Even in December, work is never done

I realize I've really been behind-the-game with the blog. I have so many things I want to write about that I've been jotting them all down on a scrap paper beside my computer. These things add up - it's almost insane the amount of odd stories that accumulate living here on this tiny farm.

The biggest news is that the coop has had a major overhaul over the last few weeks. With winter approaching, I knew I had work to do if I wanted the chickens to stay warm, dry and contented throughout the cold months. So, a brand new heat lamp was wired up to the roof of the coop and through the back wall, into an extension cord in the barn. It's been working beautifully. A few of the hens had been roosting outside the coop, in the pine trees, recently, and this has completely eliminated the problem. They just can't pass up the cozy temps now that the nights are getting chilly.

Speaking of roosts, we completely tore out the old ones and replaced them with brand-new "chicken litterboxes". Basically, we have a 2x2" roosting bar across the length of the coop, elevated about 4" above a row of black plastic tubs. Each tub contains a few inches of Stall Dry, and the chickens' overnight waste collects in the tub, dries out and gets scooped a few times a week. The chickens stay cleaner, the coop stays cleaner, and the droppings go straight into the compost pile, with no wasted shavings. I love it!

And lastly, we installed new "hatch doors" on both sides of the coop. I've seen most people call these "pop doors", but someone forgot to give me that memo! These little chicken-sized doors keep the whole coop warmer, and add more protection from predators, since the regular, full-sized entry doors can now remain closed. It's just too cute to see the chickens hopping up through the doors!

The last remaining upgrades include a couple of new wall-mounted feeders, and next year, I'll be ripping out their current run fence and replacing it with something cleaner, better-looking, and safer for the chickens. The run will be about 3' smaller as well. Since my chooks are free-ranging, it will mostly be used to contain them in the event of a predator outbreak, or to raise fragile chicks.

Speaking of upgrades, our dog play yard needs some serious TLC. I've been absolutely heartbroken this year with the way the grass was torn up, and in its wake, the absolutely unbelievable mud-fest that followed the lack of grass. I've thrown down bale upon bale of straw, more times than I can count, and before I know it, it's disappeared beneath the goo. Thanks to the fight between Bandit and Jasper, and their resulting strict separation, Jasper's been spending a lot of time out there, getting very muddy, and looking like a posterchild for an ASPCA commercial. Of course I never let him stay muddy (he gets frequent baths) but you'd never know by looking at him.

So, the plan is to have our fence guys come back within the next couple of weeks, install a partition on the small "L" corner of the fence, and put down a pea gravel substrate there to serve as a tiny, dog-version of an all-weather paddock. It will truly be more like a kennel since it'll have a dog house and little deck, and possibly a roof over half of it. I haven't decided yet. But, I figure that can keep Jazz safely contained while the grass is reseeded next spring, and he can be contained during rainy or muddy days to keep the yard in much better shape. I think it's a good plan, and I can't wait to see it start to take shape. I take the care of my animals very seriously and if there's a problem, I'm going to do anything I can to fix it as soon as possible. I really can't stand seeing a problem like that day after day, so it'll be a huge load off my mind when the upgrade is completed.

Other dog news... we still haven't gotten enough snow to try out the sled yet, but that's all well and good, as I'm still waiting for new harnesses to arrive in the mail. The snow hook, helmet camera and snubbing line (used to tie off the sled during hookup, and safer than the snow hook) are also still in transit to me. I'm kind of hoping we have a few more weeks of scooter weather before it turns to the white stuff, since the dogs really need a refresher of working in pairs before they go out in a group.

That about sums up the goings-on at Hoof and Howl these days. I'll be posting pics of the renovations as soon as I can!