Category: chickens

Three days

On By CarynIn chickens

We recently went on a three-day trip, and set the chickens up so they could be on their own while we were gone. Well, I noticed the day before we left that they had not been accessing their food in their feeder. Not sure if the cold metal was too much for their feet, or if there was something else going on with the feeder, I set up a supplement hanging feeder for while we were gone. I layered grubblies (since they usually get some daily when I go out), scratch (since it was going to be cold), and their usual organic chicken feed.

Hanging feeder layered with their usual variety

The hens had nearly emptied the hanging feeder after three days.

Hanging feeder after three days

You may notice in the picture above that not only are the detested seeds from the scratch on the ground (see yesterday’s post), but so is a significant amount of pelleted food. Hm. I think my hens have been surviving on dried grubs and cracked corn, enough so that they prefer not to access their regular feed. Busted.

Leftovers

On By CarynIn chickens
Chickens going after scratch grains
The grain left by the chickens

I give my hens scratch grains in the winter to help them maintain body heat, since the whole grains are harder to digest. The chickens love the mix, except for one kind. I’m not sure if the offending seed is oats or barley (or both since they look similar), but they certainly don’t care for them. Maybe they will sprout in the spring?

Rainy day treats

On By CarynIn chickens

We’ve been having some rain. We need the moisture, but because it is November, it is a cold rain. Rather than scattering the scratch out in the muddy runs, the hens get their treats under the overhang.

Hens enjoying scratch

I sliced a pumpkin in half and filled it with strawberry tops, but they were more interested in the scratch and dried fly grubs. They’ll get to the veggies later. Much like children.

RIP Cloud

On By CarynIn chickens

Not a high spot of my chicken tending career. I usually check the chickens on the camera before bed. I apparently did not last night. Cloud did not make it back into the coop. She missed getting in the coop before the door closed, then chose to settle on the food bin (metal and stone) about 6pm and passed away when the temperatures were around 32 degrees in the wee hours of the morning. I found her when I did my morning check, and then I checked the camera footage. I don’t know why she chose the feed bin step to huddle, maybe something else was going on and it wouldn’t have mattered if she were inside or out. But if I had looked at the camera at my usual time, or she had chosen a roost on the side of the coop where the wind wasn’t so intense, the outcome might have been different. Darn it. Cameras are definitely a mixed blessing in this situation. Good that I can check without going out, bad that I can review footage on something that was preventable.

Cloud the hen “perched” in front of the food bin, caught outside in freezing weather

The other 8 hens are doing fine. I have one that wobbles, but has now for months with no other ill effects, and I’m not sure how Magic keeps hanging on, but she does. The other six look hale. They are over three years old, which is old for a production chicken (because they cull them when egg production slows), but still young for Faverolles that typically live 5-7 years (and mine are hatchery quality, so have questionable breeding). I started with 12, lost one to pendulous crop or sour crop, one was egg bound, and one to an inhaled wheat seed. They teeter the edge between livestock and pets.

If you made it this far in the post, thank you. Writing this was more a catharsis for me in reaction to an accidental death of an animal in my care than my usual critter or craft posts.