So, I watched my video from September 2016 and I have to say that things look much better than just a year ago. We finished the addition to the chicken coop and put a shingled roof on that side...except we did not have a solid enough foundation for the weight of that type of a roof so We need to figure something out. We have house jacks under it now but that isn't really a solid and permanent solution. I am thinking Cinder blocks and make a real foundation for it. It needs something. My Grandsons painted it for me. I just bought whatever paint was on clearance for mis-colored...so it is pink. I am thinking of getting my granddaughters to paint flowers on it...they are both 6 and I think that they would love to do some art work on it...definitely this Spring. Let's see...I sold what was left of the original hens as they were 2 years old in September. There were only 4 of them left. 7-8 months ago I bought 8 Buff Orpington Chicks and now they are laying like crazy! I think these are my favorites. 2 of my 3 Comets went broody...didn't hatch a thing...they don't stay on the nest if they hear everyone else eating outside. But, they wouldn't stop going back and sitting on those spoiled eggs and I couldn't get them over their broodiness. One got over it when one of the eggs exploded under her...LOLOL. She abandoned the whole idea and deserted the nest and I got to clean up that. The other one I decided was going to go the same way so I went to the local Farmers Supply and bought whatever they had in chicks so she is now mothering 4 Rhode Island Reds. I guess I am back to the same number of chickens. Oh well...20 sounds good. As I said in the video, we grounded the chickens because they destroyed a newly planted garden...but we kicked out the Guinea to free range as he was plucking everyone bald. Such a mean old bird...but I think he is lonely. When my daughters are home he hangs out at their nice new cars and looks at his reflection...pecks at it and basically doesn't move far from the cars. I know that if I see Keets for sale I will be a sucker and buy a few so he will have company.
Bees are ready for winter. They have been treated for Varroa mites. We refilled the Hive Beetle traps with oil. They have a super of honey...sugar water...pollen patties and there are a ton of them. It has been summer weather so we don't have to worry about their numbers quite yet. We got a total of 85 lbs of honey. We gave some of it back to them for the winter. But although we weren't really on top of them all season I still think that is pretty good. I am happy with it.
That's it for now...Part 2 coming
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