Well I have a little progress to report. I lowered the door on the coop until it was nearly closed. I figued they can climb the ramp and go under the door. when I went out there today they had been in it. How do I know? they had knocked helf the straw out all over the floor. so that worked. Maybe I should keep the door closed, take the net off the opening and attach the ramp so they can go inside through the hole??? also with the door completly closed I will have to remember to check it every day for eggs. None have been laid yet. They just got started on the layer crumbles. here is how it is now with the door closed: I am thinking of how I can add some roosts in the larger pen that they would actually use. I thought they would use the ramp to roost on. NOT. oh which reminds me I said I put the treads 4' apart but I meant 4" apart. makes a big difference... I am not sure what happened to my camera and it is really becoming a hinderance to me cause now I can't take photos so you guys can see what I am talking about. hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh flowersnhens... they did not take to the corn too well. I might try sunflower seeds since I was thinking of mixing them in the feed for the goats. do I use whole seeds or shelled seeds? Remember my chickens are only about 3 months old. dibbit...I was thinking of scratching the waterer I have totally and starting fresh. The wateres I found in the feed store look something like this: I don't remember how much it was but it was close to $30!! I am thinking of getting a large plastic jar, if I can find one, glue it to a bucket lid or some kind of lid, poke holes in the bottom perimeter of the jar and see if that works. I though about using a milk jug since it is food grade but I see problems in filling it up since the opening is so small. so I need to find a large mouth jar with a handle preferably that will fit on a bucket lid or some kind of lid. anyone with any ideas??? The jar would have to be food grade of course. I can not think of anything that comes in a large mouth jug with a handle. also what kind of glue would I use that is safe for animals and will keep the parts together.

No chicken proof plants really, but you can control the amount of time on lawn or pasture. Scratching combined with their droppings will destruct anything growing if kept on the same ground for more than a few days depending on size of area & density of chickens. When the kids were young we let the chickens and ducks free range in our fenced... part grass part woodland backyard with mostly native plantings with a few hardy perennials around a fir tree. No cultivated beds or precious plants. Containers on the deck & we disliked stepping on droppings, so we blocked access with a piece of plywood. I didn't attempt to grow plants for chickens or keep chickens from plants as they couldn't do much damage to forest underbrush and actually kept the weeds down where now I hand pull them. Length of time varied from 30-60 min. prior to sunset to all day depending on the weather conditions & seasons. Wet weather & winter meant no ranging. Dry weather & spring growing grass meant longer times. If the grass wasn't growing back fast enough to keep up with their scratching ways we would reduce time, reseed, & rake smooth. Chickens loved the swingset worn areas for dust baths, so that became mud in rain. Duration also dependent on the breeds kept & numbers of chickens. Featherlegged bantams scratched less than the clean legged production hens. Now, ten + years later still raising chickens, ducks, rabbits, & doves, but they stay in their pens most of the time. The outside chicken run has about 6" of pea gravel to control drainage, but does build up some mud over time in wet weather as they have tilled the pea gravel with their droppings. Our rainy climate washes away a lot of the manure from the gravel, so it's not really used in our gardens other than when we remove some of the muddy parts. Ducks are in raised pens to keep raccoons out. Young chicks have a separate chick pen with outside run some years & other years are inside their own coop, but herded outside to a movable 6x6 net covered chain link dog kennel during part of the day. Frequency determined by grass durability & weather dependent. Wet weather = mud on our soils in part sun conditions. Swingset & free ranging are long gone now as I've taken over the backyard now. Paver patio, 3 portable fountains, large containers, one raised bed, 6x8 greenhouse wood chip paths, large mixed island beds & a much smaller lawn. Not really permaculture because we bring in purchased feed & bedding and then when soiled haul the bedding + manure from pens to the garden for composting.

wiggleme: I don't have any pictures, and I imagine by the time I did, the earth will stop rotating. I'm pretty bad with taking pictures. My fiancee and I were discussing how our wedding will go, and one of the options was to have slides of us being displayed as people were being seated. Over the past 4 years, however, I think we only have about 10 pictures together. Anyway, the flow-through thread is what I based my design off of. I was unable to locate a 55 gallon barrel, like everyone else, so I just went to Home Depot and got the trash can on wheels. Personally, I'm glad I did. The wheels make moving the thing much easier, and I'm thinking that the worms won't consume much faster in a 55 gallon barrel as they will in my 35 gallon one. The worms don't seem to inhabit the bottom half of my trash can.

Today arrived. My husband asked that we do the exploratory last night to give him more time. BY bedtime I had dosed my friend with two tabs of tramadol. This was the start of a really bumpy night. I picked him up to enjoy the comfort and smells of the bed but he could not settle and jumped off to vomit for the last time. We had to give a second dose of tramadol sooner then allowed along with a dose of ace. I had asked for rimadyl hoping to pick it up this morning. There is no need for the rimadyl. We all are at peace. My husband collpased in the garage as I was gathering feed for the chickens. He finally understood . He slept on the bathroom floor with my boy . As much as he drives me crazy I have a good hubby. I knew I would find peace once this all ended. I have done it before. For those looking for help ...... you need to be the voice of your pet. YOu need to stand up and take control when the vet still pushes his agenda. I refused exploratory surgery cause his tongue was already showing anemia. I did not want him in pain from his illness and the surgery. I am pissed that I did not have a stronger pain med. Last night was horrific. I found that keeping a journal of his food,medicine and activity helped me to make decisions. I cringed seeing the clock strike 5 knowing I only had the internet for comfort. It was the internet that told me about cat food and baby food to be offered if a dog refuses his food not my vet. So a warm huge hug to those who post their troubles and woes since it lays a path for those who follow. There is no high jacking of this thread. We are all searching for how to make the best choice. I made the best choice early this morning. I am crushed , beaten but at peace. I thank you . To arkansas-girl........... My first dog was also a labrador retriever. She presented with chronic ear infections and ruptured eardrums. In fact our local vet told me after the third ear rupture that he can not help me. I asked who should I go see and he said "IDK". SHe also licked her paws raw and had her skin turn black along her abdomen. After many months we ended the process with her being placed on allergen shots and prednisone. I would record your dog's food and her activiities and health history such as her skin condition, ear issues, weight gain or loss. I would also change her diet to simple protein such as deer, bison, or rabbit feed. Do not feed her any pork, beef, chicken and turkey or lamb. The former all eat grass where the latter all eat corn. NO store bought treats ,give veggies and fresh fruit instead I would apply A&d ointment to her paws and then place socks over them using vet wrap to hold in place. You could even use baking soda or epsom salt washes by letting her stand in a warm pan / bucket or bathtub. I would treat her paws as if she has a chemical burn and allergies. When a dog has pain they lick the site...... her feet hurt. This is not a simple fix and the allergy testing is not cheap . I would change the diet to the above mentioned. YOu need to be diligent cause some of the above diet has potato as a starch which is also an allergen. It sucks to have a problem and no solution. It is maddening to be so vocal and have no one listen. I hope what I post helps.