The Broody Bunch

I always like to start with the bad news.  That way I have the good news to lift me up at the end.

Bad News:

Whilli called a couple of days ago to let me know that a fox had gotten into the chickens.  She lost 3 and I lost 2.  My original 6 girls are safe but I lost one of the Barred Plymouth Rocks and one of the Easter Eggers.  Initially, she thought I’d lost both Easter Eggers which really upset me because I was really looking forward to seeing what color eggs they would lay.  They should begin laying very soon.  But I still have one of them.  I’ve lost a total of 4 chickens of the 8 that I brought home in the spring.

Good News:

I bought a chicken coop yesterday and it will be delivered on Saturday.  A couple of months ago Whilli purchased a small building/shed to sell her wares out of at the end of her driveway.  Knowing the difficulty that I’ve been having in locating a chicken coop, she called around to find out who had built her building.  She came up with a name and phone number and then called the man to see what his rates were.

He called me immediately after talking to Whilli to let me know that he had an 8×8 building available right now.  It was originally built as a playhouse (no surprise) but had good ventilation and would make a fine chicken coop.  What’s more is that I could purchase the coop, have it delivered and leveled all for the same price as ordering the coop from Ohio.  But now I won’t have to build it myself, or level it myself.  This man, Lufkin Toys, even asked if I needed any modifications made.  The only thing I asked for was a chicken door in the front.   He’s going to add the door before delivery!

I’m very excited to have such a nice building for my chickens.  As soon as GH and I can get the fencing in, my chickens are coming home!

My chicks are really growing up now!  Their combs and wattles are starting to be more prominent. They’re shedding out young feathers and growing new ones like crazy!  And I’ve watched their faces go from pink to pinker to bright red.

Chickens definitely have a unique look.  Handsomely dressed in crisp, soft feathers, strutting on two strong legs, conspicuously decorated with eye-catching wattles and crowned with a bright red comb, chickens certainly have a proud physique.  It seems strange that this commanding presence with her sharp beak and beady red eyes will melt like butter when I pick her up and stroke her back.  With a soft purring sound she closes her eyes and will even let the other chickens eat all the food while she enjoys her aptly deserved pampering.  Oh yes, a girl after my own heart! 

Ahhh… home at last.  We had a great week at the camp grounds!  The weather was perfect!  Lots of sun, warm temperatures, and not on rain drop!  I’m tired but can’t quit now.  We run full speed into four kid’s church services in three days!

Willhi and my helpful, Christian neighbor (HCN) checked on my chickens through the week.  Apparently, the chickens drank a lot of water and ate very little food.  When it’s hot like it was this week, it’s normal that they would drink a lot.  It’s also not surprising that they didn’t eat a lot of food, knowing their attitude toward the pellets.

When I went to the coop, all the chickens came running to see me.  Dolly and Faith both made their way onto my lap.  I grabbed up a handful of chicken food for them.   Normally, with the mash, they would nearly tear my hand apart eating up all the food I offered them.  But the blank stare I received in response to my handful of pellets was comical!

I felt a little guilty now that my chicks were looking for a treat and all I had was pellets.  It was like telling the kids I’d bring home a treat for them only to hand them broccoli.  They will eat broccoli but it’s not a treat.

So I went to my kitchen to put together a platter for the chickens.  I found some leftover mashed potatoes, I added some shredded carrots and crumbled corn flakes over the top.

The chicks weren’t sure what to think about the platter when I put it in the run.  But it didn’t take long for the to taste and see that it was good!  

We made it home!  Albeit a mite later than planned.  We pulled in just before midnight last night. 

I went to check on the chickens right away.  They were all roosting on the shelf.  I counted them and all seven were there.  I didn’t see any immediate signs of distress or pecking, which can occur if food isn’t readily available.

The waterer was knocked over and one of the feeders had been kicked over and half buried.  There was still some feed in the large feeder that GH helped me make.

I righted everything and filled all the feeders.  The chickens all came down off the roost and ate greedily.

I closed up the coop like usual.  I’m thankful that everything turned out okay and everyone came through the weekend safe and sound!

P.S.  We had a great time on Sheffield Island with the family!  The sun was shining and the whole weekend was full of fun!

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We’re leaving later today for a long weekend in Connecticut!  We’re planning on being back home in time for Sunday evening service at church.  I’m leaving the chickens home alone…

The weather report says that it’s supposed to rain here all weekend.  That’s actually good because I won’t have to worry about the chickens getting too hot.

I didn’t have time to make the new feeder and waterer that I wanted so I had to improvise.  GH cut three holes around the top of a large plastic container.  I filled it with chicken food and put the cover on it.  Then I turned it upside down on an inverted burner cover.  The food spilled out nicely!  I figure that even if they bill out all the food, they can just scratch for it.

The current waterer is big enough to hold enough water for three days but it often gets knocked over or filled with shavings.  So as a precaution, I’ve filled a large tub with water and put it in the run.  It’s too heavy to get knocked over and with all the rain, it shouldn’t ever be empty!

That brings me to my biggest concern.  I’m going to have to leave their run open.  We’ve never had any signs of predators but there’s a first for everything.  I did tighten the fencing on the front door with the staple gun so that it’s not just tacked up with nails.

There’s not much more I can do for them now.  But I’m a believer in faith and prayer.  I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve prayed for their safety here at home as well as our safety on the road!

Today I bought some Grower crumble to mix with the chick starter mash.  I think I’m a bit late in changing their feed but they seem to be healthy.

I’m going to start gathering materials to make my chickens a new feeder and waterer.  They’ve really outgrown the feeders that I bought when they were chicks.  Plus, I’m going away for a week in August and I need to find a way to keep them fed.  I haven’t found a baby sitter yet.

Other modifications need to be made to the coop soon.  That includes removing the shelf, moving up the roost, making windows, and adding nesting boxes.  My girls are growing up, and I can’t believe how quickly!

I wasn’t really attacked by a chicken but she did draw blood.  I was a bit late this morning opening up the coop for the chickens.  I expected them to be up and scratching at the feeders already.  When I opened the front door of the coop, two chicks flew down from the shelf where they had been roosting and right out the front door by my feet!

I was able to guide one of them back into the coop immediately but the other chicken got by me.

I turned to grab her but she jumped and squawked and I ended up with just tail feathers!  I jumped again and she fluttered and again I only grabbed her tail.  I held fast while trying to get a better hold of the squawking, flapping chicken!  I finally managed to toss her back into the coop but not unscathed. 

I have a scratch on my finger and wrist that bled from chicken feet and I scraped my shin on who-knows-what.

The coop was in an uproar!  I quickly checked the food and water and opened the hatch.  Then I turned my back and walked away to go lick my wounds.

P.S. I also had a wonderful time at the ladies’ ice cream social last night.  Rose’s flower garden was a beautiful setting.  By the way, does anyone bring hostess gifts anymore?  I always try to bring something for the hostess to thank her for all her hard work, but I was the only one out of 12 women.  Am I old fashioned or just a goody-goody?

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I’m not exactly mechanically inclined but I am creative.  And my chickens’ health is important to me.  So when I checked on my chicks yesterday afternoon and found them listless and panting, I knew something had to be done right then!

Chickens can suffer from heat exhaustion.  Especially the dark breeds like my Rhode Island Reds.  To cool off, the chickens will stand with their wings drooped down and held away from their bodies so the air can circulate.  If that doesn’t do the job then they will open their mouths and pant like a dog.  If that doesn’t do enough to help them, they will faint from the heat.  If you find a chicken in this state, you may be able to revive it with a cool bath.

I knew that if my chickens were panting that the heat could become dangerous quickly.

I gathered a piece of leftover fencing and nails from the garage.  I opened one door of the coop and tacked the fencing to the inside of the door frame.  The fencing didn’t quite reach the ground.  I found a scrap of T1-11 and tacked the bottom of the fencing to that.  When the opposite door is closed, it overlaps the fencing.  Then I hung a clip fan on the shelf to try to keep the air moving.

It’s not exactly secure but the chickens haven’t tried to test it.  I still close all of the doors at night to keep predators out.  At least my chicks are much cooler during day now. 

No baked chickens today!

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Yesterday afternoon I was able to go see Willhi.  I brought Leann with me because Willhi wanted to check her over.  It turns out that Leann choked on a slug.

There was nothing that could be done.  And nothing that I can do.  How do I keep my chickens from being gluttons and trying to swallow slugs that are too big for them?  Willhi assured me that I can’t.  I’m concerned.

We are overrun with slugs.  We have had so much rain and there is no end in sight.  Even at the moments when it’s not raining, it is cloudy and foggy.  There is no sun or heat to drive the slugs back into the earth.  You can’t take one step without squishing two or three slugs.

The chickens knew that Leann was missing last night.  I sat in the coop for a long time with them.  Dolly flew into my lap immediately and cuddled into my arm.  She hasn’t done that in a while.  Patsy walked around and around the coop, calling and calling.  Faith kept eyeing me and finally flew into my lap with Dolly.  Faith is so timid that she never lets me even pick her up.  She still wouldn’t let me pat her, but she wanted to be in my lap.

Maybe they missed Leann.  Maybe they were comforting me.  Maybe I’ll never know.  But I miss Leann and I was comforted.

Today is a sad day.  Leann is no longer with us.  She died this morning.

There was no warning.  There was no sign of illness.  This morning I went out to open the hatch into the run as I do every morning.  Everyone ran outside while I checked their water and food.  I picked up Reba because she’s always at my feet and loves to be patted and cuddled.  Then a commotion out in the run caught my eye.  Leann had fallen down and was stretching out her neck with her beak open wide.  It almost looked like she was choking.  Then she convulsed and flipped over on her back.  She was gone just like that.  I took her out of the pen right away so the other chickens wouldn’t molest her.

The kids are mildly sad.  They understand death and want to bury Leann in the backyard.  I think I’m having a harder time with it because I take care of the chickens.  Did I do something wrong?  Could I have prevented this?  Is there a threat to the other chickens?

I’ve already emptied the coop of old shavings and put down fresh, clean shavings.  I cleaned the waterer and re-filled it.  I went into the run and found some things that the chickens had unearthed that could be harmful if it was ingested.  I removed them and will be checking frequently.

Death leaves a dark, morose feeling that lingers in the atmosphere like the rain clouds that we’ve had to deal with for two weeks now.  The seven day forecast is more rain.  I knew that fatalities were a real possibility when I got my chicks.  I’ll have to accept it and move on.  It would just be easier if I had some sunshine.