Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

Still working on ‘training’ the youngsters to roost in the Hen Houses, once they are on there they go to their spot and settle in for the night.
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Shirley has been roosting with the big ladies now, he sure is a big boy next to those hens!
No one wants to be near him poor fella hahaha, were as everyone wants to snuggle with Mr P.
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It’s currently +5C in the Hen House, it’s -7C (19F) outside. The main barn is around 0C maybe +1C with the horses in there.

For your Hen House door roosting birds ~ I wonder how upset they'd be to find the door unhinged & gone? It's never closed so why leave it up? I'm just trying to imagine the birds scratching their heads at the missing door?

 

[TOMTE]

The heater in your waterer might be shot. Is it one of the heated dog water bowls from TSC?

That's what I have. My first one lasted two seasons. The second one is into its third. That's how I know when they've died... a skin of ice on the water sometime during the day.

I bought a new one last fall to keep on hand, in case this one dies. Because you know it'll do it during this upcoming cold snap!

Highs of 7° F and lows in the single digits below zero.

It's actually a pretty good waterer. It's specifically for chickens, and keeps water from freezing down to I think 0⁰F. And it was just the water in the actual dish part that had a little ice on it. I sure hope it isn't shot because it was about $30 and we just got it not long ago! But the water didn't freeze the rest of the day today at all, it just must have gotten that cold overnight

 

[bgmathteach]

Advice needed from my friends here.
Next week I have a 3 day spell of very cold weather forecast.
Lows forecast at 6°F/minus14.4°C and highs at 18°F/minus7.8°C.
I am worried. Particularly about Pooh and Calypso who are still molting.
Those of you used to those temperatures: @rural mouse, @Ponypoor you both must have experience, any advice?
My options are leave them be, they will be fine. Bring the molting ones in to the garage overnight and release them back out at dawn. In the garage they would be in a dog crate with a 2x4.
Put a space heater in a room in the barn and keep them there day and night. There are some roosting spots and the carpet there needs to be thrown out anyway. It is where I quarantined Eli and Babs when they first came here.
Any thoughts?

Can you put in one of those small heater panels in the nest box area?

 

[BY Bob]

Hoping to get eggs from the boys I rehomed last summer. Especially trickster and lil blue
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That would be awesome! A nice tie to the past.

 

[BY Bob]

Reminds me of people who acquire chicks or chickens before they have a coop or run to put them in !

We did that....

 

[notabitail]

We did that....

X2.

 

[Sylvester017]

We did that....

X2.

 

[Sylvester017]

In THIS country, yes. As I said before, Princess is in Britain. She's not exactly a production hen anyway (she's outlived the norm for those).

@Marie2020 I don't recall how long you had Princess (and Flexi and the other (sorry, her name escapes me at the moment)) when you rescued Tina and Agatha. I do remember they were production birds and under your care, did amazingly well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have Princess for close to 5 years before finding her a place at the farm animal sanctuary?

Dorking's aren't a production breed either. I don't know as much about the Scots Dumpy as they're almost non-existent outside of the UK, but I have had a Dorking. When I realized what she was, I started a little research on the breed. They were bred more as a meat bird than an egg bird (although they produce those too) and are known for being good mothers, too.

Princess is an enigma never to know for certain. She sure is lucky to have been w/ Marie who also found her a beautiful forever farm.

 

[RoyalChick]

X2.

X3

 

[BY Bob]

Too bad you can't padlock out trespassers. We built Fort Knox around our property which most people respect but there's always an oddball that doesn't respect. Here in the city suburb we had to lock our water supply cuz homeless would come into the yard to fill their containers & leave the hose on which in our drought restricted area is a costly no-no! One homeless bold-faced lied to my face & said they asked permission... from who?... not ME! I happily share as I've done before but not to sneakies or liars or those that don't turn off the water .

Water spigot lock
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I have never heard of a spigot lock! That's sad.