And how appropriate that my little lovies are exactly 16 weeks old today. We are getting closer and closer to adulthood and more importantly, EGGS!!! I'm told that they should begin to lay around 20 weeks, so another month. But they can lay as early as 16 weeks so we're in the zone.
I found a bunch of smooth, round river rocks and put those into their nest boxes over the weekend. I've been told that it helps encourage the hens to deposit those round things that fall out of them every other day in the nests along with these other random, round things. Golf balls and ping pong balls would have worked as well. As would plastic Easter eggs that people hide candy inside (minus the candy of course). I just don't happen to have any of those lying around.
We had a big rain and lots of wind last night and the wind blew one of their beach umbrellas inside out AGAIN! I've just had enough of those. It's time to do something better and more sturdy to give them some sun and rain protection.
The gold standard appears to be corrugated panels. I can put a few opaque panels over their house which will shade their nest boxes in the summer months. And clear panels over the next several feet which will give them a nice dry area to hang in during the rainy months. And will keep their feed dry as well. What's up there now isn't long enough and water floods into their run, soaking their sandbox where they dust bath.
Guess I have my next project lined up.
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