IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE CRUD but I really don't care

Tubby's Coop - ugly but keeping them dry and happy.  Better put that ladder away.

Well, they say necessity is the mother of invention.  Didn't invent anything but - every winter it's the same thing - I cannot get the coop areas weather "proofed" until there's a massive rain storm with snow on the way - LOL!  Today it was NECESSARY.  Hey, it might look like crud but I really don't care - just as long as my chicken kids have a dry safe place out of the elements!  Technically, I would have worked on this yesterday with the 50 degree dry weather, but what fun would that be??  Seriously though, I've been sick for a couple days and didn't have the energy.

The rain over night and this morning was a lot.  I never notice how sloped our property is till there's all that water - at least our house is at the top - it just all runs down back.  If I'd quit changing things in the chicken yards I would have a system in place for weather; however, I can't sit still - therefore, nothing ever gets completely done.  The big house in Crockett's yard is fine they have a permanent shelter off their house.  I'm still working on the big house in Tubby's yard - they need a little more of a partial enclosure.  I have a small, no longer being used, coop under that porch that I needed to move before now.  That would make it easier to tarp the whole porch.  I'll do that on another day.  Also, in Crockett's yard, this year I have two bachelor roosters in their own little coop - it's next to the small green house that's now used as shelter for chickens.  I thought that would be enough but it needed a little more weather diversion as well.  The boys are good though, they only sleep in there, then during the day they hang out by the big house.

No matter how much area you give the chickens they still just decimate the areas surrounding the main coops.  Crockett's crew are fenced on about an 1/8 of an acre, and Tubby's crew is free to roam the entire 3 acres, if they choose.  It's just the coop areas that are a muddy nightmare.

So today, in the blowing rain and, sometimes sleet, I was tarping and making bridges and diverting water with dams.  I'm always happy with the snow, much easier to deal with.  Someone on a chicken FB group, looking for ideas for their run, said that not only is the ground in their run now complete mud, the chicken poop makes it its own "special kind of mud" - blech!  LOL - I truly understand that, but I'm glad that my kids are not confined to "special mud" - it's just outside their doors.  Slowly but surely I've been taking bags of gravel back to the houses.  I did that with the original coop and the ground isn't soupy there any more.  Over the years, the gravel mixed in with the dirt, making things more solid.

Crockett's Yard with the Bachelor Coop and tarped greenhouse

Anyway....the yard and coops look like crap again but the weather is being diverted.  Tarps, old window panes, and bungee cords are my friends.  Pretty Spring days will be here before we know it.

Ahhh...there's the snow now...

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER.....as a chicken mama ;)

Penny is a jet black Ameraucana/Marans mix.  Her feathers also have a gorgeous green irridescent sheen.  We knew she was a mix from the start - we got her out of a bargain bin and, boy is she a GREAT bargain!  As a chick, along with her fluffy cheeks, she also had black feathered legs.  Everyone thought she was a Black Copper Marans but I knew she was Ameraucana as well.  As she grew it was very obvious her face was getting a definite beard and muff, I was thrilled with this "Ameraucana" - but I kept forgetting about those feathered legs.  Until today.....

Penny laid her first egg today! I was stunned - it took me a second to figure out what I was looking at.  It is a perfect medium/deep OLIVE egg!  Then I remembered those feathered legs ;)

Not only am I happy that Penny has started laying but I'm thrilled with the surprise color.  That's because olive was the egg color I was hoping for when I bought my blue egg laying Cream Legbars to mate with my brown egg gene Salmon Faverolles rooster.  (After getting two boys out of that first try - I don't think I'm trying again.  And that was disappointing - not my boys, just that I wouldn't have olive egged girls - granted, those eggs would have been lighter than this one).  So - Penny's egg is very special to me.  I cannot tell you how excited and happy I am!

BEES in the Chicken Feed

Well, anyone in Ohio knows what spectacularly warm weather we've been having, and today was no disappointment at 66 degrees in Ashland County.  Along with confusing me and making me think I need to be out gardening and bringing home Spring chicks, I find that I am not the only one who's confused.  Check out this pick of honey bees in the chicken feed!  They were all around the yard.  I hope this is ok and the poor bees make it through when actual cold weather finally decides to make an appearance!

SILLY POLISH CHICKEN

Laelah makes me laugh!  I never wanted a Polish chicken, I was afraid they couldn't see well enough and that they'd be fragile and vulnerable, but I'm so glad I was given her (and the Silkie, Daizee, whom I had the same ideas about).

When I was closing up coops tonight, I found Laelah rolling around on the floor.....taking a dust bath!  Silly girl, she has dirt bath areas outside.  Oh well. I hope she found her way up to her roost in the dark.

Here's the video:

CHICKEN STRESS

Poor Veldi.  She's alright, just a little stressed.  Brought her inside for some R&R and extra attention.

These Barnevelders seem to be quite sensitive and gentle; and a young excited rooster can just depress them.  Comb and wattles are nice and bright, no crop or egg issues, no bugs, just depression it seems.  She's getting her regular organic layer mash with BOSS and oats, and accented with some cayenne pepper, meal worms, spinach and arugula.  Water is alternated with electrolytes and ACV.  She's eating and drinking well.

Going to attempt to integrate her with Tubby's crew, they're a little more laid back.  Her sister is still in with Crockett's crew and seems just fine.  There used to be three of them, but the other one passed away from, what I can only guess as, rooster fright.  That was back when Crockett was young and coming up.  Duncan and Golly are the issue now.  

The rest of the girls aren't having any problems at all - in fact my Columbian Wyandottes, Welsummer, and RIR give those young roosters what for!.  It's only Veldi and my sweet rooster, Kilwillie, who are being picked on.  So, Veldi is hanging out in hospital for a few days, just to boost her system.  I'll take her outside again at dinner time and let her free range with Tubby's crew.  

All's good.  

TROUBLE IN PARADISE - Chicken Life

Tonight, Pidgie and I had a pretty good conversation.  I found her roosting up in a tree.  I know why she was there.  

Crockett has been her main squeeze since the start, but there are three other roosters in the mix now; only one of those is active with the girls, the other two I don't think are "allowed" - looks that way anyway because Duncan keeps them in line.  Out of all the hens, Pidgie is the favorite of both Crockett and Duncan.  Whenever Duncan goes after Pidgie, Crockett and two of the older girls (those that rule the roost) knock Duncan away.  But Crockett and the two older girls aren't always around, and Pidgie is getting worn out from running away from Duncan.

So when I found Pidgie this evening, I scooped her up and took her for a walk.  Then we went over to Tubby's yard, I thought I'd see if she'd like to start living over there.  She was ok, but she really wanted to be back with Crockett.  Soon she was sitting with me again and we talked about what she might like to do.  She suggested getting rid of Duncan.  Well, I really didn't want to do that, so we talked some more.  We decided to split Crockett's yard in two.  But that leaves the three young roosters and their one sister in a yard together - I'm not sure Miss Lexie will do well with that situation eventually.  They haven't bothered her to date, maybe because they grew up together and have a house together, I don't know.

I spent an hour moving fencing.  Duncan, Kilwillie, MollyGolly, and Lexie now have their own yard.  We'll see how that goes tomorrow.  I'd like to get Lexie out of there and have her start living at Crockett's house but, she's perfectly content with her brothers, for the moment.  One day at a time.

If I knew of good homes for two of those gorgeous roosters I might consider rehoming them.  But, I guess I'll just have to raise a few more pullets in the Spring so the boys have their own family.  I'll just keep shifting and rearranging till everyone is happy.  Duncan's not going to be happy tomorrow - I can just hear him now!

A GOOD MORNING AT THE VET

HOORAY!  Belly girl is now able to eat!  Yay for Dr. Nathan, his patience, fortitude, and learning.  The cast did not break or crack.  As you can see, it is much shorter than before.  She lost two ounces since the other day BUT, I think she gained that back as soon as she was able to eat today.  Love this girl <3.  Fingers crossed for a full crop tonight!