Author: Caryn

Modified scale

On By CarynIn chickens
Modified kitchen scale for weighing chickens

I replaced the glass top of my scale with a short piece of 1×4 to make it easier to weigh the chickens. We were using a small piece of rubber shelf liner on the glass, which was functional, but still hard for the hens to stand on, then the glass popped off, so I needed a different solution. So I routed a circle in the middle of the board to fit the screw knob and glued the screw knob to the board. It is much easier for the chickens to stand on this to get their weight for health checks! They are still restless, though, so weights have a definite error factor.

Chicken weight chart

Speaking of health checks, since I fixed the scale, we were able to finally do the monthly health check. Magic and Pooh’s weights are down, but Cloud and Navi’s weight is up. Navi’s pendulous crop is back, but doesn’t seem to bother her. There were many dirty bums, so I think I need to cut back on scratch and treats. The weather is honestly too warm for scratch anyway. We treated some foot injuries and are keeping an eye on them. Everyone is walking Ok, for Faverolle waddles. They are really cute when they run, though.

Grass spiders

On By CarynIn Wildlife

On foggy warm days it is easier to see the funnel webs of the American grass spider. The saucer sized webs dot our woods and meadows. The internet tells me their webs are not sticky. I tried spinning some garden spider web, but it stuck to my fingers. Maybe I will find an unoccupied bit of grass spider web and try that. But with much caution because the internet also tells me their bites hurt. In the meantime I will just admire their little spooky blankets.

I still have a lap chicken!

On By CarynIn chickens
Two lap chickens

I was a little afraid after the summer when it was too hot for laps, and after the holidays when life was hectic, that I wouldn’t have anymore lap chickens, but I do! Magic is my girl, and if I sit down she will hop up and make herself comfortable. Some of the other hens will hop up and look for treats, but Magic settles in for a snooze. Ah.

Sleepy lap chicken (squee! Shhhh….)

One year anniversary

On By CarynIn Uncategorized
Paper Anniversary graphic by CarynsCreations.com

Happy Anniversary to me! One year ago today I published my first blog post! This is my 367th post. (I had a couple days where I doubled, oops.)

I really enjoy blogging, and I’m pleased that I’ve kept to my subject. (Or rather, I’m glad I picked a subject broad enough to cover enough material!) It has helped that WordPress lets me schedule posts, so on days where I have five ideas it makes up for the several days that I have none. And in case you were wondering, I post in the wee hours of the morning Central Time because scheduling is my friend and internet traffic bogging everything down during prime times is not.

Thank you to those that have been with me the whole year, and welcome to those who started reading part way through. Thank you to those who have contacted me, I appreciate your thoughts!

Here is to another year! Prost!

First shell-less egg

On By CarynIn eggs
Shell-less egg headed for the dump pile

I found a shell-less egg under the roosts. It was quite disturbing: soft yet crackly. A little like the eggs where the shell has been dissolved in vinegar, but not rubbery. It was partially broken open in the shavings, but thank goodness it didn’t look like the hens had sampled it, just that it fell from the roost with no shell. There was an intact egg near it, so I think something was particularly stressful that day. I scooped it up with the manure rake and disposed of it. The internet and my books tell me that the occasional shell-less egg is not a concern. Ok.