Illinois...

[ChicagoClucker]

My CCL's are getting so big and beautiful. Can't wait for eggs.

 

[Faraday40]

That's a very handsome roo! How did you keep his comb frostbite free through those many below zero nights?

My poor Lav Orpington lost the tips. Still has pointed comb, but not as sharp & tall.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

That's a very handsome roo! How did you keep his comb frostbite free through those many below zero nights?

My poor Lav Orpington lost the tips. Still has pointed comb, but not as sharp & tall.

Oh no, poor guy. Too be honest, I didn't do anything. The garage coop with the deep litter has done a wonderful job. Isn't he handsome though! My buff Orpington has a major crush on him. She just followed him around all day.

 

[jerseyridgearts]

Hello all. I'm back after a several year absence due to illness. Miss having a flock so much. Am seriously thinking of starting over this spring even though family objects. Love that chicken cam - is that a phone only app?

Catherine

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Hello all. I'm back after a several year absence due to illness. Miss having a flock so much. Am seriously thinking of starting over this spring even though family objects. Love that chicken cam - is that a phone only app?

Catherine

Welcome back, I am fairly new. I think if you miss having your flock, you should do what makes you happy.

We could also use those new baby monitors that are out? I was telling my husband about the coop cam and he said why not use the new baby monitors that has pic and sound.. If I can come across a used one, I will set one up for sure.

 

[jerseyridgearts]

Baby monitor - great idea CC.

I got a new dog while I was recovering - a sweet, loyal, smart, energetic Jack Russell Terrier mix named Sophie. Am wondering if I'd be able to train her to leave the hens alone - she herds the barn cats but they can put her in her place if she gets too aggressive. Well, chicken fever will continue as long as we have this nasty weather - a skating rink to the barn today.

Catherine

 

[Faraday40]

I certainly like the idea of a chicken cam, but definitely want one where the volume can be turned off. (There are a few reasons why we chose to insulate our coop. LOL)

We did put a motion sensor light on the garage - aimed toward the coop. It turns on when I go back to do the nightly head count. It should also turn on when a predator approaches. It only works when approaching from the north, so I plan to add a solar one for the south.

• jerseyridgearts

& I agree that you should find a hobby that you enjoy. Perhaps you can make it work by getting fewer birds or a smaller breed. For years I wanted a pet bird, but DH can not stand the constant noise. I chose marrying him over the possibility of getting a parrot. Having kids helped him learn to cope with noise, but housing my pet birds (in this case chickens) outside, makes it work for both of us. DH does not share my love for poultry, but he really enjoys the eggs. He claims to merely tolerate my chickens, but I caught him feeding kitchen scraps to the hens and talking to them.

(He still tries to deny it. LOL)

 

[jerseyridgearts]

Our husbands must be related Faraday 40 - mine says there's a reason poultry is called 'fowl/foul'. He has bad memories of summer chicken processing days on his family's farm....traumatized, lol.

I've tons of 'hobbies' and have a challenging garden plan for this year as well. And job retirement is likely in the near future so I'm thinking how hard can a few chicks be? Remind me I said that next Winter when it's a blizzard and I need to tie a rope to my waist to get to the barn

Catherine

 

[Faraday40]

Baby monitor - great idea CC.

I got a new dog while I was recovering - a sweet, loyal, smart, energetic Jack Russell Terrier mix named Sophie. Am wondering if I'd be able to train her to leave the hens alone - she herds the barn cats but they can put her in her place if she gets too aggressive. Well, chicken fever will continue as long as we have this nasty weather - a skating rink to the barn today.

Catherine

I got my chickens long after my dogs were grown. My energetic boxer/pit bull/+ ? mix loves to chase squirrels & eat bunnies. My Black Lab/ Great Dane mix has an egg obsession. What worked for me was teaching them the "leave it" command. Basically start by holding a treat (or toy) inside your fist, say "leave it" & don't let her take it. When she stops trying, say "good girl," and give her a treat with the other hand, open palm, saying "take." When she learns that, throw a treat (or toy) on the ground & say, "leave it" If she goes for it, stop her with the leash. (or step on it) to prevent her from getting it. Likewise, once she learns to not take the treat, pick it up & offer her a different reward. This can be done with toys or other things she may want.

My dogs will now race to grab something dropped to the floor & when I say "leave it" they stop. When we hatched the chicks the dogs were very interested but never had direct contact. The first time we had the dogs & chickens in the yard together, all I seemed to say was "leave it" x1000. (After all something running through the yard must be chased!) For months, I never allowed unsupervised interaction, but slowly they accepted each other. The dogs work as predator deterrents, but they do not actually protect the chickens. An unexpected result was that my chickens learned how to chase rabbits & squirrels.

Results, of course, will vary. Some dog breeds are tougher to train if their instincts tell them to chase. Some chickens will have no problem teaching dogs to keep their distance.

 

[Faraday40]

Our husbands must be related Faraday 40 - mine says there's a reason poultry is called 'fowl/foul'. He has bad memories of summer chicken processing days on his family's farm....traumatized, lol.

I've tons of 'hobbies' and have a challenging garden plan for this year as well. And job retirement is likely in the near future so I'm thinking how hard can a few chicks be? Remind me I said that next Winter when it's a blizzard and I need to tie a rope to my waist to get to the barn

Catherine

Mine says, "Nature is too messy." He's a true computer geek & prefers indoor activities. Opposites attract! Thankfully, he's very tolerant of all my many experiments & hobbies. I'm a sci teacher & often have dozens of little projects going on. Several are living - like when I bred Chinese Praying Mantises, raised Monarch butterflies, tadpoles, mealworms, crickets, (to feed all my reptiles in the lab), etc.