fuzzi's "Gardens and Chickens...and Goats? Oh My!" Journal and More Thread

[fuzzi]

So...

...next Saturday (June 14th) DS & I are planning to drive to Kentucky, to visit with DD, DSIL, and both granddaughters. I wanted to make chicken sitting as easy as possible for our DF (Dear Friend). Knowing that the door on the second coop was dragging a little I went outside to "fix the turnbuckle".

What finally "fixed" it was reversing the mount, putting the low end on the handle side of the door. Excellent!

But then I noticed something...a GAP at the top of the door! The blasted warped lumber had warped more as it dried.

Snake sized opening?


Solution:

Hardware cloth strip on the inside of the door frame, bent horizontal, then vertical.

But wait, there's more!

Another strip of HWC attached to the top of the door, overlapping the door frame when the door is closed.

From below:

I think it might just work.

Oh, and I found an old hook & eye for the inside.

Then I raked the entire coop, but didn't find any snake. I used a metal square to slide in tight corners, nuttin.

And Naomi still has all 6 eggs in the box.

 

[fuzzi]

Addendum...

..."Just where do you think you're going?"

 

[SageHill]

WOW!! You've been busy! WTG

 

[fuzzi]

WOW!! You've been busy! WTG

Thanks. I just want to keep my flocks safe (AND get eggs).

 

[Baymule]

Good thing you found that gap before you left!

 

[fuzzi]

Good thing you found that gap before you left!

Exactly. I just meant to tighten the door...

I'm planning on checking for eggs every hour today, or as close as possible.

 

[fuzzi]

9:45am

The one on the left is the plastic egg...


I'm overheated from mowing, cooling down inside right now, but will check again in about an hour.

 

[fuzzi]

Once the dew on the "grass" dried I was just going to mow the ditch, but after getting it done I started mowing the slope from the ditch side.

And I kept going...

I found my azaleas!

The maple sapling in the middle will be tackled later.

Left side is what the right side looked like before I mowed. The vines* and weeds covered the slope all the way up to the lawn (green) line. I did the top 3' last week.

One step at a time.

*honeysuckle and trumpet vines

 

[fuzzi]

The plot thickens. I put an old egg in the wheelbarrow to replace the egg I collected as I wanted to see if there still was a snake in the coop.

Two hours later...

It's an egg eater? It's not a snake?


I switched feeds a few weeks ago, based upon a glowing recommendation, from an 18% protein chick starter/grower to a 16% protein layer. The flocks have been less than enthused. Are they hungry?

I opened my spare bag of the 18% and threw a couple handfuls on the ground, they ate it up. Naomi was on her nest but ate some of the starter from my hand.

Maybe I should open up a can of tuna or something and see the reaction...

 

[SageHill]

I had an egg eater earlier this year. I couldn't nail down who it was. I added calcium (crushed and processed egg shells) - DS and DDIL gave me a kitchen composter that I toss scraps and egg shells into - supposed to turn it into dirt - but looks more like a dry food meal. That's what I've tossed into the chickens. Gave them a bunch of stuff to hop on, play with --- based on what I've seen in your coops) and deep deep bedded the nest boxes with shavings. So far so good.