Cold snap update

Just a quick post to say that the girls left two eggs in the box today that were frozen solid by the time I got there. A good effort, all things considered.

For those of you who will be on duty on days when it never gets above freezing, try to head over there around 12:00 or 1:00 to give them a midday sip of water -- the stuff freezes so fast that they don't have time to drink much of it.

Also -- as the temperatures rise and the snow melts -- we may have to replace much of the hay that is on the ground because it is going to get pretty soggy. Keep an eye out for that issue and contact Sara if you decide to take out the old hay and put in some new.

The chickens survived the night!

Call me a lily-livered chicken lover if you will, but I was damn worried about our girls, what with the weather folks called for -6 overnight and all. Even had a few bad dreams about getting to the coop in the morning and hearing an eerie quiet and, well, you can fill in the rest. But when Paul and I approached the coop this morning, we heard the same old chatter coming from inside that uninsulated wooden box. The eight of them rushed the door as soon as I opened it, hopped onto the ground and started pecking away at the cous cous and scratch that we had set out for them. So I guess what I'm saying is: All is well.

Cold Snap Logistics

Hi, everyone -- The girls were very happy and frisky this morning -- and they produced two eggs by noon! Things seem to be going well, but I'm very worried about how they will fare when the cold snap comes tomorrow. I don't know who cares for the chickens on Thursdays, but I hope you are reading the blog, because here is the scoop: I plan to cover the floor of the coop with hay this evening (the part where previously we had said no hay) to provide some extra insulation. I also plan to make sure the nesting boxes are full of hay and cozy.

I emailed Wynn, and here is her advice:

Hi - You'll need to be sure that the hens get water shortly after the sun comes up - and plenty of food.....also take a little hen scratch and sprinkle it on the floor of the coop in the morning, to rev up their engines and make sure they eat so they warm up. Then come by the coop again around 2 or so and give them some new water, as the morning water will be frozen again right away. Also, be sure your enclosed roosting area has a good four inches of straw on the floor. Try not to worry. I hope your holiday has been lovely too. Good news about the eggs, it is amazing what happens when the days start getting just a little longer. Everyone is reporting more egg activity. W.

So there you have it. Lots of food. Lots of hay. And warm water several times a day.

Sending warm thoughts, I am --

Amy

eggs, eggs, eggs!

We found 3 eggs this afternoon!! Just a head's up that one of them had a crack at the end...not sure if I wasn't as gentle as I should have been or if someone is pecking? Happy New Year!

-Susan

Where or where has the oyster bowl gone?

Does any know where the silver "dog" bowl that serves as the oyster shell holder has walked off to? It wasn't in the coop or box this morning. Other than that...all's well and even a surprise egg! Yeah!!

-The Jenks

WATER!?!?!

Hi All-

When we went to put the gals to bed tonight around 4:45...the waterer was EMPTY! They had all gone into the box, so I put one of the waterers in there, and boy, were they thirsty. SO if you see it in there, please know that it is intentional. Sorry if there is poop on it, I was just worried about them. My mom-in-law, who has chickens suggested, as they leave water with them all the time.

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, do we need a larger water vessel? Love to hear the feed back.

Otherwise - all great and an egg to boot!

Happy Holidays!

-Susan et al.

4 eggs!!!!!!!!

Woo hoo! And no broken ones either. This must be the girls' way of wishing us Merry Christmas!

Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow!

Geoff and Sarah

Eggs - to wash or not to wash?

OK, technically the eggs do not need to be washed because they are layed with a protective film on them, if you don't wash this off, they can actually be kept at room temp, out of the sun. If you choose to refridgerate, once an egg goes in the fridge, there it must remain. I found lots of discussion about what to wash with, and it seems that if you are grossed out by the "protective layer" or if you actually get a dirty egg, you can use warm water and non-scented detergent with a scrubby. There is also a spray made by Biokleen, called Biokleen produce spray that can be used. All this info is based on my personal research, I have emailed Wynn, our official answer-lady, and will let you know what I learn.

Sara

Tuesday, the shortest day

One intact egg this afternoon, it was actually pretty funny to see it lying alongside the golf ball. No broken ones, perhaps the balls are working.

Don't forget to wash the eggs. Wynn had two suggestions, but I cannot find my notes at the moment and don't remember what she said to use. I used a vinegar/water solution, and that made the shell feel sticky, so then I just washed with warm soapy water. I will research what was suggested.

Sara

Monday Eve

Just went to put the gals to sleep - they were already in the roost. No eggs this time. We did put golf balls in each of the 4 the nesting boxes - so lets hope that helps with the pecking of the eggs. There was a considerable amount of straw in the food tray - I scooped it out. Also, there was really no water in the container tonight - not sure what happened there - hope they got enough! Good night and enjoy that beautiful full moon and the first day of winter tomorrow - OK, where's the snow?!!

More eggs!

We found the exact same thing this morning. Two eggs in the far south box with one of them pecked open. Looks identical to the picture previously posted. I forgot to bring a couple of fake eggs or golf balls this morning as we discussed in the meeting last night. The Fahres' will be putting them up for the night so I'll call Erin and Tom to see if they have a few plastic eggs they can donate to the cause.

Time to fry up the lone survivor!

Geoff and Sarah Noyes

Eggs - Part Deux!!

We got eggs today too!! One was pecked open but the other was whole. Both were in the far left nesting box...

eggs!

yes, it is beautiful, or i should say was beautiful. frank fried it up, and the four of us each had a quarter. it was the best quarter of a fried egg i have ever had! we did save the shell, and will show off to everyone on sunday.

it also should be mentioned that the egg was not in a laying box, but on the "deck" out front, so be sure to look for eggs in odd places!

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!

OMG...tears are coming to my eyes - no wait that's the onion for the omelet....

Congrats to us all!.

p.s. all was well on Thursday - late in posting. Oyster shells have been replenished and thanks to the Fahres for the hooks - worked splendidly!

EXCITING NEWS!!!

WE HAVE AN EGG!!!!!

lock update

ok, when i went back later, the locks opened just fine, so they were frozen this morning. perhaps we all should get ourselves some lock de-icer and bring with on cold snowy mornings just in case.

sara

locks, etc.

hello all,
a few things about locks, we need to be super dilligent about making sure all locks are locked when we leave the coop, a couple times this week locks have been left undone. also, frank and i had to force our way into the coop area this morning as the perimter fence lock would not unlock, and i nearly could not get the storage bin one open either. we think they might have been slightly frozen? i am going to get some lock de-icer today and see if that remedies the problem. just be careful if it happens to you, not to force the locks too hard, or you will break the barrels.

don't forget sunday's meeting at our house! kids welcome, xmas treats will be served.

sara

Monday Morning

The gals were all good this morning - all out and kinda frisky with eachother and me too. Over the weekend, Tom installed a hook inside the coop so you can lock the door while you are inside the coop and the door will not blow open - hopefully this will mean fewer chickens escaping! He also out some hooks on the bottom doors on the east side of the roost to hook the doors up while you scoop out the roost - hope you find these helpful - we did!

My mother in law gave me a "chicken coat" - a pretty big coat to put on over my clothes while I am in the coop. I am happy to leave it at the coop on a hook - if anyone is interested - let me know.

- The Fahres'

lovely morning with the ladies...

All seemed well at the coop this am. Only two decided to come out and say hello at Odark30, but perhaps they were just getting up? When I peeked through the back (maybe finding an egg??), the rest of the ladies were VERY curious about who was peeking in at them! Not much else to report, except we are out of oyster shells - Dave H. has been emailed - he is the "Procurement Office" aka "Gopher" for you Love Boat fans. If you ever notice that we are low on supplies, feel free to let him know - he is not currently on the "care" rotation, so is likely not checking supplies....and would continue to be the case at various rotations for the next year of care. 'Til next week!

The Jenks

Help over Christmas

Is anyone around over Christmas? We'll be out of town and need someone to cover us for the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec 21st and for both morning and afternoon Tuesday, Dec 28th. Bruce and Kris

The bucket...

Please leave the chicken poop in the bucket and I'll collect it on Tuesdays and compost it at home. If I need to pick it up more frequently, let me know and I'll come and get it. Please don't empty it into the compost bin at school. If you don't want to use the bucket, that's OK, just don't dump the bucket out. Thanks!

I took the broom home and washed it out, it was getting pretty gross...

I thought I might have an extra lock, but do not, so everyone check their pockets for that missing lock.

I thought Fiona (the girl) and Elliot were going to pee their pants laughing this morning as Coraline kept trying to stop us from cleaning out the roost. I can't accurately describe that "brrrrrrraaaap" kind of noise they make, but we love it.

And please tell Sadie that I for one, am happy chickens are carnivores. A dead half mouse is a good thing.

No one has taken me up yet on my offer to give away the LAST care day of 2010, act fast before you are too late...

didn't know chickens were carnivorous?!?

Lovely to see all the ladies well this morning, but imagine my surprise when Coraline comes over with a suspiciously furry grey thing hanging out of her mouth...yes, it was half (bottom) of one of Sarah's favorite creatures, Country Mouse (make that sad Country Mouse). Oh well, Darwin hard at work in the Park Hill Chicken Coop, I suppose! Anyway, just as a head's up...the top lock was missing from the coop door, but all looked secure. Also, I thought the little black and white spotted girl was surely going to be MIA as I chased her around the house, until finally I had to do an impromptu blockade of garbage cans, tomato cages borrowed from the garden and the P**p bucket (in which at first pass she flew over!!!), but finally got her in - phew! No much else to report, except that I put this month's edition of "Backyard Poultry" in the "info"box...check it out - worth a chuckle or two!

'Til next Thursday...

Susan, Ginny and Sadie

chicken coverage

hello all,
i am wondering if there is someone out there who would like to take care of the girls on friday, december 31? we will be in the mountains that week. it will be the last rotation day of the year! i'll be sad to miss it.

P**p bucket

I'm going to place a gray bucket under the roost by the straw bale. If you want to, sweep the poop from the roost into the bucket. I'll be collecting it for a couple of weeks and putting it in my compost for the winter.

Frozen Water Containers

This morning both of the water containers were frozen solid, so I had to take them into the school and run them under the faucet to thaw them out. This is difficult and takes a lot of time, since the inside is a giant block of ice. Maybe every morning in the winter we should take one of the water containers home in the morning to thaw. Then, after giving the girls a drink and before leaving in the evening, empty the container out, so the next person has an empty unfrozen container for the morning. Just a suggestion...

Also, since we use the broom, pan, and rake for sweeping and scraping out poop, I think we should leave them outside, under the roost. I'd hate to get poop on all of our supplies, etc. Maybe we should have a couple of hooks outside the roost for hanging them up.

Monday Evening

All is well with the girls tonight. I read Amy's post before heading to the coop this afternoon. Erin was right...there was a lot of straw in the hen house under the nesting boxes. Per Amy's instructions we removed all the straw from the hen house and distributed it around the floor of the coop. There was hardly any poop in it and what we did find we put in the compost.

We did find one of the girls standing patiently on one foot in the northern most nesting box when we checked for eggs tonight. So far that is first time I've seen a chicken in one of the boxes. She wasn't startled when I opened the door and didn't even move till we nudged her out of the way to clean out some poop. Maybe they are getting more comfortable now and are close to laying some eggs!

Good night....

Geoff and Sarah

Hay and poop and compost -- oh my!

Hi, everyone --

As Erin noted in this morning's post, we are having issues with the amount of hay that we are using and then putting into the composter. The problem is that we are using too much hay and putting it in places where it doesn't need to be. So here is some clarification for where to put the hay and how to deal with the poop in the coop. ( I will be amending the official chicken care guidelines to reflect this information as well. )

Please do not put hay at the bottom of the coop, underneath the roost and the nesting boxes. The chickens do not sit there, so it serves no purpose except to collect poop and get all dirty and messy. Instead, that area should remain bare wood. The chickens will poop on it from above. At the end of the day, whoever is on duty should rake or scrape (pick your poison) the poop into the dustpan and then dump the poop into the composter. As for the nesting boxes, look for clumps of poop and dirty hay and remove those as needed, but please do not take all the hay out at once.

The composter is meant for poop, old food (but not feed), and some hay (but not lots). Otherwise, we get too much brown stuff in there too quickly and the proper composting does not happen.

Also, if you choose to put corn cobs in the coop as treats for our girls -- that's great! -- but please do not put them into our composter at the end of the day because they will take too long to break down. Instead, bring them home with you or (and I hate to say this with two master composters in the group) trash them.

A hearty thanks to Bruce, who has offered to solve our too-much-hay-in-the-composter problem by removing said hay from said composter and putting in his own compost pile at home. Woo hoo, Bruce!

I hope this clears things up, so to speak. Have a lovely Monday, all of you.

Amy

Monday Morning

Hi there - hope you all had a great holiday! Jayden and I came over this morning to tend to he chickens - they all were fine - the one "Flash" got out on me - and can you imagine how helpful Jayden was in catching her:) She almost flew over the fence - but that was when I caught her! The wind (Brrrrrr!) kept blowing the door to the coop open!

I am wondering about the straw, poop and compost. There is now lots of straw on the 2 x 4's in the roost - where we are supposed to scrape the poop. And the compost bin is full. So I just picked up some big poops I could find around but did not scrape out that area since there was no where to put it... So I am not sure if I should have done something different - but I did what I could based on the conditions.

Not Fiona and Coraline seem to continue to be on their own little team - a little aggressive with the others, but nothing major. We had fun sharing the blog and pics with Grandma in Steamboat:)

The elusive egg

Hello, all -- I emailed Wynn today to ask her for her take on why we haven't gotten any eggs -- and what we can do to get our lovely girls to start laying. Here's what she had to say:

Hi - it normally takes several days for hens to settle in after a move. You can try putting a little (2-4 tablespoons depending on the size of your water) apple cider vinegar in their water. Give them a head of lettuce everyday too for a few days. They'll get used to all the attention - just an adjustment, so the egg laying may be delayed for a bit. Chickens live in petting zoos....so your's will adapt eventually. Now if dogs are stopping by the coop during the day and running at the wire - or even just sniffing around, they won't get used to that. My hens recognize my dogs and barely notice them - but when a strange dog comes into the yard - boy they know right away. Please keep me posted. W

We gave them some fresh pumpkin today, and they went gaga for it. Will give them some lettuce, too.

Amy D

Thanksgiving Eve...

Got there a little before dusk and all the ladies were already indoors...must have been the chilly weather.  All was well at the coop.  No egg surprise though...oh well, all in good time I suppose.  From what we could tell by peeking in through the back, everyone seemed happy and warm.  Not a whole lot to report!
-Susan

Hi All-

Saw Dr. Potts today who reported that there is MUCH interest among the classrooms about our wonderful ladies. She was hoping we come up with some co-op kid-generated chicken facts and chicken stories that can be shared somehow with the kiddos at Park Hill...think it would be a good idea to engage our host community. Just something to discuss here virtually or at the next meeting? Gals looked good today - so dang sweet!

-Susan J.

Names, etc

Checked on the girls this morning, all was good except no straw in the roost. My guess is that it eventually works it's way thru the spaces between the boards and we end up with none inside the roost. I scraped out the poop, combined it with straw, leaves and apples from the ground and piled it in the compost bin. I moved the oyster shell container and the water deep into their respective corners so they were less likely to tip over (while I was there, several chickens worked their way behind the bowl and the water and nearly tipped them over. I'll check on them this afternoon to see if it helped.

As far as naming goes, since we have 6 new hens and there are 6 grades (K thru 5) I thought it might be nice to let each class come up with a name for a hen. That way the kids can feel as if they got to name a chicken. I love "Flash" and it has a wonderful history, but I'd like to get as much buy in form the kids as possible. What does everyone think?

BRuce

Water concern

Hello all! Around 4:00pm this evening we arrived at the coop to put the ladies to bed for the night. The first thing I noticed was the water canister had been knocked over. Four of the girls were already in the hen house while Not-Fiona, Coraline and 2 of the new ones were still out scratching around. After adding fresh water Coraline and Not-Fiona drank a good amount but the 2 other girls didn't even touch it. They weren't interested in the water and soon after made their own way into the hen house. Not-Fiona and Coraline in their social way hung around as I tended to the straw and tidied up. There was a couple inches of food in the feeder but the outer tray that they eat from looked a little pecked through. So I gave it a little twist and shake to refill the outer tray and Not-Fiona and Coraline proceeded to eat for the next 10 minutes straight. I was surprised at how hungry they appeared. Does anyone know if there is a particular ingredient in the food they are looking for and giving the feeder a twist and shake brought more of that ingredient down from the center? Maybe they just wanted to get one last gulp of food before turning in for the night?

So....upon returning home we were a little concerned that maybe the rest of the gang didn't get the needed water before turning in for the night since the canister had been knocked over. After making a few calls we learned a couple of things that would be good to share.

1. If the ladies put THEMSELVES in the hen house to roost for the night, then their food and water needs should have been met.

2. If you put fresh water out for them and they are thirsty, they will drink it.

It was also mentioned tonight that we probably could use a better water system in the coop. I think Sara is going to try secure the canister to the corner with some wire which should help the tipping issue. If that doesn't work maybe there is a way we could hang it in the corner (similar to the feed bucket system)?

And still....no eggs yet.

Geoff and Sarah Noyes

Coop Makes the Post

Our Coop made the Denver Post today:
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_16676523

Nice pic of Tonda in her chicken suit!

Pictures of the New Girls...Vote on Names?

Hi folks! As promised, I am posting shots of the new girls so the kiddos can start thinking about names. Sounds like we have started naming a couple already...

Black and white speckled is the resident escape artist...Flash!
All white gal seems to be Foghorn Leghorn (all apologies to those who recall that the original Foghorn was a rooster.

The others are up for grabs...ideas from the kids then vote on 'em?

Chicken Run!

Just wanted to warn everyone that one of the chickens escaped the run twice this morning! The culprit was one of the new ones -- black with white spots. Charlie has dubbed her Flash because of her speed. The first time, she slipped through a hole behind storage bin. The second time, she jumped up onto the storage bin and then flapped herself over the fence. I don't even want to think about how silly we looked: Six people running around desperately trying to catch one scrawny chicken and failing miserably! We finally herded her into the coop and shut the door with a collective cheer. Having seen Flash's success, I feel certain the others will attempt a similar escape. Not sure what we should do about it, short of making the back fence taller. For now, please pay attention while you are there with them in the run. Flash was very very hard to catch. It would be awful to be there alone trying to catch her -- we were lucky we had a small group. In other news, still no eggs. Will update later tonight. -- Amy

Chicken Care Clarification

Hi, everyone -- Just a quick note to clarify the chicken care guidelines. Under night duties, where it says clean up left over food and put it in the compost bin, it's referring to actual food -- like corn cobs and such -- that people have left on the ground for the chickens. The feed that's in the feeder should remain there. Put the entire feeder away for the night, feed and all. Sorry for the confusion! -- Amy

Celebration Pictures, Specifically a Chicken Suit

Does anyone have a picture of Dr Potts in her chicken suit? Or any pictures of the ceremony at the coop on Wednesday? I'd love to post some on the blog...

All is right in the world. Ladies in top form this morning!

-Susan and Ginny

Jeni & Averi's first day on the job!

No better way to get to school on time than to have authentic chores awaiting you! Kiki and Bruce showed us the ropes (mainly Kiki) and the school children were very excited to see what was going on with the "girls." Simply delightful first day of chores! I always thought I would be out in the country doing this, but now I can fulfill by dreams in the city!

Sub needed!

Hello all,
I just realized that we need a sub for next Friday (day after Thanksgiving) as we will be up in the mountains. Let me know offline if you can fill in.

Also, I hope to have the rest of the chickens tomorrow!

Sara

Transcript of Bruce's Email

The sun was shining, the chickens clucking, and everywhere the sound of children playing...is there any better way to start your day? The ladies were looking mighty fine this morning, healthy and happy and scratching in the sun. We brought some carrot peelings and apple cores, which they ate immediately, along with some feed and water. Lots of interest from kids and teachers alike this morning. Killian has been less than interested in the idea of taking care of chickens and their poop, but as soon as she let them out of the roost she had a change of heart. And when I handed her one to hold, it was love. I've got a little helper now, so "Chicken Tuesday" will be a special day each week in our household. She's a proud mother hen in that coop, answering questions from the kids that gather round.

This is a great program, and thanks again to all that made it happen.

Bruce

First Day, Transcript of Amy's Email

First day of chicken care went well.  Happy clucking pecking pooping chickens.  No eggs, yet -- but they are young.  And maybe a little freaked out by their new surroundings.  I did get pecked a few times, and Not Fiona was overly interested in the zipper on my coat, but otherwise, all was good.

Try as we might, we could not get them to drink water before putting them away for the night.  Wynn said this was vital to them keeping warm all night -- and we brought lovely clean warm water for them -- but they could not have been less interested in it.  We placed them in front of the water, we hung around casually and talked about water, and we just plain waited until the sun went down and it was too cold to wait any more.  Now I'm just hoping for the best.

A few issues to note:

A few kids were quite interested in the chickens and wanted to pet them.  They were middle school students with no parents in sight.  We let them pet the chickens and then squirted sanitizer all over their hands.  My rationale (shared with Susan Jenkins, who was there at the time) was that this is an educational tool -- and these kids probably pet people's dogs and cats all the time without permission anyway.  As a lawyer, I'm confident we have no liability, but as a parent, well, I know there are some chicken freaky parents out there, and they might not be too pleased with us.  So -- I suggest we have permission slips at the coop.  If parents are with the kids, don't bother with the slips, but if the kids are on their own, hand them a slip, tell them the approximate times we're there, and ask them to come back later with a signed slip.  That's just my suggestion -- I'm sure there are other ways to deal with the issue.  This should probably be decided officially at some meeting or other.  Sara -- I leave it to you to figure out the appropriate way to deal.   

There just isn't enough poop in the straw of the run to clean out the straw every time -- we should probably have a monthly day (or maybe one day every quarter) when the people who are on active chicken duty clean the coop.  Again, I know we should decide this in an official way.  And again, I leave it to you -- Sara -- to figure out the appropriate way.

Finally, you'll note that the lock on the outer gate is not effective at all.  People have been notified and are on it.

Anyway, this is a great thing to do with the kids -- so thanks to everyone for allowing us to be part of the co-op.

With that, I am --

Amy