The First Storm of the Season

Friday evening, the snow arrived just as predicted.  It snowed all night, and the heaviest of the snow came Saturday morning.

Antigone safely in the Morton building

making sure everyone else came into the barn

I went out in the morning to check on everyone with all the changes I had made.  The bucks’ tub was frozen, so I switched it out with one that worked, and then everything was all good.

Antigone safe and dry in the Morton building

Happy, happy chickens!

Checking to see how all my tarps did at keeping the wind and snow out of the barn.

It worked! Only a tiny bit of snow where the gap is in the door (Joy)

Everyone hanging out and watching it snow (Daisy)

I put a panel across the north to keep that tarp held down. (Melba, Moonshine, and Pluto)

Maybeline

a bonus of Miss Goose and Buffy because they are so cute.

The Gabe and Donkey snuggling on the bale of hay they spread around

Greg and Kong happy in the buck room.

It continued all day.  Sunday morning left us in a winter wonderland with a ton of scooping snow.  Hello, winter.

Another Change

Since I successfully moved the chickens Thursday evening, that gave me the opportunity to make another switch the next day–the big bucks.

Donkey in the doorway

They were happy in the Morton building, and this really was a downgrade for them, but it was rather necessary.  I went to work when everyone was out in pasture, oblivious to the winter storm that was approaching.

the herd in pasture

The boys were also in the north paddock eating, so I closed the panel that let them come into the Morton building pen.

Gabe and Donkey through a now closed panel

I (mostly) finished clearing out the old chicken section in the barn.  Then I got it ready for the boys with a big tub of water in a heated bucket and a couple of tubs of hay.

mostly cleaned up with tubs of hay

heated tub and a salt/mineral block

Then I opened the outside pen. I forgot I had two full panels overlapped across here, so it was a bit of a job.  And I didn’t want to cut the panel, so it’s sort of staked open and then I put that big paving stone there to hold it open.

what a mess

I might have also put a piece of panel behind my gate into the pen.  Bucks like to push and fight, and weak gates lead to oopsie babies.

with supervising llamas, Maybeline and Skittles

Then I led them in by using a pitcher of goat feed. Of course, they were clear on the other side eating by the time I got ready to invite them in.

Gabe and Donkey

They were happy to come to me. I barely got in and turned around to take a picture before Gabe was right there.

Gabe coming through

They had no problem coming in and eating.

In their new accommodations

I do have the top door shut to block some snow and wind.  It’s the first time I’ve had something besides birds in this section of the barn.

They are such good boys

They went back to eat some more on pasture, but it might be the last they go out there for a while.

That feed was lip smacking good!

Now, with the storm coming, I have a place to put some wimpy goat to give her shelter and food since I shut her out of the Love Shack.

Laying outside when it’s 12° after I shut the Love Shack.

So I think I am done moving everyone around…until I mix the girls who are open with the bucks to make June babies.

A Plan Implemented

I was hoping to wait until winter break to move the chickens into the Love Shack, but I couldn’t wait.

I picked up all of the posts on the ground.

Not only were the temperatures looking horribly frigid for late November, but Mother Nature decided to throw a heavy snow our way.

The local forecaster posted this Wednesday before the storm.

So, after a ridiculously windy Wednesday that made doing anything outside impossible, I decided after Thanksgiving dinner was the time to move the nest boxes to the Love Shack.

On blocks and secured to the wall

That was followed by the heated water and food container.

Hopefully, this will end the wild birds using their water as a bath.

Then the chickens!  Fun fact–chickens can’t see in the dark, so I turned the light off and shut the door.  When I peeked in and it was kind of dark, I decided it was time.

I had no idea where they were before the flash.

I ended up going for the wild brown leghorns first.  They were side by side and I figured I should be able to get one of them.  Well, I accidentally got both in one hand.  I couldn’t hold them and was afraid I would hurt someone, so I let one go. I put the other one in a pet taxi. Then I caught another hen, a barred rock, and put her in the pet taxi.  Then I caught another of the young ones and put her in the pet taxi. She freaked out and I was afraid someone was going to get hurt, so I rushed them over and let them out in the Love Shack.

The first three I moved.

After giving them a bit more time, I caught another. Then another.  And I had to be sneaky and turn the lights on and off and open the top door to make it a bit darker.  I wanted them to go back up to roost because that makes it easier to catch them.

Six of them in the Love Shack

And then there were two left.  And they were not about to go up and roost.

The brown leghorn that I had to let go and the last of the young barred rocks.

So I left them for quite a while with the light on and just let them settle down.  I kept going out and checking, and they were not about to go up to roost. Finally, they went up, so I flipped the lights off.  By this time it was pitch black in there and I was working blind too.  I luckily, ended up right in front of the brown leghorn and just picked her up.  The barred rock was not so easy.  I accidentally touched her but couldn’t grab, so she jumped down.  I used my flashlight to see where she cornered herself, and I very slowly worked my way towards her.  And then I blind grabbed and got her! She also kind of freaked out, so I put her in the pet taxi and rushed them over to their new home.  Now, everyone is settled snugly into the Love Shack.

all eight hens

Hopefully, this will keep my old girls warmer and all of them safe through the winter.