# Watching The Chickens



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

I've found sometimes it does me good just to sit back & be still. I can see where meditation could be good for the soul, but whenever I try... I fall asleep. If I tried yoga I am 1000% certain something would break. So for me, that leaves getting out & enjoying the world God has given us. And for me, for some reason, I just love watching chickens. Their antics amuse me and their work ethic fascinates me. This past weekend I brought down the four chicks that I've been raising in the brooder. When you introduce new birds to the flock, it normally involves a bit of chasing by the older birds. This is where we get the saying "pecking order", as the old ones have to put them in their place to show dominance.

So here I am enjoying a late afternoon with the gals. Blueberries are straight ahead with peaches over to the left. Behind me, not shown, is a catfish pond loaded with grain fed fish.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

Yup.. we go sailing or watch the animals.. horse, chicken, dogs, etc.... relaxing.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

I feel the same way about watching my fish. It's very peaceful. Got tank in the house and if the weather is nice I can watch the koi in my pond.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

@******* That is a nice setup for your chickens. What breed is that grey pullet?


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Joe said:


> @******* That is a nice setup for your chickens. What breed is that grey pullet?


Thanks. During the day they have access to the blueberries, which are also fenced in and have bird netting over as well. For security, I close down that white door to the berries when I go down prior to sunset. The coop door has a Brinsea automatic opener.

We call her Smoke and she is an Easter Egger. Actually the darker one is too. The other two are Rhode Island Red.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Piratesailor said:


> Yup.. we go sailing or watch the animals.. horse, chicken, dogs, etc.... relaxing.


In my younger days, I enjoyed sailing. Too much work now and not enough time. 

I have 9 dogs that live in the house with us... all rescues and captures. Every afternoon when I come home they greet me like I've been gone for a year. My 4 horses are majestic animals and I especially enjoy watching them on cold mornings when they run around like idiots playing grab ass.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

@*******
Always love seeing your place and hope one day our little homestead will be half as good as yours!

Mrs S has been wanting chickens for years and for whatever reason we just haven't committed....

However, at her request recently, I cleared and leveled the area that we designated as our future chicken coop and run area and hope to show off at least a Coop And Run Build-Out in the near future.

You sir are an inspiration!

Slippy!


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Slippy said:


> @*******
> Always love seeing your place and hope one day our little homestead will be half as good as yours!
> 
> Mrs S has been wanting chickens for years and for whatever reason we just haven't committed....
> ...


 @Slippy, you need to get out more. :tango_face_smile: I'm just a simple ******* wannabe that loves my God, my freedom, my country and my farmstead.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

What are you going to do with all those dollar bills your saving??


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Chipper said:


> What are you going to do with all those dollar bills your saving??


Not sure what that means. Seems for ever dollar I save, my wife spends two. :tango_face_smile:


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

******* said:


> I've found sometimes it does me good just to sit back & be still. I can see where meditation could be good for the soul, but whenever I try... I fall asleep. If I tried yoga I am 1000% certain something would break. So for me, that leaves getting out & enjoying the world God has given us. And for me, for some reason, I just love watching chickens. Their antics amuse me and their work ethic fascinates me. This past weekend I brought down the four chicks that I've been raising in the brooder. When you introduce new birds to the flock, it normally involves a bit of chasing by the older birds. This is where we get the saying "pecking order", as the old ones have to put them in their place to show dominance.
> 
> So here I am enjoying a late afternoon with the gals. Blueberries are straight ahead with peaches over to the left. Behind me, not shown, is a catfish pond loaded with grain fed fish.


Nice setup!

Chickens are next winter/spring's project. I hope you will be open to offering some advice to a chicken-virgin.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Inor said:


> Chickens are next winter/spring's project. I hope you will be open to offering some advice to a chicken-virgin.


Most certainly. Just ask. #1 advise: Never use chicken wire. Many folks use it because of its name, but the holes are too big and it is not strong enough. All the door openings and windows in my coop are covered with hardware cloth. Once again, stupid name, because it is not cloth, but wire mesh with small openings. Many a chicken has died by a predator reaching in thru chicken wire.

Just like us, most predators love to eat chicken. Not only are they full of tasty meat, but they do little to protect themselves. Now some folks would state they are stupid because of that but they have, like some other species, a survival strategy that is different than our own. Some species have few offspring. Humans & horses can have say one a year, so they do everything possible to protect themselves and their young. Other species survive by out reproducing the predation... thus chickens laying an egg almost every day. One survival strategy is not "better" than the other, as both obviously work. One strategy doesn't make one smart and one stupid. It all fits into God's plan.

Excuse my verbal diarrhea, but protecting your birds has to be your number one priority. Especially if you don't have roosters, which I don't, then it is your job to protect them as best possible. The coop has to be impenetrable. They have to roost at night because they are night blind. When you let them out during the day, try to make their run as safe as possible. My runs (including the blueberry patch) are fenced in and have bird netting over the top. And please, don't get chickens if you plan to keep them locked up 24 hours a day. Even without runs, some folks make chicken tractors which are portable coops that can move around the yard/pasture. It has the coop and small run built together. So every day or so, they move the tractor so that the birds have fresh grass/bugs.


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