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 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 So, 22 weeks outdated it’s.
The place to begin? I really 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 precise location, too- the nesting field! We’re 90% certain who it got here from: Rascal, certainly one of our Copper Marans. All of us observed final week that her comb and waddle appeared to instantly 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 large snuggles for the primary rooster to pay hire.
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22 Week Outdated Hen Replace
The ladies alternate days of “rooster responsibility,” which implies checking their meals and water and looking out over every rooster to verify everybody appears good. Issues simply acquired 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 massive 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 change 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 rooster sand. It’s incredible! It has no odor and no mud and since the high quality uniform dimension 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; large 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 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 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 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 that they had been locked out when David went to test on them after sunset. He referred to 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 cuddling up herself. Humorous chickens.
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OK, fast fireplace info now that solely rooster folks will more than likely 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 any odor, it’s excessive absorbent, low mud, and good insulation.
- Grandpa’s Feeder is definitely worth the upfront worth as a result of we waste no feed. The chickens merely stand on the platform once they need to eat, get their fill, and go away the remaining properly contained and guarded.
- They love kitchen scraps. Final night time 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 embrace parsley, cucumber, apples, and grubblies.
- I added two extra cement blocks beneath their water container to raise 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 ingredient that retains water from freezing, so I’ll need to look into 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!
