Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Ladder Roost

Ladder roosts for the hens. One project finished today and the start of another accomplished. I do so love it when I actually get something to turn out pretty much the way I imagined it would. The chubby Light Brahma came back in the pen to check and see if I was putting treats down and stuck around for a snack.


   Unfortunately, for the photo she didn't hop up on one of the ladder roosts so I could take a picture. I looked in the tub and checked the wood ash and alas it was still smooth. Phooey! I was hoping to see a bunch of chicken footprints. There were a lot of chicken footprints in the ashes just inside the glass door. So, at least some of the hens are walking on the ash. The eggs were all lovely and clean today. So nice!

   As far as the partitions for the nest boxes go, I managed to crawl around and measure and write down the sizes I need to cut out of the scrap plywood. Tomorrow, I can start by marking up the wood and cutting out the pieces. I found some wooden stakes that I'm going to use to support the partitions. Using the ten+ year old stakes up will save me having to find and cut more wood.

   Since it would be very, very difficult to attach partitions in the middle nest box, I am going to let it remain a communal nest box. Six small nest boxes along with the big one should be more than enough boxes for seventeen hens.

   While I was working out by the coop, I heard what sounded at first like some chickens having a squable up in the trees. But, then I realized that it was the geese on their migration overhead. I got my camera out and tried to get a photo, but they fly at about the same altitude as the airplanes, and I couldn't see them. I tried to upload the video for the sound, but it failed. Whatever that means?

   I saw them here one year. That year it was hot and I was watering, when I heard the geese. I started calling to them and they actually started circling for a short time before they continued on their way. I don't know if they were checking out the water or me making honking noises. I'm pretty sure those are geese up there, but I'm open to other ideas. I searched for a California goose migration map but the closest information I could find for California and geese is this. I did find some hunting sites, but I didn't like all the dead bird photos. And I did find mention of people hunting geese in the San Joaquin Valley, but no mention of geese in February. Maybe these guys are late bloomers.

(February 17, 2009)

[8 eggs today!]
One egg was broken.
Clumsy chicken or snack?

~:>
Smiles

6 comments:

lisa said...

Your ladder roostes are pretty cool, Callie!

Tina Marie the Willow Witch said...

Darn, I just let them throw out an only rickety wooden ladder, never thought of a chicken roost! RATS... but I have a pile of wood ash I can put to use... Thanks!

JoyceAnn said...

Hi Callie ~ Your ladder perch looks great , you did a wonderful job. Hope those girls appreciate your hard work (LOL). Looking forward to pics of them perched up there.

~ Be Blessed ~

Little Messy Missy said...

I also use an old ladder for my chickens roost! I have 8 nest boxes but all my ladies only lay in 2 of the them... go figure. It is still very cold here and we have a lot of snow but this morning when I was out in the chicken hutch I notices a few mice. I know that it is normal because of the food, field etc. but what do you do for pest control? I have other outside animals and I am a chemical free gardener so poison is a no no. I have been using the traditional mouse traps. Do you ever have the pest problem and if so how do you handle it.
Thanks

dirtyduck said...

hi i left a message about "plump" chickens not being a good thing. now looking back and seeing what you wrote on my blog(by the way thank you so much!) that it might seem like i was calling you out on having fat animals WHICH I DID NOT MEAN!!!! i honestly thought i was was leavintg a silly comment about how chickens wouldnt want to look plump to um stay away from being eaten...you know like...thats what i meant,not funny...im vegan too i shouldnt be making animal eating jokes...ttyl?

Gus, Louie and Callie said...

You certainly are doing a great job... Those are some really lucky chickens..
We have geese that land in the lake quite often but we haven't been there in a while...

Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie