Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Have you seen the Ad with the Beatles song Hey Baby it’s a Wild World?

Well yep - going around belting out that all morning…..

Listening to Paul McCartney here today.

 

[BY Bob]

Maybe you would have to treat it like a bath, with Mrs Bob helping. Bring her somewhere more unfamiliar, so she doesn’t exactly know her escape routes, though because it’s mites I would try to keep her outside. Like on top of a picnic table, with some cardboard walls set up on one side.

Not everyone was so easy - Popcorn, interestingly, was the most nervous. She flapped off my lap, then squatted, then sqwawked as I went and got her, then wanted to only stand on my lap, really stiff legged, for the longest time. She was quite tense. So we worked that way for awhile. She did let me keep her from leaving again, and very slowly relaxed some. I talked softly to all of them also. I believe it helped to have her mates there too, calmly standing around getting their feathers back in order.

Let's hope I never need to but that makes good sense.

 

[BY Bob]

First snow...View attachment 3314251For those who don't get much snow, the sidewalk has a skiff on it.View attachment 3314253The deer found the yard too
View attachment 3314253And this is a dusting.

For the most part the birds aren't bothered by this. Horus didn't want to stand in it, so his flight to exit the coop involved brief touches to relaunch in a curving arc around the outside.

While there may not have been much physical reactions (Twirp came out and promptly hopped up on bricks and Horus and Kren headed into the carport for the crock pot water there), there was LOUD crowing and much grumbling.

Please keep that where you are. Please.

 

[RoyalChick]

They really do work exactly the same way. We used them for our ferrets and cats as well. They were worlds cheaper then pet labeled products. Never had a single issue with them at all and they worked wonderfully. I bought them by the quarter ton at tractor supply when they went on a sale and stored them in our garage. We had litter for almost the whole year this way.

Thanks! I just priced it at my local TSC on line and it is $1 cheaper than Horse Stall Pellets for a 40lb bag.
- Wood stove pellets - $6.29 for a 40lb bag
- Horse stall pellets - $7.29 for a 40lb bag
- Feline pine pellets - $27.98 for 40lb (2x 20lb bags)
It really is an astonishing price difference for the same product!

 

[BY Bob]

I am not ready for this!

Me neither. Stay away.

 

[BY Bob]

It was good you got an inspection so fast. It is always better to involve the inspectors early on in a project.

I agree. They had thoughts on the new roost configuration and they don't even roost there!

 

[BY Bob]

May I ask if this was plywood treated to be outside like marine plywood or just the standard stuff, and how long was it since you put it in place ? (

Yes it was treated. The problem is that it was not be when I built the coop. It was a donation from someone that had been used a lot before it got here. If you are thinking how long should they last, we will have to wait for the ones I am installing this time from knew to treat and get an idea. It's been over 5 years since I built the coop. I believe. I can check later if you really want to know.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Thanks! I just priced it at my local TSC on line and it is $1 cheaper than Horse Stall Pellets for a 40lb bag.
- Wood stove pellets - $6.29 for a 40lb bag
- Horse stall pellets - $7.29 for a 40lb bag
- Feline pine pellets - $27.98 for 40lb (2x 20lb bags)
It really is an astonishing price difference for the same product!

Yes indeed, astonishing is the right word and it makes me a bit mad too to tell the truth. It feels an awful lot like they are taking advantage of our love for our pets. I will be using those hard wood stove pellets as a bottom most layer for my coop bedding with pine chips on top to soften any landings from the roosts in the spring when I do a total clean out. Seeing as how I have a dirt floor coop this should work pretty well.

 

[BY Bob]

That is scary stuff. My observation is that the 'junk' allows the chickens to rest and explore while invisible from the air, rather than being places of safety once a hawk attacks.
I have a long bench in the chicken garden and the chickens hang out under it for a nap and I think they are really invisitble from above. The butterfly bush serves as the same sort of cover - it is dense enough I think they are hard to see from above, and they spend a lot of time deep inside it.

In my opinion, having watched a Cooper's Hawk hunt, there is nothing that would stop them. They will walk right in an open coop door. It is all about being unseen.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks! I just priced it at my local TSC on line and it is $1 cheaper than Horse Stall Pellets for a 40lb bag.
- Wood stove pellets - $6.29 for a 40lb bag
- Horse stall pellets - $7.29 for a 40lb bag
- Feline pine pellets - $27.98 for 40lb (2x 20lb bags)
It really is an astonishing price difference for the same product!

People will pay more for their beloved cats. That's crazy!