Bedtime Battles

Here is a shot of the girls coming down their ramp after pulling an all-nighter. (See previous post). The problem is not getting them down in the morning. They stand at the door, chattering and peeking out, beginning about a half hour before daybreak. At first light, they cautiously make their way into the morning. The problem is getting them to go into the coop at night. We assumed they would follow their chick instincts to head for high roosts and the warmth of the light. But noooo....they huddled in a corner of the run. The first two nights Bill went out well after dark and picked up sleepy chicks and put them into the coop. They stayed and came to life (See previous post). Monday night I was convinced I could train them to walk up into the coop at dusk by luring them with treats. I mixed some feed with plain yogurt and let them sample a bit, while slowly moving the dish up the ramp. (Picture a grown woman sitting in an small enclosed space, on chicken poo, chirping-"come on babies"). One or two would make it into the coop, but would come back down as I was coaxing the rest in. I gave up after a half hour and went inside. About nine o'clock I looked out window of my office and saw chicks sleeping around the bottom of the ramp. At 9:30 I saw movement in the coop, and thought they'd figured it out. A few minutes later though, two chicks came part way down the ramp and went back up. I realized they were looking for their sisters when I spotted three chicks on the ground in a corner of the run. I was hoping they would get with the program and head upstairs. But nooo...when I checked on them at 10 pm all 6 were on the ground. Thankfully they were sleeping in the corner by the people door so I could easily lift them one by one into the coop without crawling inside. (Kind of like dunking basketballs). Tonight I decided to let them sleep where they want, but when I went to check on them at 10:30 they were huddled in a corner and the rain was moving in, so I "dunked" them into the coop.

I suppose they are telling me they prefer dark rather than warmth and height for secure sleeping, but they had no problem sleeping under the brooder light. Soon the nights will get warmer and they will be more mature and we can leave the light off.

I can't believe I'm trying to think like a chicken.

Party Time!

We moved the chickens into their new digs late Friday. We have a lamp in the coop for warmth, as they are just a month old. The awning windows are closed but since the light is on we noticed a lot of movement going on inside through the spaces around the openings. I'm talking jitterbug, frantic motion until the wee hours. I've also wondered why they seem to be sleepy during the day, so curious, I snuck out Sunday morning with my camera to investigate. I spyed Rudy, the roo, checking out his girls as they...

Danced the night away. Shake your booty. Shake your fluffy booty.....

Then they fell into a line dance....

Okay, they are probably are chasing bugs attracted to the light, but I like the idea of an all night chicken party!

Chicken Condo

In a slow housing market recently occupied: A condo with lots of yard space, sleeping lofts (roosts), plush carpet (pine bedding), handicap access (ramp), security system (raccoon proof latches and snake proof mesh), bi-level kitchens (feeder and water in coop and run), excellent lighting (heat bulb in coop and run), beautiful views, and lots of chicks!

The chicks were rapidly outgrowing their brooder, and loved to be outside in their daytime pen. In looking at housing ideas on the Internet it seemed that there were two options-a coop or a tractor. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The coop can be larger and more secure, but cannot provide fresh ground or shade or sun as the weather changes. The tractor can be moved as the weather dictates, and gives the chickens access to free range while keeping them safe. So it seemed the tractor would be the best option, but as they are designed to be easy to move, I couldn't find a plan that was large and secure enough for our kids.

I drew up a rough plan for Bill, (builder extraordinaire) with these provisions: moveability, security, easy human access; warm when needed, but ventilation when needed; and this is what he built.

The coop has "awning windows" on both sides, covered with hardware cloth. These can be closed for cooler temps, or opened via an attached washer which hangs on a screw. It has bottom openings on each side so I can easily sweep out old bedding and replace with new. The back panel will be replaced with an outside access nestbox before they are layer age. There are 2"x4"'s in the coop for roosts. The wheel assembly made of wheelbarrow wheels took a whole day to fabricate and weld, but allow the pen to sit flush to the ground when not mobile. All of openings have raccoon proof locks. The coop is wired for electricity so we can keep them warm with a heat bulb while they are young, or provide extra light to keep them laying in the winter.

This coop/tractor can be moved with the lawn tractor or truck.

This was built from leftovers of several remodeling/building jobs and the chicks love their new home!

Chicken Update

Here are the girls at just a bit over three weeks of age. (And I thought my tomato plants were growing fast!) Actually I think the third from the left chick is a roo. He's behind the rest in feathering out and his comb is redder and more developed. Although we purchased 6 pullets, this is only 90% guaranteed. I've read that chick sexing is highly specialized and takes years to learn. The hatcheries pay premium wages to their chicken "sexperts" but even so, it is not an exact science. I'm hoping this little guy will grow to be a hen protector and will not be as aggressive as some roosters I've known.

They are rapidly outgrowing their brooder, but as the weather has been so mild, we move them to a snake and hawk proof enclosure for much of the day.

They love to be outside. They can perch on the feeder and waterer, flap and fly a bit, and scratch in the dirt. Every time they are moved, they seem to have to re-establish their social hierarchy (pecking order). It's a riot to see them posture and stare down each other. They will face off and one will fly at another, like banty kung-fu fighters, but within minutes they settle down to more passive activities.

This stage-between chick and hen- is sometimes called the "ugly" phase. Although I will admit that they slightly resemble molting prehistoric velociraptors, to me they are adorable bright eyes and bushy tails.

Azaleas

I could not let Spring slip by without a few comments on the favorite blooming shrub in this area. It seems there are azaleas in nearly every yard in Gainesville. They grow unnoticed 10 months of the year, saving their glory for February and March. They are so prolific here you'd think they were given to new homeowners at every closing. This time of year it's easy to understand why people like them so much. They have a "take your breath away" impact. Most of the azaleas here are the magenta Formosa of the Azalea indica group. They require little care other than providing enough water during dry spells as they are shallow rooted, and an occasional light pruning after flowering. I have two pet peaves regarding this shrub. Often these are used as foundation plantings where they soon grow to their mature height of 8 or more feet, upon which they disportionately overwhelm the architecture of a house, block windows and create a security hazard. Much better to place them in the yard as underplantings of oaks and pines where they can get the dappled shade they prefer. My other peave is when the pink and magenta azaleas are planted with those of orange and coral shades. This so offends my color sensibilities.

Signs of Spring

Just in case you missed that it's been in the 80's here the last few days, and the Dogwoods, Redbuds and Azaleas are putting on their annual Spring Show, spring arives a few weeks earlier than the official date here in North Central Florida. My Japanese Magnolia starts blooming in late February and this is my signal to get busy. Plant, prune, edge, fertilize, mulch, and plant more. Whew!! It's not like I've spent the winter curled up with garden catalogs!

Chicken Update

Here are the peeps at a bit over a week old. Don't worry, the one in the background leaning against the thermometer with her head in an impossible position, is only sleeping. We have moved them from a cardbord box to a large Rubbermaid tub and put them on pine bedding instead of paper towels. They've mostly grown out of the chicken narcolepsy that caused them to keel over into sleep in the middle of activity. They are starting to develop "big chick girl" habits such as scratching in the bedding and flapping their newly developing wing feathers.

Seedlings

The seedlings above are being hardened off to set out in the garden. They are mostly tomatoes and peppers, but also include various herbs and flowers. Not pictured are 20 or so tomatoes that are already in the garden as well as some that are potted up into 1 and 2 gallon containers. I start a few in late December and continue sowing through January and February to have started plants with various maturities. I do this for several reasons. First of all, I like to have a few ready to sneak in the garden in late February, to get an early start. These will most certainly need to be protected when frost is predicted, so I don't want a lot to cover. Also, even though we are getting close to to our frost free date, some beds are still producing fall/winter veggies so I don't have room to plant everything at once. We want to have a continuous supply of fresh produce, and these new plantings will not be ready for harvest for at least 2 months. So as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, peas, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, kale, chard and lettuce are harvested, I want plants of appropriate size to fill their spots. This will also stagger the harvest of the spring/summer crop.

I've used mostly recycled containers for these so my main cost is seed and potting soil. I always shop the feed and seed store for bulk seed first. You can buy a package of seed from them for their minimum cost of 1.00 which contains much more seed than the catalog seed packet. The varieties they offer are usually non-hybrids that are tried and true for the area. I do place a catalog order every year, but mostly for tomato and pepper seeds that the farm store does not carry. I have three or four favorites in each catagory that I grow every year, but each year I am enticed by catalog descriptions to try a few new varieties.

Here is what I'm growing this year:

Peppers

My favorite sweet bells are Early Thickset (the earliest bell but still quite large), Colossal (A large pepper with thick walls, good for stuffing) and Big Bertha (best all around sweet bell, huge, good for stuffing or roasting). The last two years I've grown banana peppers as I like them mostly in salads. Sweet Spot is a bit more productive than the generic banana, but of course the seed costs more. I always grow one or two Jalapenos for chili and salsa, and for friends that like hot peppers (true hot pepper lovers will tell you that jalapenos are not all that hot, but they are plenty hot for me). Marconi and Carmen were two frying peppers I tried for the first time last year. They were good enough to earn a few spots in this years garden. I've also planted a pepper called Golden Bell. Although not as prolific or large as others, I like its light green color which matures to a lovely yellow. New this year I bought a packet of mixed orange, red and chocolate peppers. I'm all about color.

Tomatoes

For years I mainly planted two varieties; Homestead and Celebrity. These are delicious, productive, and do well with our heat and humidity. These are determinate varieties. Tomatoes do not set fruit when daytime temps are over 90 degrees as their pollen "clumps up". As the determinates mature mostly before this happens and provides a large amount of harvest in a few weeks time, they are ideal for freezing and proccessing. Last year though, I planted several indeterminate tomatoes, Better Boy, Goliath and Whopper and had tomatoes for a month after the bush tomatoes were done. I've learned that to flick the tomato blossoms with my fingers will help pollinate when the temps and humidity are too high to do this naturally. I always grow one cherry tomato (not our favorite for flavor, but very prolific) and several paste tomatoes. In addition to the above tomatoes, new this year, I'm trying Jet Star and Rutgers, Opalaka (paste tomato) and Giant Valentine (supposed to be very meaty). I've also started Legend (blight resistant) and Solar Set (developed to set under hot and humid conditions).

I'll post a flavor and productivity report in July.

Chicks!!

We have 6 new additions to the farmstead. Are they not too cute! We raised chickens, turkeys, quail, ducks and hogs for a time in the late '70's-early '80's before deciding livestock plus gardening plus full-time jobs and a newborn was a bit much. We decided to keep the kid and get rid of the animals. Since then, I have missed the delicious eggs and the manure the most. So we've taken the plunge and acquired 6 pullets (baby hens) to raise for their eggs and their ability to turn table scraps and garden refuse into fertilizer. I had forgotten how entertaining they are. I call them the "Borg Collective" because when one decides to peck at the feeder or investigate a water drop on the side of the brooder, the others immediately pile over do do the same. Yesterday I came home to find their waterer on the ground, bedding wet, and can only imagine the group effort it took to push this thing over. (Luckily none appeared wet or cold). The most amusing thing is when they line up in a row and nod off standing up. In 10 seconds they go from feeding and running around to eyes closed and heads lowered into little chicken naps.

These are Buff Orpingtons. Chickens can be a bit high strung and as I did my research before buying I kept seeing this breed with these descriptive terms; docile, gentle, friendly, quiet, and affectionate. It sounds as though they are, in both coloring and disposition, the Golden Retriever of chickens.

We have them in a cardboard box in the mudroom under lights for now, as they must stay warm until they feather out. When I put them on the floor while I change their bedding they stay close by. If I cup my palms they try to all hop in, to stay warm and secure.

I guess I'm their momma!