopsy and Flopsy

After my walk today the two hens I'm calling Mopsy and Flopsy one has a floppy comb. Were busy in the nest box hanging out and lots of cluck cluck CLUCK clucking was going on. 

I was watering with the hose and spotted a hawk fly off out of the tree in the neighbor's back yard so it was a warning call to take cover that time instead of the "I've just laid and egg" clucking. I picked apples for them after getting on the old rickety ladder I've decided next time I need to get out the other one that's better and taller. I raked the chicken yard and got fresh apples chopped up for the hens so they can have the worms inside them too. 

I freshened up the nest boxes with shavings and cleaned under their roosts. I Saw one of the nest box perches needs some repair and I stabilized it for now until we can get to it in the morning when it's cooler this weekend. 

I gathered ten eggs today so far yea for a full basket of eggs. Of course when production was down I gave away all the egg cartons I had collected. [Me rolling my eyes.] I do have a couple of spares I keep the clear ones and some I cut in half to use when production is less so they will do for now. The broody hens took a break in the afternoon and got a drink stretch and had some food. The do not poo in their nests. 

One of the younger pullets sort of pecked at my hand when I went outside and had no food for them it was like she was saying "hey don't forget about us"! I picked her up and packed her out to the chicken run and put her by the food. A couple of them are tame enough to be petted and she was one of those. I'm going to see about getting them to eat out of my hand but I'll put on my leather gloves first. 

Summer Heat

Our chickens are all alive and well we have plenty of shade and water buckets all around the yard under shady areas. Some frozen treats or okay with the hens now they have decided. I've been watering the hot spots during the day to cool it off a bit and they enjoy the cool grass. They've been eating less feed. We got eight eggs yesterday. The guy from hubby's work was very happy with his eggs, on Sunday for family breakfast they made making pancakes and got a double yolk-er the kids got a kick out of seeing that they were helping to make the batter! Out of that doz. several were double yolkers. It's a challenge to explain that double yolk eggs are sort of random and do not all come from the same hen as far as I know any way. 

When I open up the coop window one hen jumps up on the ledge and I jump back expecting a chicken bomb, that's when a chicken takes flight and you need to get out of the way! But this one did not fly just saying hi and I petted her so that's the new routine a couple of them are tame enough so that's great. 

Our granddaughter got between the feed and one got pecked once so now she will not go out in to the chicken yard or coop she is afraid. Not all bad if we get a roo it's good that she remains a healthy distance from them but so far none are roos. The hens from this spring's crop of Rhode Island Reds all seem to be laying. Delaying my summer plans to paint the inside of the coop as it's a pretty busy place through out the morning. Maybe in the afternoon but it's been in the triple digits this week here so that's not very appealing. 

Chicken Notes & Ideas

Today I got one egg first thing today it was cold so had been laid a while ago none in the nest box last night when I last checked. 

U.S. farm report had good info. but an hour long was too much time. will have to try to catch the rest later on the net. I like to follow info. on crops and stuff and get ideas about feed. http://www.rfdtv.com/shows/agriculture/u.s._farm_report/

Speaking of feed I'm going to put the corn meal in the freezer to kill any potential bugs from hatching. I'd not thought about G.M.O. corn being in the feed we use until I saw the show this week,  I'll be giving that some thought. 

Decided we might try to get some Rhode Island White in the fall to have them ready to lay by spring to prevent the lag time we had this year. It's sort of an art from keeping on top of that. I'll have to call and put in my order. 

The hens are not keeping up with the apples at this point. I got a shrub rake, I had to attach the handle before I could use it. Then I cleaned out the coop and run yesterday. After that I Freshened up the nest boxes with new shavings hoping to prevent the occasional cracked eggs. Surprised how long it took me to figure that out! LOL! 

Beginning the new tech. stuff will get a new cable modem tomorrow afternoon. To get the tech. net stuff on the smart phones we have will double the bill so we will not be doing that. Bummer. =( Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to get a tablet and do it with that using the cable net. 

Soft Shell

 Hoping to get some new technology by fall so I can put up some chicken videos, & pic. 

The other day a chicken laid an egg directly in front of me, it was a soft shelled one. So I upped the amount of oyster shells in with their feed. That was amazing and I could tell that she was one of the hens with the crook in her comb. 

I've been getting between 4-6 eggs a day this week. Only the EE is laying from the older hens. 

Hubby brought home a cage to use for chicks or isolation from a guy at work that wanted to trade it for eggs. I have sent the first doz. with hubby to work for the guy. He lives in the city limits and cannot have chickens and is really missing the fresh eggs. I was glad to hear that he did not mind green eggs! 

Grand kids have been having fun helping to feed and gather eggs naming the chickens that are their favorites. It's a challenge to tell them apart with most all of them the same breed this year. 

Ours do not like the frozen treats so much in the hot weather they wait until the treats of frozen fruit are thawed to eat it. 

Double

Double yolker egg today elongated shaped. That was a fun one to find it was an elongated egg more so than the average egg. Last night I put my gloves on and picked up the broody hen briefly so I could check her eggs and she had two pullet eggs in her nest so she's sitting on three eggs now. So the new hens have been laying for a week now. 

I got some herb plants marked down one each of lemon thyme and regular thyme planted those in the front yard, where the chickens will not eat them so much. 

At the farmers market I got some zucchini  Swiss chard, and carrots. Then I realized after I got home that I should have had the guy leave the tops on the carrots when he asked I could have given them to the chickens! 

I dropped of feed sacks to the gal that uses them to make feed sack totes and next time I'll ask if she does the feed sack aprons. Picked up another sack of feed while we were down town. This one is a new design! 

Egg-citing News!

Exciting news here from the hen house! Loud clucking was heard this morning and one of the new Rhode Island Red [RIR] pullets has laid an egg; so at 22-23 weeks we have a new productive batch of hens here! Yippie!  I suppose it is so silly to get this excited over such a tiny egg golf ball sized egg! I noticed she had been hanging out around the hen house a lot lately sitting in the nest boxes and being friendly with the others that were sitting & laying.  Our 5 year old grand daughter found it and was the most excited! We got 3 eggs yesterday one green one the Easter Egger has been laying really consistently this week. Plus one beige egg with a pointy end I'm trying to figure out which hen lays that one. 

While I was out in the yard I found a pink tomato but the chickens found it first and was 3/4ths of the way eaten; but I'm in such a good mood about having a new layer I'll forgive them this time. I put the tomato cage up it needs to be wrapped with netting still. That will be next up on my to do list.

When I was out in the yard the other broody hen came flying over the fence from next door clucking loudly as if to say "I'm home!" I had to step back because I was in her "flight path" so she could have a safe landing! She was home for food and water.

Other neighbors have their house up for sale and are clearing out stuff and I got a couple of new to me egg gathering baskets and crock pot for the chickens water-er in the winter to keep that from freezing. I'm going to try that out hoping it's not too hot.  I have sun tea brewing on the deck now so I'll be sipping on that soon. 

Looking forward to the farmers markets this weekend. Today one of the roos woke me up at 5:15 sort of a squack not really a crow; he's still learning. I'm not sure if it was Stewie or Golden Boy there are two I think are roos in this batch. It's time to think about getting their pen ready to go. The hen coop needs to be repainted. 

Fence Fixing and other 4th Activities

Yesterday our five year old grand daughter helped me fix the fence. Doesn't every farm girl fix fence at some point in her life on the 4th even plastic fences count! Then I cleaned up under the roost and moved a the feeders into the wagons and while I did that the chickens thought that was great fun to get up in the wagon to eat!  

I heard the the boody hen off her nest clucking in the back yard so I scurried out to take a look - see I was amazed at how many eggs she had in her clutch I counted between 9 to12 she was in a spot hard to see and took a pic of it but you could not tell much from it. 

We picked apples for the chickens to eat and took photos of the red tomato, and sunflowers in the yard and baked up come cookies for other fun activities. 

The chickens survived another loud night of fire works from the streets in front and behind us. Some one had a radio going and that seemed to help calm the chickens down some what. I will be glad when the fireworks are done especially the really loud ones! 

Chickens and Fireworks

This is the first 4th we've had chickens. lots of our neighbors are avid fireworks fans so I've been nervous about this holiday week. So last night I rounded up the chickens early and got them in to their run before the noise began. I must admit this is my least favorite holiday.  

Some kids buzzing around on an obnoxiously loud mini bike past the cop's house and he was out with a couple of chirps of his siren and lights going  and after their second trip round the block  they stopped. 

Today I've fed the chickens a bit late they were squawking to get out. They were okay after the fireworks not much worse than a T-storm here last night. I got them rounded up and in the run pen a bit early last night. But I know tonight will be worse. We are supposed to have some significant winds here today so that maybe delaying some of those. 

Broody Hen Found!

Today I found the broody hen had not seen her for a few days; she is alive and well. I put some water out for her near her nest and will take out some special treats in a bit. So glad she is okay.  She is in some underbrush in a well hidden spot. So all the chickens have survived this last heat wave we had. Yea! 

The heat and broody hens have taken away from egg production but the young hens are healthy and I'm so happy about that! Glad we took in to consideration how hot it gets here when we were thinking about the kind of chicks to raise last spring. 

This morning we've picked some cherry plums for them to eat from the purple leaf plum tree one of their favorite treats. 

Record Heat

I've been up since before five when hubby's alarm went off, thunder was rumbling, lightening was flashing and we even got a few big drops of rain. It's muggy out today. We've had record hi. temps here, yesterday we have a new hi. for this date 105* phew that's hot! 

The chickens seem to be doing okay. I've been putting out watering stations in the shade at various points in the yard. They like frozen fruit, I put it up last year cleaning out the freezer. With some left over corn on the cob for a breakfast treat as well. 

One of the Rhode Island reds grabbed an apple we were picked for them and took off with it across  the yard and off to the chicken run to eat it! That chicken got it's prize!

Flock Owner's Rainy Day Chili

This is the perfect flock owners crock pot chili recipe that I use. 

In crock pot pour in and stir gently. 

2 cans [15 oz.] Nalley's turkey chili 

1 small can tomato sauce 

2 turkey sausage patties cooked & crumbled

1-2 sliced sausage cheese dogs

1/4 cup salsa 

1 can pork n beans drained or red beans I was out today.

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Mix ingredients in and cook on low 4 hrs.

Missing Hen Found

Missing Hen Found! Earlier this morning I realized that one of the black hens was missing. I have not found a pile of black feathers so that is good news I suppose. I looked all over the back yard and under the shed in and even in the neighbors yard they hang out sometimes I did not see her. Then later in the morning after I told hubby that I could not find here he opens up the kitchen door just as she flew in on top of the coop and had breakfast! 

I looked under the broody hen she is sitting on one egg. Today I made up omelet for Father's day for hubby and the two Easter Egger green eggs were both fertile that I used I've heard fertile eggs are supposed to be the best for you. 

As I type this I'm trying to think of what happened with the chickens here this week pretty uneventful. I had to buy eggs at the farmer's market this week to have enough to boil for lunches. Production is down a couple of the hens have gone broody and the older ones are slowing down in production. They young ones are not in production yet so we are sort of in between.  

The young roos are starting to scuffle among themselves now. The smaller one pullets are nearly fryer size are leary of them. 

The currents are nearly gone now, the chickens love the cherry sized plums from the purple leaved plum tree and eat the small green apples from the back yard so they are keeping that cleaned up. Now if I could just get them to catch and eat the yellow jackets! 

We are thinking of the cooking surface for the patio and we're thinking an outdoor sink would make butchering day a lot easier so we looked at some for that hoping to get a used sink for that. 

New Chicken Yard Fence

This week end we put up the new fencing in the chicken yard the other one was temporary and I learned I needed more access so we put in an additional point of access a make shift gate. The green plastic fencing is not permanent but should last better than the other one. 

Today the chickens are in the back yard while I water the chicken yard when ever I go out to change the sprinkler they think it's feeding time. When I moved it last time I put buckets upside down by the current berry bushes so they could get the taller berries. They seem to really enjoy them. The ones by the wagon were picked clean! Great free chicken food. 

Roses in the chicken yard have grown a lot this year that was great to see. I'm thinking where I can put one more old fashioned rose in as it's great cover for them. I've learned that they do not bother the things I plant as much if I let them get the bugs out first and then after planting but the netting around it. 

It's getting more difficult to tell the difference in the young birds and the older ones as they are all nearing the same size. Some are getting courser sounding squawk in their clucking making me thing this might be a roo. 

I got paint for the coop and I'm thinking how to get the wall inside the run done and dry in time for their nightly roosting.  I guess I'll be out cleaning it bright and early before I begin and then locking it up after they are out they don't mind feeders being moved out side under the trees. 

We need a bigger latch for the back gate/door and lower front one as they seem to be the ones I fight with to get to close not enough give in them it's frustrating and I'll be glad to have that problem solved! 

Chicken Adventures

Chicken adventures are expanding the neighbor kid is done with high school gave his chickens (2 hens) away to a friend and gave the coop to us we are going to remodel it for an isolation cage / roo run/ or brooder. So it was a very exciting day to get that last weekend! It's red the other neighbor made it I need to ask him if it is paint or stain the top needs a new coat. 

We are down to six hens we got rid of the older mean hens. Also we still have all ten of the chicks they are now fryer size and some are as big as the smaller hens. The four we got later are pullet size now of those four looks like only one is a hen.  :roll: 

This week hubby cut a 2" x 4" for a second roost and things have calmed down at night when they go to roost now that they have more room. We had been talking about doing that for a while. I put up a temporary one of a tree branch that broke off one of the the trees in the yard in a wind storm but it was too unstable for any of the bigger ones to use. The really like the 2" x 4" on the four inch part to roost on at night. 

I've changed them over to pellets and have less feed lost to song birds / mice stealing it because of the larger size. The chickens also love corn, canned corn I found some at a yard sale down the street,  and corn on the cob I got an extra one for them to enjoy. I need to go pick up the cobs! 

The younger chickens are learning to enjoy the backyard I have a few holes to plug up so they ones do not escape, but it's an easy fix as so far only one spot has been a problem.

Chicken Yard

I've been keeping the hens in until noon at least so they lay in the nest boxes, the pullets go out first so they can eat without the fryers bugging them, then the fryers get out in to the chicken yard. Having breakfast seems to be one of their favorite things! The pullets are all feathered out and incorporated in with the rest of the flock and now they want on the top roost too. [No eggs yesterday.] The day before the broody hen started to lay again so that is good news. Last weekend we culled some of the older ones so egg count is down. 

Yesterday I made up some fabric feed bags in various sizes smaller than the feed sacks I can lift them; I struggle with the 50-80 lb. ones. So these work out great! I was hoping to find corn print for cornmeal at the fabric store but no luck so I got yellow instead. I got some turkey hand print like kids do in school to make a print for turkey crafts. I can put the all flock feed in that one! I have one bag for the scratch made up and another one for the layer feed done. I need one for the grit next I think. These are fun to make up and fast! 

Speaking of fabric I got some different [green] fencing fabric to put up; the orange stuff is not so durable and when I put it up I knew it was just temporary. 

I need to decide what kind of fence area for an isolation / roo cage. I'm also hoping to change the chicken yard area so I can put them in different parts of it and rotate the over grazed parts to let it recover and put the chickens in under the apple tree when apples are on to help clean that up. They are great for eating the weed seed so that's helping. 

Last weekend I pulled chick weed was hoping they would eat that but they don't seem to like it. The roses are blooming in the chicken yard and we have some small fruit coming on now. 

This weekend we will be grilling one of the home grown chickens we raised yum! On interesting thing this week was finding a dead mouse in the water bucket that had dround and another outside the bucket in the coop so I had our grandson help bury those out side of the chicken area. 

Last week I cut out the bottom of a plastic apple sauce  jar to screw on the round chicken feeder to make it easier to fill that sure works better saves a lot of time and mess. 

Pumpkin Tree

Today I got up late it was raining the hens did not seem to mind waiting until the rain stopped to get up. I've been out to feed the chickens. No eggs yesterday that is rare that they all take the same day off. The spring egg push is over now I guess. I'll need to buy eggs if we are going to have deviled eggs and omelettes this weekend. 

Yesterday I did some gardening and I planted a pumpkin tree I by put seeds under a tree in the front yard.  Those white pumpkin seeds and it only had six seeds in the pack. I'm hoping they all grow! I got the carrot seeds in and mowed the front yard also.  I'm glad I did that before it rained. I enjoyed my day and spending some time outside cleaning the patio hanging out with the chickens hubby calls it playing with them! 

Looking forward to using the table on the deck and enjoying watching the chickens from the patio expansion we did last summer. This week I dug up some tulip bulbs that were poorly placed by it and not working out and move those the hens thought it was great fun to get the bugs when I dug in the yard doing that. 

Hubby said when he got home he had to take the broom after one of the Barred rock hens pecking the heck out of one of the pullets. Later it was fine.  I'm trying to incorporate the pullets in with the main flock this week. He thinks I should just keep them locked longer. The temporary fence is starting to give up so we need to figure out a different solution for the chicken yard. So I've been pondering various solutions for that. The broody hen is off her nest now and back with the flock. 

We can think about getting the coop back to the hens now that the pullets are out and put the other nest box set up back inside after I clean the coop out. But I might wait until after I've painted it I do have paint for that project. The hens seem to enjoy the lawn clippings for nesting material.  I've gotten one egg today so far another hen on the outside nest. 

It would be a great day to dig up some bulbs to move as it's been raining. I figured out where to move the next crop of onions to as they are going putting on this years crop of new sets/starts on now. 

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers one thing I've never tried because I did not think I liked it boy was I wrong! I did these after deseeding the sweet red peppers and giving the seeds to the hens. I froze the peppers. Later I had to think how to do a low carb. version of meat loaf thawing out two ground beef patties I seasoned the filling added an egg and chopped carrots celery and onion tops from the garden stuffed the peppers and seasoned the baked them in the oven then added cheese. This was yummy and could be done with ground turkey or sausage hubby said that it was a keeper!  

For breakfast today we had omelettes with onion tops, mushrooms, cheese and eggs from our hens that's always a weekend treat around here after doing chores.

Next week will be chicken on the grill. 

May Flowers

We have flowers blooming in the free range area iris and roses, they love to dust bathe under the roses. I'm going to mow bag clippings for chickens this week. 

I got up at five today let out the fryers hens were still on the roost. Pullets were ok with the door to the run open last night they slept in the coop and came out to the run when I fed them and let the fryers out. 

Two of the four pullets New Hampshire Reds are chest bumping indicating roos what a bummer! I was hoping they were hens I wanted to know how they did laying compared to the Rhode Island Reds. I like the looks of the Rhode Island Reds so much better than the N.H. reds. I'll try some Rhode Island whites for replacements next spring. 

After putting some replacement sod patches down last weekend we had a lot of sand from that and put it in the chicken run with old sod we took out around it for a dust bath area all of the chickens have been enjoying scratching and pecking in it.  

Pepper seeds from deseeding peppers seem to be a favorite for some of the hens. A friend works at organic produce vegetable stand so the hens get scraps from there. 

Fruit is starting to set on here and we will be getting fruit next month for the chickens to eat currents are on first then the summer apples begin and later on apricots and plum cherries, nectarines and peaches followed by grapes and plums. 

We've planted tomatoes in the front flower beds this year. Some of the marigolds in the back as well. So far the chickens have left them alone yea! 


The broody hen moved sitting spot and left a nice clutch of eggs this week. 

Sunny Days

We are all enjoying the sunny days in our forecast this week. The fryers have learned the boundaries of the first free range pen now after a day or two they got used to that and were running out with the hens when I opened the door this morning. They were looking for worms! 

Hens clucking woke me up at 5:45 a.m. today. Our grandson helped me dig sod out of the last area and we removed it from the yard and we gave it to the chickens they love sod! It has bugs worms and they eat the grass too. 

I have more to move that we dug out earlier and then we can get to the garden area. our grandson brought some friends by after school to see the chickens earlier in the week. Our granddaughter can't wait to come and "help" dig today. She only likes to dig after I've removed sod and spaded it up it's easier. The hens are right there where the shovel is getting the prime spot for worms and bugs. Others want to see the set up when they come by as well. I'm glad the fryers are tame enough to catch and let visitors pet when I hold them.