The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

[Nancy]

I keep checking craigs list yesterday that had a couple of roos trade for hens or $5 ea. sigh but had success when I tracked down a guy that's selling eggs and a gal I kept the ph# from an add last spring. They have hens they can part with so hoping in a couple weeks to get going with that. They have eggs too. Seems like e-bay is not selling eggs for auction any more. So I called and will get back to them.
[Still looking for rhode is. reds or other meat breed mix.]
The kid next door is back so probably wants to keep his hens.

Brought the heat light basket of eggs inside last night H. was s
wanting me to do that for a couple of days now sigh so I finally did that.

dgd helped with grape picking yesterday froze some up for chicken food later on.

Today I picked a few plums for h. to have in his lunches.
Can't get hens from the gal I was hoping b/c hers are too old and not laying.

[Nancy]

Homemade Poultry Feed Mix
- 2 parts whole corn
- 3 parts soft white wheat
- 3 parts hard red winter wheat
- ½ part Diatomaceous Earth (not the kind you put in your pool)
- 1 part hulled barley
- 1 part oat groats
- 2 part sunflower seeds
- ½ part peanuts
- 1 part wheat bran
- 1 part split peas
- 1 part lentils
- 1 part quinoa
- 1 part sesame seeds
- 1/2 part kelp
Mix the feed by hand so that it is thoroughly mixed. It doesn't hurt to run your hands through it before feeding in case something settles. This is based on a good bit of Internet research from a variety of places. You may find Bird Farm helpful. It has a lot of specialty mixes. Another good place for information is the forum at Backyard Chickens.
Keep the oyster shell calcium in a container so the chickens can eat it as they need to.
Keep It Fresh
When you make Homemade, organic chicken feed you have the opportunity to completely control everything that goes into it. The tendency is to feel like you should make huge amounts to save time. Don't do it. Another benefit of homemade feed is that it is often more fresh that the commercial feeds, retaining much of the nutrients.
Store your fresh feed in an airtight, covered container.

[Nancy]

Harriet to locate fertile eggs & hens you might look into contacting feed stores in your area they would know who buys a lot of feed. Also ask the mail man.

[Nancy]

Egg CI: We candled the eggs last night and all 12 have chicks growing in them! Yea!

Run progress report:
Harriet The run is white and the play house will be white with periwinkle blue trim when we get it all painted. I have some leftover inside paint so will be doing it later biege or cream I think I can't remember. Since dgd had such a good time helping! She was actually quite a bit of help. Dgson wants to get in on the painting action too. Today I have some ladder work & my taller step stool today.
I have 89-90% of the run painted so far.
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This is a nice coop not mine:
http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/7/7c/90 ... 5_024.jpeg

If you scroll down you can see more pic. of this guys building process, plans too. Seeing this one makes me glad ours is level!

We have a dirt floor for the run part. In the center of the run part the front of mine has a split door on the front side, and single door in the back for cleaning upkeep etc. or will have as we need a couple more 2"x4" first. 8'x14' run with lean to style roof off the 4'x8' play house it has a slanted roof instead of gabel style.

[Trying to keep this info. all together in one spot.]

[Nancy]

I need to pick the tomatoes. Got the areas we did not weed and feed fertilized yesterday and watered those areas and the rest of the yard as well grass is thin in some spots from all the foot traffic to and from the hen pen project.

Hen pen looking good! Most all of the 2nd coat is on it except the split front door and on board that was leaning on the front of the play house I did not see until after cleaning up. The back will have a big door all in one piece not split for cleaning out the coop. The front with a split door will be handy for opening the top and tossing in scratch and or scraps!

Yesterday I got a bit of rabbit wire and a wooden crate at a yard sale it will work for chicks to run in to from hens if they need to that is if they figure that out! LOL! Also got half of 5 gal. of white and biege Columbia interior paint at a yd. sale for inside the house we can use the flat paint in the play house so it looks like painting projects will continue through the end of this year!

I have the back of the house and rec. room [half of the basement] that did not get paint this last go round. So they are going on the list when it's not warm enough to work outside.

[Nancy]

Harriet; Did you know you can buy fertile eggs to hatch on e-bay! I was very surprised to learn that!

This is the last week we have to turn and wait for eggs to hatch! Yea I'm excited but it's been a long time in coming! Helped to have this to look forward to while building the run.

Saw some sex-link female chicks for sale $6 / ten for $50 on craig's list today. They are the teen age ugly stage. It did not say where they are located however from Meyer hatchery. I only got $35 for bday bucks for chickens. And a gift card I can use at a store that sells feed.

[Nancy]

Hen pen is secure enough for hens, h. has a perch to put on the nest box still. The eggs did not hatch so I've been looking for places to acquire hens that lay.

[Harriet]

Nancy, I sent an email to the seller of one nice-sounding young hen on craigslist. I fear she will be too good to be true, because even though she costs no less than others, she sounds perfect! LOL And I've learned that perfect probably is already bought before you get there! LOL So many people out there want you to take roosters, or have some strange breed that won't be good in a small flock.

[Nancy]

One of the hens I wanted is still there but young not laying yet and way over priced for me any way. Other I called on have not returned my call yet might later on today as that gal works. I'm not sure how this works or when the best time to call or go pick up hens I'll have to ask if they get them at night when they roost or what. It would be good to see them first to check health and such. Just as well as dgd is napping.

Another place I called I've driven by two times and cannot find their address. Strange not sure what's up with that.

Others I have yet to call where I got the eggs from that go to our church.

It's cool out and I've not been outside much.

[Nancy]

Wen't back to the place having a yard sale last weekend and were moving that had hens for sale. Paid for some left my pet carrier and box they had one other box and will call after they've caught them. After unsuccessfully trying to catch 'em in the day time. $3.00 ea. a good price even if they are going in to molt, can't get 'em at the store for that!

One had white feathers, another golden color, and black all Easter egger Ameracana sp? breed that lay green / blue eggs, the other three barred rock the ones with sort of black and white striped feathers.

They have been free ranging in the day time so not sure how they will do in a pen I guess we will find out.

We just picked up the hens and put them in the hen pen, four barred rock and one amarconda with white feathers, and one sort of a golden color. Yea!!! They settled right in tonight.