Countdown to Chicken Acquisition Day

The chickens & the goat...
About an acre of hay and an acre of grain/straw just haven't decided which would be the best grain straw for my purposes yet.
A lot of work.. but hey.. it's my "book" I'm living.. lol.. I even just found the directions to make a hand baler... dh says.. it just looks like workm to him, but he's never seen me happier... or the dishes dirtier... lol...

It's so true - I never feel as happy as when I'm covered in dirt and sweat in the garden, but I can sit back and view my progress and feel like I've accomplished something. Then I can go have a nice shower and sit back and look at all the dishes sitting at the sink and think "Oh well..." :-)

I figure as long as they get done everyday... they use to get done.. well, I would take them from in front of my family as they were sitting at the table still and they would laugh that they would be dry and in the cupboard before they could get up, lol... Not anymore.. I found the great outdoors.., fresh air and when it wonders by, a little sunshine.
I did learn.. the dishes will wait.

AMEN...

Ah, my friends of the female persuasion!
I never saw a dirty dish I couldn't live with.
Glasses are another matter, but why do you suppose God made plastic picnic glasses in big packs?

Ms Marta's been in NYC working for 3 weeks.
You think I ought to do some washing up?
Suppose I just bought new dishes?
You think she'd notice?

OK. I'm headed back down the garden. That, I understand.

OK, so I am still up late -- got back late from taking the teens to the movies, wanted to read a few threads..... lol, now it is 2 1/2hrs later.

Feel compelled to tell Catscan, You must get the Chicken Health Handbook. Mine is just about worn out. Many bookmarks & 'dog ears' for information. Yes, it has a lot of symptom information that hopefully no one will need; however, it has a ton of breeding, brooding, housing, etc information too. It is the book I go to when I see something odd that I am not sure of. I do; however, still go to my other books for information too, eggs & chickens; gamebirds, quail, and when I do it again, guide hatching. These are not the exact titles, its just the name I look for when I need the info.........

Cheryl

The dishes here have to wait until the dishwasher gets unloaded, and we are always seeming to be too busy to unload it. Since there's only 2 of us, it only needs to be run about once every 4 days, but even that seems like it's always clean and ready to be unloaded.

Potagere, you make me laugh! But, I think plastic picnic glasses are not very good for the environment! Unless they are the biodegradable ones made from corn starch, which we now see in the stores here.

Next Amazon order, will have to get the chicken health book. Might be before the chickens get purchased. August 7 and counting!!!

Claire

it is getting closer

Claire, just so you are aware. I advised my sis, not to buy that book cause she is only having a small flock of 4; but it was up to her......just don't want you to think you need to buy. It covers hatching, brooding, and symptoms of all kinds of possible diseases (even some postmortem). With a small flock, you should not run into any (or very little) problems.

Please don't take this wrong, just want you to be aware, it is more of a book for those with a huge flock (100's). But, if you do decide to purchase - there is a ton of information in it. I just hope you never have to need it for the diseases / problems.

Wishing you only a healthy, happy flock! ^_^

Cheryl

wow i might get this book cause every one else is

Thanks for that clarification Cheryl. Maybe I don't need it right now. I don't plan on doing any hatching and hope to avoid broodiness in my chickens when I can. I hope that the other books I have cover some of the basics on the more common ailments. Maybe I can get by without it initially and if I delve into chicken ownership more abundantly, then I'll get it!

Claire, didnt you say you live on some land, that you could have more if you wanted. Forgive me, i confuse easily. If you do I am sure you will want to get more once you have these. I let my little darlings out this morning and it was OH THANK YOU, WE LOVE YOU. They even ran up to Hubby last night when he got home, they hardly ever see him, on that note I dont either. i put the babies I got this week out in the smaller part of the brooder ALL did wonderful, but the other birds were so upset, I have mobile home stairs in there for them to roost on and the bigger birds loved it. i told them last night just for a week or so until the babies get their feathers. I cant wait until you can enjoy your birds as much as we all do.

Yes, I live on 5.5 acres and am planning on buying a lot next door to expand to 8.5 acres. I just love this area and all its wildlife and birds. The lot next door is mostly wooded. I think I will start with just 3 and see how I go. I need to be careful with how much time it will take because I am so busy. I don't want to stress myself out by giving myself too many tasks to get done every day! That is why I am also holding off on the goat idea. I don't want them to get neglected because I have overshot my own estimates on how much time I have for them. I am sure that I will want 50 of them! But I have to try and keep sensible about it and start small. That is so hard to do!

I have all the time in the world for them, but it usually takes me under 30 minutes to water them, i have cut their morning feed off, I really hope that is ok, since I am free ranging them now during the day. it does take me a little more time in the evening due to a few stubborn ones that want to stay out. I feed them in their pen in the evenings. Once the coop gets built they will be able to free range morning noon and night, it will be totally covered. I will take a pic of the area this afternoon. I think it will be plenty big enough for all the birds. I will decorate the coop fence with owls and snakes, fake of course.

OK, I am making my shopping list in anticipation of Chicken Acquisition Day (9 days and counting...)

Please anybody tell me what I am missing. The Eglu came with water and food dishes that attach to the side of the coop.

1. Chicken Feed
2. Straw or shavings for nesting box
3. Chicken Grit (although they will be ranging on the grass and in the veg garden, so hopefully won't need too much of this because they should get it naturally
4. ?

What else do I need to buy? I know I might need some winter warming devices but we have a ways to go before I will need that.
Claire

Cheerios, raisin bran, eggs, veggies, fruits. They LOVE treats. Make sure what you are drinking out of is like white in color they will attack it if it looks like food. They attacked me this morning with my yellow coffee cup. Oh you need closed toed shoes, they love feet.

You list looks good to me.

We always have cheerios and fruits and veggies, so I can definitely come up with treats. I always wear my clumpy gardening shoes out in the yard because I don't want to step in anything yukky in open toe shoes. We have deer in the yard leaving their little "piles" of treasure. Plus with our clay soil, it just sticks to the bottom of your shoes like a lead weight. I am always having to scrape them off when I've been in the veggie garden!

I hope my chickens will like the bugs in the veggie garden. There are lots of crickets and grasshoppers. I hope they won't destroy my zucchini.

Claire

Mine have not made it to the garden YET, so i dont know.

maybe some oyster shell? And a chicken first aid kit? Some Blue Kote spray. A nice wide scraper for Eglu clean-up? An egg basket? (I can't tell you how many times I squashed egg in my pocket...*embarrassed*) And did you decide about getting DE?

Catherine

Thanks Catherine!

1. Chicken Feed
2. Straw or shavings for nesting box
3. Chicken Grit
4. Oyster shell
5. Chicken first aid kit
6. Blue kote spray
7. Scraper for clean up
8. Diatomaceous earth (have some for garden, need more)

OK, but a couple of questions.
1. What goes in a chicken first aid kit? We have a dog first aid kit. It has the usual bandages and gauze and scissors and stuff, as well as triple antibiotic ointment, stop-bleeding stick thing, and a couple of other items. What needs to be added to this for chicken first aid?
2. What on earth is blue kote spray - I'll get some, but I need to know what for!! I don't want blue chickens! LOL!!
3. I have several baskets that I use for vegetable collection, some smaller and some larger. I think one of those can become my new egg basket. I will put a special soft cloth in it for that purpose. Squashing an egg in your pocket sounds kinda messy - I shall try not to do that!

Thanks,
Claire

in addition to the wide scraper, get a 1/2 inch one too.. I ended up snaging dh's small one.. gets the corners better.
It is a "to each it own" but once the chicks had their footing, and I didn't need to worry about splayed feeties.. I loved using the pine shavings from the feed store.. and I must say they compost so fast.. my chicks are 4+ months old and the first couple months shavings are toast already.. I still use shavings in the henhouse and straw outside in their outdoor pen.. it is thick and when I need it cleaned or it is wet from rain and it is a nice sunny day.. or I just want it turned... (sneaky) I feed them a favorite treat... nothing like rice or cut up noodles sprinkles about the hay to get them scratching like mad and turning that hay like crazy!
Now if I could only trick the kids into washing the dishes that easy.

edited because the good Lord knows you can't spay a foot.


This message was edited Jul 29, 2008 12:44 PM

Good point Fran. The pine shavings should be easy to come by out here with all the horse people around here. and they will help with compost for my veggie garden. I use straw between the rows, but it seems to get moldy kinda fast if I'm not using the bales right away, whereas the bags of shavings would be more suited to storage.

New list:
1. Chicken Feed
2. Shavings for nesting box
3. Chicken Grit
4. Oyster shell
5. Chicken first aid kit
6. Blue kote spray
7. Scrapers for clean up - 1 wide, 1 small.
8. Diatomaceous earth (have some for garden, need more)

here's a link for a first aid kit - I don't have all these things but its a good reference

http://www.chickencrossing.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1595

here's a blurb on Blue Kote. I used it on hens that were being pecked and also on a hen that I had to rescue from a dog's mouth.....got mine at Farm & Fleet
http://animalmedicstore.stores.yahoo.net/drblae5oz.html

and yes to a small scraper for the corners!

Catherine

Looks like I have, or will soon have, most of that stuff. The things I don't have are the terramycin and the vinegar rub. Oh, and no bird electrolytes.

Well, that is a good reference indeed. I think most of the stuff I can get at a feed store except maybe the blue kote. I'll see what they have and if not, looks like I can order it on line.

Yay! I get to go shopping for my chickens!
Claire

Oh gosh forgot about this stuff blue kote spray, it is wonderful stuff, i do need to get some. I had it for my goats.

Oh! Guess what arrived in the mail today! The first issue of my new subscription to "Backyard Poultry" magazine! Looks like it is packed with interesting information. Do you receive this magazine, and what do you think of it? I am excited to read the article on raising your chickens naturally.

She's here! She's here! We got our first chicken this evening! Henny Penny has arrived! 23 weeks old. I got her from a friend at work whose son raises them. I have already forgotten her kind. I think she has special name for her coloration. But I forget what it is. So eggscited that I can't think straight!

I will still probably get a couple of bantams at the fair, but at least my first chicken is here! Hooray!! Hooray!!

Here's another pic of her.

And the last pic for today. Good night Henny Penny!

Oh, I remember now, she's a Partridge Rock. :-)

Claire she's beautiful! I am so jealous! I cant wait til mine are old enough to take outside!
AnjL

Hey, Claire, That's great! She looks just like the illustration of Henny Penny in one of the children's books I used to use in Story Hour! Perfect!
Potagere

Oh Claire, that is just wonderful.

YAY!! Henny Penny looks quite robust! Congrats on your first of many!

Catherine

I'm making a new thread called Henny Penny and future friends. This one is too long!

Thanks all, for the positive comments on Henny Penny. She is just a treat!
Claire