Buddies at play!

Hey everybody I'm back been a busy, busy time. What's going on? I haven't been ignoring the backyard just been ignoring my blog! I am sitting outside in the sunshine on an 80° day watching two dogs play.
A week or so ago I was bored so I built a chicken gymnasium out of some scrap wood I found. I added some old DVDs for some sparkle and something to peck at. I even added a ladder. They don't seem to like it as much as I would hope. Here are some pictures of it anyway.

Spring Time Clean Up & Tilling

Hello again. Boy it has been a while since I last posted. I am so busy working I forget to post. Besides it has been winter and not a lot going on in the PNW.

I got a new camera. It is a CONTOUR ROAM. It comes with a bunch of way to use it. I was out today cleaning up the yard before it rained and so I strapped it on my head. You can see a bit of my head. Sorry but I am still learning. I thought I would upload a video of the chicken working my garden for me. I am not happy with the video quality on the upload. I am not sure what happened. The image is very good on the computer. I will have to work on getting a better upload??? Can anyone help me understand what I did wrong?

When I first started last week, that bed was covered in weeds and grass. I fenced it off with some very cheap bird netting and some stakes. The girls now roam around and peck and dig all day. Look how clean it is getting. Work smarter not harder I always say!

Winter sun equals chicken fun!

Hey all - nice to have you back and reading. Yes it is winter here in the PNW but yesterday we got some sun. I let the girls out and was feeding them some leftover buns from a dinner. They love to peck and eat just about anything. But what they love the most is to be let out and roam around in the sun! They are so funny the way they lay out and sunbath some too. I got a couple of pics and thought that you might think they are funny.

You will note that part of the run is covered with some very light weight plastic netting. That is because the run is on a bit of a down hill slope and they kept running and jumping over the fence. So for about $3.50 I fixed them by covering the run. No more break outs! 

Here they are looking at the new mole hill in their pen. I feel sorry for the mole as they will catch it! I just tossed them some leftover rolls. A favorite in the coop.

Here is Bonnie. She is so pretty but kinda dumb. I could make a blond joke here but I will not.

Here is a great picture of Joan. She is my noise maker and talker. She is always complaining about something. This is a great picture don't you think?

A good idea.....FAIL!

The motion camera!!!

Hi everyone. Yes I know that the few of you that read this will be glad to know I am back. It has been a long summer for many reasons. And as you all know, when you are busy, some things fall to the way side. My blog was one of them. Sorry about that for you and for me. I missed sharing a few thing.

So in light of that thought, I thought it would be funny to tell you about a FAIL to and idea.Many people in the world love to follow others in hopes that they mess up and are then forced to admit it -  I know that this makes many feel better about themselves. Well here is one of those times for me. I thought I had a great idea and it so far has totally backfired.

I was very certain that if I put up a trail sensor triggered camera, I would see what is visiting the coop day and night. I have seen possums, raccoons, squirrels, mice etc at random times.Would it not be great to have some proof photos to answer many questions as to what goes on in my absents? With that in mind, I researched the web, looking for a camera that was cheap but rated high to get started. I did not want to spend too much in case it did not work out. I reviewed for weeks the merits of certain models, actions shots, photos etc. I read hundreds of reviews. This action was the smartest and most successful  part of the plan. The rest was not so good.

As you will see below, my camera works very well. However, the only images it has managed to capture is ME going out to check on the coop. BTW, I carefully selected the photos. Some of the pictures were so unflattering I have now vowed to never eat again. It is a diet for me.

So have and look and be the judge. It was a FAIL in my book but funny.

 

 This is the first shot I retrieved. It is me checking that the camera is working. Well it is.

Here is me again a few days later, going out to check on the girls. Yes I am a fan of the band "Chicken Foot". Great band and great hat.

Here is me the next day again, on the way back from checking the girls. Ho hum....

This is the picture I got about 1003 times. It is of the coop and garden with absolutely nothing happening. What is triggering the camera?? I think it is the branch movement.

Oups - I managed to capture 2 of the girls looking out wondering where I was. I am sure they are awaiting a snack.

Updates from Chicken Scott

For this update I will cover -

Broody hen success  - chicken feeding good/bad - chicken treats you bake at home and save $$$$$ - last tidbits. 

Hi everyone! Our summer is really going fast. I have been so busy and have not had much time to blog. Isn't it the way it works, when you have time, it is winter and nothing much is going on. SUMMER time= so busy that you cant even take pictures or update the blog.

Oh well, now that I have ranted a bit - on with some updates.

The broody chicken, Bonnie - I am happy to report that we broke the brood. I did not have time (see above) to build a small "jail" pen or coop to hold her in. So I did the next best thing, I put her in the side "chicken yard" which is all gravel and no comfort. She like to peck around in the gravel but did not like sitting on it very much. The idea I got from my reading is that you have to remove the warmth and comfort of sitting on eggs. If you give no nest, no bedding for a few days, they stop brooding. Some folks plunge the chicken  in cold water and others add a fan to blow on the bottom of the chicken while in the cage coop.I just had to remove her from the nest as often as I could and stuck with it. She would flare up, peck,get very mad and even growl a bit.  I would don thick leather work gloves and she could not hurt me. Not that the brooding is over, she is just the same shy, sweet little hen. She has even started laying eggs again. 

Bonnie (this is a stock photo) but she looks just like this......

Do Not Feed Info - So I have had a lot of questions on feeding chicken. Everyone has their opinions but I stick to what I have read over and over. I have looked at many different sites on this subject. I also have read lots of bolgs and discussion boards on this subject. I complied a small list with the DO NOT FEED -

Raw green potato peels -- Toxic substance called Solanine.
Anything real salty -- Can cause salt poisoning in small bodies such as chickens.
Citrus
Dried or undercooked Beans --- Raw, or dry beans, contain a poison called hemaglutin which is toxic to birds.
Avocado Skin and Pit --Skin and pit have low levels of toxicity.
Raw eggs -- You don't want to introduce your chickens to the tastiness of eggs which may be waiting to be collected in the nest boxes.
Candy, Chocolate, Sugar --Their teeth will rot... No, it's just bad for their systems, and chocolate can be poisonous to most pets.
Moldy or rotten veggies and fruit - If it is bad - compost it - don't feed to your hens.

If you want a big list of the "good snacks" send me a email and I will send you the doc. It is the "A - Z on treats.


Treats to make & bake -

The other day I decided to make some treats I had read about on some blogs. My girls deserve the best, right?  Most treats you buy are costly and I wanted something easy and cheap. I was mixing up the batch and my dad called. I answered the "hey what are you doing" question by telling him I was baking chicken snacks. He sort of stuttered, what the ???? It was funny.

Ingredients -

3 cups finely ground corn (their scratch)
1 1/2 cup wild bird seed - or their feed or a mix of anything - black sunflower seeds, bird feed, some cracked corn etc. I use up what I got. Some people add dried fruit too (apples, berries).
1 cup of oatmeal

Add enough water to moisten the mixture, but not make it soupy - someone also said to add an egg -good for binding the product. Hey it works for cakes and cookies, why not for this?

Mix up well in a bowl and pack firmly into a greased shallow baking dish (form a round or square cookie - or put in paper muffin cups (not full about half full) **** Note - one guy made a hole in the center by inserting a piece of foil (in a small ball or tube. The idea is to have a hole in the center of the treat to be able to hang it up. If you try and put a hole in later, you could break the "cookie"

Baked at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours until the edges were brown - low and slow on the temp and time.

Remove and let cool completely before serving. I keep the extras in a zip lock bag in fridge to keep fresh for a long time.  Be sure to mark the bag - Do Not Eat - Chicken treats ONLY!!!! I do not think my kids would eat them much after one bite.


Let me how it turns out for you and how your hens like it. I would be interested any and all changes and varieties.

Best to you - ChickenScott

Broody Hen Trouble

So I noticed my "bonnie girl" was not getting out of the nest. Next day, same situation. Broody hens sit on the nest and refuse to get up. They got it in there head that they are sitting on eggs to hatch them. They will not eat or drink. I have read up and there is a few things to do to "break" them.
When I tried to pick her up off the nest and she puffed up, pecked and even growled some. Real mean for sure. I read one cure is to dunk them in cold water which is supposed to shock them and cool them off. I am not to keen on that method. Another method is to put them in a cage with food, water and no bedding material. The idea is to "cool" them off. Some folks even put a fan on them to cool them off. I guess their body temperature is higher during this time. Some people say that after a couple of days they snap out of the trance they go into.

Here she is all settled down and not moving.

Look how she puffs up and is giving me the mean eye.

I had to wear gloves because she was pecking me so hard. I took her out and put her in the outside pen. Gave her food and water. She had not eaten I bet for a few days. It is a cooler day and there is a light mist of rain. That should help to cool her down and hopefully break this broody attitude.

Waiting our turn in the nest

Everyone thinks chickens are stupid and have no feelings. Well I found this scene this weekend. Joan is sitting in the nest and Bonnie is waiting her turn. In comes Annie and she talks to them for a bit - it  is a sort of cooing sound. All three interact and just softly cluck during the egg laying is in session. It was a site to see. All being quiet, patient with each other and in total cooperation. The coop does have a rhythm.

 Joan in the nest, Bonnie on the right waiting her turn.

Annie arrives to see what is going on in the coop.

Annie has come to lend some encouragement.

Dirt Bath's for all!

I have a gravel area around the shed. The girls like to scratch around in it. Today it was sunny and the girls decided that it was bath time. I crept around the shed and found them. They had torn up the weed block so they can get to the dirt. How did they did so deep so fast?

It is just us here having a dirt bath in the cool soil!

We are working on the tunnel under the fence soon!

The girls love to dig in the sunshine

Some new pictures of the girls in the garden. They love to dig in the garden and have the warm sun on their backs.

Joan.....

Bonnie girl....

Annie.....

Treasure from the coop - the best thing to come home to is a nest of fresh eggs.

After they have completed their work for the day,  the girls like to have a rest and a dirt bath in the garden. This a fun activity to watch.

So for those of you that always wanted to know, here is a useful "chicken part chart'.... yes there is a difference between the Ear Lobes and Wattles.... I can email it to you if you ask.

Hey everyone. I am getting the hang of this blogging thing. I have changed the look of the site and welcome your input too. How am I doing?
I thought you might like the site below. This site helped me determine what breed to chicken I wanted. My personal preferences were that they had to be easy to keep, well adaptable to confinement or free range; calm and docile. I did not want to many challenges right away. There is also many good links and information to use. Let me know what you think. 


http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

My first post to introduce the girls in the coop.

 

Here are the 2 new girls with there new coop mate! They are already tilling my garden for the new year. Bonnie and Joan meet Annie.

Bonnie and Joan