Category: Coop

Spiders in the coop

On By CarynIn Coop, Wildlife
Night picture from coop camera

An industrious spider built a web in front of the coop camera. Although it looks vertical in the picture, the actual web was horizontal, stretched from under the camera to the cable tie end shown in the picture. Unfortunately, when I rotated the camera, the web broke. I generally leave spiders alone in the coop. They provide valuable insect control, especially of the flying type, without toxic chemicals (unless you count the spider bite). The successful arachnids are in the upper part of the coop, since chickens are keen on devouring spiders. Extra protein. A few times a year I do sweep out the old webs that are full of dust to make room for new webs.

Winterizing

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, Garden

We had a freeze coming in so I set about winterizing outside the house in 40 degree rain. It is a little different setting up for cold temperatures in Texas than up north, but there are still things that need doing. (I would take 32 degrees over forty and raining any day, though. Yuck.)

I cleaned and filled all the chicken water (three hanging, one heated) and put away the foot baths. I closed up the extra vents in the coop to prevent drafts (there are still eave vents to allow air circulation). I drained all the water hoses and put winter caps on all the outdoor faucets. I took the batteries out of the automatic waterers and stored them away in the garage. I harvested all the basil and covered the tank garden (which still has non-producing squash vines).

Stock garden before basil harvest

I washed the basil and picked through it for the nice leaves. The remainder went out to the chickens, who appreciated that I threaded it through the chicken wire in the covered run so they could pull leaves off, and did not hang it out in the rain.

Chickens tucking into basil secured to poultry wire
After the freeze, the remaining basil is starting to brown. The squash vines bloomed.

Probable cause

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, eggs

We have continued to get eggs, way past when the hens stopped laying last year. I think I know why. We have kept the people door open to let the breeze through the coop because it was so blazing hot this summer. The door leads out into the chicken run, which is completely encased in welded wire, which makes it fairly secure against large predators. When we let the dogs out in the morning, we turn on the back porch light, which happens to shine into the runs. This gives the hens enough light to feel comfortable getting off the roost, so they are up and about earlier than last year. Extra light also encourages egg laying. Ah. They finished their molt, had enough light, and a couple have gone back into laying mode. I could close up the door, but they really do like coming out as soon as they can, and they are safe in their enclosure from twilight predators. As it gets colder, I will close the people door to keep in the heat and keep out drafts, but I may keep the chicken door open.

Gathered eggs, open coop door

“Helping”

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop

We renewed the salad bars in the chicken’s run by moving the frames, adding new seed (wheat, mung beans, and alfalfa), and topping off with potting soil. The hens “help” by cleaning up the seed that doesn’t make it down through the welded wire. They think it is great fun.

Chickens trying to eat the wheat grass seed

They also really enjoy scratching through the old, now exposed, salad bar areas.

I spy in the coop…

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop

We have a pan cam working in the coop again! So I could see a hen get off the roost at 4:30am and blindly make her way over the nest boxes, hop up, and settle in. She isn’t broody, as when the sun was up she was off the nest and out into the runs. I guess when she has to lay, she has to lay.

4:30am in the coop

I reinforced the back screen door with hardware cloth so I could leave it open at night in the summer heat. It helps the cooler night air circulate. Now the camera should be able to see if there are predators peeking in too.