Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Nope - I hauled them to the edge of the truck tailgate, and them hoisted them onto my back/hips (like a piggy-back ride) and carried them in that way. Legs are stronger than arms/back. But yep they were heavy, thankfully I only had to move them about 25'.

It's easier to haul the feed out of the truck and carry into the feedroom - if I used a cart or dolly I would have to bend over to hoist them up and empty into the bin. This way I can sling them onto the edge of the bin, open them and empty them without bending.

But yep, I am getting too old for this crap - and this is one of the reasons I have a bad back, sacrum, and hips. I am too small to be doing such physical work in reality.

What is going on out there? all I can hear is someone buk buk buk bakwak....

Hmmmm Sophia View attachment 3668676

And then there was a bit of a dust up while I was seeing what the drama was - it’s raining outside so everyone is inside and grumpy.

Your birds are out of control!

 

[featherhead007]

And why is that a problem???? A Knight's squire SHOULD know his responsibilities and not have to be told each and every time!
Good Squire:
View attachment 3668752

Alex:
(Note: Rooster/knight being held, but not with gentility/nobility, nor with appropriate attention to the Knight's needs!) Bad Squire!!!!

 

[SimpleJenn]

Oh those gloves sound great! We have hard water here too so I'll look for them.
I think earlier someone asked about adding onto my coop? Unfortunately it's a grand pueblo so kind of a crappy prefab. We didn't know at the time how bad they are.

We added a run extension, and might fence our backyard next spring with a 6 foot fence so the chickens can range.

I added the tarp to help winterize. and while the inside is small, we insulated it and did what we could to make it last at least through winter. I'll talk to hubby in spring about getting a shed to convert, or maybe we could use the motorcycle-carport frame to make a bigger coop?
Speaking of nails, this is the set I picked to wear for the weekend trunk-or-treats. I imagine the chickens will attack them with great interest haha.

 

[featherhead007]

Oh those gloves sound great! We have hard water here too so I'll look for them.
I think earlier someone asked about adding onto my coop? Unfortunately it's a grand pueblo so kind of a crappy prefab. We didn't know at the time how bad they are.
View attachment 3668764
We added a run extension, and might fence our backyard next spring with a 6 foot fence so the chickens can range.
View attachment 3668759
I added the tarp to help winterize. and while the inside is small, we insulated it and did what we could to make it last at least through winter. I'll talk to hubby in spring about getting a shed to convert, or maybe we could use the motorcycle-carport frame to make a bigger coop?
Speaking of nails, this is the set I picked to wear for the weekend trunk-or-treats. I imagine the chickens will attack them with great interest haha.
View attachment 3668766

How many doors does your coop have? More than two?

 

[RoyalChick]

Ooo! I would so wear those if I could - but likely would tear off a whole finger if it got snagged on a horse blanket or halter!

I have these really awesome rubber gloves that have bristles on one side and normal 'grooves' on the other side, I originally bought them for cleaning the shower (we have water with iron in it), but they are more useful outside here in the barn I hate getting my hands wet in the winter (because then stupid me will grab a door handle and my wet hands will stick to the metal - OWWW!).

The gloves are really awesome for cleaning the chickens waterers as I can get my hand into the container - best invention ever - rubber gloves!

I think I am likely not alone in needing gloves like that. Any ideas on where to get them?

 

[bgmathteach]

Oh those gloves sound great! We have hard water here too so I'll look for them.
I think earlier someone asked about adding onto my coop? Unfortunately it's a grand pueblo so kind of a crappy prefab. We didn't know at the time how bad they are.
View attachment 3668764
We added a run extension, and might fence our backyard next spring with a 6 foot fence so the chickens can range.
View attachment 3668759
I added the tarp to help winterize. and while the inside is small, we insulated it and did what we could to make it last at least through winter. I'll talk to hubby in spring about getting a shed to convert, or maybe we could use the motorcycle-carport frame to make a bigger coop?
Speaking of nails, this is the set I picked to wear for the weekend trunk-or-treats. I imagine the chickens will attack them with great interest haha.
View attachment 3668766

You know, I know someone who took a couple (3) of rose/bulb racks (when empty & with permission) that a local store had, used some plywood for the upper half, added a 'floor (again for the upper half) and fenced the lower half, and had a decent 'coop' for his chickens (he only had a few)

Think: rack is about 3' wide by 18" deep (the ones he used, some are only about 12-14" deep). Took the sides off one. put the other 2 facing each other, with the back of the 3rd between them on the far side, screwed them together (and he attached it to the side of his garage, so there was that back side wooden support for strength, too) He put plywood around the upper half 3 sides (back, left & right), and on most of the 'floor' of the coop, which was at the middle height wise of the racks.( across both of the middle shelves of the 2 sides, and between the 2 sides for the back half). Put secure hardware cloth on the bottom half - left, back & right. Pulled apart the 'extra' shelves and the 2 sides from the back rack. Used that to create a slightly slopes 'roof', added plywood and hardware cloth as needed (on the angled elevation- -for ventilation, rest plywood) Put sloping 'ladder' created from spare lumber so chooks could access bottom half from coop area. Used an old storm window - frames out with scraps from racks - as light and access to coop @ front at coop height. Created door from remaining scrap for bottom half ('run part') of coop - with more hardware cloth. Presto! a 3' deep by 6' (3' + 18" + 18") wide coop plus an equivalent amount of run space underneath. He had to buy a roll of hardware cloth (at a discount, since he works at TSC), and one sheet of plywood (he had some, and bought some) and hinges, door latches, screws. He had some tar paper left over from his own roofing - so made 2 layers of that on the roof to protect the plywood roof.

(Note, he did a few additional things, like trap door to secure coop proper from bottom 'run' half, and semi box off one back corner for a 'nest box'., etc. But, main point, the majority of it was FREE!! He only has 6 bantams, so 18 sq. foot coop is plenty of space. I think the run is a bit tight, but they do get to free range when either he or his partner are home - and is it 36 sq. feet between the two (up and down), which is reasonable for 6 bantams - not spacious, but reasonable - especially with the free ranging.

He is thinking of grabbing another rack this fall, laying it 'front down' and attaching it to the present run, so they will have an additional 3' DX 5'L by 18" H space. This he plans on using just hardware cloth, and using a 4X6 cheap tarp(dollar tree carries them -$1.25) for snow protection in the winter.

The plus with his set-up? There were 3 'shelves' Middle one became coop floor. The other 2 on each rack = roosts for coop & for run - build in! So, he had ready-made 6' of roosts both up & down!!

Where he lives, it works perfect for him! I would be concerned since we have bears and coyotes and such that it might not be sturdy enough for me, but he is in a fairly developed part of town, and, again, he screwed the back side to his garage, which added significant strength to it.



So, I hope you can all follow the imagery of how it went together. I understood it completely when he was describing it to me - but I also knew exactly what the plant racks looked like - so that helped.

 

[bgmathteach]

How many doors does your coop have? More than two?

If it is more than 2, it is no longer a 'coupe'. Sedans have 4, hatchbacks have 3 or 5 (they consider the 'hatch a door? go figure!)

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh those gloves sound great! We have hard water here too so I'll look for them.
I think earlier someone asked about adding onto my coop? Unfortunately it's a grand pueblo so kind of a crappy prefab. We didn't know at the time how bad they are.
View attachment 3668764
We added a run extension, and might fence our backyard next spring with a 6 foot fence so the chickens can range.
View attachment 3668759
I added the tarp to help winterize. and while the inside is small, we insulated it and did what we could to make it last at least through winter. I'll talk to hubby in spring about getting a shed to convert, or maybe we could use the motorcycle-carport frame to make a bigger coop?
Speaking of nails, this is the set I picked to wear for the weekend trunk-or-treats. I imagine the chickens will attack them with great interest haha.
View attachment 3668766

Oh I love those spider ones! I would wear them if I could some times I miss being able to get all gussied up , and until just before Covid I would spend a fortune going to the hairdresser! Then I was working in a remote location and it was too hard to get my hair done, then Covid meant I couldn’t, then I figured out how much money I saved not doing my hair!!! Hahahaha.

Your coop is very cute and you can work with it. Next Spring your hubby can figure out how to put an extension on it Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say. In the meantime your kiddos are good enough

Spidy Tax

Fun times for Topsy

 

[Ponypoor]

I think I am likely not alone in needing gloves like that. Any ideas on where to get them?

I think Walmart - in the housewares section.

They are also long enough to go half way up my arm!

They are also good at scrubbing poopy bums.

 

[Ponypoor]

I think Walmart - in the housewares section.

They are also long enough to go half way up my arm!

They are also good at scrubbing poopy bums.

Um chicken bums I mean