Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

BLU just fell off his perch, seeing those pictures of Phyllis.

You need to prepare him before doing that!

 

[BY Bob]

I read this all day yesterday..
My favorite is the 2 chickens smoking, haha

I'm so glad you are enjoying it. I was inspired that day. I reused that cigarette this year as well. Back in June.

I'm curious, how far did you get in one day?

Please feel free to comment along the way. I love being reminded of the old posts and frequently go back myself.

 

[BY Bob]

Hmmmm, I know you’re not allowed to shoot them with anything stronger than the nerf gun. But that you can get that close reminds me of poking the owl here. Drop the “Shoot” in SSS pest control method and sub in another “shovel” for it? That’s how my neighbor got one of the Racoons that was taking his hens. It got into his coop and had a girl, and he just used the only thing to hand. I don’t know that I could premeditate that, but if I walked in on an attack... I would probably do the same. Also he is not permitted firearms, so he just has a BB gun with pointed balls. Which is often not enough for a clean dispatch.

I don't want to kill them. That's why I have and use the nerf gun. I got the nerf gun after that episode. Now I plunk them and they do leave.

That being said they are still not afraid of me.

 

[BY Bob]

Yesterday was ridiculously stressful... 3-4am wake up, next to no sleep, and I didn’t get finished unloading at the trailer until midnight! But I have a plan of attack for my toilet involving disposable chopsticks for the flush, a new pair of gloves for doing the work, and I hope to tackle it today. I have lost my purse with the back-up buy a new toilet on amazon pre-paid CC. Which is a little scary, but I know it is on the farm at least.

The most stressful part of coming home on the late boat was having my Mother and the kiddo here closing up the chickens. First I got the call that there was a big white chicken in with Sammy they didn’t think belonged there, I said there should be two white ones and Tailess, plus all the little black Red Rock Pullets, don’t bother trying to count those, I trust Sammy to put his girls all up. Well they had dropped the tractor down early and Locked poor Two Dot out. Maybe she went up with Dean and Cass? No Way, the younger 5 of that flock are still not fully integrated when it comes to Roosting, thanks to my Bully girl and one of the Black Sapphire Marans girls being a “little domineering”. Younger little Two Dot, who isn’t a part of the flock in there? I would be able to hear that commotion over the phone for sure.

I got home at 11:15, spent 15 minutes or so unloading BIL’s car of my groceries etc. then it was off to re-close all the chickens and look for the missing one. I did a quick sweep of the yard as I went and checked everyone. Looking at all the likely roosting places she may have settled in. I found her in the second to last tractor I checked... tucked in with Roostie and his girls! How they missed her I don’t know. I was pretty specific Roostie and 8 big brown meat girls... umm tiny white TwoDot stuck out like a beacon! I don’t think they even tried to count or checked them like I asked, just closed up the ramp...

Everyone made it through safe and sound, but I can say it’s going to be a long time before I trust my Mom to do that again... Meat birds were “beautiful, clean, and exceptionally well mannered” at the plant. I may have a line on someone who wants to go in together on some Chicken and hatching egg orders next year. And a breeder that has lavender Orpingtons....

It does indeed sound like a tough day. I hope you are giving yourself a little time today.

Just let me say this, Lavender Orpingtons, Yes!

 

[Shadrach]

The hens wanted to see what I was doing today. Chicken prints all over my bathroom floor, from cement I put down, after moving a shower drain in the front house. (Yes, they stomped thru soft fresh mortar, I had just put down. Tomorrow, I will set the shower pan, but I'm keeping the birds locked up when I do it this time! (I can't blame them, they are just curious)
Now I have to go wash some chicken feet!

You do yes. Wet concrete is corrosive.

 

[Shadrach]

Dad used to make delicious rabbit stew. Mmm. It was a once a year treat.

I used to make a type of hot pot. Rabbit bits in a very thick gravy, onions, garlic and herbs with a sliced leek with a puff pastry top.
The thick gravy is what fixes it.

 

[Shadrach]

Open Door Policy

The new coop is designed to be opened at both ends in order to be able to clean it easil. Take the pushbroom and push the straw out the other end, quick and easy cleaning.

So at lunch today, I decided to clean the coop out. I pushed the old straw out and decided to air out the coop. It was in the 70s today (20s C). I even reopened the front window so the breeze could blow through the coop.

Then I went back to my desk.

At 6:30 pm it was getting quite dark. Mrs. BY Bob yells to me, something is up with Phyllis. I come out and Phyllis greats me at the back door. I think she wants meal worms but no she wants me to follow her. She leads me out to the coop which I find like this!
View attachment 2380987

Wide open! I never put straw down and closed it back up!

We get to the coop and Phyllis hops up and onto the roost. Lilly is already on the high roost. Aurora, Sydney, and Sansa are on the deck eating meal worms.

Here's Lilly and Phyllis in the coop. Look how dark it is getting.
View attachment 2380991

Then I realize, I have not seen Hattie. Where is Hattie?

Smartly tucked away, of course.

View attachment 2380992

I closed the door and in they filtered for bed time.

View attachment 2380996

When Sansa got up on the main roost she thought about knocking Phyllis off. She even turned towards Phyllis, sad for her I was observing.



I deployed the "Rooster's Finger".

At the third poke she turned around and went up onto the high roost. All is settled for now.

No straw on the coop floor is going to lead to a messy clean up tomorrow.

How strange. I've left the human door open on coops before and forgotton about it. I would of course notice when I went to shut them in for the night but a few times, usually the most junior gets sent out to get bucket boy it seems.
I left Tribe 2's main door open last week just to let air through. It had rained a fair bit and they had gone in damp and that tends to make the coops a bit smally.
I was preparing everyones supper and Tack shows up on her own. She's normally up the tree and what's more, she braved the wrath of Knock who hangs around with Notch, Donk and Myth waiting for supper.
I thought it was odd and went to check that the rest were okay. They were all up the tree but it was apparent from the disturbed straw in the nest boxes that some had been in earleir.

 

[Shadrach]

I have yet to hear one of my hens crow, but I’ve never had a rooster. Is that a factor?

On another note, the babies might be on the verge of a voice change. Or maybe just Flo. Flash still sounds like a bitty chick.

I don't think it is from what I've read. It's one of the fascinating things about chickens, it seems they easily adopt the characteristics of either sex. What tips them one way, or another would be good to know.

 

[Shadrach]

Hmmmm, I know you’re not allowed to shoot them with anything stronger than the nerf gun. But that you can get that close reminds me of poking the owl here. Drop the “Shoot” in SSS pest control method and sub in another “shovel” for it? That’s how my neighbor got one of the Racoons that was taking his hens. It got into his coop and had a girl, and he just used the only thing to hand. I don’t know that I could premeditate that, but if I walked in on an attack... I would probably do the same. Also he is not permitted firearms, so he just has a BB gun with pointed balls. Which is often not enough for a clean dispatch.

Slingshot. I have one. It's mainly for stray dogs but I've scared Goshawks off with it before.

 

[Shadrach]

Yesterday was ridiculously stressful... 3-4am wake up, next to no sleep, and I didn’t get finished unloading at the trailer until midnight! But I have a plan of attack for my toilet involving disposable chopsticks for the flush, a new pair of gloves for doing the work, and I hope to tackle it today. I have lost my purse with the back-up buy a new toilet on amazon pre-paid CC. Which is a little scary, but I know it is on the farm at least.

The most stressful part of coming home on the late boat was having my Mother and the kiddo here closing up the chickens. First I got the call that there was a big white chicken in with Sammy they didn’t think belonged there, I said there should be two white ones and Tailess, plus all the little black Red Rock Pullets, don’t bother trying to count those, I trust Sammy to put his girls all up. Well they had dropped the tractor down early and Locked poor Two Dot out. Maybe she went up with Dean and Cass? No Way, the younger 5 of that flock are still not fully integrated when it comes to Roosting, thanks to my Bully girl and one of the Black Sapphire Marans girls being a “little domineering”. Younger little Two Dot, who isn’t a part of the flock in there? I would be able to hear that commotion over the phone for sure.

I got home at 11:15, spent 15 minutes or so unloading BIL’s car of my groceries etc. then it was off to re-close all the chickens and look for the missing one. I did a quick sweep of the yard as I went and checked everyone. Looking at all the likely roosting places she may have settled in. I found her in the second to last tractor I checked... tucked in with Roostie and his girls! How they missed her I don’t know. I was pretty specific Roostie and 8 big brown meat girls... umm tiny white TwoDot stuck out like a beacon! I don’t think they even tried to count or checked them like I asked, just closed up the ramp...

Everyone made it through safe and sound, but I can say it’s going to be a long time before I trust my Mom to do that again... Meat birds were “beautiful, clean, and exceptionally well mannered” at the plant. I may have a line on someone who wants to go in together on some Chicken and hatching egg orders next year. And a breeder that has lavender Orpingtons....

Sounds like here. They miss them because they don't care. I have a chart hanging in the main house kitchen which shows who should be in each coop in case something happens and I'm not there to close them up at dusk. I came back late one evening quite a few years ago and they had missed an entire coop and gone out leaving a note saying they couldn't find some chickens.