Monday 17 August 2015

What am I like?

(wrote this weeks ago, didn't click post oooooops)

Can't believe it.

Ive had chickens for a good few weeks but forgot to put it in my blog. Plenty Facebook and Twitter post though. Probably far too many for some.

Started with 4,  but following weekend crept up to 6. All different breeds.

So. From really poor memory, we have 1 of each of the following.
Rhode Island Red
Barnevlder
Blue Haze
Speckledy
Frizzle type (oh bugger, always forget this one)
And and AND.. HMM. I'll get back to you.

I didn't expect it to be such fun/relaxing/confusing/terrifying all rolled into one parcel.

We don't know exactly the ages, but all pre egg laying when bought . There are 3 age groups of feed, handy when you don't know an age. One of them for egg layers, which 2 have recently started.

My coop which is sturdy has an arse for a roof. I built into the frame a gentle slope for rain to run off. Alas plastic panels just gathered water and leaked. I replaced that with blue tarpaulin. Again water gathered in certain areas and dripped through. Also the tarp colour prevented alot of natural sunlight getting in.

Next, clear transparent thick tarpaulin with wooden beams under neath. While the leaking stopped. Flipping roof doesn't drain effectively  so holds onto alot of water and therefore weight. This needs fixed prior to winter and the snow it will bring.

Health wise. 1st four either came with or developed a respiratory problem early on. Our local vet which specialises in farm animals, give us plenty of antibiotics for less than a tenner. Couldn't believe how cheap it was.

I managed to fix roof (I think) by inserted wood under the tarpaulin, forcing an apex shape.