The best laid plans …

I have this ‘Fall To Do’ list that I keep on my phone. Set up as a checklist … with boxes to click on that move each item to the bottom as you finish it.

Funny thing is – most days I seem to find OTHER jobs to do – and have to add them to my list and THEN check them off! 😉 I happened to mention to my neighbour I was looking for some spare roofing the same day he had extra at his building site. So the duck run wind shelter got some weather protection today. Not sure if I am leaving that peak over run up there … or aiming to trim it and put a cap on it. What do you think? I didn’t want to run it off the front because I am exactly the kind of klutz that would continually cut myself on it all year round.

The ducks couldn’t care less! The Brahmas love it though. Hehehe! Beau spends a lot of his time curled up in that straw – purring and woot wooting to draw the others there to soak in the sunshine with him.

My sister gave me this great gate panel. You have to turn your head sideways to the right to picture it as half a laneway gate. I have been eyeing it … stored in my hay barn for a few months now … and the day I realized I needed a wind break for the jennies barn it called out ‘Choose ME! Choose ME!’.

By simply shopping at the ‘basement and barn’ leftover shops I was able to find enough wood to secure it and brace it for those winter northwest winds. Now the jennies can have their double doors closed and still have a side door open – even in a blizzard. This job wasn’t on my list either. 😉 (But gathering in those green fly catchers IS … and look there … they’re still waiting for me! Ha!)

I DID have ‘enclose the Orpington’s ‘Clubhouse’ with winter windows’ on my list … and last year I even carefully labelled each window as I took it off in the spring. However, these are not those windows. Another great donation from my sister’s personal stash! The meticulously labeled windows that were here last winter are now being used in the Brahma Cafe.

A few months back I picked up some pallets from our Ag Supply store. I’d been toying with building a shelter for the ducks out of pallets. Instead they’ve ended up being a base for the straw bales – and gates to keep the goats in their own part of the barn at night.

It is not only me that is coming up with alternate plans.

Today was the first day I separated the Orpington flock into two parts – each with an indoor space to ride out the rainy day. Keeping the roosters apart is still wise. I wanted to see if this would work for winter storm days too …

Yesterday, when I knew the rain was coming, I outfitted the Orpington Clubhouse with a big straw bed. I figured Lindy would like to snuggle in there on cold days – and perhaps the older girls would choose to lay their eggs in there. Then the Junior Orps could ride out the storm in the Palace. That’s where the nesting boxes are that the hens generally use each day. Perhaps they could adapt?

It seems they had much BIGGER plans than I had anticipated. See this tall thin core of the big straw bale? The one that is in the shelter clear across the paddock – through the wet puddles and wind?

Seems THAT is the preferred alternative to the Palace nesting boxes! Right up at the top of that core – here is what I found! Ha! Do you know how high up this is? (Remember … I spent HOURS lowering the Orpington’s perches last spring because they were having such a hard time getting down each morning … ) Somehow today – in the rain and wind – two of the hens set out to make THIS their nest. What a hoot!

Now this beautiful display of morning glories? THIS I planned …

That’s a wrap for today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? 😉

Meadow Hugs!