Looking at this picture you'd think we had no chickens, indeed some days I do a double take as I look over to Chicken World and don't see a single chicken.
They aren't daft my girls, they are spending the majority of their time in the small wooded area behind Chicken World that actually belongs to our neighbour. Here they can shelter from the worst of the weather and when it gets even wetter or wilder they make for the hen-house, some of them inside and some of them underneath.
Far cosier than being out and about in the wind and rain we have been having recently.
And with being cosy in mind, we are spending this week filling the log store and stacking piles of cut and split logs behind the wood burner in the living room. The now dark and long nights, which see the chickens locked up for the night by 5.30pm, means that there is nothing better than curling up with the lamps lit and the log burner blasting out heat as we catch up with our television viewing and book reading.
Sue xx
Sounds like your chickens have more sense than some people.
ReplyDeleteFour of my girls spend most of their day in the graveyard
ReplyDeleteCan I ask about your log burner... We have a small one and last year I feel we went through too many logs. How many logs a day do you think you burnt last year?
ReplyDeleteSorry but this is very hard to say. I have never counted the logs we use.
DeleteAll I can say that the best way to burn logs is to have all the vents open on your log burner to start with, then after a reasonable period half close them, which slows the burning and increases the heat, then when you have a good level of heat and embers fill the burner with wood and close ALL the vents. This way the log burner retains it's heat and burns through the logs at a slower rate.
Also you need to keep a level of ash in the collection try underneath as when it is emptied each day you will find that you will burn through a lot more wood.
Each log burner is slightly different though and you have to learn to use yours to the best of it's ability. The one we have now is a large single door version with a top vent system and a bottom vent which makes it very controllable. We empty the ash tray at the bottom only when it is so full the ash from the burning area can't fall through anymore.
I hope this is of some help.
it must be the ash. hmm rookie mistake
Deleteforgot to say thanks for the info
DeleteI wouldn't mind spending my days in the woods :). Just had to go into town, during half term!!
ReplyDeleteAh hum........log burner envy over here x
ReplyDeleteMy hens go to bed at about 4.45pm now. They just tootle off into the run and straight up the ramp to bed! Apart from Loopy who is blind,she often doesn't get back to the run and I have to scoop her up(very carefully at the moment as all 3 are moulting) and pop her straight into the coop. Amazingly, she is still top hen and feeds well.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on 'draw curtains, light wood burner, curl up and relax'. Dark here by 5.30and I know that's just going to get earlier and earlier for the next couple of months:{
ReplyDeleteHow are your dogs with the wood burner? Daisy is currently flat out in front of ours, she definitely considers it her Right and Duty to lay as close to the heat as possible :}
Sue, looks like it will be picture perfect, with the fire going and being all cozy from the weather.
ReplyDeleteI like your hen set-up, looks secure. We are looking at getting chickens and hubby has been browsing hen houses online. How often do you clean it out? is it easy to get in and out and collect the eggs?
ReplyDeleteI would NOT recommend the house we currently have or the company that makes them!!
DeleteWe have just bought another of the Maggies 24 Hen-houses from Flyte So Fancy, the sort we used to have before the move to Wales. Eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that when we first bought this current henhouse we had a link to the company on the sidebar, but after realising how poorly the house performed and having trouble with the order for the shed, made 10 times worse by the rude email I got in reply to one of mine, I would NEVER recommend the company we used.
We modified this henhouse to make it more workable but still it is not easy to clean or warm enough for the chickens.
You can get in this one reasonably well but unless you are under 5ft tall you will have to be stooped and the back section is unreachable without taking out the large shelf. I currently put fresh paper under the perches each day and remove any droppings I can reach off the floor. We deep clean the house every couple of months.
To get to Flyte So Fancy you can use the link, just click on the picture of the black feeder on the right-hand sidebar. I am not affiliated to this company in any way nor do I get any discounts etc .... we just love their products and the brilliant service they provide.
Thanks Sue, we are in Australia so I will have to see what is available, but the more practical the better. At least we don't have to worry about the cold ;)
DeleteHow fun your chickens get to ramble.
ReplyDeleteHmmn……or sitting with your bum on the Aga…..that's cosy!
ReplyDelete