Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[Latestarter]

<--- with all due respect, I wouldn't waste my money on a prefab coop with one exception... a full sized, walk in, Amish built coop might be OK. Exactly what Bruce said and the link he provided is right on as well and where I first learned of the Wood's style coop. Dr. Woods developed/perfected it back in the 1920s.

Here's another link to give a journal type presentation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ooodalolly-at-dunrovin-station.67998/

Speaking of coops... for those who wish to see, my 5 new hens:

And here's a recent (like 15 minutes old) pic of the wound on PB&J's side:

 

[greybeard]

You getting much of this? :
(current radar)
It started here about 4am. Heavy rains interrupted by periods of drizzle.
N. Central Texas and Oklahoma look to be getting pretty wet.

 

[Mike CHS]

I'm still surprised there wasn't any infection in a wound that bad. It seems to be drying up well or at least the picture looks like it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, you & Mel are doing a fine job with PB&Js wound.
The hens are lovely ladies!!

Guess we hit a nerve -- or guilt -- with pictures.
Little kick helps....

 

[RollingAcres]

with all due respect, I wouldn't waste my money on a prefab coop with one exception... a full sized, walk in, Amish built coop might be OK. Exactly what Bruce said and the link he provided is right on as well and where I first learned of the Wood's style coop. Dr. Woods developed/perfected it back in the 1920s.

I didn't know before what you meant by the "wood style" coop. Now that I know, you're right, I wouldn't waste money on those prefab one either. The Wood's style coop are WAY better!

Your ladies, I mean hens are very nice looking.

 

[Bruce]

You getting much of this? :

Looks way north of LS.

Joe, I think you need some medicinal leeches for poor PB&J's wound!

Pullets look good, combs still small so probably another month, maybe two.

 

[Latestarter]

I just had time to get the goats their pellets before it started sprinkling here. There are 10 goats in the girl's pen and only one, the meat cross April, is visible. All the rest have crawled under the plywood decking of the floor of their "to be" home. Maybe I don't have to build the whole danged thing after all... But then I'll play hell trying to climb under with them to milk or assist with birthing Guess I'll proceed as planned.

Went out earlier and man was it humid, not too hot but it felt like it was, but no real showers until this set. Have heard thunder all around for past several hours, but the T-storms have missed me. Anyway, I cut them down a gum tree earlier as there isn't a whole lot left for them to eat in the pasture. There's still bermuda grass but they eat that absolutely last. I've been giving them a flake or two of hay every evening after their pellets, but not yet tonight cause of the rain. I'll wait for a break and bring them some. Figure that gives them something to ruminate overnight.

I have decided that I much prefer the mixed hay; alfalfa and orchard grass. There is so much less waste with it. The boys (3) finished their bale of it with just a scattering of debris on the ground around the feeder. They've been working on a pure alfalfa bale now for several days and there's a pile on the ground all around the feeder. I break the flakes up into the girl's pellet bowls/buckets to give it to them and with the mix, there were a few stems left scattered around. With the alfalfa, I have a pile of leaf flake left in the bowls as well as a lot of waste all around them. Not to mention them pushing it all out of the bowls with their noses to get the choicest bits. I have to keep scratching it up and putting it back in their bowls. Yesssss I have to stand there and be a feed monitor to keep Bang, Dot and CB from bullying everyone else away from feed bowls so they can have it all to themselves.

I tried spreading the bowls out outside the fence, so they had to put their heads through to eat. Didn't work out... they'd only let one each head in a bowl and the ones left out would rear back and ram the sides of whatever one had their head through the fence to get them to pull out so they could stick their heads through. Stupid goats! Aside from giving each their own feed station, I'm running out of ideas. Best idea might be to sell the goats and get sheep...

 

[Mini Horses]

Joe, I think you need some medicinal leeches for poor PB&J's wound!

Hmmmm...since I don't see any ooze, looks drying and clean, I'd leave it and watch 2-3X a day before I did much else. No flies, no pus (obvious), no swelling...appears to be healing well. I believe Mel is keeping it cleaned off nicely. Good boy!

The dead tissue will sluff off, it's supposed to. Clean new tissue growing below. Eventually the hair will also grow. Most often it does. If not, it will be light scar tissue to cover. So it is. These things take time but, so far I feel it's looking good.

ETA: we were postng at same time. You could tie them each to their feed bowls. You better do the sides to the shed because I do NOT see you crawling under with any hope of getting out. I had to milk one of my does tonight as her doeling has decided to wean herself. Brat needed relief, so I go a bucket with her milk ration, let her out of the herd pasture and she ran right to the feed (no surprise!) where she stood nicely while I pulled 1/2 gal out. NICE. Took it to the freezer while she finished her feed, then took her back to the pasture & shed. Probably will need to milk other two tomorrow as the kids are slowing milk in favor of more forage. Good girls! May keep Brat going for a couple of months, then dry her off as bred. Haven't gotten to that breeding ritual yet -- soon!

 

[Mike CHS]

Even with sheep you wind up with the bullies hogging the bowls if you use a bowl. Did you see the PVC troughs I use in the shop shelter? They are long enough that several sheep can feed at the same time so they all get some. Might not work with goats though. I have quite a few of them and use enough that they don't get crowded out. There are 13 ewe lambs in there and I use 3 of the 4' troughs.

 

[Latestarter]

Right now I'm using 3 large buckets for the adults and 3 medium buckets for the "kids"... More than adequate room in the lrg for 2-3 to eat simultaneously and not even touch faces if they don't want. 5 adults, so 2 to a bucket and one solo. same with the kids, 5 of them, so 2 to a bucket and one solo. Since PB&J is wounded right now, I tend to try and let her be the solo. Normally Bang and April take one bucket, Dot and CC take one, and CB moves from the single to share with bang and April then moves to the single, and back and forth for those two. Once one bucket is empty (normally bangs w/April) they move over and crowd in with CB. I try to keep those 3 off Dot and CC as they are the slowest eaters and down the herd queen chain... I also keep all the adults away from the kid's bowls so they get their share, I also try to pour the "proper" amount into each bowl, knowing who's gonna go to what bowl.

Have a 1/2 chicken and Au Gratin taters in the oven and the timer is calling to me. Back later!