Maine

[lazy gardener]

I gave up, and took the divider out of the chicken run. They are now mingling without blood shed in the run. The littles are learning that the bigs are boss. The only difficulty is one little knuckleheaded RCBL who keeps getting on the wrong side of every fence I own... at least I hope it's only one, and not all three... can't tell them apart. Any how, this little squeezes through the electro net, has gotten into the garden, and is always getting into the big girl's side of the coop, and then can't find her way back out... not a pretty picture when one or more of the big girls decide that she shouldn't be there! Unfortunately, I have to work every day this week. So not sure how the day will go without me around to keep the littles out of trouble with the bigs...

 

[CoopChick719]

Welcome back MaineChick! Glad to hear school is done & all is well!!

Hope you're feeling better LazyGardener! We had that a few weeks ago for 3 days. My sister brought us dinner one night because no one felt good enough to cook or drive anywhere!

Spent most of last night trying to tarp the small pen so the meaties could move out of the coop & have more room. Got the first tarp zip-tied on, it started leaking. Covered w/2nd tarp--thought it was good--IT started leaking! Went into garage & started ripping tarps open looking for holes. 3rd tarp on top of others seem to do the trick but it was getting dark by this time so could not in good conscience put the birds out. When I came in I was soaked, dirty, hungry & in a foul mood, no pun intended!! DH said I thought you were going to spend the night out there. I had a few choice words about blankety blank tarps with holes in them. He bought me a new tarp today!! <3 meaties are all moved in but do they snuggle into the clean dry shavings & tote-shelter, out of the wind? Noooo they nest on the old litter I brought out to soak up the mud closest to the gate in the open. I will pray that a raccoon doesn't reach through the chain link and grab them!!

 

[buckabucka]

Frost this morning! I'm hoping the tomatoes in the hoop house are okay....

 

[lazy gardener]

I think it's a given that when you move chicks out into the big outdoor world, they will choose the MOST uncomfortable and coldest/wettest place available, then spend half the night screaming "Help me MOMMA!"

 

[ducklucky]

Sorry so late in replying. Do you have to call ahead for that discarded produce, or do they just put it out back somewhere?

 

[lazy gardener]

Finally getting good headway on the garden with the "help" of my 7 y.o. We planted tomatoes and peppers in the "ventilated" hoop green house. Greens, carrots, beets, cabbage, parsley, onions are planted in one lasagna style bed with a nice hearty base of last year's litter. Pole beans, cukes, sugar snaps, and one zucchini. looking forward to seeing how the garden does with the ammendments added by the 5 girls.

In the chicken world, the divider that I put into the hoop coop a week ago has already outlived it's purpose, and will come out as soon as I have time to do it. The littles are exploring the coop much to the dismay of the big girls, and with the divider removed, they'll have 2 exits to choose when the girls get after them. The littles are noticeably bigger almost every day. Several of the littles are expressing a lot of curiosity. And they all come running when they see me now. Still extremely flighty, but fear is being displaced by food lust.

 

[ducklucky]

I have two RIR roos if you are still looking. Hatched 4/21 and nicely feathered, hand raised and friendly. From Meyer's Hatchery, Marek's vacc. & certified clean flocks.

 

[dowgirl71]

Sorry so late in replying. Do you have to call ahead for that discarded produce, or do they just put it out back somewhere?

When I first went to Hannaford, they told me to just bring in a bucket with my name on it and leave it. The person in produce filled it and I picked it up the next day. Another time, they just let me go out back and pick through what was there to be thrown out. Probably each store has their own policy. You could probably find out for sure from customer service.

 

[CoopChick719]

Stopped down to Hannaford to see about getting some old produce. I have to talk to the produce manager who had just left for the day. So I'll go back tomorrow.

The meaties have settled into the new pen. The big girls are not pleased that they had to give up their sunroom.

Gotta say I'm not impressed w/TSC's shavings lately. Big chunks of kindling in them. The soft flake looks like splinters!! I do like Robbins shavings from Agway--only .50 cents more. I'm a fan!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Q.T. can you please PM me??