What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

Productive day! House is clean, new straw in the coop with nesting herbs. Both places smell great now! It's 37 now but we will get down into the 20s this week so I know the girls will be inside a lot of the time. In fact, I had to chase them out to clean today.

Time to make some tortillas for tacos.

Oh I am so happy jealous. I need your energy.... and tacos sound really good too, lol. I hope the girls are so happy with their maid service that they tip you with lots of eggs to say thank you! Bravo!

 

[ValerieJ]

Well, they tipped me with two eggs today. We are all on winter break around here.

And yeah, DH kept saying it's fine out there. We just did this two weeks ago, he said. Good thing my chickens have me. It was time. If I see any poo on top of the straw....I'm unhappy.

 

[ValerieJ]

Tacos are easy around here. We make street tacos, so not fried. On Tuesdays I generally make a dinner with meat and the leftovers are used for tacos the next night. I roast some chilis and make corn tortillas, and then we add cilantro, salsa and sour cream. Easy Peazy.

 

[Shetland lover]

More is better??? meh, loving my downsized flock. Not supplying any eggs for anyone, anymore.
It is so warm here with no real predators that there is no excuse to be in a nest box other than low on the pecking order and over crowding. My fault and I sorted it out after pushing mine and their limits. It was overwhelming and I was a referee more than I should have been. Funny, at the time it just seemed normal.

I've found with mine that getting a nest box for the night is a sign of high status. Only the top ranking girls are guaranteed a place I.e. Gladys and Clara presently. Fortunately, there's usually enough room for all, as Stan and Gladys tend to sleep in one coop and Ferdy, Pru and Clara in the other. If one of the girls decides to join Stan and Gladys for the night, she's usually relegated to the roosting bar after a brief scuffle. Sometimes Gladys decides Stan has transgressed in some way and banishes him to the roost bar, regardless. Just like we might if our DH has royally upset us

 

[Shetland lover]

Productive day! House is clean, new straw in the coop with nesting herbs. Both places smell great now! It's 37 now but we will get down into the 20s this week so I know the girls will be inside a lot of the time. In fact, I had to chase them out to clean today.

Time to make some tortillas for tacos.

Ferdy's absolute favourite treat! He gets sooo excited when he sees we're having tacos for dinner. I have to offer him a tiny piece of everything on the plate (except avocado and anything salty, of course) or he sulks and pushes his face in front of my mouth to intercept the goodies
Don't you just love that freshly cleaned coop smell? The straw I use over the winter months is infused with pine oil. It smells amazing!

 

[Shetland lover]

Well, they tipped me with two eggs today. We are all on winter break around here.

And yeah, DH kept saying it's fine out there. We just did this two weeks ago, he said. Good thing my chickens have me. It was time. If I see any poo on top of the straw....I'm unhappy.

I'm the same. Hate seeing poop on the straw, I have to scoop it immediately. Poop picking has kept me busy over our cold snap, there were days when the chickens would only emerge for food or water..

 

[Shetland lover]

For some reason, Pru has been 'fighting' with Stan on and off all day. I've never seen her fight anyone. She's usually protective of her son and will intervene (usually by distraction)if she thinks Gladys is going too far in chastising him. I can only think he's got between Pru and her food at some point!

Here's Ferdy looking extra dapper for his ladies at the weekend. I had to share as it's made me chuckle all week

 

[ValerieJ]

I'm the same. Hate seeing poop on the straw, I have to scoop it immediately. Poop picking has kept me busy over our cold snap, there were days when the chickens would only emerge for food or water..

We have food and water inside the coop as well as in the outside shelter. Most of mine are staying in those two areas. No one is venturing out into their yard to free range. They like their cozy coop. I also think they may be avoiding an aerial predator. I haven't seen one, but it is unusual for all of them to stay inside like this.

 

[MaeM]

Today, I found a red mite infestation in the coop.

I've been battling these awful bugs since ages, but this time I got a bit distracted because of my father's death, and they've reproduced the hell out of themselves.

And now that I only have one chicken left, it's worrying to think that she gets all the bites!

So I got ANGRY. I removed all the bed material and set it on fire. Then I cleaned the hell out of that coop with the most toxic products you can imagine and moved Callia to 'temporary housing'. She'll be in cement for a while so that it'll be easier for me to spot the mites and clean.

 

[ValerieJ]

Today, I found a red mite infestation in the coop.

I've been battling these awful bugs since ages, but this time I got a bit distracted because of my father's death, and they've reproduced the hell out of themselves.

And now that I only have one chicken left, it's worrying to think that she gets all the bites!

So I got ANGRY. I removed all the bed material and set it on fire. Then I cleaned the hell out of that coop with the most toxic products you can imagine and moved Callia to 'temporary housing'. She'll be in cement for a while so that it'll be easier for me to spot the mites and clean.

I'm so sorry about the mites! That must be awful.

But, I'm especially sorry about your dad. My greatest sympathies!!!