Keep in mind after I used to do these updates for being pregnant and infants? And now I’m right here giving the nitty gritty, however rooster model! 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 start out? I really know precisely the place to start: with the BIG NEWS….
WE GOT OUR FIRST EGG!!!
At 22 (nearly 23 weeks), yesterday Hailey discovered the FIRST EGG! A magnificence. Barely small, brown with some speckling. It was in the fitting 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 abruptly be a lot bigger and brighter purple, 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 hire.
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The ladies alternate days of “rooster responsibility,” which implies checking their meals and water and looking out over every rooster to ensure everybody seems to be good. Issues simply bought much more thrilling now that they will add “seek for eggs” to the duty record.
Final week I did a giant coop clear out. David helped with the large luggage 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 within 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 snug and forestall bubble foot.
Within the run, we raked it effectively then added rooster 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 simple to wash up/sift. I’ve extra luggage 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’d. They’re pretty low upkeep to look after and regardless that I’ve been warned not to take action, I really like them like little pets. I really like how they arrive working after 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 examine 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, understanding Heyhey is Ms. Unbiased, and certain sufficient he positioned her perched on a nesting field cuddles up herself. Humorous chickens.
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OK, fast hearth information now that solely rooster folks will almost definitely care about, however I’m hoping it’s useful for the rooster curious.
- Hemp within the coop is the most effective. There isn’t any odor, it’s excessive absorbent, low mud, and good insulation.
- Grandpa’s Feeder is well worth the upfront value 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 remainder effectively contained and guarded.
- They love kitchen scraps. Final evening I put my broccoli stems by way of the shredder and so they 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 carry it up a bit of increased. 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 ingredient that retains water from freezing, so I’ll need to look into tips on how to plug that in quickly.
If I missed something, ask away! I’ve been grateful for extra skilled rooster homeowners sharing their ideas (and humorous tales) with me as I study with my very own mini flock. What a enjoyable journey!
