CntryBoy777 - The Lazy A** Acres Adventures

[Devonviolet]

My chickens go in before dark, but there is no way I could convince them to go in before they're ready. We used to herd the ducks in at night, because they wanted to sleep outside. They're pretty easy to herd... We

Interesting! I've always wondered about guinea meat - thanks for the info!

ll unless you have an overexcited dog join the party.

Early on in our foray into free ranging chickens, @Baymule suggested using a stick to herd the chickens. So, DH went out into the woods & cut a 5 foot stick, from a sapling. I call it my "staff".

When it is time to bring the chickens in, I usually get a cup of chicken scratch and go into the chicken yard, to sing my little song : "Chooook, chook, chooook chook chook." that usually works like a charm. The girls just LOVE their chicken scratch! They come running & flying low, to get their fair share of treats.

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Once in a while we get a stray chook or two that isn't finished dust bathing or scaring up grubs. That's where my staff works wonders to convince the girls they want to go home for the night. It is like a 5' extension of my arm. A few taps on the rump sends them scampering for home.

 

[Devonviolet]

I know it takes a Blow to crack the eggs...they can roll off a countertop and ya still have to crack them. They are fine to eat, just a really hard shell.

We never did get any eggs from our guineas. Maybe we ended up with all males.

We do get eggs from our turkey hen. They are about twice as big as a chicken egg, with a huge yolk. The shell is tough. But the membrane is even tougher! And the eggs taste delicious - very similar to chicken eggs.

 

[CntryBoy777]

The duck eggs are the same way harder with a thick membrane, but ooohh so Good!! Especially in baked goods and puddings.

 

[Bruce]

My hens put themselves away at night. Of course with few exceptions they get scratch every evening on my timetable so I can close up the barn so they are well trained (by me or them, doesn't matter).

I've had no luck moving stragglers with a long stick, they run the opposite way I want them to go, including jump flying over the stick. Pretty much they have to be "Hansel and Gretel"ed toward the barn.

 

[Devonviolet]

Interesting . . . back on Sept. 20th, you showed a picture of Callie, on your recliner.

A couple days before Christmas, we "gifted" ourselves with 2 new LazyBoy recliners - exactly like yours. Here is a photo I took just last night of our 2 kitties sharing my chair.

These two boys are the same age, but came to us from different animal shelters.

Porter is the orange long hair & is a Maine Coon Mix. He is about 15 lbs.

Keagan is the buff Domestic Short Hair & weighs in at about 22 lbs. He can put his paws on the kitchen counter, when he wants to eat what we are cooking.

Porter & Keagan have totally different personalities, and for the most part tolerate each other, with an occasional skermish at meal time. Once in a while we end up with a rolling full out battle, with fur flying - literally!!! That's what makes the fact that they were sleeping in the same chair so amazing!!!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Mine have never been Out all day, so they don't know the difference, but the inner pen, being under the building sorta helps. I had to show Joyce how to get them in it without chasing them around the building 10-20 times...

 

[CntryBoy777]

I noticed that too when ya posted the pics of the new chairs and showed it to Joyce. We really like them and Calli does too.... Joyce sleeps in hers, but my circulation has gotten to the point that I can't recline and nap in it any more. I am 6'2" and the foot board hits my calves and cuts the blood flow off in my legs, so I only sit in it occasionally, that is why Calli has claimed it. We refer to it as "Queenie's Thorne".

 

[NH homesteader]

Am I the only one who doesn't herd chickens? Haha mine all go to bed on their own. Of course they're close to the house some I just peek out the window and when they're all in I go shut the door. I have one turkey that sleeps outside a lot. They're in a covered pen so if something big enough to break into the pen gets them, we'll hear it.

 

[Devonviolet]

I am 6'2" and the foot board hits my calves and cuts the blood flow off in my legs,

DH is 6'2" & he ran into the same problem, with pain in his calves. Then he put a sofa pillow behind his back. That pushed his calves further onto the footrest, and problem solved.

I'm with Joyce! I fall asleep so easily in my chair. This one lays much flatter than my old LazyBoy recliner. It is SO comfortable! DH sleeps well, in his chair also.

 

[Devonviolet]

Am I the only one who doesn't herd chickens? Haha mine all go to bed on their own.

If it's later in the day, our girls put themselves to bed without our help. Yesterday, it was still light out, and they all went into the chicken yard in their own. They still got their treat, as incentive to do it again in the future.