Bear in mind once I used to do these updates for being pregnant and infants? And now I’m right here giving the nitty gritty, however hen fashion! Nonetheless counting in weeks although, like every new mother. At what level will I start to say 5 1/2 months? Who’s to know. So, 22 weeks previous it’s.
The place to start out? I truly know precisely the place to start: with the BIG NEWS….
WE GOT OUR FIRST EGG!!!
At 22 (virtually 23 weeks), yesterday Hailey discovered the FIRST EGG! A magnificence. Barely small, brown with some speckling. It was in the suitable location, too- the nesting field! We’re 90% certain who it got here from: Rascal, one among our Copper Marans. All of us seen final week that her comb and waddle appeared to all of the sudden be a lot bigger and brighter crimson, an indication that eggs are coming quickly.
It was a really egg-citing second that concerned some squeals, some leaping up and down, and a few massive snuggles for the primary hen to pay lease.
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The ladies alternate days of “hen obligation,” which implies checking their meals and water and looking out over every hen to ensure everybody appears good. Issues simply received much more thrilling now that they will add “seek for eggs” to the duty checklist.
Final week I did an enormous coop clear out. David helped with the large baggage of sand and hemp. I swept out all of the older hemp that was soiled and wheeled it into the woods to compost. I wiped down all of the surfaces within the inside the coop with scorching water. I added new hemp bedding. We’re going to swap out their 2×2 roosting bars with 2×3 within the subsequent week or two, and attempt to wrap them in a jute rope to make it extra comfy and stop bubble foot.
Within the run, we raked it properly then added hen sand. It’s improbable! It has no odor and no mud and since the superb uniform measurement of the sand, which is extra like a small grain gravel, it’s straightforward to scrub up/sift. I’ve extra baggage on the way in which so as to add to it; massive fan.
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I get pleasure from having the chickens as a lot, if no more, than I anticipated I might. They’re pretty low upkeep to take care of and despite the fact that I’ve been warned not to take action, I really like them like little pets. I really like how they arrive operating once I stroll on the market saying heyyyy chickiessss, I feel it’s humorous that they every have their very own character quirks, and I discover it so stress-free to allow them to out within the late afternoon and watch the scratch and peck the bottom, all staying collectively like a pack.
Final week, the door to their run blew shut whereas they had been out free ranging and we solely realized that they had been locked out when David went to verify on them after sunset. He known as me saying he discovered most of them cuddled collectively on the again stairs, as shut as they might get to their coop (aww), however he was lacking one. I didn’t even have to ask for him to explain who was lacking; I knew it needed to be Heyhey. I wasn’t panicked, realizing Heyhey is Ms. Impartial, and certain sufficient he situated her perched on a nesting field cuddles up herself. Humorous chickens.
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OK, fast fireplace information now that solely hen individuals will most definitely care about, however I’m hoping it’s useful for the hen curious.
- Hemp within the coop is the most effective. There isn’t a odor, it’s excessive absorbent, low mud, and good insulation.
- Grandpa’s Feeder is definitely worth the upfront value as a result of we waste no feed. The chickens merely stand on the platform once they wish to eat, get their fill, and go away the remainder properly contained and guarded.
- They love kitchen scraps. Final evening I put my broccoli stems by means of the shredder and so they devoured the broccoli stem “salad” with tiny bits of the ends of bread. Different favorites embrace parsley, cucumber, apples, and grubblies.
- I added two extra cement blocks beneath their water container to elevate it up a bit larger. The nipple water system is nice! It retains the water so clear. We fill it up each few days. It has a in-built heating component that retains water from freezing, so I’ll must look into easy methods to plug that in quickly.
If I missed something, ask away! I’ve been grateful for extra skilled hen homeowners sharing their suggestions (and humorous tales) with me as I be taught with my very own mini flock. What a enjoyable journey!
