The morning routine, although varying slightly with the season remains much the same.This time of year with the mornings darker and the breeding season over it has altered a little. In the breeding season my first job of the day is to check on the newly hatched chicks in the brooders and any overnight developments in the incubators.As all the young birds are now outdoors and it is still dark when I get up, my first job (after putting the kettle on) is to make up the day's egg orders from eggs collected the night before and fill the basket of eggs for selling at the gate.
Once light I let out all the growers in the nursery pen, give them fresh food and water and move the small arks onto fresh ground and rake over the grass where the arks stood.I find this helps the grass to remain in good condition throughout the year.
If I have birds penned in the shed for collection that day they too are fed, watered,checked etc.and usually given a treat of corn, apples and/or greens to keep them happy as they are never very impressed with being cooped up when they are used to free ranging.
Once done I sit with a coffee and check any emails and messages I may have received.By now it's usually just after 7 a.m and time to 'go to the yard'.
We keep all our adult birds on land in the neighbouring village a couple of miles away.The birds are housed into breed groups each within a large grass pen, at the moment we have two large sheds, a stable and four smaller poultry houses occupied.
As we only have an hour before work, we split the chores, my husband washes out all the drinkers and give the birds fresh water, whilst I let them out, top up the feeders, turn over the sawdust in the larger houses, collect any eggs and freshen up the nest boxes, all the time we are watching the birds to make sure they are all well.
Throughout the day the birds are checked on, eggs are collected, drinkers topped up if required etc. In the evenings the final eggs of the day are collected and once dark the birds are shut in for the night and we catch up any of the birds who need moving to a different house or to be penned for collection.
The houses are cleaned and the more time consuming jobs are done at the weekends.
Once light I let out all the growers in the nursery pen, give them fresh food and water and move the small arks onto fresh ground and rake over the grass where the arks stood.I find this helps the grass to remain in good condition throughout the year.
If I have birds penned in the shed for collection that day they too are fed, watered,checked etc.and usually given a treat of corn, apples and/or greens to keep them happy as they are never very impressed with being cooped up when they are used to free ranging.
Once done I sit with a coffee and check any emails and messages I may have received.By now it's usually just after 7 a.m and time to 'go to the yard'.
We keep all our adult birds on land in the neighbouring village a couple of miles away.The birds are housed into breed groups each within a large grass pen, at the moment we have two large sheds, a stable and four smaller poultry houses occupied.
As we only have an hour before work, we split the chores, my husband washes out all the drinkers and give the birds fresh water, whilst I let them out, top up the feeders, turn over the sawdust in the larger houses, collect any eggs and freshen up the nest boxes, all the time we are watching the birds to make sure they are all well.
Throughout the day the birds are checked on, eggs are collected, drinkers topped up if required etc. In the evenings the final eggs of the day are collected and once dark the birds are shut in for the night and we catch up any of the birds who need moving to a different house or to be penned for collection.
The houses are cleaned and the more time consuming jobs are done at the weekends.
RSS Feed
