Sunday May 16, 2021 Guerneville CA.
Hatch day
Today was day 21 so most of the new chicks should be hatched out and most of them were. I have five hens hatching out eggs. Two of the hens seem to have chicks that still haven’t come out of the nest box but three hens are out with their little peeps.
Second hen out with her chicks.
And this is the third hen out of the nest. Really she is the first hen out as she came out with her little ones yesterday and boy is she ever protective of her little ones.
Working on the old well
After checking out the new peeps I went back to work on cleaning out the old well sediment.
This is the discharge line where the sand comes out with the water I force down the well. I have to monitor the output to make sure sand is coming out or I have to fiddle with the hose that goes down the well until there’s some sand. It’s a slow process for sure but it’s slowly getting the sediment out. As always I worked on this on and off all day as my back permitted.
Road cleaner
My brother Barry drove in from up in the hills. He’d been out riding with his chainsaw clearing dead fallen trees off the roads.
We sat around shooting the bull for a bit then he took off for home.
Ouch
I checked the chicks throughout the day. This one is real protective and I got some hard pecks from her when I got too close.
Broody hens
These hens are in the egg laying boxes. They’d like to be mammas but I don’t think I need anymore chicks so I have to take their eggs away each day. They don’t like that and I usually get some hard pecks from them.
Helping the little peeps
Towards the end of the day all the little chicks go back in their nest boxes. I have to check as they are so small they can’t jump much yet.
These ones can’t get back in the nest box so I will put a small board there so they can jump on it and hop on in where momma hen will keep them nice and warm.
I worked on the well some more just before dark and that was my day.
Nice day.