Coop Cleaning, Chickens and Cats

Which one of the above do not belong? Well in the chicken zone, I mean.

Cats............... Now let me start by saying we have cats, in fact we have more then a few kitty cats. My cat collection (NOT hoarding) started with an article in the paper saying (and I DO NOT quote) "To many adults cats, come get one for free or we will kill them" Sounded more like a hostage situation then a plea for help.  But I called my daughter and we drove up to a county NORTH of here and went inside.  I have always wanted a smooshed faced kitty cat.  They didn't have any. But I found my Isabelle.

Isabelle

She is a snowshoe kitty. She is very friendly and loyal.  Then came some more kitties, I wanted another like Izz ~ and was convinced to take sisters. So that was Brittney and Santana. (Yes, Glee, No, I didn't name them) Next was the poor little guy that was skin and bones and declared mean at the Cat (hoarding location) ooops I mean Shelter. His name is Benz and he followed me around and kept looking at me with those "I know you are a sucker, take me home pleeeeeeeese" eyes.

Benz

Yes I finally got my smooshed face kitty cat. I kept him, yes, I just took him one day to "fatten" him up and I kept him. How can you not love this face?  I could write an entire blog about Benz and his faces. But then I would be digressing.

After Benz, B and I decided to rescue this little boy that was failing quickly, not eating, being picked on, yatta yatta yatta.  Yea they saw me coming a frickin mile away.  Little Tucker is a a tiny little tuxedo boy, but we cannot leave with just one kitten, nooooooooooooo, B saw an orange dude that he kinda fancied. So now we have Isabelle, Brit, San, Tucker, Tiereny and that night, and I am NOT making this up, the night we brought Tucker and Tierney home the dogs treed Fergus and Fiona. Two little feral brother/sister kittas that were literally scared stuck.  We climbed a ladder and got them. We decided to find them a home.  OURS! Gahhhhhhh. 

So clearly I like cats, but when the feral cats in my neighbor's yards are climbing my fence and doing recon on my chickens something has to change.  So I bought the Predator Lights from Amazon. Put them out, apparently cats could give a crap about a red blinking light.  

Last night I went outside to close the door to the run after dark.  The chickens had already roosted and that door shuts automatically.  I closed the door, latched it and heard a rustling noise.  I stood up straight and ready to run, shown my big ass mag light around and I see movement, in the run.  Holy FRICK!!!!!!!!!! It is a kitten.  NO NO NO I am saying NO NO no more. I unlocked the gate and out it ran. Closed the door again and latched it. Heard the same FRICKIN noise again. Now I am peeing myself.  Unlocked the gate and opened it and another freaked-out kitten comes flying out of the run. A larger cat had been standing guard on the fence and he bailed as soon as I opened the fence to the chicken zone. I stood there for a bit and then decided the coast was clear, no more flippin cats in the run.  Went inside, told B and then worried all night that one was hiding and upon sunrise it would be completely manic and kill all of my chickens in the run area. 

No, that did not happen, but I have to figure this cat situation out.  Hungry cats will kill my chickens while free ranging and then it will get ugly!  Just sayin.  

The cats are feral, my neighbor feeds them but doesn't spay or neuter them. So it is kitten palooza around my area.  I so want to call animal control, but cannot do it, that's just a sad end for the cats. Do I trap and relocate, or otherwise known as passing your troubles to another. Do I put razor wire up along fence?  What oh what do I do?

I did a major coop clean over the weekend, everything was removed and hosed down, then spritzed with a water/bleach mixture and left to dry.  After everything was dry I sprinkled DE everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. Then put all new fresh hay in for the chickens.  All the waste was put into an empty garden box to compost. 

Prior to my coop cleaning, whether it be a major or a general one, I wear my chicken boots, gloves, a mask and eye protection. I had an eye infection two months ago that was NASTY, and the only thing I could link it to was not wearing goggles and touching my eye with chicken hands. I would post a picture of my eye in full rage but this isn't that kind of blog. Trust me it~was~gross!

So wear your safety protection and use it all ONLY for cleaning your coop.  I keep my boots in my garage and then rest of the gear is in the shed by the coop. 

When I clean out my coop I make sure to keep an eye out for little tiny pests such as mites, ants, fleas, etc. DE will usually handle that situation, so I keep a huge galvanized garbage can full of it on hand.  I sprinkle it liberally inside and outside around the perimeter of the coop. Ants Ants Ants.  Always a problem here in Florida.  The chickens don't seem to mind, but when I pick up a paver and there are 40 kazillion ants under it all carrying eggs, I gotta TERMINATE! I use the DE instead of chemicals because ~ well my chickens might nibble on that piece of grass I just coated in chemical warfare.

So there we have it, Cats and chickens ~ not normally a good mix, and in my case, I declare war.................

Tonight it is on like Donkey Kong. Water bottle or maybe a hose and flash light perimeter watch.

Sno, my beautiful little white Amerucana

I want to share a little story about one of my hens.  Her name is Sno, I got her and her sister Mo after one of my Silkies went to the big coop in the sky.  I didn't think Jenny would do good alone, so I rushed off to Griff's and got two baby chicks. Both Amerucanas.  Sno was the only pure white one and ~ well I had to have that one and then we picked mo, because she had a black patch in her head that looked like a mohawk.  That lasted about a month and then it was gone.

Snow and Mo have been raised by my Jenny, they always nestled next to her and roosted with her when they got bigger.  They were so much smaller than she was, but being a Batam Silkie Jenny is now dwarfed by Sno and Mo.

Jenny and Sno

That is Jenny and Mo, right when I introduced them.  I am sure Jenny was like "what the heck is this thing?". But she quickly started mothering them.  Never a peck or a squawk towards them.

Jenny and Mo

They all stayed in the brooder until Mo and Sno had their feathers and then I put them in the little coop.  I didn't want to throw them right in with Carrie and Miranda, they were already established and HUGE!!!

So after about another month after it was dark and I put all three into the big coop, I call it the "slip 'em in while they are asleep" tactic.  They all wake up and would be like, "Yo who are you?" "Dude I have been here forever, you are losing it"

It worked, they all five get along great.  In fact sometimes they all roost side by side. Carrie laid her first egg November 25, 2012, Miranda followed about 3-4 weeks later. 

Then on Wednesday January 23, 2013 I came home and gathered eggs, there were THREE! I was sure I collected late the night before so I knew I had a mystery layer. I had a mystery to solve and by golly I grabbed my Nancy Drew hat and I dug right in.  I gathered DNA, took finger prints, made mold castings of foot prints. It was on, on like Donkey Kong.  

Three blue eggs, the brown is a wooden one
Apparently I was so excited I could not hold camera still

Actually I popped out the SIM card of the trail camera I set up in the coop aimed right at box number one, the one Carrie and Miranda use. Ran into the house, and put it in my computer to find the frame that told who dun it!

Thanks to technology mystery solved, time date and temperature recorded  

This picture is the exact moment she stood up after laying her very first egg.  I am so proud..........tear!

She was hatched sometime at the end of July 2012 or the beginning August 2012, I got her on the 24th, and she had to have been a few weeks old before they sell them.  So the wait is on for Mo to start laying.  Jenny should be close too. So roughly 5-1/2 - 6 months old when she laid her first egg. 

I have since bought two more cameras for outside when they are free ranging. I want to see more of what Rogue does during the day when mine are in their run and he is outside looking in.

This weekend is my first official "Super Duper Coop Clean", I am going to remove all hay, feeders and pressure wash the coop and spritz some bleach, rinse and let dry.  Once dry I will sprinkle some DE about and re hay the coop.  Chickens do not really smell per say, but the poop is I guess what people complain about being so smelly.  I dump and clean off the poop tray weekly and I don't think I ever say "OMG these things stink". I smell their bodies more then the poop actually.  But that has that warm animal smell.  But then again when you compare three Labradors and one cock-a-poo's poop everything smells good.  The big dogs - WOW!!!!! I feel like I am on constant poop patrol, chickens, dogs and cats. POOP POOP POOP!

The pressure wash plan was hatched (pun intended) after my neighbor two doors down pressure washed his sidewalk.  NOW I have to do mine, and since I will have it out, may as well do the back patio and end out the day with a coop clean. (I will probably start with the coop so it can dry before dark).

If you are interested in joining a fantastic chicken community group on facebook please type into the search bar ~ Annmarie Fino.  Friend request her and you can join this group, we are hoping to form a little community 

Here is what the creator has to say about it:

ATTENTION: South Florida areas of Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Collier County.We are attempting to build a network of chicken friends, breeders, and backyard enthusiasts for production birds, pets, and show in the (very south) South Florida areas of Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Collier County.Once we have a group of 5 or more, we would like to begin immediately with workshops, backyard tours, and swaps so that we can learn from each other, and share resources and support.Will you please help us find others in our area by promoting our new Facebook group via this search term ...SoFlo Chick N Friends or contact me directly through private message on BYC.I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HELP!XOXO ANNMARIE

Three Months Hiatus....................

Wow, the holidays kept me so busy, with a new grandson and all that good stuff! I hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.

I have been busy crafting, gardening and chicken wrangling. Not so much wrangling except for those two times, more just sitting and watching them do what chickens do and getting to know all of their personalities.

CHICKENS 

Well since I posted last Carrie laid the first egg on November 25, 2012

Carrie's first egg

I was laying in bed on that Sunday, the windows were open since we were having a cold front. All of a sudden I heard chicken screaming, not the "we are getting attacked" noise but more of a "OMGOSH this hurts" noise. I knew what it was as soon as I heard it.  But I didn't count my eggs before they laid, oh no I got up and ready for church in my normal mode and when I went out to the coop ~ THERE IT WAS!!!!!!!!!

A little tiny perfect blue egg. So proud.

Since then we have had two layers, Carrie and Miranda.  This past Sunday I gathered two small eggs, not sure if I have a third layer or missed Miranda's egg the night before.  They use the same nesting box, out of six, they use just the first one.

We had to build a chicken fence to keep the dogs from terrorizing the chickens and also wanted them to have free range time as much as possible.

Coop Fence

Here it is partially complete, it is finished, I just failed to take a photo.  We also have a rouge chicken that comes into the yard. "My milkshake brings all the boys to my yard" or rather 

my chickens bring all the ................... you know where I am going with that.  Anyway, I named it Rouge, I am still not sure whether it is a roo or a hen.  I think it is a wild chicken though, looks like my Amerucanas do, but skinny and just different.  It hasn't held still enough to take a photo, but it is getting more used to me, this morning I was out there and it stayed rather then running away. 

Speaking of roos...............  Willow ~ one of my Buff Orpingtons that I hatched well, now it's Will I Am ~ like the dude from The Black Eye Peas. He is a lovely rooster that has yet to crow, but two out of two experts (myself and my chicken partner in crime) agree that this IS a rooster.

Will I Am

I hatched that handsome fellow!!  The chickens have been free ranging while I am home and they really love it. (Please note that in this photo you will see two orange 5 gallon buckets, they are covering sprinkler heads that would drench the coops, so until I get them capped, we have buckets) Don't judge.

Free Range

I haven't yet put down mulch over the sand, so I have been putting the hay from the nesting boxes down when I clean out the coop. Honestly I don't think they care one way or another, as long as they can scratch they are happy, and a worm or grub BONUS!!! They have the whole side of the house (top of pic) and more space behind where I was standing to take the pic. That is Will I Am and Jenny in the fore ground, Mo and snow and one of the Cookoo Marans with either Carrie or Miranda. 

And so you know, one person ~ even with a pool net CANNOT catch a chicken that doesn't want to be caught. Ever.

GARDEN

The garden has been a huge learning experience, I haven't learn near enough yet though.  South Florida is a challenge to grow veggies.  To date I have harvested; tomatoes, broccoli, a few beans, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce and the ever popular dollar weed! Most of the crops grew and grew and then overnight died. Such as squash and zucchini, in fact I had actual vegetable growth and starts for both and then overnight it seemed the whole plant died. The carrots were bitter, the chickens enjoyed the green parts and I gave the carrots to a friend with a bunny. We ate the cauliflower, broccoli, banana peppers, lettuce and  tomatoes too,  but now I am down to only tomatoes.  I have been giving the chicken the actual plants they love the green parts!

Cauliflower 

Fresh veggies!

CRAFTINESS

I was super crafty for Christmas, I made almost all the gifts I gave. Cookie recipe in a jar, cinnamon ornaments, beeswax candles, spice simmer and dish clothes.  I also made a new wreath for my front door.

Christmas Wreath 2013

Over this past weekend I tried my hand at soap making and last week I made laundry detergent.  I have to also give props to the inventor(s) of Pinterest.  Such wonderful inspiration!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you.

So I made this laundry sauce as it was called, mine came out more like laundry whip, which has a pretty cool ring to it. And I do not mean ring around the collar.  Anyway, I will be selling it in my etsy store once I have that all up and running, I am in testing mode right now.  If it doesn't test well I won't sell.  But here is a little before and after, yes the pictures were not taken in the same room, but the only lighting was the flash. 

Before Laundry Whip

And here is the after

After

The reason I took after pics in another room was so I could put all four dog beds together, did not think to do that before. The whip has the purest, cleanest, freshest smell ever.  Even better than fresh cut grass!!!

Cold Process Soap.  I had to, just had to, I love homemade soap so much I had it stocked piled from when I would go to New Hampshire. Lately though, non, zilch, nada.  I had to resort to commercially made soap. (Kicking rocks) So I did my research, I read books, blogs, looked at Pinterest until I am officially addicted to it.  But over this past weekend I officially became a soap maker.  Can I have an AMEN! Now mind you soap takes four weeks or more to cure, so the testing will have to wait, but during clean up there were some bits and pieces left on the mold and who am I to waste so I washed my little hands with the bits.  Even 24 hours into the cure I had lather, I had softness and most important I have a great smelling guest room now.  The soap is in there curing. 

Soap in the molds

The soap is Lemon Lavender Oatmeal Soap

Curing

Curing 

I also tried my hand at making a sugar scrub and a chicken suet ring, unfortunately no pictures yet.

So that is a few months all wrapped up into a few paragraphs, you are probably sitting there thinking she did like four things, she totally could have blogged more.  You are right, I could have, but things happen, things change, people need to readjust to what is going on in their worlds. 

Thanks for visiting and come back soon.