Bigger and Better

The coop extension was finished this weekend.  With the new addition - I don't have to let the chicks out to roam the yard if I don't have time/want to.  Mostly since we got fresh mulch - which they love to kick around and dig in - it is much better that they stay contained.  Since they have been in the coop and not roaming free, we have not had any fox sightings. 

The coop addition was created by Grant and his friend Mark, and then my Uncle Glen helped to attach the addition onto the existing coop.  It was a process, but well worth it.  They even created this little person door for me to crawl in so that I can give them fresh water and food.  It works perfectly!

 

It is quite funny, that despite all of the extra space, they still all cram together and sleep on the same roost.  Side by side.  But this is much better than all of them sleeping in the nesting boxes.  And they are birds. Birds are supposed to want to sleep off of the ground.  Once it gets dark out, they all make their way to the roost and jump, fly, climb their way up to snuggle in for the night.  I don't have a picture of all of them on the roost, but you will get the idea.

 

 

 

I think it is a good sign that they are sleeping on the roost and not in the nesting boxes.  Hopefully they start laying eggs soon! We even put some golf balls in the boxes so that when they do sit in there, they will feel the golf balls and figure out that is where they are supposed to lay their eggs. 

 

 

I'm not sure if it is the hotter weather, but they have been much less active and even less excited about their treats.  In the morning I would usually walk out and give them lettuce, any scraps we had, yogurt, etc. and they would go CRAZY! I mean literally jumping over each other to get to the food.  Now they barely even peck at the lettuce and when I leave some in the coop - it will still be laying on the ground by the afternoon.  I did read that the cracked corn I had been feeding them is basically like feeding a young child candy.  No nutritional value what so ever. But they do love it.  So I have pretty much removed that from their diet.  And added in "grit" to their feed.  I also switched from starter feed to "Grower" feed.  They will be on this until they start to lay eggs. 

 

I made my first trip to Tractor Supply Company last week.  I felt slightly out of place with my Tory Burch bag, Tom Ford sun glasses, and lululemon outfit.  And the fact that I was female and under the age of 40... But I did get lots of service, so that's good :)

 

 

And Barry, the sales associate that helped me, was very knowledgable.  He also helped me spend way more money than I intended on spending.  The chicks got a new 3  gallon waterer and a 10 lb feeder.  Geez.  Spoiled rotten.  They better lay some delicious eggs! He informed me that they will need broken Oyster shells added to their food once they get to be about 18 to 20 weeks.  This will help their eggs have hard shells.  Apparently soft-shelled eggs are very common... ew. So I bought a bag of oyster shells for them as well.  They will be 16 weeks old on June 4th, so haven't started giving it to them yet. 

 

I also learned that the only thing NOT to feed chickens is avacados.  Good thing I didn't give them my leftover salad with avacados in it... could have been bad. 

 

That's all for now....

Safe and Sound

I would like to report that there have been no fox sightings for over a week.  I'm not sure if we scared it off, or if he is just waiting for the perfect conditions to attack again.  Either way, the chicks have been out of the coop for most of the day for the last few days, and no predator issues.  I also think it helps that Savannah is outside most of the day as well.  And now that she is the official chicken herder - I don't have to worry about her bothering them. 

 



However, I do have a new issue.  The chickens are now sleeping in the nesting boxes.  The nesting boxes are supposed to be solely used for laying eggs.  This way the area is relatively clean, and available for the hens to lay eggs whenever the time comes.  At first, I was glad that they found the top area, because it was safe and away from predators.  But then I realized how much they poop in the boxes and really there is not enough space for 5 chickens in 2 nesting boxes.  And then I was thinking, once they start laying eggs, I don't want them crushing the eggs. 

So Grant talked to one of his "guys" and decided that we need to build an extension on the coop.  The extra run area will be big enough that they can fly around and it will have 2 other "roosts".  Part of the problem is that the chickens want to sleep off the ground and at the highest location possible.  They are birds.  But in the current coop set up, there is only one small roost area and the nesting box area is higher than the roost. 

 

I am hoping that with the additional space and roosts - the chickens will figure out to sleep on the roosts.  We also made the roosts out of 2x4's with the widest side parallel to the ground, which will make it easier for them to balance and sleep on.  The addition to the coop is not quite finished, but hopefully will be next week.  And once it is complete, I am going to block off the nesting boxes at night so that sleeping in there is not an option.  But at least they feel comfortable in the boxes.  At first I was afraid they wouldn't know to go to the boxes to lay their eggs. 

And speaking of laying eggs, the big question... how much longer til they start laying?? I am hoping that within the next 3 to 4 weeks we have eggs!  I will be sure to post a picture of the first egg.  I am going to be so bummed though not knowing which chick laid the first egg.  I don't know what the signs are  to tell when they are ready to lay eggs.  They have seemed extra hungry lately... does that mean anything? I'm not sure. 

Anyways, have a great weekend.... Chicken love.

It's Dangerous Out There

The chickens have been enjoying the nice weather over the last few weeks.  Here in Ohio, the weather was sunny and in the 70s during the last couple of weeks.  And so last week, I started leaving the chickens out in the back yard for extended periods of time. 

I should mention that Savannah has learned that the chickens are her friends.  I don't think she had any intention of hurting or killing the chicken - she just wanted to play.  But she has become quite a help to herd them back towards the coop so that I can catch them.  So we have made progress in the right direction. 

But anyways, I was getting comfortable with the fact that they do not really get into anything and just peck around the yard and eat the grass and bugs.  They also discovered the mulch beds and would escape from the sun and hide underneath the bushes.  It was the funniest thing - I went out to check on them and they had all burrowed down into the mulch and created a bed-like area, which they were all snuggled in. 

 

Check out this funny video I took of them in the mulch beds...

 

 

We did have a visit around 6am last Friday morning from Mr. Fox.  It was right around dawn, and I heard the chickens squawking, looked outside and the fox was clawing at the coop - trying to get in.  I ran out and yelled and the fox scurried away.  But, I was feeling pretty comfortable with leaving them outside unattended, during daylight, with Savannah outside only if I was home.

 

Yesterday, I let them out of the coop around lunch time and went to run some errands, came home and was doing some work - when Grant yells "FOX".  I got to the door just in time to see the fox grab one of the chicken and feathers flying everywhere.  I was screaming so the fox ceased his pursuit and ran out of the yard. 

 

 

I could only see 4 of the chickens, one of which was injured, and then 5th was MIA. Izzie was the chicken that Mr. Fox had attacked and I ran down to get her.  Surprisingly - there was no blood.  He got her tail feathers and wings.  She was having a hard time walking though.  She just sat down and was breathing hard with her little beak stuck open.  I searched for the 5th chicken and luckily found her hiding behind a tree up by the deck.  All chickens were accounted for.  I am SO lucky that we ran out in time.  At least our yard is big enough that the chickens had enough time/space to run away from their predator.

 

Izzie is in a great deal of shock and is still not eating.  I have her following the same treatment as Grey, and she is sleeping in a warm, dry cage in our garage for the next day.  I am trying to get her to eat some yogurt and at least get her strength back up.  But she is a scared chicken right now.  So I guess it will be a long summer - because I know Mr. Fox will be back.  But I will be ready and waiting with a bb gun.  Don't mess with my chickens, Mr. Fox!

 

Stay safe out there...