Using Tools & My Girls!

I actually used some tools today, and like it! I replaced the screens over the roof vents in the coop - they collected too much dust, so I tore them out and replaced them with rat wire. There were round plastic circles on the ends of the nails, it made the screen hold better, the nails didn't come back through the wire and it's held tight.

The container planting for the girls didn't work well for long. I cut two 2x4x10's in half and am making a 5ft square and covering it with rat wire. I'll put the square in the chicken run, throw seed under it to grow - the sun will still shine through and it won't matter if the girls walk on it. When the grass gets high enough I'll move the square to a new spot in the run, repeat.

Here is the new vent cover.

This message was edited Jun 6, 2010 3:34 PM

I cleaned the coop today, scooped out all the old bedding, washed the floor, put the fan on it until dry, sprayed Adams Flea spray all over, washed the feeder & waterer, refilled with a couple bales of pine bedding. The girls were NOT impressed when I locked them out in the run while I cleaned. They had fun digging and rolling through the new bedding.

Here are some pics of my sweet girls today. I just love my PeepPeep girls!

more girls

.

.Some of the EE'ers have beautiful munchy cheeks

Fluffing in the new bedding.

The Roo, Frank, and his favorite girl, Vivian the Silkie.

This is Godiva, she's such a pretty color and so sweet!

Nancy - she thinks I'm the Mommy Chicken LOL

I took a lot of pics today, last one!

I love to look at others pictures nice looking birds

Thank you! I too love to see pics of other people's chickens. Going out to feed or play with them is such a stress buster.

excellent pic's Annie, I love those EE's, I call em the Munchkens...LOL. So proud your using tools and finding your a very capable lady. Keep up the good work...Hay

Thanks, Hay! It was fun. I'm thinking a power screw driver is in my future LOL

I built a new coop using a sawzall and I so want one of my own... And a power drill... Girls and Power Tools ROCK... Nice job on the the coop..

I think girls rock even without power tools...LOL...Hay

Wow, it's addictive, I've been looking at tools on line LOL. I want to build a "broody coop" that's just a little bit bigger than a rabbit hutch. I'm dreaming of my next trip to Lowes!

Hi Annie... I really like your pictures. I hope to have some chickens pretty soon. What do you do about 'your girls' if you have to leave town / vacation..??.. That's one of my considerations.

Thanks...
Jann

Thanks, Jannz2! Chickens are so fun, I hope you get some soon.

I'll have to hire a chicken sitter if my mom is unable to come take care of them. We also have 4 cats and two dogs. The dogs usually go with us, but the cats, well, they hate to travel and aren't as social as the dogs. We always have to hire a sitter for the cats.
I wonder how much it would cost to hire a chicken sitter who will check on them at least a dozen times a day like I do, talk & sing to them & give them treats? Hmmm...

Hi Annie: I just finished building a new brooder on wheels. I wanted to be able to pull it out and open it up on sunny days, and put it in the garage of cold or rainny days. I'll post a couple pic's of it tomorrow. I really enjoy building things and trying to come up with creative ideas. This one is so simple and I can give you the dimensions if you'd like...Hay

Thanks Hay, I'd love the dimensions and any other tips you can share. The wheels sound great too!!

Hay, I have Billy's training wheels that I want to use on a chicken tractor but am not sure how to connect them so I can move them up when the tractor is stationary... Any suggestions?

oh how I miss being able to do thing for myself. I love power tools.

Yes, power tools are the great equalizers. Men have muscles, women have power tools.

Hi Annie! here are the pic's that I promised you. The first one is with the lid closed and with the tin roof, When the roof is closed there is a light inside. When the night time comes it can be left on for warmth or turned off for better sleep conditions.

Pic # 2 is what it looks like inside with the lid open, I forgot but did you notice the wheels in the first pic? There are four rear wheels for easy pulling in the grass or dirt. It has large caster wheels on the front to pivot on. I can pull it by hand or with my quad, or lawnmower.

Pic #3 shows it with the solid lid up for fresh air and light, note the second lid is of hardware cloth to protect the birds, and keep predators out, and the birds in. Hope this helps. The dimensions are seventy seven inches long x twenty eight inches wide x twenty four inches deep. I built the whole thing in about four hours. Tomorrow I will build the lights into the solid top lid for heat and light to see by when it is cold...Hay P.S. any questions or help I can provide is always there for the asking...

Hi Miss Jester: I'm not sure why the wheel have to be up when its stationary. Maybe if you could explain a little more in detail just what your wanting to accomplish I could help...and then maybe I'd just be in the way...LOL Hay.

I think MsJester was thinking more along the lines of what we have; it's an aluminum chicken tractor and the wheels do retract so that it sits flush on the ground to keep the chicks safe from predators, since the bottom is open for grazing. With Hay's, though, the bottom is enclosed, so the wheels don't have to move.

Here's a link to one idea I had for my [future] chickens:

Portable Chicken Mini-coop Plan --> http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/2007-04-01/Portable-Chicken-Mini-coop-Plan.aspx

Hay, that would be perfect!! Your chickes look so snug and safe in there. Love that a light goes on when the lid is down too. You thought of everything. I'm printing off the pictures (is that allowed?). It looks like something I could manage, soon. I need more practice, I ruined a perfectly good 2x4 today.

The way you have the wheels is much better than what I had imagined too. Great job and thanks for sharing it!

Annie

Really nifty brooder! A couple of questions: Is it made of 5/8ths" plywood? And about how much does it weigh?

Hay, you really have it going on, and such a carpenter too! Congrats.

I want to be able to move it around, and yes put it on the ground to keep predators out of it while it sits on the ground. My thinking is that I can move it to the garden after I harvest set it down and let them have fun...

Porkpal, your sharp!!! Yes it is 5/8's plywood and because I use 2x2's it weighs about equal to about 21/2 sheets of plywood. Weight consideration was why the length was cut down from eight feet to seventy seven inches length. It will house four full grown hens, or twenty five new babies nicely for six weeks. In my case it will house five full size seramas, a rooster and four hens on a permanent basis. It will be outside permanently until the weather gets really cold then it will be rolled into the garage. when its decent they have a ten foot by forty foot run to play in. Hay

Thanks LFJ, no great carpenter here, I have home depot cut everything, I just design and assemble...LOL...Hay


Miss Jester how many chickens are you wanting to put in your tractor and do you have a design already? Not sure I can help but I can try if I know what your thinking is...LOL I need to get inside your head...LOL Hay. What I notice is that everytime I do a project and it's completed, Oh SHUCKS I forgot, this n this n this. Now What...LOL...Hay.

Hay, glad you said how many chickens your brooder could hold and the weight too. That's so perfect for the broody box I want to build. Two hens could comfortably sit in there and have room for their chicks too.


Miter saw, need one. Good thing there is no such thing as truly ruining a board, it can always be used for something. Next on the list is an outside perch so the girls don't have to stand on the ground when it's wet. Tools, I love them!

Annie i love my miter saw !!! but hate hammering nails :(

Oh geeze I need more than a miter saw LOL! Way too much water runs through the chicken run -- it comes from the top of the hill, then under the coop and into the run. A french drain on top by the retaining wall is needed more. Have a guy coming to look at it this week, it'll be major digging I think. A wet chicken run seems like a good way for all kinds of germs.
How's the chickie incubating going??

chick''s are good.
eggs are good
mama hen is good
i hope the guy can fix your water fall . That sounds like a lot of mud too