Monday, April 30, 2007

The 3 older chicks love the little one

Each time I look in on the chickie girls they are obviously taking care of the new young chick. If the group is sitting in a cool part of the cage, they snuggle up all around her. If the group is sitting near the heat lamp (which they never did until the new chick arrived), then they let her be on the warmest side. These sitting arrangements are so very obvious. I love all the chicks, but I especially love the older ones when they are so kind to my littlest chick.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Mr. Fox pays a visit

Mr. Fox (literally, red male fox) came thru the yard yesterday. I was alerted to his presence by a squirrel who was feeding at the birdfeeder but then in a flash hit the ground running and dashed up a nearby tree. Within a second Mr. Fox ominously circled the birdfeeder twice. He lifted his leg and marked the base of the feeder. Then he loped past the future eglu home of my chickies, past the small plant nursery, and around the corner of the house. He loped thru the side yard, as I loped thru the house to get a look at him out the front windows. He stopped in the middle of the front flower garden to mark a large red rock then loped out of view into the trees and probably down the creek bank. He looks hungry. Don’t all foxes look hungry? This time of year he is hunting food for his kits. He is very thin now; not the sleek luxuriant fellow of the winter. At night when driving in this 5 x 20 block neighborhood on the east side of Monument Creek, he and his female fox partner can be seen crisscrossing streets, leaping walls, turning down alleys, hurriedly searching for prey No chickens have been outside to leave any attracting odors so he didn’t stop at the eglu….yet.

The paper incident

The paper incident

While new chick, Arriauna, was in her separated see-thru area I placed a folded 8”x8” piece of paper on the floor of her area for better footing. Her little feet didn’t work well on the wire floor. After I removed the divider I left the paper. It was under the light so Arriauna really liked it. Perfect, I thought. Wrong.

When I returned from an afternoon of art shows and a late lunch, I found a major corner section of the paper had been maliciously shredded. The only remaining shred of evidence was being sat upon by Ms. B. Rock. All four chickies were just sitting around, looking innocent. I fully expected to hear them humming as they looked out the window. Blame was not my worry…sick stomachs and ’pasting up’ was my worry.

The coop was cleaned up. New corncob litter was laid down…though it’s not deep enough to protect Arriauna’s feet from the wire across the entire floor. Today I’ll buy more.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Yes, I got chick #4

Yes, I got chick #4

Went to the farmstore ONLY to get a new plastic quart waterer that will fit thru the birdcage door. BUT they had some new chicks.

I had to have her. I will NOT change my blog name to 4chickenfarm. She is beautiful, an Ameracauna...the kind I wanted initially. Her fluff is rich vicuna coat butterscotch with a black saddle and Cleopatra eye makeup. She will lay blue and/or green eggs. I made a see thru divider wall in the cage to keep her safe during a day or two of introductions. Within an hour she squirmed under it to join the others. They seem to like her.

It's been 3 hours and I think they are tired of her. I see them peck at her a bit so I separated them again, secured the divider and will let them all get more accustomed to each other from a little distance.

Another few hours later. She has peeped so loud to get across the barrier to the others, that I put her over there again. I hope they won't hurt her. She just wants to be close to her own kind. She walks close to them, sort of bumps up under them acting like a chick under a mother hen, I suppose.

Looked in on the chickies again. They were all cuddled up together. New little gal is quiet and happy in her new family. I'm happy for her.

The new Ameracauna chick is named Arriauna...Arriauna Ameracauna! We’ll have to practice spelling it at home before she stands at the blackboard in front of her schoolmates.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Moving to the birdcage

Moving to the birdcage

This show does not star Nathan Lane and Robin Williams.

Our stars are Ms. Barred Rock and the Misses Astralorps.

The wire on the bottom of the birdcage (above the removable poop tray is not a grid.) All the wires go in the same direction and are about ½ inch apart. Not real easy maneuvering for my girlies feet. I borrowed some chicken wire from Camille & Tom, cut it to size and pressed it down in the new chick cage. It took a bit of clever twists of the wrists to clip and bend the pokey ends of wire.

To assure the girlies would not feel too exposed without their cardboard walls, I draped 3 sides with towels. The heat lamp still beams thru the top OK. They seem happy and at home. They went nuts pecking at the chick mash that fell thru the wire onto the newspaper in the poop tray. Such little things bring them joy. ‘They’ are the little things that bring me joy.

New chickie coop

New chickie coop

Yesterday when I entered the chick back bedroom Ms. Barred Rock was perched ON THE TOP EDGE of their box. She has had strong, long wing feathers from day one. She likes to use them and often sits atop the feeder and the waterer stretching her neck to look up and over. Maybe I should name her Christa Columbus in search of the New World.

So I went in search of some kind of new enclosure. It had also occurred to me that their lateral views were limited to cardboard-colored cardboard. I did draw on their walls but they didn’t seem too interested in my artwork. Craigslist, The Thrify Nickel, The Gazette…..nowhere could I find what we need.

Off to Petco to look at birdcages. They are very fancy with prices to match. I finally found a plain white one with no pergolas or scrollwork. Life with the chickie babes is not cheap. This must be the beginning of having teenage daughters.

Too late to change their quarters. They are so quiet and sleepy.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

This could be the day

This could be the day

Yesterday I called the farm store to see if the chicks would be in today. The man told me he can not be sure. He has to wait until the Post Office calls him to say the chicks have arrived. I thought it was usually Tuesdays. He said it was more likely Wednesdays. I want to go to exercise class at the gym if possible. In preparation I have the chick box heated to 95 degrees…been testing that all week. A clean quart jar is filled with water, 3 tablespoons of sugar and ¼ of ¼ teaspoon Broiler Booster mixed and ready. If I get a call while I’m out I’ll head straight to the chick pickup and want everything ready here. The water mix has to be fresh daily so I may have to throw this one out. ¼ of ¼ teaspoon Broiler Booster isn’t much to waste.

The Chick Starter is sprinkled on the paper. Won’t use corncob litter until Day 3 so the babes won’t eat the corncob bits.

I have checked the temperature a zillion times today. Finally the heat lamp is the proper height to register 95 degrees on the thermometer in the box. Oh great, I have to bring it down 5 degrees a week…I’ll be able to do it.

Set up the run in the backyard

Set up the run in the backyard

The eglu graces the front garden where it was unpacked. So I moved it to the backyard. I placed it so I can see it directly out the kitchen window over the sink. I’ll be able to see it and the 2 hanging bird feeders, the cottonwood logs and wooden boxes that serve as squirrel, bird and mouse feeders. The most frequent bird visitors are wrens, finches, sparrows, juncos, blue jays, and flickers. Occasionally if the offering includes peanuts and the squirrels have not stolen them all, the magpies, crows and starlings will stop by.

Almost have the run put together with the great little green clips. A workable clever invention those green keepers…a joy to use. It seems there is an ample supply of clips. Sat down to admire my work. Realized I needed to rearrange all the lawn furniture for better chicken viewing. No small task to move the covered porch swing in our recently thawed dirt, plus a white wrought iron chaise lounge and two matching chairs. I suppose grandstands will be next. When I invite friends over to visit the hens I think my invitation will read ‘Meet the Flockers’.

First days of peeps in the bedroom

First days of peeps in the bedroom

Such fun! Two fluffy black and yellow Astralorps and one fluffy charcoal gray Barred Rock. Each would fit gently in my cupped palm. Ms. B. Rock started out looking much larger and has more developed wing feathers than the other two. In height the 2 Astralorps are catching up. They have a yellow wing feather starting.

I’m wondering if Ms. B. Rock might be Mr. B. Rock because of his more developed wing feathers and his comb is somewhat evident along the top ridge of his beak. I guess that is premature comb…I don’t know. If she is a he, I hope to know soon. I would replace him with an Ameracauna next week if the farmstore receives them. Ameracaunas lay blue and green eggs. Having them is what lauched my whole adventure in chickdom. I may get one Ameracauna anyway. The eglu is designed for 4 max anyway.

The 2 A’s are more curious. They wander around the whole box. They peck at most anything. A couple of times one of them pecked at Ms. B. Rocks butt.

One thing they do that cracks me up is, one will peck at some imaginary spot on the wall of the box, another will dash up and peck at that exact spot. Whaaat? There was nothing there! I expect the first one to say “Made you peck, made you peck?”

The peeps are in the house!!!!!!!!

The peeps are in the house

This is the day.

The farmstore never called. I finally called them to find that the chicks had arrived. I grabbed a box and jumped in the car. The farmstore had received Black Astralorps and Barred Rocks. I had hoped for Ameracaunas too.

Sooooo, I chose 2 Astralorps. They are black and yellow calico marked, fat, fluffy, healthy and DARLING!

And I chose 1 Barred Rock. She is larger than the Astrlorps. I suspect she is older. How many days I can’t guess. She has more developed wing feathers. She seems a bit bossy but the other two don’t let her get by with it.

I had everything ready for them. The box, food, water with Broiler Booster and sugar, and the Grogel Plus B ready to mix.

What did I learn in the first 15 minutes?

The first white plastic box is too shallow. Ms. B. Rock tried to fly out.

The second white plastic box is too shallow.

They see themselves in the white plastic box walls and peck in greeting or ?

The heat lamp seems too warm. They are sitting at the far end of the box. I raised the lamp.

The third box is a red and white Christmas storage box. It is taller and has more floor space. The interior is brown cardboard. They like it.

They like the Grogel Plus B. It is powder that turns to turquoise gel when mixed with water. The peeps love it.

I’m thinking of getting an Ameracauna next week if the farmstore receives them. Then I would have a total of 4. Four is the limit for the eglu.

I go into the back bedroom alot. Just can't help looking at those darling babes!

Cat Proofing the Chick Room

Cat Proofing the Chick Room

How to protect the chicks from Ivy, the curious Siamese-cross ? …looked for an old window screen to place on top of their box, but it interfered with the lamp and thermometer. The box is a large white plastic storage box. No firm plan for older, taller chicks. Also I could imagine Ivy cleverly tipping the screen in the middle of the night.

Brilliant idea! I will move Ivy’s food, water and litter box up to the 2nd floor landing. It will be safe and private for her. Dreamer, the 10-year old Pomeranian will not climb the stairs to get to the cat food, not because he doesn’t want it, but because I scared him about stairs once when he was a pup. I worked. Now he’s getting old and doesn’t even like to go down the stairs.

Then I can have the chicks in the back bedroom that has been a combination storeroom, cat feeding room, pet food storage, food drier, etc room. The door doesn’t latch cleanly which is nothing unusual in this 1888-built old house. First I’ll work on the hole in doorfacing that receives the latch-thingy. If necessary I will put a sliding barrel latch on it.

Placing the Order

Placing The Order

Today I drove out to the farm store. I never recall the name because it reminds me of ConAgra, which it is not. It’s probably CO for Colorado-something. They mostly cater to cattle and horse people. Last week I left my name and number to be called when they get chicks. Thinking they only get one batch and being the crazed Yank woman not wanting to miss the deal, today I asked to reserve 3 chicks, AND by the way, what kind are you getting? Yippee, they are getting Ameracaunas (not pure Aracaunas which the farm store man informed me had entered the US 45 years ago.) So I suppose in 45 years we Yanks naturally had to improve them!

I am learning to ask more questions, but also to hesitate more. Hesitation is good practice with these old farm guys. Fast- talking self-assured Yank women seem to shut off their natural generosity. I am learning. Now it seems they will be getting Barred Rocks. Next I’m not sure if he said Rhode Island Reds or Red Stars because when I heard Buffs! Oh boy, I had Buff Orpingtons high on my research list. Then he said, maybe some Wyandottes. Wow, that really put me over the top! They had been high on my list too. Ameracauna, Buff Orpington, Wyandotte, this trio would be a dream come true. How often would they receive chicks? Oh, starting in late March, probably every week until into May. I put my name & wishes down for mid-April (hopefully the Great Dane neighbors can get their 6-foot fence built by outdoor chicken time. I told them late May).

The new chicks will be one day old and will be sexed. I hope I don’t get a rooster in error. By the time I’d find out it might be too late to replace him. I hope those sexing people are very good at their job. Arriving in mid-April the chicks will have to live in the back bedroom, which I am fixing for them. No pink or blue decisions, maybe white and yellow.

Heat lamp bulb test

Heat lamp bulb test

I think I can control the heat for the peeps by adjusting the height of the lamp. Fortunately its spine is adjustable up and down plus the top part that houses the bulb is a gooseneck. Good, that saves me from having to invent some incredible homemade rig.

It takes a lot of experimenting to get the 95 degree temperature. That will be the hottest spot. The peeps will be able to move away from it so they don’t get cooked. I never plan to cook them. When a friend heard that he said, ‘You are running an egglaying operation followed by a hen retirement home.’ Yep.

New peep digs

New peep digs

The new day olds will be living in the back bedroom for a while (Spring?). I’ve put the cat litter box and the cat, Ivy’s food and water bowls upstairs on the landing. This solves 2 problems. I can secure the chick room door so Ivy cannot get to the chicks. Second, Dreamer, the Pom cannot climb stairs to get to the cat food. No discipline here, just multi-level separation.

Large plastic boxes will house the new peeps. The new thermometer-humidity measurer combo showed only 80 degrees with the light I rigged. Need to get it up to 95 degrees F. The heat lamps in the stores look menacingly hot. When I see a red beam coming from those I expect to hear the chef holler “Baked chicken up on #1”. To keep the heat lamp at adjustable heights I will sacrifice the tripod lamp over my art table. Won’t be doing any art…just be looking at the peeps.

Found other bulbs in a box in the storeroom. Maybe they will work. Goal is to start them at 95 F. and come down 5 degrees each week, reaching 70 F when they can go outside, assuming outside is no colder.

Wonder what I’ll house them in when they are weeks 4 & 5?

Day following eglu arrival

Day following eglu arrival

Called shipper. It appears I have everything. I named off all the run pieces. OK, he asked if the sunshade and sack of green plastic clips were in eglu. They were. So it appears nothing was lost.

I’m still trying Omlet’s phone but it is busy, busy, busy. It was before 8am when I ordered my eglu from Johannes. I think their phone is busy all day long.

Called the shipper. Paul Stephenson, the shipper said they had shipped about 100 eglus. Freezing weather had their power down in Iowa for a week and Omlet was scrambling (ha!) to stock a show in Florida introducing eglus into the US. He said everyone worked extra hard and they made it happen.

Nice guy, Paul Stephenson of Ritchie Industries in Conrad, Iowa. He wasn’t exactly sure what was supposed to ship in a run box and offered to go out to his shipping area to see what was in the boxes his company was shipping. Nice guy. I didn’t have him do that because run pegs have to be ordered separately so they aren’t automatically sent with a run.

Emailed Omlet and got a response over the weekend from Clare. ‘So sorry your run box was damaged. I can assure you no pegs were in that box. They are shipped separately from the UK.’

Eglu arrives

Eglu arrives

Out all day running errands and keeping appointments. Called Camille to confirm I would be home in time for us to immediately go to Colorado College for a talk on the book ‘Winkie’, the teddy bear who was held and charged as a terrorist. She slowly said “I don’t think you will want to leave immediately” I thought for only a second then shouted “The eglu has arrived.” She said “Maaaybeeee.” I hurried home to find two huge brown cardboard boxes blocking the path to my front porch.

The delivery person had brought these boxes through the gate and up the walk. The large square box suspiciously marked ‘Pink Chick’ would not fit between the two heavy planters at the crossing paths at the base of the front porch steps. I eagerly started to open the ‘Pink Chick’ box but realized it would be better if I took the time to go into the house and get a pair of pliers to pull the long copper staples. Camille started opening the tall box that I knew would reveal the run. It was upside down and one set of staples was missing and replaced by wide clear tape sort of half-heartedly closing the seams and flaps. Obviously something had happened to that box. Was anything missing? We checked the contents. Only the four curved run wall, the end wall with gate and the predator barrier for the end wall. I ordered run pegs but they weren’t in the run box.

Oh, surely they were in the ‘Pink Chick’ box. We turned to open it. Staples removed, pull the eglu. Nope, didn’t move. Remove a large packing triangle. Pull the eglu. Nope, didn’t move. Remove another large packing triangle. Wow, this thing is well packed. Pull the eglu. Note, didn’t move. Ok, tilt the box, then pull. Hooray, a hot pink eglu is hatched. Oh, how exciting to twist the handle to open the egg door revealing all the gifts inside” a Glub and a Grub; the waterer and feeder, now stuffed with a rolled up dark green shade cloth, a sack of green plastic snaps, 2 different sized roosts and a packet of information. No need to read that until we are totally stymied. Definitely no run pegs. Next look at the packing slip. No pegs listed so hopefully no pegs lost. I will call and confirm.

We played with all the parts and pieces, opened and closed the eglu door, then realized we were late for the lecture so off we dashed.

It was fun to drive back in that evening. When the car lights swung around and flashed across a hot pink mound in the yard.

Chickens, Yes or No?

CHICKENS, YES/NO?

After much calculating about whether to buy an Eglu from Omlet US http://www.omlet.us/ with 2 Gingers or only the Eglu with no chickens, or to order from the eglu from MyPetChicken http://www.mypetchicken.com/ and get the chicks locally. The locally available chicks I’m thinking will be dual purpose only (eggs, then meat!) When I spoke to the farm store man he talked only about Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns. I really want more colorful chickens with colorful eggs.

Today I spoke to Johannes at Omlet.US. He has that lovely sincere, educated and believable English accent. I explained my timing quandary of being sure the delivered chicks would be the same age as the local chicks. We don’t want anyone ‘pulling rank’ and reinforcing it with pecks for exclamation marks.

All this time I’ve been thinking pullets are teenage hens because that’s what my uncle, the chicken farmer called them. Little did I realize in my summer visits that he raised the ‘pullets’ to sell. There were several hundred of them, but only a few laying hens in the actual mature hen coop. My updated education says pullets are female chickens from hatch to first egg.

In Johannes’ quiet sincerity, he must have thought he was talking to yet another crazed Yank woman. He suggested I get all 3 chicks locally (quick solution)…and he would be glad to put an eglu on hold for me, since they wouldn’t be available for a few more days and that would assure me of getting a nice hot pink one soon. As if a few days really mattered in the early March Colorado, altitude 6150 feet. Do we Yanks exude an attitude of wanting to be the first in line or at least, not left behind? Probably. So I put my hot pink eglu order in and Johannes was kind to offer to take my credit card information just to save me time when my eglu was ready to ship. He would call me when they charged my card.

He may have called but not left a message. A few days later the credit card company called verifying the $675 charge to my card. I punched “1” for “yes, if you confirm this charge.” The credit card person was thinking ‘What the heck is this crazy lady buying now?’