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.

Peek at the Past

(February 17, 2009)

[8 eggs today!]

One egg was broken.

Clumsy chicken or snack?

~:>

Smiles

Just Post!

"Just Post!" That's what Kristine tells me, "Just Post!" I tried to get her to do another guest post, but with no luck, sorry. I like her posts much better than mine, for sure. I'm stuck with my ramblings this evening. After three migraines in a row, I'm suffering from brain damage. Well, it feels that way and it makes me sleepy. Surprise! Yep, I was sure surprised this afternoon when the phone rang and it was Kristine telling me she would be home an hour later. Tom wasn't home. He needed to take his Mom to the doctor. I had slept most of the day! So, first I let Morgan out. Poor Morgan. And then shuffled outside to let the chickens out. Wow, Tom is still working on the antenna, evidently since the ladders are still there.

Oh, dear! Poor girls! I'm so sorry you were locked up so long.

They are cussing me out!

I checked for eggs. Kristine says the hens fluff up when I open the door to express their displeasure at being disturbed. Makes sense.

When I went to fill the feeders, I tripped over a branch. Branch? Oh, yes, the branches! Sure enough, when I went to check there were eggs under the roosts. I guess the girls were bored and with nothing to do with their time they decided to haul the branches out into the pen. Arrgh! And then they, three of them, laid eggs in the dirt and chicken poo. Go figure? Ok, it is my fault because I didn't let them out. But, but, I was asleep.

On the way back to the house, I noticed that there was a volunteer berry bush in the rock pile. I think the seeds are dropped on the rock pile by birds/chickens because there are quite a few wild plants that get started amongst the rocks. The berry bushes are strong growers and do the best growing in the rock pile. I usually pull them out, but I think I will let this bush grow and see if it will actually produce berries.

I made some chicken soup with rice click here I love that song by Carole King and Maurice Sendak. I bought the Sendak books for my girls when they were little. They were such cool books. The girls loved to play the records that came with the books. Yep, those were the old days of record players. What can I say... I'm old.

And then I gave the chickens a treat of carrot peelings and lettuce which they ate up very fast, although only about half of them showed up at the slider when I called them. I guess the others had headed out for part of the woods that were on the other side of the house.

Tom called and he will stop and pick up some sour dough french bread and some meat loaf for Kristine, since she can eat that as her throat has healed up a bit. I'm back eating eggs, vegetables and fruit. I never would have eaten the ice cream if I had realized what would happen. I was living dangerously and hoping I was back to being able to eat what I wanted. I took Dilantin for over thirty years and that controlled my migraines, but I eventually got hives and had to stop taking it. I remember when I started the Dilantin my eyes wouldn't focus, I couldn't read, I was dizzy, and it made it hard to concentrate. That lasted about six weeks and then after I adjusted to the medication there were no more migraines. I would like those no migraine days back. So, I will have to be a good girl and be careful what I eat... but I get them anyway. phooey! Maybe Tom will eat the ice cream? I wonder if chickens eat ice cream?

Lots and lots of thanks to Kristine

for posting for me yesterday!

[6 eggs + 3 in the dirt]

Bad girls!

Smiles

(Yeah, gotta keep smil'n)