Feeder Hacks

 These little feeders are rather nifty. 

• Cost-effective
• Any mason jar fits on the base, a 1 quart mason jar is shown with the magenta base
• small footprint

However, they do have their downsides

• Difficult to keep up and off the ground (subject to shavings going in)
• how the heck do you hang them?
• for minimal food waste, I wait until the top is empty before I refill (except when I want to top it off because of my upcoming schedule)
• after it's been refilled, there's a lot of empty space at the top (see mason jar pic)

Here's what I did with one of the plastic tops.

• Purchased 2 long screws with a nut and eye loops. I used 1/4" screws knowing that I have 1/4" drill bits.
• Drilled a 1 1/4" hole with my spade bit.
• drill the small holes first
• mark your holes with a sharpie first so your center hole isn't too close to a small hole like mine
• I still need a better dowel rod to hang the feeder. In the meantime, I'm using a popsicle stick. I like popsicles.

This gets us another cup of food in the feeder, and we can just pour in more food with a funnel. As for the glass mason jar, I just took some twine laying around and macramamed a hanger for it. I used a similar pattern common for hanging plants. The glass one goes in the Cuckoo Condo, in this case, the clear and enclosed glass is preferred. Also, it's a supplemental feeder and doesn't need to get refilled as often.

I also happen to like orange juice and found the empty containers to look like they could be a handy feed scooper. I measured and marked lines for 1, 2, and 3 dry measuring cups. Noted that 1 dry cup weighs about 6 ounces. Hopefully, I can get the feed subscription on a better schedule now.

#chickenfeedhacks #feederhacks

The Initial Build

Building the Cuckoo Condo had a bit of a tricky start. We started with our list of requirements:

• had to stand up to winds, up to 30 MPH (we found our greenhouse about a quarter mile away)
• our yard has a steep slope, roughly rising 2" every 12"
• automatic door
• maintenance door
• access to a run (short-term and long-term)
• sloped roof for rain capture option (no asphalt shingle so captured water is potable)
• high enough for a run or underrun
• built-in ventilation
• accommodation for a 1' deep litter method
• nest boxes are to be modular, the hens are used to a particular nest box, just moving it into the coop should help make for a smooth transition.

Getting started and how to start. The steep slope was a challenge. Do we dig out a level area? Do we build a retaining wall? To we put the structure on posts?

We wound up with putting the structure on posts. And using the purchased size of the 4'x8' plywood, instead of cutting it to the size of the coop, we kept it as it is for the platform which allows us to have a porch for the condo.

The roof panels are 2'x6', with a longer overhang on the back. This is to help keep the access to the maintenance door a little more dry. Adding in a Lacross Technology Weather Station to manage our guess work on the weather conditions around the coop.

The entry ramp to the condo is attached with a French cleat. This allows for easy removal for maintenance of the porch while serving as a sturdy ramp, especially if they jump on and off of it. The porch floor, btw, has a layer of thin plywood. Also for easy maintenance as we can easily replace it as it wears out.

The automatic coop door doesn't have any safety features. So we have to make sure the timer is set for well after we know they'll be inside.

A stand is built for the waterer and heater. The heater kicks in around 35F and provides about 1-2F additional warmth in the coop.

The nest boxes are on a storage box. Going with a deep litter, the nest boxes needed to be propped up and off the floor. Haven't figured out what to put in the storage box yet.

#coopbuild #diycoop #backyardchickens #byccoop

Cuckoo Condo Features...all about the temperature.

 Polar Vortex this Week... It's a crazy cold week here in PA, like many states in the middle of the country and much of the north. This has me frequently checking on the temperature at the coop.

 Lacrosse Technology Weather Station

Temp at 11:07 PM

This is installed under the eave of the coop roof with an anemometer installed on the top. We get the general weather conditions around the coop.

Temp at 11:07 PM (oops, time is off on the display)

In the run is a remote sensor that I picked up at our local Tractor Supply. Helpful to know that the run, probably because of the panels and being under the coop, is a few degrees warmer than the surrounding temperature. 🙂

Temp at 10:00 AM

And then in the coop is a wifi Lacrosse Technology Sensor for the temperature and humidity. What helps here is that it's tied to an app and collects data for trends. It can get very dusty in the coop!

#chickencoop #diychickencoop #coopbuild

 

Not (Yet) Broody

 Broody is how some chickens get when their hormones tell them that they need to sit on and hatch eggs. Our little silkie, Zelda (Z-bird) was on her nest, flat, for about 17 hours. Thinking that we needed to help her to snap out of it...at least for now, I referenced this site:

How to Stop a Broody Hen

While I was preparing to take her out and carry her around in the winter weather for about 10-15 minutes...when I came out to bring them breakfast, she was out! Fortunately, she stopped on her own.

#chickenpets #winterscratching #backyardchickens

Keep the Line Moving!

 In the middle of winter, our Hen Owners are eager every morning to come out and enjoy some fresh air. And just because you're first in line for the door, you're not always the first one out.

Additionally, if you're one of the first ones out, keep moving! Especially when you're 1/4th the size and weight of your sisters.

#autochickendoor

#backyardchickens

Getting Used to the Snow...

 ...just a little. 😁

Right around sundown, I let any of the Hen Owners out who wanted to explore. Only the Buff Orpingtons were interested, but they did not wander far and Raptor was the most adventurous.

As much as they normally like to explore and wander, Raptor just seemed more interested in wanting to follow me. I had briefly left them to go to the garage. As I returned, she turned around and went back towards the coop though she remained outside. Red jumped up to me to be carried. Guess they've been getting less cuddles with the winter weather.

Penny and Z didn't seem too interested in coming out. Though Penny stuck her head out.

They're such funny and interesting little ones.

#winterchickens #snowchickens #petbufforpingtons