Category: chickens

Watermelon rings are scary

On By CarynIn chickens
Watermelon ring… enrichment?

So I really thought that hanging a ring of watermelon rind would be great fun for the chicks. Nope. Apparently it is a great scary thing.

At first the chicks were in a different run (I haven’t made the doors yet, although the poultry wire is now up). I put the watermelon ring up, but all the chicks stared at it from the other run. Then I helped one a little, she grabbed a piece, started it swinging, and scared everyone off. I missed getting video of another having a try and leaping three feet in the air when it moved.

Here is a video of a chick walking up on the poultry wire to avoid the ring. I don’t know why she didn’t cross to the other side. The paths chickens take have long been a quandary.

They figured it out.

The chicks eventually figured out how to deal with the swinging ring, because a couple hours later the watermelon was cleaned out!

Insulated waterer

On By CarynIn chickens

I had a great find at the feed store today! An insulated chicken waterer!

So I can put ice in the waterer and hopefully have cool water for the chicks for a little longer as we dive into our summer heat. Of course they have to figure out how to use the water nipples…

Hanging it up

On By CarynIn chickens

Not in the quitting way, but hanging things up in the coop.

Solo cup grit dish

I add chick grit to their feed, but I still have one chick (I think just one) that has runny droppings, so I cut off the bottom of a solo cup, punched two holes, and hung it up on the divider to provide more access to grit. The cup is red and the grit is reddish, so I hope the chicks that need it will start getting more grit.

Hanging treat dispenser

I drilled two holes and hung up the treat dispenser that is supposed to roll. We’ll see if they can pick out the meal worms because rolling was not working.

Real feather lost

The chicks are getting so big. I found a real feather on the ground today, and while they can still crawl under the brooders, not many fit under there any more.

Getting so big! And fluffy because it is cold

One cuddle chick

On By CarynIn chickens

I have one chick that actually seems to enjoy staying on my lap. Cloud is usually the first one up and the last off.

Cloud testing the finger perch

She really enjoys the mealworms (yup, bribery), but then stays even when the treats are gone.

Cloud cuddling in the crook of my arm

She attempted being a shoulder chicken, then another chick tried to join her and the result was chaos.

Still growing

On By CarynIn chickens

We weighed and re-banded the chicks today. We weighed them first and moved them out to have some outside time. They are all growing nicely!

Chick growth chart

After having some chill time outside, and a bunch of grass, we worked on rebanding. (I tried to take a picture, but they are so wiggly!) They all needed new bands, some more than others, but I feel better that they all have nice loose bands now. Another plus about their five toes, that fifth toe does a great job holding up the cable tie.

While they were outside, I also cleaned out their inside area. I’m pretty sure half the litter was old food. Messy things. Good thing they are cute.