Friday, February 27, 2009
The Preparation H Story Part I
By popular demand I am retelling this saga.
About a month ago my chicks from the August hatching started to lay. Laverne, a Silver Laced Wyandotte was first. After making a lot of loud squawking she just marched into the coop, hopped in a box, and laid a precious miniature brown egg. I was so excited. The first egg, and she was so smart. She just knew what to do and that was that. Piece of cake.
The next was Gracie, a Brown Leghorn. She was a nut case. She flew up on the framing in the barn and tried to nest on a shelf. I got a ladder, brought her down, and put her in a sanctioned laying box. She seemed settled. I left. She left. We did this three or four times until she won and laid in the barn on the framing.
However, I was ready for her the next day. Hens generate eggs every 25 hours. She laid the first at 10, the second would come at 11. Well she skipped a day. The next day I was ready. She started squawking at about the right time. I ushered her into the coop and a box. She stayed this time and laid her little white egg. All right I thought. Two down. Only 45 more to go. I can do this.
Zsa Zsa, who you have already met, was next followed by Muffy an Easter Egger, Eva, Shirley, Buffy, and Dahlia. No problem. Then came Magda, AKA Thumby. Thumby is short for Thumbelina.
In the beginning Thumby was just like her sisters Zsa Zsa and Eva. But after a couple of weeks she stopped growing. Her feathering was(I'm being kind) meager . I worried about her. She was sweet and spunky and clueless about her size. She fought for and won worms. More than once I saw stampeding chickens bowl her over. She bounced back up, shook it off and rejoined the chase. I love that chicken.
Thumby has grown. She is about 2/3 the size of her sisters. Her feathering is better, but still a little sad especially on her bottom. So now we come to the Preparation H part of the story.
To be continued.
About a month ago my chicks from the August hatching started to lay. Laverne, a Silver Laced Wyandotte was first. After making a lot of loud squawking she just marched into the coop, hopped in a box, and laid a precious miniature brown egg. I was so excited. The first egg, and she was so smart. She just knew what to do and that was that. Piece of cake.
The next was Gracie, a Brown Leghorn. She was a nut case. She flew up on the framing in the barn and tried to nest on a shelf. I got a ladder, brought her down, and put her in a sanctioned laying box. She seemed settled. I left. She left. We did this three or four times until she won and laid in the barn on the framing.
However, I was ready for her the next day. Hens generate eggs every 25 hours. She laid the first at 10, the second would come at 11. Well she skipped a day. The next day I was ready. She started squawking at about the right time. I ushered her into the coop and a box. She stayed this time and laid her little white egg. All right I thought. Two down. Only 45 more to go. I can do this.
Zsa Zsa, who you have already met, was next followed by Muffy an Easter Egger, Eva, Shirley, Buffy, and Dahlia. No problem. Then came Magda, AKA Thumby. Thumby is short for Thumbelina.
In the beginning Thumby was just like her sisters Zsa Zsa and Eva. But after a couple of weeks she stopped growing. Her feathering was(I'm being kind) meager . I worried about her. She was sweet and spunky and clueless about her size. She fought for and won worms. More than once I saw stampeding chickens bowl her over. She bounced back up, shook it off and rejoined the chase. I love that chicken.
Thumby has grown. She is about 2/3 the size of her sisters. Her feathering is better, but still a little sad especially on her bottom. So now we come to the Preparation H part of the story.
To be continued.
Today's weather
Nice and warm. In the 30's. Maybe we'll see 50 today. Fog is thick. When I was in the fields snowshoeing I was in an earthbound cloud.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Jack's visit
I liked collecting the eggs. I put them in a basket. There were 9 eggs. They were in the nesting boxes. They were orange , green, and white. Laverne was still laying. I asked Tina to check under her to see if she had an egg. There was an egg, but it was not warm, so it was not Laverne's.
Then we went all the way down the hill to the small chickens. We found a little brown egg in the corner and I picked it up. There was a soft black chicken named LuLu. I am 6 years old.
Then we went all the way down the hill to the small chickens. We found a little brown egg in the corner and I picked it up. There was a soft black chicken named LuLu. I am 6 years old.
Matilda is no more
My friend Mirjam lost her lovely Black Australorp, Matilda. First Mirjam thought it was a coyote and her cubs, then perhaps a bobcat. But the tracks were quite small so it was probably a fox. She was able to follow their trail and recreate the scene. She found only a few feathers so she guessed dear Matilda's death was quick.
She also lost her roo, Leo that day. Leo had been attacking men, primarily her husband, Dan, and also was de-feathering her hens while he deflowered them. He just left a wake of stress wherever he strutted. After much angst Mirjam agreed that Leo had to go. Dan saw to Leo's end humanely while Mirjam was at work.
These chickens are our friends. We take their deaths hard and are reminded that we are just hobbyists and not farmers.
She also lost her roo, Leo that day. Leo had been attacking men, primarily her husband, Dan, and also was de-feathering her hens while he deflowered them. He just left a wake of stress wherever he strutted. After much angst Mirjam agreed that Leo had to go. Dan saw to Leo's end humanely while Mirjam was at work.
These chickens are our friends. We take their deaths hard and are reminded that we are just hobbyists and not farmers.
Thumby, Lilith, and Stir
While I was setting up the chickens feed and water this morning I saw Thumby making a beeline for stir. If you remember, I put her in there the other day to lay. Well I guess she remembered and liked it better than the nesting boxes. I followed her over and opened the door for her. She walked right in and made herself at home. I should explain that stir is a large dog crate. It has lots of loose fresh hay in it, and a blanket over the top and sides to cut down on drafts and light. It is also far away from the madding crowd, so quite private. After a bit the crate was empty except for Thumby's lovely medium sized pinkish brown egg.
Lilith was up to her usual frantic behavior. She had just flown up on a pile of something in the back of the barn. I knew I could catch her there and I did. She is now in stir with the door closed. We'll see how this works.
Lilith was up to her usual frantic behavior. She had just flown up on a pile of something in the back of the barn. I knew I could catch her there and I did. She is now in stir with the door closed. We'll see how this works.
Today's video
The chicks fascinated Daisy. She was with me for every minute of their care. I let her know that these were her babies. She had to protect them, not eat them. She understood. Now she mingles with them and I think helps keep away predators.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Today's photo
Lulu and Angel are watching the sun go down. Lulu is a Black Silkie Bantam and Angel is a White Frizzle Bantam. The other Bantams are Bullet, Lenny, Squiggy, Gimpy, (roos) and Ginger, Babs, and Big Mama.
weather report
12 degrees this morning. It did not feel that cold. Perhaps it is because the temps are supposed to rise and be in the 30's. That would be great because I clean the coop today. Every few days I wash down the roosts and walls. I've been using a product made by a company called Care Free Enzymes. They have an Egg Wash, Barn Oder and Manure Eater, a Poultry Water Protector that you put in their water, and a Poultry Protector for cleaning. This stuff is great. I scrape off the big hunks and then spray on a solution of the Protector and water and let it sit for a few minutes. Anyone who knows chicken poop, knows how tenacious it is. Well this stuff eats right through it so I can just wipe everything with a damp cloth. If it does get into the 30's everything is a little easier because it won't freeze as soon as I spray it.
The other part of my routine is to turn the bedding. I am using the deep bedding method for the coop and though this is supposed to compost as it goes I find that ammonia fumes do build. So when I toss the bedding I spray on the Oder and Manure eater. 40 chickens make a lot of poop and pee but this takes care of it.
Other chemical products are available for these purposes but I don't want to expose the chickens to them. I am not using antibiotics or vitamins and I feed them Green Mountain Organic Layer Mash. All of the above products use enzymes which are earth and animal friendly and organic. My plan is to keep the coop as clean as possible, give the flock plenty of fresh air and ranging space and supplement their feed with fruit vegetables and yogurt. I don't think you can skimp here. You know, garbage in, garbage out.
The other part of my routine is to turn the bedding. I am using the deep bedding method for the coop and though this is supposed to compost as it goes I find that ammonia fumes do build. So when I toss the bedding I spray on the Oder and Manure eater. 40 chickens make a lot of poop and pee but this takes care of it.
Other chemical products are available for these purposes but I don't want to expose the chickens to them. I am not using antibiotics or vitamins and I feed them Green Mountain Organic Layer Mash. All of the above products use enzymes which are earth and animal friendly and organic. My plan is to keep the coop as clean as possible, give the flock plenty of fresh air and ranging space and supplement their feed with fruit vegetables and yogurt. I don't think you can skimp here. You know, garbage in, garbage out.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Update on Lilith
So I went out after about a half hour and released the Black Star. She ran straight to the coop. When I opened the coop door I found it vacated. I had not latched it so it must have blown open enough for the girls to exit. At that point I decided Lilith was on her own. A few new sitters came in and the Black Star renewed her shenanigans. So back she went to stir.
At that point I left with the dogs, Daisy, Figaro, Mattie, and Grizzly, for an outing on snowshoes. We met Barbara (owner of Bailey's Mills B&B) and went for a loop through the field and down to Faerie Land. It was about 1 1/2 hours by the time we got back.
By then Betty, (I just named her) had laid her egg and went back to the gen pop. After the last egg gathering I had three white eggs for the day. I only have three white egg layers, Gracie, a Brown Leghorn, Dahlia, a Black Minorca, and Lilith, the Ancona, so Lilith must have gone back on her own. Good job girls.
However, Magda, AKA Thumby, was now in distress. She was checking out nooks and shelves, everywhere but the nesting boxes. Into stir she went and a little while later she produced a lovely medium sized almost pink egg. 18 eggs so far. Pretty good haul.
At that point I left with the dogs, Daisy, Figaro, Mattie, and Grizzly, for an outing on snowshoes. We met Barbara (owner of Bailey's Mills B&B) and went for a loop through the field and down to Faerie Land. It was about 1 1/2 hours by the time we got back.
By then Betty, (I just named her) had laid her egg and went back to the gen pop. After the last egg gathering I had three white eggs for the day. I only have three white egg layers, Gracie, a Brown Leghorn, Dahlia, a Black Minorca, and Lilith, the Ancona, so Lilith must have gone back on her own. Good job girls.
However, Magda, AKA Thumby, was now in distress. She was checking out nooks and shelves, everywhere but the nesting boxes. Into stir she went and a little while later she produced a lovely medium sized almost pink egg. 18 eggs so far. Pretty good haul.
Egg laying drama
Lilith, the Ancona, is ready to lay. Her comb is fully developed and very red. She is also making all the loud, agitated, squawking noises that they all make when it is their time. I escorted her to the nesting boxes to make sure that she didn't find some dark corner to lay in. I kept an eye on progress as I turned the bedding. One of the problem Black Star girls came in and started her hogging routine. She cases the joint and then jumps in a box already occupied. If she succeeds in driving out the sitter she moves in for a short while and then repeats her behavior all over again. She drove Lilith out and sppoked her. So I relocated Black Star to the holding pen, or stir, as we call it, put Lilith back in her chosen nest and closed the door to the coop. In a few minutes I'll check on everyone and decide whether or not to open things up again.
Cold morning
15 degrees here this morning. Sunny though. Should be fine for the girls and boys. Will know shortly.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Today's picture
As soon as Steve started working on the new nesting boxes, Zsa Zsa hopped up and oversaw the operation. She was there for the whole time checking dimensions and decor. When Steve finished she watched him install them, then ne
sted in one and laid her first egg.
sted in one and laid her first egg.
Chickens in the snow
Yesterday we got about 12 inches of snow. My husband is out clearing the driveway/ barnyard now. The girls know what snow is, but they are out of their depth here. I watch my husband open the coop door. The chicken jam begins. They get to the threshold, take one look and do a 180. Immediately we have a 40 chicken pile-up. New leaders emerge and give it another look. At the threshold they consider their options, fate, path? Some take the leap of faith and hop into the white abyss. Some decide to fly over the white stuff, overshoot and poof into a snowbank. I need to rescue and relocate these, but by now everyone else has formed a parade and have made it to safety. Just another day at the Best Little Hen House in Vermont.
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