Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Tomorrow’s resolution... take phone out with me for morning chores if it isn’t a torrential downpour, And release the chickens before noon!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

On another topical subject given I'm due my pension in a few months; care for the elderly.
This is Tap grooming Fat Bird.
What do you think the chances of me getting some young chick to groom me are?
View attachment 2413510

Very high Shad. I'm sure Lock or Moon would oblige.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I am confident that you could persuade Tap to extend her services to you.

This time I should have read ahead.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

RC, actually, I missed thst! That’s Flo (short for Florence... I love traditional “Grandma” type names for chickens). Anyway, she’s one of this year’s babies and she’s a Black Australorp. I lost Bagheera last year, and knew I’d get another someday. They seem to be extra cuddly and that feather sheen!

My Grandma was named Florence and everyone called her Flo.

If anyone is looking for a Rooster name, my Grandfather was Victor, shortened to Vic.

... just putting it out there....

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

If I cared what she is I might care about being PC. I don't care about either.

I expect Lock doesn't care either.

 

[featherhead007]

Canna’s new tail feather growth View attachment 2416314

She's staying in with me tonight, (Was getting picked on)

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Coop & run pictures...suggestions welcome

I have the Omlet Cube with the 9-foot run. It's a double-wall plastic coop. I tractored it around August to November through our wooded/grassy areas, it has worked pretty well, though the welded wire skirt makes it hard to move through tall field hay and I think the wheels are too small. I had regular hardware cloth on one side, decided I really wanted to see through it and now have black vinyl-coated HC on all sides. The tarp on it now is not great because it arrived packed all crinkly and wouldn't flatten out so it not easy to see through (it's not Omlet's tarp). For summer I pulled it to the ground on the weather side and up about 6 inches on the lee side for rain, and pinned it all up by bungee'ing (is that a word?) the sides together in fair weather. There were no wind breaks under the coop itself but for winter I made zip-tied shower curtain/duct tape panels.

View attachment 2414680

To attach to the 6x9 ft walk-in run I removed the coop run end stable doors panel and attached with reusable zip ties to the run. Then I realized I had enough extra HC to add a 2-foot x 3+ foot tall tunnel between the run and the coop run with a 12-inch skirt on both sides, so I stuck it in there. I don't have a tarp or shower curtain yet that really neatly covers that section, it is cobbed all together but is so far working well to shed water. I am making hardware cloth 3"x3" panels for all lower sides of the walk-in run.

BTW the chickens find the reinforced fibers tarp (very white-looking tarp here) REALLY GREAT for scratching. I am guessing first it's the fiber thread seen embedded in there, and then the ribbed texture. It makes a wonderful noise one can hear from quite a distance. Toes on tarp: Zzziiipp! ZZZiiiipppp! ZZZzzzzziiipppp! It seems, from chick to pullet so far, they spend extra time on something that sounds good when scratched. Is that true for you all? Wood chips on paper? Scratch & toss. Delightful!

The above photo you can see the southern wall that I left the top part uncovered for ventilation of the walk-in run. This run has no overhangs, which is a downside. I might construct something, like attach a flexible but stiff plastic sheet to the top edge there to act as an overhang(?) On the far left there the People stable doors are open.

Most of the wicked weather comes from the north (far end) and the west (left side). We tried to place it using the garage/barn as a windbreak, which partially works. It can't be closer to the barn because of snow shedding off that roof and needed side access on the east. Unfortunately the hill on the east side also funnels whatever makes it around the barn from the north, veering off the hill directly around to the run. Thus the evening cartwheel event. I can't place it closer to the house, and I want to run electric to it for the water heater. So it is here for now.

Here it is from the barn side looking southwest.

View attachment 2414741

This is where I concentrated the cinder blocks and hold-downs. The 3x3 end "box" is made from extra run panels and the coop run's stable doors panel. It was an afterthought that lengthens the whole run to 21 feet. I don't yet have enough plastic to cover the closest side or corner very well, so it is probably too drafty right there and I am trying to cover it with boards. Also I am going to make a curved wire top over it b/c the flat top sags with snow or rain puddles. All sides have a 10" welded wire skirt.

The chickens love having two entrances & exits for their chicken races around the structure. They also like to run inside from one end to the other and do flying chest bump leaps in the tall run.

Here's a view from inside. Three chickens to boot, to pay the Chicken Pic Tax! Or maybe that's not necessary since this is an actual post on a Chicken Topic? I need to raise the swing perches since I raised the floor with woodland litter. I don't know if they still need the retaining bungees. They REALLY like the short 4"-5" thick log to perch on in the walk-in run, but it only holds two chickens so I am looking for a longer one to replace it. They also have a rotten log/stump along that wall they climb on and peck. There's about five unoccupied feet between the green feeder and the wall behind where I was standing to take the picture. Most of the time they like to scratch in the middle area. they will also stand there and preen.

View attachment 2414820

They tend to take sitting rests as a group on the litter below the swings. It is the most familiar area from when they were 8-week-olds getting tractored around, and possibly now the most draft-free. Also there is really good cover close by (a shade tarp over the coop entrance, and of course under the coop). Before I had the tarps up they retreated to the coop when it got pretty cold & windy, with one near the entrance keeping watch. It was like their "huddle box".

Would they like a shaded/covered spot in the walk-in run area, or at least some sides not clear? The roof tarp is reinforced so looks fairly opaque white. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? Thanks for reading!

You could put an outdoor table in the walk in run and put the new perch underneath. That would give them extra cover as well a place you could put the chickens on if you need to examine them.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Where is Phyliis' Head!

They are all tucked in for a cold autumn's rest. But where is Phyllis' head!
View attachment 2415042View attachment 2415043

WAIT! Aurora has lost hers too!

View attachment 2415045

What's going on!



It is windy and cold tonight. Everyone roosted early and calmly.

Here is a poem for you Bob.

The Happy Family by John Ciardi

Before the children say goodnight,
Mother, Father, stop and think:
Have you screwed their heads on tight?
Have you washed their ears with ink?

Have you said and done and thought
All the earnest parents should?
Have you beaten them as you ought:
Have you begged them to be good?

And above all - when you start
Out the door and douse the light -
Think, be certain, search your heart:
Have you screwed their heads on tight?

If they sneeze when they're asleep,
Will their little heads come off?
If they just breathe very deep?
If - especially - they cough?

Should - alas! - the little dears
Lose a little head or two,
Have you inked their little ears:
Girls' ears pink and boys' ears blue?

Children's heads are very loose.
Mother, Father, screw them tight.
If you feel uncertain use
A monkey wrench, but do it right.

If a head should come unscrewed
You will know that you have failed.
Doubtful cases should be glued.
Stubborn cases should be nailed.

Then when all your darlings go
Sweetly screaming off to bed,
Mother, Father, you may know
Angels guard each little head.

Come the morning you will find
One by one each little head
Fill of gentle thoughts and kind,
Sweetly screaming to be fed.

plus chicken tax

 

[Shadrach]

Very high Shad. I'm sure Lock or Moon would oblige.

They haven't shown any enthusiasm for the task yet. Tap, she hates human contact. Moon, well she might if I put her on my shoulder.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It's called animal cruelty Bob. There is no way that rooster put himself in the water, or got on to his back.
It's disgusting.
Take one of your cats and dump them in your pond!

He seemed very calm to me. Or is that me being blindly optimistic?

I wonder what they treat their water with? I imagine that it wouldn't be very good for his skin and feathers.

On a side note, when my greyhound first saw my kids swimming in an in ground pool she became frantic, running back and forth along the edge and eventually jumping in to try and rescue them.

She sank like a stone. The kids ended up having to rescue her