Chicken Rodeo

Yep, Another Chicken story!

I have been working on the new Chicken House and the other day I set up the stand for the nesting boxes. If you have been here before, then you know that I use milk crates for that purpose.
In the old coop I had 5 crates set up (3 across the bottom and 2 on top) and they sat at one end of the coop near the door to make it easier to collect Eggs. Well I pulled them out of the coop to transfer them to their new location and a bunch of mice came running out from under the the bedding and the RODEO was on!!

There must have been a dozen or more mice under there and there were about 5 of the hens in the coop looking to see if I had brought them anything to eat. I have never see the Hens move so fast! The mice were running all over the place and the Girls were in hot pursuit. I was standing in the door way and the mice decided that was not the way out.
So they used the Chicken door out to the Chicken run.....Where the rest of the flock was!!! Talk about "Bull Dogging"!!!). Only in this case the Bull got eaten!
Very few of the mice made it out of the run and the Girls had a great time! A few of them still scratch around that area to see if they can find any more, But the mice have decided to take up house keeping else where!

As you know, Egg numbers for 2012 were 849 and I started counting a new on New Years day. 8 days into the year and the number is 63. The cold and wet conditions we have had so far have not slowed them down at all!
I hope to get the new place finished this coming week-end. But there is a lot of over time at work and I might be there more then here. But it will get done!
Tom

Last post of 2012

Happy New Year!

To say that 2012 did not flow as I hoped it would, is an understatement!
Plans were made and dreaming of new projects filled my head this time last year.
And most of them did not happen....

But here is the report anyway.

1. I wanted to make this the year of the Chicken and in April I got my first 6 day old chicks. 2 RI R's and 4 Brown Leg Horne's. I set up a brooder up stairs and raised them up until the fluff was replaced with feathers.
While they were doing the baby chick thing, I built a Chicken coop out of recycled wood and got it ready for them when I moved them in.
Then in July I was on Crag's list and saw an add for 5 month old "Golden Comets" at $10.00 each. So I got 6 of them. making the flock an even 12.
And they all turned out to be Hens and I got my first egg on July 16. and today I collected the last of the 2012 Cackle Berries for a total of........849!! WOW!!. Never even though I would get close to that number.
The girls were allowed to free range and they were laying eggs everywhere! And that did not set well with the families around me. I even got a nasty gram from one lady telling me that the Chickens were getting into her flower beds and crapping on her deck.
So I knocked together an addition to the coop and tried to fence them in. But they still got out and Chicken Tussling is not my favorite sport. And try as I would to mach the Chicken run ex scape proof, they still got out. I finally put a big tarp over the whole thing and that seems to be doing the job.
And then about a month before Christmas, a man from down the road offered me 6 more birds. I took them happy to increase the flock to 18! But 4 of them turned out to be Cornish X and were 5 - 6 months old. Too old to put in the freezer and all they do is eat.
Well I have lost 2 of the "Comets" and 2 of the Eaters, So the flock is at 14 now and the coop no longer big enough, So I got a portable Building delivered just before Christmas and am working on get it set up as the new coop.

And here it is

The weather has not been very good sense it's arrival and I have not wanted to brave the cold and rain to do much with yet. But I have 3 days off work this coming week end and will try to get motivated to get things started!

So 2012 was all about Chickens. And this post is getting longer then I intended.
So the next post will be 2013 and more Chicken stories!
See you next Year!
Tom

The new Chicken Project

Hey everyone,

So the new Chicken project was started today!

But let me tell a story that will lead us into all of this.

First.... About three weeks ago I got a nasty-gram from one of the people down the road about my free range Chickens. She was pissed that the Chickens had been tearing up her flower beds and crapping on her back deck. So I tried to enclose the top of the Chicken run. But the girls had gotten use to running around the yard all day and would not stay in the run! So I had to close them up in the coop. Now that is only a 4 X 8 foot space and that was not enough room for 12 birds to live all day in. And I lost one of the "Golden Comets" and have been seeing a lot of unhappy hens!
And then about 10 days ago a guy down the road came to see me about his Chickens. He wanted to get rid of the 6 birds he had and wanted to know if I wanted them.  And without even seeing them, I said yes!
He offered to take me to his place and help me transport them to my coop. And here they are!!!

This is "Rufus". A Cornish Cross Meat bird!  He is very aggressive and he is about 15 pounds! At about 6 months old, he is way to big to be processed and put in the freezer! He would be like trying to eat an old boot! And all he does is eat and sit!

And here is one of his girl friends. She is about 12 pounds!

And another one. As you can see, she has worn the feathers off her back end by sitting all day! They are to big and heavy to get into the Coop and live under the coop. What I will do with them is still not decided. They do not lay Eggs and they are eating me out of feed at a rate that is killing my budget! I got 4 of them like this! What the he-- am I going to do with them?

And then there is "Cuddles"! This is the sweetest bird I have ever see! She sits in my lap or on my shoulder each time I go into the Run. She lays brown Eggs of a good size. I'm not sure what breed she is, But she is a  keeper!

And this is what I think is another "Golden Comet"! Also lays brown Eggs. And likes to eat out of my hand.

So with 17 birds now and a small coop I had to do something to give them more room inside and a better Run to get them outside.!

And here it is! A new 10 X 12 FT. building. Two windows, a 48 inch door and metal roof. There is a peek vent running across the top of the roof and a vent in each end of the building. I got it as a rent to own for $95.00 a month and can set it up the way I want for the flock! Pretty cool!

It's so much better then the one I put together. I need to install a door with ramp, Roosts and nesting boxes. But with 120 square feet to play with, I can provide them with a 4 star place to live. I may even put a sign up and give it a name!! I also want to insulate the walls and add a inside cover for the walls. That will take some time, But I will have fun deciding where everything will go!

I have posted in the past about wanting to get a work shop put up out back of the house and I still want to do that. It has just been put on hold for a few months. I hope to get a Lofted barn type building in a month or so. The new coop had a higher need factor for right now.

And I now have the room to add more birds come this spring or summer!
So stay tuned for the build and the changes I plan to make!

Hows that for a Chicken Project?
As of today's collection of Eggs.........783 total! I bet I hit 800 before Christmas!!!

Tom

P/S.
I also wanted to tell you all that I finally got my 5 projects for the "2012 Pay-It-Forward Challenge" mailed today! So if you are one of my lucky 5, The USPS should be delivering your craft project soon!
Tom  

As Promiced!

Hey Yous Guys,
Happy Holiday's!
And as I promised in the last post.....

Terri and I went up north and picked up "ARCHER" It was an all day road trip and we met up with the couple that transported him from Kansas City, MO. for us.

Terri and Archer's first meeting.

And a better picture in the back yard.

He is a sweet little guy and has the typical gray and black coloring of a "Cataoula"

Just look at that face!

He has defiantly found a home!

 The couple that transported him picked him up on Tuesday out side Kansas City ans was in "Alexandria" Friday night at & pm. There were about 5 or 6 other family's there to pick up dogs. The couple live in Ill. and this is what they do for a living, Transport rescued dogs all over the country. When they left Virgina that night, They were going to New Jersey to deliver more dogs and on the Maryland to spend the night and then back home for the Holiday's. And they will start more deliveries after the New Years!
They have a big Horse trailer that they converted over to a travailing Kennel and they criss-cross the country taking dogs to new homes. We were happy to spend the $150.00 for the transport to get "Archer" Home!

So that's the story of "Archer" and his trip to Terri's house. We got back a little bit before 1 AM . He is crate trained and he spent the first night at my house (every one was excited and we did not think that any of us would get any sleep if he had stayed at Terrie's) and went to Terri's the next morning.

The next post will be about "The New Chicken Project" that hopefully will take place this Friday!
Stay tuned!
Tom

Another Update....

Hello everyone,
My computer has been down for the past few weeks and I just got it back. It's running for now and I hope the problems have been taken care of. Only time will tell!

There is a whole new story to tell a bout the Chickens! But that will have to wait until the next post. For right now, the total of Eggs is up to 711!!! Do you think we will make it to 800 or 850 by the end of the year?

But the big news is that tomorrow I will be headed up to north with Terri to pick up a early Christmas Present for her! As you who read this hit or miss Blog know, Terri has two Dogs of her own. Dodger (the 105 pound Black Lab) and Eillie (her 60 pound Catahoula). Well Terri spends a lot of time on the web looking at Dog rescue sites and she found a 4 month old Catahoula in Kansas City the needed a home. The Dog was rescued from a Horse Auction Barn by a Lady out there and was put up for adoption (She already has 5 Dogs of her own!) and we found a couple that agreed to transport the Dog out here for us. So we will meet them just south of D.C. tomorrow night! So we will be picking him up around 7 pm and bringing him home.
There is a lot more to the story and I will do another post about the trip to get him (I will even take the camera to record the event).

I know that this short and I normally have a lot more to say. But I have to still get ready for the trip and get to bed. There is an early start in the morning. I will be back with a post on Saturday!
TRom

Coop done and HOLLY CRAP!

Another Chicken Post!

This is the day I was able to complete the addition to the Chicken coop. Added a second door on the back and installed the new nesting boxes. And cleaned the old bedding out and put in new.

OK, so it's not pretty. But it works. All made from recycled wood!

Both doors opened and one of the "Comets" checking out the new space.

The new Nesting Boxes. 3 milk crates and 2 office boxes on top. Lined with a sheet of cardboard to help ho;d the bedding in.

And installed in in the coop. New bedding in place.

All cleaned out and new bedding in place.

One of the "GC's and "RIR's doing an inspection! The area to the right is where they have been laying Eggs, If they decide to lay in the coop.

And the fruits of their labors.

Small, Medium, Large and .....

HOLLY CRAP! I have gotten one of the Extra Large Eggs every day! Bet they are Double Yokes!

A surprise in each one!

With the 10 I got yesterday and 9 more today, That makes 447 Eggs so far!

God I love my Chickens!
Tom

Egg Update

Hey,
As you all know, I was working on a coop addition before "Sandy" came in last week. Thursday was the last nice day we had, Temps in the 70's and lots of sunshine. I got the addition closed up and the Chickens now have more room inside. I also started working on a new set of nesting boxes that I just finished today. I used 5 mike crates (3 on the bottom and 2 on top), lined them with some cardboard and wire tied (is there anything you can not wire tie in place? I think not!) a roost board across the front to help keep them from kicking a lot of the bedding out. I will place a 2 X4 under the front edge so Eggs will not roll out.

But the real reason for this post was to give you a update on Egg Production. The Ladies started to lay steady in the first week of August and as of today, they have produces 423 EGGS! This from 12 Hens! At least I will not go hungry! This morning when I got home from work I scrambled 3 Eggs with Han, Onions and Cheese and popped it into the microwave for a bit ,that and a couple slices of toast was breakfast.

As you can tell the Chickens are doing well and I have to smile at their daily retinue. One of the BLH's has taken to laying her Egg on the front porch right in front of Annie (I call  her "The Porch Queen") and she lets the whole  world know when she lays an Egg!  And when I go collect that Egg each day She stands in the yard and cusses me out! Well today, She was making all kinds of racket and I though that Annie had gotten to close. But another one of the BLH's had gotten it into her head that she wanted to nest in TPQ's spot and Queenie was standing on the other birds back, Raising all kinds of hell! Silly Chickens! When I went out later, there was another Egg in her spot. That gave me 9 for today.

The other day Terri was out with the dogs and called me over to one of her flower bed and showed me a clutch of 17 Eggs, Most of them were white (from the two RIR's). I took them into the house and tested them for freshness and put them in the fridge.

And to talk about "Sandy", She came in with a Bang! Lots of rain and wind! And she also brought cold temps with her! Today we are getting more rain and the high hit 44! Tonight is suppose to drop into the lower 30's. There was ice on the water containers the other day and frost on the truck windows. I think that "Summer" is really gone and I'm already tired of the cold!

Tom