What did you do with your flock today?

[Tahai]

My oldest pullets are 16 weeks tomorrow. My EE should start laying in a couple of weeks, with everyone else following soon after. I ordered some aspen nest pads and some fake wooden eggs today (kelly green and white ones, so I can tell them from the real ones).

Last night I dreamt about finding eggs in my run. I thought they looked funny. On waking, I realized they were alligator eggs . I am NOT raising alligators, especially not in northern Pennsylvania! LOL.

 

[Smokerbill]

I went out in the woods and chopped off a sword fern clump and tossed it in the chicken run. I guess it's not ideal chicken food, but they pretty much destroyed a couple of them by the house eating them up with no ill effects. I figure they know what to eat. I filled up their grit bowl so the tough fern leaves would get ground up in their crops.

I also took the hose and sprayed down the wood chips in the run this afternoon. It's been pretty dry here and the chips are getting dusty. After I soaked them I could tell that it lowered the temperature of the run from the evaporation. It hit 96 degrees today, so I think the birds appreciated the cooling effect.

The injured pullet's comb is looking good today. I'll probably re-integrate her with the flock tomorrow. Not much a scab left where the comb was ripped, so I'm pretty sure the others won't try to eat her again.

 

[Smokerbill]

My oldest pullets are 16 weeks tomorrow. My EE should start laying in a couple of weeks, with everyone else following soon after. I ordered some aspen nest pads and some fake wooden eggs today (kelly green and white ones, so I can tell them from the real ones).

Last night I dreamt about finding eggs in my run. I thought they looked funny. On waking, I realized they were alligator eggs . I am NOT raising alligators, especially not in northern Pennsylvania! LOL.

I love having crazy dreams like that!

 

[kurby22]

My oldest pullets are 16 weeks tomorrow. My EE should start laying in a couple of weeks, with everyone else following soon after. I ordered some aspen nest pads and some fake wooden eggs today (kelly green and white ones, so I can tell them from the real ones).

Last night I dreamt about finding eggs in my run. I thought they looked funny. On waking, I realized they were alligator eggs . I am NOT raising alligators, especially not in northern Pennsylvania! LOL.

Alligators would be a tough combo with your chickens

 

[kurby22]

I went out in the woods and chopped off a sword fern clump and tossed it in the chicken run. I guess it's not ideal chicken food, but they pretty much destroyed a couple of them by the house eating them up with no ill effects. I figure they know what to eat. I filled up their grit bowl so the tough fern leaves would get ground up in their crops.

I also took the hose and sprayed down the wood chips in the run this afternoon. It's been pretty dry here and the chips are getting dusty. After I soaked them I could tell that it lowered the temperature of the run from the evaporation. It hit 96 degrees today, so I think the birds appreciated the cooling effect.

The injured pullet's comb is looking good today. I'll probably re-integrate her with the flock tomorrow. Not much a scab left where the comb was ripped, so I'm pretty sure the others won't try to eat her again.

Yay for the healed comb!

I’m sure they loved the cooling effects! I gave mine bagged ice, ice packs, Hydro Hen in their water, and misters today…it’s so hot and won’t cool down nearly enough tonight

 

[Shetland lover]

@Shetland, can't imagine being afraid of kitties. Maybe your uncle liked snakes and spiders? AJ is afraid of geckos. I can't imagine missing out on all the fun and glad it is only falling from high places that really bothers me
Love that @Shetland lover takes chooks to the allotments. Brilliant, capable help

All my Dad's siblings are scared of them! No idea why but when I've asked it was a garbled tale to do with one coming down the living room chimney and attacking one of them as a small child?!
My Dad was also scared of them until I brought a stray home at 11. He was a big softie and couldn't bear to say 'no' to his little girl. I got to keep her but he avoided her as much as possible.
My uncle has had to have hypnotherapy to deal better with his fear as the first thing his kids did when they left home was get cats! They used to joke it was to stop him visiting them

I'm terrified of heights too! I get an overwhelming desire to hurl myself over cliff edges. Must be part lemming!

They LOVE coming to the allotment. So many bugs and weeds for them to have at!

 

[Shetland lover]

My bags have gone international again!View attachment 3577595
Internet went down last night, as i went back in this thread to catch what i missed this morning, seeing @kurbys posted photo again... View attachment 3577629
I want to scoop all these babies up. I am powerless over kitties and a sucker for stripes. What a beautiful bunch. I hope they all have Shadows good luck ♡♡♡ i could just stare at these kitties all day long. They are probably super happy because of the remaining chick smell in the cage. They're like, so this is heaven?!

That's amazing!

 

[Shetland lover]

Yes, it is the Eschscholzia spp. I was hoping it would help with the swelling in general so I’m glad you approve! A microscope may not help me but the US machine is a cool idea!


This is my concern I don’t want nonplussed ratters I hope he really enjoys hunting rats but I do worry he’s too nice already I bought him a stuffed rat to beat up and play with as training


Thank you I agree! She’s very happy about him, and finds him more “fun” than Miyuki

A US machine would take the guesswork out of diagnosing laying issues and fewer icky internal exams as well as being useful in looking at internal organs. The cheapest one I've seen is around £600 but the better ones are anything up to £4000!
Digital microscopes are much more affordable, £200 will get me a decent one.

My first cat had been dumped as a stray and she was an amazing ratter, took down rats twice her size!
Giving Shadow a stuffed rat is a good idea. I'd tie some string to it and make it a game to chase it, hone his skills. You could give Aria that 'job'

 

[Shetland lover]

@Shetland lover I just love your Cochins

Today we had a very unfortunate discovery on our backyard retaining wall…raccoon scat Will rats hide from them? Are they scared of outdoor cats? One issue and now another!!

Upgraded Shadow’s living quarters today too! And introduced him to a chicken. Went pretty well, but he decided the chick should play with him and that freaked out Elvis so it was a short visit as a first visit.

View attachment 3577899

Today it’s supposed to be 108, so before it got super hot, I scrubbed waterers, filled waterers, filled feeders and collected eggs. I missed egg collection in a coop that usually doesn’t have broodies…and there are two eggs developing So I gave them to Fuzzy the best broody momma to try hatching So annoying…I forget how the heat moves things along sooo fast! Not sure it will survive the heat but I just can’t throw out babies

Thank you! I love them too! Mind you, I'd love a blind, deaf, one legged, pug-ugly chicken

Elvis is looking at Shadow like he's thinking "Just try it, bubba!"

 

[Shetland lover]

Yay for the healed comb!

I’m sure they loved the cooling effects! I gave mine bagged ice, ice packs, Hydro Hen in their water, and misters today…it’s so hot and won’t cool down nearly enough tonight

I can't even begin to imagine how you're all dealing with the heat! We're lucky in that our temps are in the low 20°c with scattered showers at the minute. Perfect growing weather and a comfortable temp for us and the chickens. Can you believe I've heard people complaining that we're not in the middle of a heatwave like the rest of Europe??