[Ag-eq] Cold

[Jewel]

I don't know if it was on this list, or perhaps it was goatsplus, someone gave us a graphic account 
of when she was attacked by her Rhode Island Red rooster.  They are birds with an * attitude and 
must be WATCHED and WATCHED  very carefully.
After that attack, she never entered the chook run without  a weapon:  a rake:  .  "Once bitten, 
twice shy!":
The rooster  had one more go at her, but he found what the rake was for and never tried it on a 
third time, but he always made an aggressive display, clearly telling her that if she forgot the 
rake, or turned her back, he was ready and armed and would not hesitate to rip her up again!
         Jewel
--------------------------------------------------
From: "dogwood farm via Ag-eq" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 4:38 AM
To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "dogwood farm" <dogwoodfarm62 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Cold

Tracy

I did have chickens and my last dozen were killed by a particular
farrel tom cat from June to October about 4 years ago.  We are working
to strip out the coops with new wire top to bottom and doing extreme
cat proofing as we go along.

With cold weather like this, the main thing we did is to make sure
that they were shut up tight over night, checked their water twice
daily for ice, made sure their inside food (mash) stayed accessible
and their scratch was either spread on a wooden plank inside if it was
actively snowing or on a cleared plank outside in their run.  My Rhoad
Island Red rooster was extremely protective of his hens and if there
was snow outside he would not let them go outside threw the little hen
door.  We would have to open the bigger people door and stand between
him and the door so they could get outside for a while.  He would only
allow them to eat their scratch if it was on the ground or on the
plank, anything else such as a flattened feed bag or the lid of a
bucket and he acted as though there was a wolverine in the pin.

The cold didn't seem to bother them very much as long as they had
their creature comforts and a little more shavings in their boxes and
straw on the floor.  They spent the majority of their time inside
their hen boxes or scratching around in the straw.  Little to no egs
were laid in this time period because they were still considered in
their molting stage.  I would gather eggs during the evening feeding
to lessen the chance of freezing, but if they did freeze and slightly
crack, the cold protected them and they could still be used safely, as
long as they were used that day.  Very rarely did that happen.

Matt and I both really miss the little buggers.  Their contented
clucking and the roosters crowing became such a calming background
noise that when you aren't hearing it any more, it really leaves a
void around the farm.

Susan
dogwoodfarm62 at gmail.com

_______________________________________________
Ag-eq mailing list
Ag-eq at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ag-eq:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/jewelblanch%40kinect.co.nz