The bar fridge down at the horse agistment that we use for storing carrots (horses like them) has decided that 2011 is it’s last year of operation. No complaints it must be over 20 years old, thermostat appears to be working OK but when it cuts in compressor just hums – or whines no pun.
Purchased two of these online at Officeworks as clearance items for $50 plus a extra 18M AV cable for $8 bucks – free delivery. This was my first online purchase with Officeworks and they screwed up my order – more about this later.
Besides the obvious home security scenarios my plan is to monitor our four bantams (yes chickens) while the roam the back and front yards. Not long ago we had a nasty incident in the back yard where two crows butchered a turtle dove, found the chooks huddled under the bay leaf tree, and last year we arrived home to discover one of the Wyandottes had been attacked by something, we think magpies protecting their young. Spring is silly season for many animals and birds and swooping maggies are in the news again so I am intending to use the CCTV system to keep an eye on the outside yard.
Actually only one of the chooks – Lilly.
That’s Lilly looking at the camera, she is a very gentle docile Pekin but a bit “slow”, at times she bordering on NQR.
Beautiful day so decided to rake out the hay from the main chook run and the adjoining annex area and replenish with cleaner hay that comes of the floors of the two storage sheds down at the horse agistment. We purchase 10 or 12 bails every few months and its surprising how much ends up on the floor which usually gets swept out and dumped. Now that we are retirees I find myself looking for ways to be a bit more thrifty so I bag the hay (empty horse feed bags) and bring it home for the chook run. The finer stuff contains a lot of grass seed, just throw it around where the grass is struggling to grow in the backyard and the chooks will come along and scratch it in and before long – green grass!
Raking out the two areas fills the green bin.
MAIN CHOOK RUN
The chook shed
The bedroom area
ANNEX AREA
Above: The annex entry
Above: Wooden cloths drying rack to roost and catch the morning sun
Above: The annex roof is covered with a tarp on one side adjacent to the main run so the area is more usable in the winter months.
Exciting day for us backyard chook lovers, our two Pekins decided to lay their first eggs – together!
Got home from tending the horses and doing a bit of shopping and as usual straight down to the chook run to let the girls out. Checked inside their shed and found a surprise in each box – eggs!
We got them in May when Speckles (left) was about 8 weeks and Lilly around 12 weeks old.
Not sure who did what so I can’t label them S and L. They have a different cast so in the next week or so I’ll know who’s laying say the whiter one – LOL.
Returned home Friday afternoon after a visit to the Vet with the cats.
Discovered another crime scene, the little devil dog has been busy entertaining herself with my new slippers!
The guilty party: Pixie pretending to be asleep on the bed – not me.
No comment needed…
Pixie expecting her friend Shyla.
One of the greatest threats to the health of poultry is mites – bird mites.
If birds are allowed to enter and roam the chook run area it’s likely you will end with with a mite infestation, this is particularly so in the summer months. This is one of the reasons why I built a annex extension onto the chook run.
Fortunately chooks are programmed to get rid of their freeloaders – they dust.
Speckles and Lilly, the new Pekins about 20 weeks old and been with us for about one month now. On the right is Misty and Ruby, they are Wyandotte’s about three years old.
We have had a lot of rain lately but they are able to still dust in dry soft dirt under the garden gazebo. This is one reason why I haven’t paved that area yet.
We have two dogs and three cats, now that winter is more or less here they are not that keen some mornings to get moving. Morning of Tuesday 24th of May was particularly quiet?
Above: Pixie in the main bedroom.
Above: Holly on one of the lounge chairs.
Above: Milo and Phoenix on the other seat.
And Luna all by herself on the balcony rocking chair.
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