Dust bathing and fires

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    project-dustbath-buffDespite the dramatic headline, this has nothing to do with dust bathing causing fires. The relationship is all in the re-use. We heat our home with wood and collect the fireplace ash to use in the barn for making dust baths for the birds. The enjoy the ash and combined with a little sand, it is a great way for them to clean themselves and keep the biting pests at bay.

    Here you can see Gladys, one of our Buffs enjoying one of the pans we set out for them. There is a line waiting for the bath! It is funny to see chickens line up to take turns, and they seem to do it on a regular basis for baths and nesting boxes, though never for food. When it is dinner time, it is all hands (wings?) on deck at the same time.

    Categories: Animals Chickens Poultry

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    Chicken Nesting Box with access door

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    building the frame and attaching it to the wall

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    Filling in a little nesting material

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    Whoo hoo – an action shot with the Orpingtons

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    Easy access from the barn hall way

    In our large common indoor pen, we built an access panel to accommodate access to future nesting boxes and we finally got around to building the nesting boxes this winter.

    For those of you who saw our post about the turkey nesting boxes and noted the 2×4 roost, this one is considerably smaller. That is due to the fact that chicken hens way a lot less and also have smaller feet, allowing the more size appropriate roost.

    The external access is great, and would make egg collecting chores easier, except we added other nesting boxes in the main pen for breed isolation during the spring egg season. Once we mix the hens again, this will be more helpful!

     

    Categories: Animals Building Things Chickens

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    Turkey Nesting Boxes

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    Our turkeys got to laying stage and needed something besides finding piles of hay or straw to lay eggs in so we used up a variety of the scrap bits we had around to set up a 2 seater nesting box. The back is screwed into the barn structure, so there are only legs on the front.

     

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    Installing the frame

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    Roof on, ready for hay

    The front of the nesting box has a 2×4 step up rail to give the girls an easy way to get in and out of the nests and has worked quite well.

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    all ready for turkeys when they are done in the dust bath!

    Now we are ready for eggs! We did note that we should have installed the back rail to keep eggs from rolling out the back when the hens got carried away, but that was an easy fix and we are now in business.

     

    Items to remember if you build your own:

    • A nice sloped roof that overhangs the nest by a few inches discourages pooping in the nest.
    • Make sure you have the nests high enough to reach in comfortably without too much bending.
    • The girls need a roost bar to get in more comfortably, but it is not required.
    • Hay is better than straw inside as it is softer and makes a nicer nest

    Categories: Animals Building Things Projects Turkey

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    Patton, our Sanaanen Goat

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    sanaanen-goat-2We got Patton as a rescue goat, to keep our Nigerian Dwarf herd sire Mattis company. He is a wether, and a gentle giant.

    All he wants is attention and love, and he is quite the escape artist if left in the pasture too long! We have come to love this guy despite his shenanigans, and enjoy him following us around the barnyard like he is another one of our dogs.

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    Categories: Animals Goats

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