Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

One of the facebook chicken groups had that experience! It took two weeks of isolating that hen but they got the diamond back!

At first I was shocked it took two weeks, but then realized that it was more like grit than food - so it made more sense. Surprised that it passed that quick, as I read an article that states grit can stay in the gizzard up to a year!!!

 

[Galaxy_rules]

Then she should know that Pitney Bowes has really great printers

Well I put the steps back and hoisted the silkies up to their roosting ledge. Found Sophia’s chicks, and got everyone settled. Sophia is back to sitting on a nest box. Not sure why but maybe moulting?? She always moults hard unfortunately.

View attachment 3669012

So cute! Trying to count… 13?

 

[Ponypoor]

So cute! Trying to count… 13?

17 have a few hanging out in nest boxes due to moulting. Dorothy, Misty, Whiskers and Sophia. Too many really for this small hen house , I hadn’t counted on Sophia raising chicks! But I have roost space lower down that some roost on like the silkies when they couldn’t get to the top. But it’s only at night they have the barn and outside run all day, and it’s funny how they all want to squash in together at one end!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

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.

Not following too well, any pictures?

 

[Ponypoor]

@LhickenChicken

Hope you’re doing ok out there with your blast of winter weather. And you animals ok also.

 

[Ponypoor]

Fluffy Butt Friday

Larry is still moulting but she is starting to look great! And her bare butt is covered.

Ruth sure is getting big.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I find the whole molting thing really stressful - I know it is normal, but it seems like such a bad idea to lose your nice down jacket just when it is getting cold.
And they always look so miserable!
My friend Maggie (RIP) used to refuse to eat commercial food when she molted so I was constantly stressed that she would starve to death. She would stand out in the rain catching earthworms instead of anything I could tempt her with.

Hazel has molted like that too, very picky, though she supplements worms with a salad of dandelion leaves.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

It is true - you never see a molting pigeon, sparrow, heron, or for that matter hawk.
But surely they must renew their feathers too.
Strange.
Bernie is down to 3 tail feathers. Everyone is cranky.

Wild birds lose their feathers one at a time and replace them one by one. You can sometimes see a gap in the wings or tail.

 

[RoyalChick]

Happy Fluffy Butt Friday everyone.
Here is Calypso who is developing some respectable fluff!

 

[bgmathteach]

Not following too well, any pictures?

Unfortunately, no - I saw him in TSC and he was so please with himself that he made a 'coop' for little money - and it is serving him and his chooks well. SO, I only got the description myself - never saw it nor pictures. But, I thought it was a super idea, and great reuse/repurpose!