Chickens, Straw And Cobwebs

There is a problem in the chicken coop. There is some egg breakage going on in the nest boxes. Either the thin shelled eggs are breaking on their own or a hen or more have found out they can have eggs for breakfast.

I like collecting eggs for my breakfast, but being greeted with the smell of rotten eggs when I open the coop door really doesn't make my day.

This afternoon Tom brought a bale of straw and leaned it against the coop. In a day or so I will use it to replace the smelly straw in the nest boxes.

I also asked for some DE.  I didn't realize there were so many uses. I always get worried when I read the directions on the package of DE.


Too bad the photo of the chickens is so dark. My fault. I didn't go out until later in the day when it was shady and cooler. The chickens sure like the straw bale. They walk up to the straw, stand back, stick out a foot and scratch away at the bale in hopes of getting something good to eat. Chickens can be so funny.

Kristine made me take the day off because my cough came back, but later in the day when it cooled off a bit she held the ladder for me and I vacuumed down some of the cobwebs. I couldn't reach them all. I'm going to keep the table and my work table in this little room. After I paint, I will have to figure out something to do to the floor. Deck paint?

P.S. Kristine posted about another of her adventures in Phoenix (click here video).

Peek at the Past

click here

(August 2, 2009)

I'm still using my chicken flag!

[4 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Cleaner Coop

Nice new clean straw! (fake egg) I pulled out all the old straw from the nest boxes and raked it out into the pen. After the rain? we are supposed to get this weekend, I'll be able to tell how the straw will perform as a mud barrier. I can always put leaves or wood chips on top. Kristine said she had to take the back roads home because the freeway was packed with people headed up to Tahoe for a snow weekend. Snow? I don't see any rain forecast.

Some of the hens came back inside to investigate the straw. I caught Morgan eating the new organic chicken feed. She was licking it out of the feeder. Bad girl. I placed flakes of straw around in the coop so they would block drafts and give the chickens places to cozy up and keep warm. If it gets really cold I will block the exit under the windows with a big 4x4 at night. I have done that before and it keeps the wind from blowing in. I have to find the heat lamp tomorrow and have that handy if we need to put it in the coop.

I really like the snow. I just don't like having the worry of Kristine and other people having to drive in the stuff. I wonder if all those people headed up to Lake Tahoe have insider weather information because all the sites I check say there is not much chance for precipitation (20%) this weekend. Maybe they are staying for the week?

Kristine brought home a bag of cranberries to add to the mandarin oranges she bought the other day. My plan tomorrow is to use Suzanne's recipe and make some homemade cranberries. No canning. We plan to eat them up!

There was a lot of smoke in the air. I don't know if it was from smoky wood stoves or from people burning leaves, but I know I don't like having to breathe smoky air.

If you are voting for Suzanne, click here.

Click here to check on the voting.

Gee! Just three more days of voting.

[3 eggs today]

I washed the fake eggs. Hope the hens add some more.

Smiles

~:>

Happy Easter!

[4 + 6 eggs = 10]   (Only 4 eggs this morning... Looks like the hens are taking the day easy just like Kristine and I plan to do.) Tom has gone down the mountain to gather with family while we stay to keep the home fires burning... heh, heh. But, look, the girls did leave me something this morning.

Well, OK, the eggs were in the straw,

but Kristine gave me the Easter basket this morning

to use to collect the eggs.

I thought I would take the photo in the chair

I moved into the bedroom

to make a reading area.

Amazing the stuff you find when spring cleaning.

(Three brand new empty :( Easter baskets.)

We are sore from all the Spring cleaning,

moving furniture, books, etc.

So, this afternoon we are going to watch

Dr. Who, season 3.

And rest up for more work tomorrow.

Popcorn, anyone?

Yesterday, the hens got straw for Easter!

My shadow, Dark Brahma, Golden Lace Wyandotte, 

bale of straw and Morgan.

And, boy oh boy, were they excited!

They were finding something good in the straw.

Cochin (feathers on feet,) Buff Brahma, Orpington,

Buff Brahma, Dark Brahma, Australope (in back,)

Light Brahma, Dark Brahma

Morgan is a bit concerned.

One of her chickens has abandoned

the flock for 

greener, errr, yellower fields.

Must be something good in all that straw.

I put together a nest box

for the hens who like to lay their eggs

in the wood shed.

Think they will use it?

Maybe, I should put it on the ground?

Won't be long now until we have

lots of green leafy trees

and lots of shade.

I'm still looking for a name

for this little three acre farm.

Well, I want to consider it a farm.

I can pretend, can't I?

Ideas welcome!

How about:

Three Acre Farm

or

Shady Acres

or

Tall Oaks

or

?

Please feel free to contribute your ideas.

Thank you!

Hope you have a very Happy Easter!

Smiles