Plastic Roof on the Chicken Coop Pen

I got a tarp up over the chicken pen because it is going to be raining for a few days and the chickens will have to stay penned. I also put five bags of leaves down in the pen for the chickens to scratch around.

I read somewhere that if you are going to use the deep litter method you should keep the litter dry. So, I'm going to give dry a try. I may need to get some more tarps for the sides of the pen. This storm is supposed to be windy so I'll be able to see how much rain gets blown in the pen. The pen is pretty well protected under the trees.

There is some little critter digging in the coop. Don't know what it is, but I found a pile of dirt on top of the plywood in a corner and I know the chickens didn't pile up the little dirt mountain there. I dug around the outside of the coop corner and put some rocks in the hole. There is already a metal barrier sunk down 18" and metal under the plywood. Maybe it's a mole?

My back is messed up again and I'm still not feeling positive... meaning feeling like doing anything except reading. I need to go make something for my dinner. I'd probably feel better if I ate. Grumble... I am not a happy camper. I think I need more blueberry pancakes.

I have an easy fun rainy day project in mind for tomorrow.

Hope I can move around and get it started.

 Peek at the Past

(October 22, 2010)

The chickens are in the middle of molting

this year too.

We haven't fired up the wood stove yet this year.

Maybe tomorrow?

[1 egg today]

There haven't been any eggs the last couple of days.

~:>

Smiles

Rain? You've Got To Be Kidding

Does this look like it rained last night? No. Not to me either. I was asleep and woke up to the sound of rain. Rain? It was almost 100 degrees yesterday, so how could that be rain? It must be wind, but it was rain. Great big rain drops, wind, and branches falling out of the trees.

My miter saw! I jumped out of bed and hurried out to cover the saw. I got my plastic paint drop and used that to cover the saw, which was not very wet. Then this morning I took the tarp off the chicken pen and used it to cover the saw and table. I had left the saw uncovered for awhile to dry out before I covered it up. It has been too hot for me to get anything done. I have been waiting for the temp to go down out of the 90's. The heat is oppressive and I melt and can't get anything done.

I still need to paint these shelves, but this is what I did with one of the baskets I painted. My kitchen is small with limited counter and shelf space. I'm still building in there. So, the spice basket works out well for me as a space saver. I took the doors off the cabinets to open the area up. I may paint them and put them back or not. I haven't decided.

The other basket is holding guest bath supplies: soap, bath scrubbies, shampoos, etc.

[8 eggs today]

I put the chicken feed in the barrel

tonight before I locked up the chickens.

Got to keep the feed dry

and I have to wonder how much feed

the forest critters eat?

I may save feed if I keep this up.

Smiles

~:>

Back From The Vet

Poor little squint eyed Morgan back from the vet and recovering from the drugs she was given. First to knock her out so they could probe the wound and stitch it up and then the drugs they gave her to recover. Tom took Morgan to the vets this morning and they were gone from around 10:00 to 1:30. That was a pretty quick turn around. In the past she has had to stay overnight for treatments that involve stitching. The gauze is pink with little purple hearts. There is tape over the gauze to make the bandage more secure. She doesn't have to wear a collar unless she starts trying to take the bandage off, but so far she is not messing with it. She has to take pills twice a day and will need to return to the vets for bandage changing and eventually stitch removal. Morgan is sleeping now.

Since the chickens have to stay in their pen while Morgan recovers, I worried about the chickens getting too much sun. I remembered there was an old tarp out in the woods covering a pile of leaves. (my idea of composting) I snatched it and used some bungie cords to hook it over the fence to give the girls some shade in the afternoon. The trees shade the pen earlier in the day. This isn't pretty, but it does the job and keeps the hens cool. I don't know how long I can stand to look at this old tarp. I think I will ask Tom to pick up a green one.

See. Happy chickens.

Well, not really, they want out!

I finished painting this back wall and hung the chicken plaque that my brother and sister-in-law gave me when they were here for a visit. I spent today painting the ceiling and another wall in the kitchen. Then I cut sheet rock to finish a doorway. I found a container of multi-purpose joint compound, but it was thin and watery. I'm letting it sit out open tonight and I'm hoping it will thicken up. If not, I'll ask Tom to go pick up some more tomorrow. I need some metal strips too for the corners.

[11 eggs today]

plus one broken egg = 12

I picked it up and it broke.

Smiles

~:>