Chicken Coop News

It has been busy lately. The young chicken with the neurological disorder had to be put down, as she could not stand up and was clearly suffering. We are told it might have been from a mosquito bite. Sometimes young ones can't take the toxin. We will never know. Anyway, thanks to Frank for taking care of it for the coop in a merciful way. The teenagers have tripled in size in just the last week it seems. Baby rooster is looking more and more suspicious, but he is friendly, and will probably play a protective role for awhile. We are now talking about letting him grow up and prove his gender before giving him up. We won't name him or get attached, as he/she might have to go to chicken retirement along with some of the bigger, problem hens in August. The two brooders get fatter and limper every day. They feel like jelly when picked up. But we have been carrying them outside everyday, several times a day, and putting them on the ground with the others. They will take a small dust bath, drink some water, act grumpy with the other hens, even run around a bit, and return shortly to their chosen nest boxes. The white one will move to different boxes to brood eggs laid there. It does not seem that either of them is laying anymore, just babysitting.

We have also been told that the feather picking and bald areas are a result of mites or lice, and that we need to dust the pens and chickens, then put on this blue stuff that tastes nasty so they will stop eating their own feathers. So we have purchased these things, and I am putting the dust in the pens and dust bathing areas. It will take two people to dust the rear areas of each hen (we are told around the vent is important) and then spray the blue-kote on the bare spots. I hate to use chemicals, but the girls are looking pretty ratty and some are quite raw. Anyone wanting the experience of playing vet this week is welcome. The stuff is on the counter. It isn't supposed to get in the nest boxes or the food and water, even though it is supposed to be relatively non-toxic stuff made from plant material.

We will be gone for four days. The girls will go nuts if they don't get outside for that long, so hopefully someone will come spent some time here in the late afternoon or evening and let them out. The big girls can take care of themselves for a few hours outside, if you put the outside water can in the shade for them, and leave the side door open so they can easily get food and water and dump their eggs inside. I did find one egg out by the compost bin today, because I had let them out too early. The rule has been ten eggs before release. They are getting good about putting themselves away when they hear the hawk or are warned by the crows and chickadees. If they are too far out, they will hide under the pine trees and spruces. When it is time to go in as far as you are concerned, it is possible to lure them with two plastic containers of scratch. Usually they will follow you in (most of them) and you can close the door while you are in the pen, but able to let in the stragglers as they arrive. We do sometimes have to chase one or two down. Boots on a leash works well also. I usually put them away just before I think Wendy & Matt might want to let Boots run when they get home from work, or at about 8 if they are working late. Then I let the little girls out about half hour before it starts to get dark. They don't go very far and will put themselves away. In fact they are easier to corral than the big ones sometimes. In both cases, do the count. Some do hide. Big ones: Buff-5, barred rock-4, black-2, white-1, Wyandotte-2, reds-3, red & white- 1, araucanas- 3. For the little ones: 3 reds, 3 barred rocks, 3 wyandottes. And don't try to let them all out at once yet. I tried that and a big one immediately attacked one of the little guys.

The gardens are really doing well and we hate to leave them. Everything is planted, some seeds just put in, so everything needs lots of water this week. Be generous with the water as everything is getting off to a good start or is brand new. Jennie's radishes are beautiful. We had to pull ours up as they were planted too deep. We started over. Wendy has some great looking chard. Frank & Jennie are going to have a three sisters garden that will be amazing. Ours was started later and the beans and squash just went in today. The whole thing will be an amazing jungle before long. Lots of inter-planting going on. We have put beets and carrots everywhere, determined to get a crop this year. The potato beetles are on all the potato plants, in all four places, so we are patroling regularly. The eggs are bright orange and can just be scraped off the underside of the leaf and crushed. The little beetles are kind of cute, orange and black with little spiked sides. The adults are yellow and black striped. All of these can be easily gathered in your hand in a bunch and carried right to the big hens. Throw them into the pen and they will gobble them right up.

We will not be feeding birds for awhile, as the bear visited Wendy & Matt and our house last night and tore up the feeders. A reminder to make sure that the garden gate is always closed. We have friends who found a bear sitting on their strawberry patch two days ago. The row cover over ours and the fence seem to be protecting them a bit and we have actually gotten a few strawberries. Feel free to peak under the cover for ripe berries this week. If they haven't been eaten by slugs, they can go in the fridge. The other two row covers can stay on the mellons and cucumbers, as finally no one is eating them as they emerge now. Water goes through the cover.

That's it from farmer Peggy