Category: Coop

Hose repair

On By CarynIn Coop, Life Hack

The brass manifold I use to route water to the coop and raised bed garden started to leak. I went to unscrew a hose from the manifold and part of the manifold broke loose, lodged inside the hose. It is not the first time this has happened. The hose on the top of the manifold was also corroded and frozen in tight.

Photo description: garden hose with the end ruined by a broken off manifold junction.

This time I ordered new hose ends, solid brass with a metal band clamp. I cut off the offending ends of hose with kitchen shears so I could replace the connectors.

Photo description: heavy duty garden hose cut off above the manifold, since it wouldn’t unscrew.

Pressing the connector against the fence post helped me wedge it into the cutoff hose. The female end was a little tricky with the loose ring, but attaching the male end made it stable enough to use the same technique. It really helps if you remember to put the band clamp on before attaching the new connector. Spoken from experience. I also used silicone tape in the threads this time.

Photo description: new brass manifold with repaired hose connectors.

The whole procedure was relatively painless and quick. It was definitely better than replacing the whole hose. I even replaced both ends on the hose in the chicken coop, that never did connect well.

Photo description: new hose connectors on the hose in the coop.

Flashback: chicken bench

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, Craft

The fold down benches that I installed in the chicken coop are still high on my recommended list. I used 2x4s, heavy duty hinges, two lengths of chain with lockable links, screw eyes, and a hook and eye to keep it in the upright position. It folds up so the chickens can’t poop on the surface, but is easy to fold down. It makes a great work bench for filling water, and is fantastic when I need to sit when I’m not feeling well but still need to tend the chickens.

Photo description: Fold down bench held up with chain, with an empty large poultry waterer and two chickens looking for grubblies underneath.

Ice blocks

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop

After our hard freeze a bit ago, I decided to empty out and refill the hanging chicken water when the temperatures rose back above 40. The chickens do have access to unfrozen water in a heated dog dish, but I’m glad I dumped out the ice blocks that had formed in the chambers.

Photo description: 5 quart chicken water container open with the block of ice next to it on the ground of the run.
Photo description: block of ice from the 3.5 gallon poultry waterer.
Photo description: block of ice from the 3.5 gallon poultry waterer 5 days later.

Even though our temperatures were above freezing the week after, it still took over five days for the big block of ice to melt.

Change

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop

I have a hen, Seashell, sleeping in the nest box at night. Historically when this happens I take the hen off the nest and put her back on the roost with her sisters, which helps break the broody cycle, but this hen isn’t broody. There are no eggs in the nest, and haven’t been since September. They won’t start laying again until February, if they follow the same pattern as the previous three years. She started this behavior after we lost the last chicken, so I’m wondering if the hen that passed was her buddy and she would rather sleep alone than with the flock. Or the other hen offered her protection that is absent with the rest. The flock is quite clicky.

Photo description: Night vision photo of four nest boxes built in under a work bench, with curtains pulled aside, the back of a hen visible in the top right box. Pine shavings cover the floor, and there is a inverted wine bottle with dispenser for grit.

I have another hen sleeping off the roost, but that is Magic, who has periodic leg issues that impede her jumping up to the roost. She sleeps on her pedestal of pine in the left corner of the coop.

Photo description: Night vision photo of the inside of our coop, with three hens on the roost, one in the corner, and one in the nest boxes.

Slow ideas

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, Life Hack

Each summer I put up a sunscreen in the coop runs to keep the afternoon sun off the feeder and the side of the coop. Each winter I take it down so the sun can warm the coop. Both operations are a pain, wrestling with the large triangle of fabric. Until this year, when one of those slow ideas finally bubbled to the surface and I thought to just roll up the sunscreen. It took a few moments to secure the roll, but should only take a few moments again in the summer to deploy the screen.

Photo description: View inside the chicken runs, under an awning, with a roll of fabric stretched across the upright posts.

I do believe that there are many ways to accomplish any task, and find it interesting how often the thought “why didn’t I think of that earlier” happens.