CoopCam in Mashpee

We are featured in an article in the local newspaper.

I enjoy and appreciate all the positive feedback that my endeavor has received.

Best regards.

There is a wealth of information out there on raising chickens. Chickens enthusiast are happy to share their stories and experiences. On Chicken Keeping, Terry Golson blogged about Birds of a Feather, Roost Together. Explaining that if you have a mixed flock, the birds of the same breed will roost together at night in little clicks.
After reading that, I noticed my three look-a-like Buffs cuddle together on the roost in the henhouse, while Red (looks slightly different) roost alone on the edge of the nest box. Perches that are too narrow cause the birds discomfort, so we added these (see before/after pictures) for her to rest on. As dusk approach, Red is cozy in the henhouse once again.

The indoor coop cam has been installed. Although the henhouse is small and therefore, the camera is stationary, it is really neat to watch the hens inside the house. It will be very helpful during the winter when I assume they will be spending more time indoors.
Right now the camera is not able to send images to this blog but hopefully soon that will be the case. Keep checking back for the indoor cam and you may see, a hen in the nest box or a freshly laid egg in the nest. A hen on the roost or I could be collecting eggs and/or cleaning out the henhouse. Enjoy!

We had a near escape today. It is a glorious day. I was working in the garden all morning, cutting back, putting the fountain to bed for the season and caging and securing my small evergreens for the winter. I collected three eggs this morning but one of the girls did not lay. Mid afternoon the clucking began so I knew that I had one more egg. When I took a break, I brought the girls a treat. You know how they charge me at the coop door. Well, before I knew it, me and three were inside and one girl was outside, looking so pretty and munching the green grass. Bob was at the arbor fixing the gate door. I yelled for him to come help, but as he came about pretty girl ran off. I knew enough to calmly entice and shoe her with treats back into the coop. This episode only lasted seconds, but all I could think about was a coyote or neighbor dog coming out of the woods. I have no pictures to show, but it was another
adventure in raising backyard chickens!

It’s officially October. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling. A fine day to refresh my window boxes with fall plants and autumn decor. While out and about in my yard, the hens are busy doing hen things. I watch them from afar and am entertained by one foraging a worm and the others on the chase trying to grab the worm before its swallowed. The hen with the worm has to dodge and duck until it has a moment alone to gulp. Next, one will get a burst of energy and take off on a run and flight. They often jump onto the henhouse where the nest boxes jut out and perch there for a while. And then, it will be quiet.

I snuck into the coop and caught two hens in their nest boxes. Once the eggs are laid they come out and loudly cluck the announcement. Speaking of eggs, we are in full production with three or four fresh eggs a day. Thus far, we are keeping up with the usage, and/or are gifting the eggs

An update on the portable roost we recently added to the coop. It was too big and intrusive. It had to be cut down about four inches on each leg and it is now more esthetically pleasing.

So, in accordance with seasonal change; autumn wreaths on the door, pumpkins on the front stoop, the henhouse is sporting its fall decor. And, you know, it won’t be long before winter.

There’s some new gadgets in the coop. I’ve been looking for a proper feed tray and haven’t found anything I like. In one tray I keep the dry food; laying pellets, cracked corn, oats, seeds, etc. In the other tray, I put kitchen scraps; pasta, vegetables, lettuce, etc. The problems been dirt gets into the feed trays when the girls scratch up the sand. That may not bother them but it bothers me. So, I bought two 9″ round cake pans and my husband grometted them together back to back. It works out perfectly because it gives the tray height, is the right size for the four hens to feed at once and is easy to clean.

There’s a new roost in the coop too. Bob built a portable roost from scrap wood. The hens were a little suspicious until they realized it was for their comfort and viewing pleasure. Yes, the girls are spoiled, but they give us back plenty in entertainment, joy and of course, fresh eggs!