Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Catching up



It's all about the chooks lately. They seem happy and healthy, but all seem determined to go broody. That means they stop laying eggs, take up residence in the nest boxes and stop going outside and acting like chooks should. Times that by 4 or 5, and we have ALL the nest boxes taken up with broody hens, which causes the non-broody girls upset when they want to lay, and they let everyone in the neighbourhood know about it!

It's all about broody management right now. So we've made a small "sin-bin".



It may not look like much, but it'll be "home" to these two girls for the next few days. There are no comforts, just food and water and shelter from the rain. It's sad, but it's better than them staying broody forever and not eating, loosing condition and generally not enjoying life. In a day or two, these girls will be happy chooks once again. Then we'll put another two broody girls in there. We have no shortage!

I meant to take a picture of the chicks, but I left it a little late today, and the flash on the camera is a little too scary. Next time!

Also, last time I mentioned the new bedroom door, and now here's the picture.



We still need to put the door handle in, fix the walls, add skirting boards, architraves, etc.. lots of work left to do!

Until next time!

7 comments:

  1. Nice door! Its certainly coming along, isn't it?!

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  2. The door is gorgeous! I bet you have good wreckers yards where you are!!
    You have such a pretty flock. That is a great design for the broody box. I might have to have a go and make one...

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  3. Looking great on all fronts - great broody sinbin you have there!

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  4. Thanks everyone! :)
    The door came all the way from Ballarat. They have some fantastic salvage places there. It only cost $20, but there's the fuel too..
    The sin-bin is working really well. It's easy to put the chooks into (being waist height) and the food they scrape out goes to the chooks underneath who eat it up with gusto. (It must be especially good food that falls from the sky!)

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  5. Maybe a wooden slat floor for the sinbin? The wire is a tad hard on the feet/claws.

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  6. Yes, wood would have been a more comfortable option, but I didn't go that way because wood is harder to keep clean and pest free. The cleaning factor was high on our list of priorities when it comes to "curing" broody hens, as their mess is shocking!

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