Keep 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 rooster fashion! Nonetheless counting in weeks although, like all 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 begin? 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 in all our Copper Marans. All of us seen final week that her comb and waddle appeared to instantly 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 rooster to pay lease.
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The women alternate days of “rooster responsibility,” which implies checking their meals and water and looking out over every rooster to verify everybody seems good. Issues simply bought much more thrilling now that they will add “seek for eggs” to the duty listing.
Final week I did a giant 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 forestall bubble foot.
Within the run, we raked it nicely then added rooster sand. It’s implausible! It has no odor and no mud and since the effective uniform dimension of the sand, which is extra like a small grain gravel, it’s straightforward to wash up/sift. I’ve extra baggage on the way in which so as to add to it; massive fan.
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I take pleasure in having the chickens as a lot, if no more, than I anticipated I’d. They’re pretty low upkeep to take care of and regardless 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 believe it’s humorous that they every have their very own character quirks, and I discover it so enjoyable 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 have been out free ranging and we solely realized they’d been locked out when David went to test 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 must ask for him to explain who was lacking; I knew it needed to be Heyhey. I wasn’t panicked, understanding 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 hearth details now that solely rooster folks will probably care about, however I’m hoping it’s useful for the rooster curious.
- Hemp within the coop is one of the best. There isn’t a odor, it’s excessive absorbent, low mud, and good insulation.
- Grandpa’s Feeder is well worth the upfront worth as a result of we waste no feed. The chickens merely stand on the platform after they wish to eat, get their fill, and go away the remaining nicely contained and guarded.
- They love kitchen scraps. Final night time I put my broccoli stems by means of the shredder they usually devoured the broccoli stem “salad” with tiny bits of the ends of bread. Different favorites embody parsley, cucumber, apples, and grubblies.
- I added two extra cement blocks below their water container to elevate it up a bit of larger. The nipple water system is nice! It retains the water so clear. We fill it up each few days. It has a inbuilt heating aspect that retains water from freezing, so I’ll need to look into how one can plug that in quickly.
If I missed something, ask away! I’ve been grateful for extra skilled rooster homeowners sharing their suggestions (and humorous tales) with me as I study with my very own mini flock. What a enjoyable journey!
