Apparently the poop catcher under the roost is also scary. I noticed that the chickens had stopped even playing on the roost, so I took out the poop catcher, changed out the wobbly branch and put the 2×3 back in. The chickens appreciate the change.
I’ll try to put it back once they start actually sleeping up there. They still huddle in the corner together now.
We did health checks with weight, vent and feet check, and band size check. The chicks are still putting on weight, which is good. Magic is the largest at 753g (1.66 lbs). They are over 8 weeks old, so we have also introduced scratch grains. We are staying on chick feed, though. One of the local suppliers of the organic grower feed has some on back order, so we are waiting for that. A bit frustrating to have the labels say chick feed to 8 weeks, and layer feed for over 16 weeks, but the feed for 8-16 weeks is no where to be found.
Uh, hello. My iNaturalist app tells me that this might be a variety of bark scorpion that was crawling across my back porch. It was on its way to being a former bark scorpion; I’m pretty sure it was suffering from the effects of the spray the exterminator put down around the house last week (not around the coop, just the house). It did not have to suffer long. Out in the meadow, under a nice rock is a good place for scorpions. On my back porch is not.
Aren’t these pretty? The app PlantSnap identifies these as Scarlet gilia. Here is an interesting article on the Scarlet Gilia, which is native to the western US. I’ve spread native wild flower seeds, but this one wasn’t in the mix. Bonus flower!
The hummingbirds love them, which I love, because I am terrible about remembering to change hummingbird food every three days, and after reading that the black mold kills hummingbirds, I don’t even bother making sugar water anymore. I plant flowers the hummingbirds like instead. Win win.
We ordered some Scarlet gilia seed too, since this plant is doing well. We are all about planting native species that don’t need lots of specialty care and attention!
I stuck a threaded hook in the stem of a cabbage and hung it up for the chickens. They were not impressed. Interested, but they can’t seem to get enough enthusiasm to eat it.
The apple I hung up a couple days ago was devoured. But not right away. We’ll see what happens with the cabbage.
Critters and Craft 