So I’m trying something out for a bit and have changed up the routine. I was feeding pellets in the morning with a little scratch and mealworms in the afternoon. I’m going to experiment with soaked whole grains fed in the morning with pellet feeders topped off in the afternoon. In addition they are getting some loose alfalfa hay with a lot of loose leaves.
The alfalfa helps keep their yolks dark when there aren’t a lot of other green feeds available.
Mmmm. The fennel and some of the arugula in this bed either need more water or they have freeze damage. I’m not sure which.
Grrrr. Rats /squirrels! Ate the tops off the radishes.
They are coming in under the fence here from a wild area, even though there is fencing laid on the ground they got under it.
So I pegged it down some more with these and some rocks.
I filled this void in the wall by the front door with styrofoam packing I got from work.
And I got the first coat of paint over the raw plywood.
I picked up more hay sweepings for the chickens and some broken pallets for firewood.
Both of the younger Buff Orpington pullets laid today with a couple of olive eggers.
Being the end of the year I have been pondering some things and doing some cost accounting. Currently it is costing me almost $10 a day just to feed the hens and pullets while I’m only getting about $2 worth of sale able eggs. So in the next couple of weeks all the oldest hens are going to become soup.
I took a census today as I was feeding.
Large fowl
Hens: 63
Cocks: 5
Pullets: 48
Cockerels: 13
Bantams. 22
Most of the cockerels are culls and headed to the freezer. At least one really mean cock will join them. About 7 of the bantams will be sold off as pets. At least 25, preferably more, of the old hens need to go also. That will give me more space for the others. I’ll also need space soon to hatch and raise chicks for this year.
This afternoon I was fluffing bedding and discovered mouse tunnels. One made the mistake of running into the pen next door.
And then the silkies got in on the act.
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