Happy Harvest Blog
First day in the new coop!
Moment of truth! The grand opening. I dropped the ramp and the birds on the threshold stared, taken aback. Oh, there's the Colonel pushing his way through. Coming through, coming through. I'll show you how it's done. And he did. Then the birds started pouring right out. The rapidity may have had something to do with the angle of descent. I wasn't sure about the steepness of the ramp if they could handle it, but it turns out, they handle it. They accelerate! - they're running by the bottom third, but they can hop and fly the runout,
New coop for the Silkies
The chickens really come out of the woodwork whenever there's woodworking. They always have. All up in the middle of the Jobsite, every time. They don't turn out with such interest for, say, shoveling gravel. I finally finished the coop I imagined. I started it a few weeks ago, it seems, and I don't know why I always think Enh, that'll take a couple of hours. It takes ages! It takes, like, 6 hours. And there's still more to tune-up. You think it's a box, but no, there's a hinged lid to work out, the ramp, floor mesh;
Selfie with falcon
Apples was out with me for enrichment time, while I was building stuff by the house. I take her with me outside when I'm working in one area, so she can act like a real chicken for awhile. She doesn't much act like a real chicken though. Oh! A wild chicken encounter! Ohohohhh. Nervous:)Then I thought I should try and get a pic of our transportation arrangement. I pick her up and she squirms until she's happy with her grip, and then she rides. Will this work? Selfies: not so easy with an SLR. Worked, though!
Broodies and brooderies
The first order of business: a broody box for Perchick (smaller than a chickery, but big enough for a big hen mom - wow! I have broody layer hens!)While I was making a broodery, I made another chickery, because I'm sure I'm going to need one real soon. Cream Puff is still freakin' out! She's being good, diligently staying on her eggs, but she's on high alert and looks very concerned like she thinks she's losing her mind, and no one told her this could happen. What's happening to me?! I'm feverish!
Big day
It was one of those days, where I get up for the hens, but am not ready to commit to being awake, so I bargain with myself, Well, I'll just wear my sweat pants to do the chickens. It's like, bringing the comfort of the bed with you. Then the next thing, I stop for "lunch", and it turns out it's 5 pm, and I'm still wearing my sweat pants. And of course, I'm full of ticks because I haven't been dressed appropriately. All-day. Those are good days, though.
All aboard!
Another guinea down. This morning she was sitting in the greenhouse-like she wasn't ready to leave yet, and I looked at her twice, and had a feeling, from her posture. When she let me pick her up I knew it was bad. I tucked her in this corner, gave her food and water, which I'm sure she didn't touch, and the other two stayed by her, doting. She just seemed to be breathing a bit hard. An hour later, gone. Such a pretty bird. The feathers around her neck are lilac coloured.
Chickens in trees
And otherwise being funny: I'd like to call this meeting to order....They sure love their pine tree. Yesterday was rainy. A good soaking, the kind where the water table seems to rise to the surface of the earth. My GH eavestrough is working (first rain test), and the tank was filling faster than the tap was running inside. The Silkies had hairdos, the way they get when their heads get wet. Most were huddled grumpily under their rain tents, but there were a few brave ones wandering about. The wet chicken gets the worm.
The guinea solution
I'm so pleased to have sorted out the guineas.I've tried so much. Building them a sky coop...well come to think of it that's about it. And giving them roosting apparatuses, like the laundry rack. They've tried lots of things. Roosting on the sky coop, roosting on top of the greenhouse, roosting in the trees, and roosting on my apparatuses, like the laundry rack. They are choosy, and illogical, and stubborn. But I've got it. They are accustomed now to living in the greenhouse all winter, and they have their stick swings where they sleep.
Broody or laying an egg?
The chicks are ready to play, but mama is not giving up on her eggs quite yet. They all came out periodically to eat and scratch, but she went back on her eggs. There was almost a third chick, but it didn't make it through hatching. At least these two will have a friend. I love it when they do this. Broody? Or laying an egg?:(It was B. Laying an egg.)
Where there's life, there's cheeps.
This morning on chicken breakfast rounds, I discovered tragedy in the broody box. A chick! But it was spilled out in a corner of the box, belly up, wings and legs splayed out, eyes closed, beak open. Very bad. It was still alive, barely, and I stuffed it back under her, immediately. Its legs stuck out straight. A minute later, after tidying up, I rearranged the chick to tuck the legs in. Its eyes were still closed and beak open, gasping. This is usually the sign of imminent death.
Bloom
The quince is a blaze of hot pink. I have one little tiny magnolia bloom starting to open. Cute. I'm pleased that it survived the winter. It's covered with little green buds. Outside, the chickens are doing very well at large. Even the wretched roosters are acting less like weirdos, finally. The Colonel keeps them at bay from the hens, but they are part of the general flock now, and have even been observed food clucking (which the hens totally ignore). I got something good! I really do! Why doesn't anyone listen to me? Actually, there's been a surprising usurpation!
Apples in the greenhouse
I took Apples on a field day. I needed to spend some time broad forking the greenhouse, and thought she could do with some enrichment. Even the world's meekest chicken needs a little time out of the box. I carried her out and set her down in the middle of the greenhouse, and turned around to shut the big doors because it was windy. I look back - no chicken! I go to the other end to shut those doors, all the while looking for her. I can't see her anywhere. I get back inside and start looking behind the things still piled around.
Sunny bird times
I have a guinea who's been taking an interest in the former skycoop, now grounded. I don't know if she's the mother who raised a brood in it, or if she was one of the brood. I was born here. However, she's been spending time in this little coop every day, very much making herself at home, like she's rocking on her front porch watching the world pass by. And sometimes she has company. The others hang around near her. Then there are the Silkies. They love a good pine tree.
The shuttle
Every night there's a risk of frost I bring in the seedlings from the tomato safe. Now, most of the tomatoes are planted in the GH, so there's only one wheelbarrow load, plus two flats of peppers etc. Since the big Benadryl freeze fiasco (well, and before), I carefully check the weather and if it's dipping, it's shuttle time. There's also a pile of flats occupying the windowsills in the house, and they get set out on the deck during the day, which is a short commute.
evening snacking
The evening is a peaceful time. Chicken peace ebbs and flows. The early morning is not peaceful at all. The afternoon is a long siesta, usually broken by a period of ruckus, and then the late evening is time for some mellow scrounging before bed. A coop time snack. Here come the guineas. They get right in there. So different, yet so accustomed to living with chickens. At this time, the Silkies are all mostly in bed. The guineas are so cute, grazing in the lumpy field in their pair bonds, looking like rocks.
Apples helps with potting up
Oh no! I took a pile of pictures of Silkies, feathers glowing backlit by the evening sun, and expecting to post them, I find none of them are there! Some error. :( It was a sunny day and the birds were fuzzy and adorable hopping around in the grass. Still potting up some small starts, and little Apples gets excited. Every time the dirt comes out, so does she. She likes to knock over a pot and kick it around (I give her one to play with). She has developed some extravagantly feathered feet. Little chamomiles
Final notice eviction
Today was transplant day in the greenhouse, so the chickens were officially OUT. They took it pretty well. I expected sad puppy at the door behaviour, but they have spent enough time in transition that they were pretty content outdoors. However, the forecasted 1mm of rain was a bit more than that, and earlier, so just like last year, transplant/eviction day was a big rain day (complete with thunder). So I spent the morning running around hastily throwing up rain and wind shelters for these birds that haven't seen the elements in months to hide under.
Ready for rain
Tomorrow is greenhouse planting day, so today I reinstalled the famous greenhouse gutter (ok, it's not famous, I'm just smug about inventing it). Or at least, the framing for the gutter. That's the part that requires walking around inside, that needed to get done before the plants go in. I put it off after moving the greenhouse. The gutter will just clip on afterwards. It went very well. Smooth, just took time. All sealed up, chicken tight. I'll be happy to not have to remove it again for a couple of years.
Two down
Brown bonnet is broody, the second hen to go. That means it's time to renovate the covered wagon, since my original design proved to not hold up to chickens jumping all over it, and the "door" broke off from metal fatigue from all the bending. So it got a new wooden front, and a flapping door held on by twist ties. Back in the greenhouse, BB was waiting in the box she'd been put into so I could make renovations. She's not a nervous first-time mom. She calmly rolls with anything, even being put in a little box
Outside looking in
The five outcast roosters are spending their days gazing through the plastic wall, or fence, at all the fun the others are having, and the hens prancing around. Their coop is on the edge of the woods, but they have gravitated, in a group, to the side of the greenhouse. They haven't investigated too far. Not far enough to find the end of the fence. It's only one section now, to deter them from getting at the rest of the flock (it doesn't take much). There are enough roos in the mix, and I don't want any of these guys' genes.
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