What did you do with your flock today?

[ChicksnMore]

We have rain forecast for time, the last couple days were sideways rain. Yesterday it poured, and the gutter installers had to work in it. Didn't quite get finished, as they were about 3 feet short of materials. They got tested for sure, and are functioning way better than the original 37 year old ones.
Didn't go out to see the girls. Filled both feeders up the other day, so should last 2 weeks at least. Two days ago egg count was 5 plus one partial. 100%. That hasn't happened for many months. Not sure how the one got broken. The lights are working. We are only getting 11 hours of the sun above the horizon. Does dusk and dawn count as daylight for a chicken's pineal gland? @Shetland lover , our resident expert It also snowed/ hailed a couple days ago, and it's 36 / 3 degrees right now.
@ChicksnMore you've been having a time with the repairs! So much work! It's done now, and you can rest. Kitties are thriving, Mojo is happy, Spring has sprung for you. Yay!

All this started before Christmas with one tiny leak somewhere in our hot water line. Now our all copper pipes are dead and cut off and we have plastic tubing snaking through our walls and attic to replace it. I don't think we'll ever have cold water here again in the summer...but hubby enjoyed his bromance with the plumbers and I'm still sane . Barely!

Gotta look for the bright sides though right? Give me a year and I might find one

 

[LTAY1946]

I think there are 2-3 of the running loose and roost where they please roosters thinking that one or more of the plots I've till up several inches deep is the worlds largest bath for them. I can see them from a distance having a good time in it. I've got T posts ready to put in the ground and chicken wire read to fence them out. I will make them a place or two where they can get down and wallow in the sandy dirt. Need to use some extra cattle panels and put a roof over a large wallow for them so it doesn't turn into a mud bath after every rain.

 

[fuzzi]

I want to hatch eggs from my purebred Speckled Sussex bantams. So this evening after dark I took my three Sussex hens off the roost, one at a time, and applied a few drops of different colors in their vents so I can identify their eggs.

I wouldn't mind a Sussex/Dominique cross if it happened, but I also plan to trade purebred eggs with another breeder, so we add different genes to our flocks.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I want to hatch eggs from my purebred Speckled Sussex bantams. So this evening after dark I took my three Sussex hens off the roost, one at a time, and applied a few drops of different colors in their vents so I can identify their eggs.

I wouldn't mind a Sussex/Dominique cross if it happened, but I also plan to trade purebred eggs with another breeder, so we add different genes to our flocks.

I'd sure love to hear how well the vent markings goes!

 

[fuzzi]

I'd sure love to hear how well the vent markings goes!

Will do.

 

[akroberts1085]

It's been so stinking windy here today that sadly I haven't been out to check on the girls. I'm going to get out there tomorrow for sure because the last time we had a bad rain storm I had to bring them inside because they were soaked and couldn't flap their wings not to mention they could not have gotten away from a predator.

 

[Shetland lover]

We have rain forecast for time, the last couple days were sideways rain. Yesterday it poured, and the gutter installers had to work in it. Didn't quite get finished, as they were about 3 feet short of materials. They got tested for sure, and are functioning way better than the original 37 year old ones.
Didn't go out to see the girls. Filled both feeders up the other day, so should last 2 weeks at least. Two days ago egg count was 5 plus one partial. 100%. That hasn't happened for many months. Not sure how the one got broken. The lights are working. We are only getting 11 hours of the sun above the horizon. Does dusk and dawn count as daylight for a chicken's pineal gland? @Shetland lover , our resident expert It also snowed/ hailed a couple days ago, and it's 36 / 3 degrees right now.
@ChicksnMore you've been having a time with the repairs! So much work! It's done now, and you can rest. Kitties are thriving, Mojo is happy, Spring has sprung for you. Yay!

My gut feeling is that the last 15-20 mins of dusk and the first 15-20 mins of dawn won't count. I'd have to look it up to be certain though. 14-16 hours of daylight is required but this will only trigger egg-laying. There's no guarantee that supplementary lighting alone will result in more eggs. I know commercial barn and free range girls only have light added at the beginning of the day. Their caged sisters endure up to 22 hours per day with1 or 2 hour breaks during daylight hours. I'm really not sure why this is so, as egg production related to light peaks at 16 hours.

 

[Maddcatter]

My first kitty used to do that with birds and mice. As she got older she switched from bringing me dead critters to bringing them home live. Nothing like sitting there quietly reading and suddenly you feel little feet scrambling across your lap and legs. I swear she thought she was teaching me to hunt and laughing at my ineptitude

Literally yes. ...at least according to the science. Cats don't differentiate species, so she was trying to make sure you knew how to hunt.

Because that fact that we (as humans) fill up the food bowl everyday doesn't compute in kitty brain to "we already know".

Also means your kitty thought of you as her family, and wanted to ensure you could survive.

 

[Maddcatter]

Blondie wants to know why I let the nasty cold stuff get all over the ground.

Tbf, that was yesterday. I live in the pandhandle to Texas, so yesterday it snowed, with a high of 45⁰ish. Today is supposed to be 77⁰ish...

Hopefully the flock will forgive me for the snow. Lol.

Though the ducks love the stuff, as do my dogs.

 

[kurby22]

Blondie wants to know why I let the nasty cold stuff get all over the ground.

View attachment 3760908


Tbf, that was yesterday. I live in the pandhandle to Texas, so yesterday it snowed, with a high of 45⁰ish. Today is supposed to be 77⁰ish...

Hopefully the flock will forgive me for the snow. Lol.

Though the ducks love the stuff, as do my dogs.View attachment 3760909

Snow and then 77?!? Goodness that’s a bit bipolar Your chickens will forgive you when it’s gone and you bring them treats! Look at all those happy ducks though