Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

I'm posting from the run. Came back from a ski and found Hazel in the divided area with Queenie 2 1/2 hours ago and I've been with them watching. Hazel must have flown over, as Queenie still wanted out but wasn't flying out. I had taken down the upper fence after putting Queenie to roost last night. There was mild pecking and sometimes Queenie went past Hazel, in front, to avoid a peck. Then they foraged and preened and scratched around. Queenie looks unharmed. Fence fighting: that's the stance but Queenie hardly pecked the ground and then the fence, but I think I saw that once. I eventually took Hazel out, then, while I was replacing the water, Queenie flew out. There was no brawl, Queenie is submitting to everyone it appears, holding her head low and still, and moves to get away if it persists. After awhile I rolled up the fencing for more room and refilled the bowls with mash. So far no bad pecking, sometimes a gangup -maybe 4-5 times so far? But Queenie submits and moves away. She appears really content, she was pacing the fence before, and seems to accept how things are. She is eating and preening. Early on she found high ground on the low perch pictured here, she's there now, preening. They did keep her from the water bowl for awhile, but later she drank from it. I'm staying until they roost, thinking Queenie should go into the carrier again. Thoughts?View attachment 2470259

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I try very hard not to get involved in chicken politics. I don't understand the manifesto.
I patch up the injured, admonish the aggresor and wait for the next kick off.
Chickens fight, hens as well as roosters. I would be a nervous wreck here if I tried to intervene in every dispute. The injuries are rarely serious. It's often mostly about status and I'm not in the hierachy.
I can do this here because there is plenty of room and there is always Bucket Boys place to escape to if required. All are welcome, even the horrid ones.
It is easy to misunderstand my relationships with the chickens from the pictures I post of them in the house. They come and go at will. I won't let them fight in the house is about the only rule. I throw them out; hens or roosters, if they want to fight.

 

[Shadrach]

I'll wish you are a peaceful and prosperous New Year here on the assumption that you'll all get to read it eventually.

 

[LozzyR]

I love that you are a scrapbooker. I was heavily into scrapbooking when the kids were little, before I sent back to work. I participated on design teams, contests, blogs, etc. I guess when I get into something, I get really into it!
On that note, I’ll be learning a new skill... quilting! I convinced my colleague and friend to take some of us through a virtual quilting class in January. Of course the fabric collection I selected has some chickens involved!

I got into it after some pretty serious trauma, but haven’t been able to do it for ages. It’s been nice the last couple of days just listening to podcasts and scrapbooking.

 

[BY Bob]

The Buckeyes have gone to roost, and Queenie made no attempt to go with them. They messed around more than usual and went back to where Queenie was eating the mash they left, pecked her some and drive her away, then let her be when she switched to the other bowl. Now they're sitting in the coop now waiting for the autodoor to close. Queenie was first on this small round perch higher than I'm sitting that I threw onto the end corner here by her carrier, then she jumped onto my shoulder, and now is back on the perch. I'll move her to the carrier soon,the perch is not secure I think, being too close to the run wall. Totally exposed otherwise too. I got lots of video today but it will have to await the IT person learning how to wrangle it all.

Sounds like you are off to a good start. Roosting together is the hardest thing. As you know I still have issues.

 

[BY Bob]

I'll wish you are a peaceful and prosperous New Year here on the assumption that you'll all get to read it eventually.

Thank you Shad. I'm wishing the same kind of year for you and the tribes as well.

 

[RoyalChick]

Feather control is an amazing thing. Chicken that have a heavy moult when it's hot suffer as badly, if not worse, than they do in the cold. Feather control allows them to organize their feathers when it's hot so that air will cilculate close to the skin while the outer layers prevent heat reachinng the skin. Dogs can do the same apparently.

Fascinating!

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh my! I’ll be using my regular, nothing-special sewing machine. LOL. Something to look forward to in retirement, perhaps!

And I thought quilting was done by hand - I guess that disqualifies me!

 

[RoyalChick]

I'll wish you are a peaceful and prosperous New Year here on the assumption that you'll all get to read it eventually.

And to you too. We all need a better 2021.

 

[featherhead007]

All Dressed up and Ready

@featherhead007 , Phyllis is ready for the big party tonight. When is Blu getting here to pick her up?
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Sorry. I think BLU is gonna be late this year.

I won't be showing BLU that picture (He'd feel guilty standing Phyllis up.Since she got all dolled up for him)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Here's photos of my coop / run setup.
This view is facing north-northeast


The Omlet coop and run all tarped up. I added 2 ft hardware cloth along the base, plus hardware cloth extension/adapter to attach to the tall run. You can see a small black 2" pipe on the roof of the coop. It is actually inside a 4" pipe section holding the tarp away from the top of the run, and the pipe holds the tarp away from the coop top, which overlaps onto the roof, away from the roof there, helping with ventilation. The setup is on the ground which is pretty damp (I've got bedding all piled upon it). There is one of the coop vents right below the pipe, and I had seen some condensation on the low-run tarp. That's gone since doing this.


The 6x9 tall run. The pipe and wood wedged in over the top stable door are holding out the tarp for now, keeps the rain & snow away. I want to try to make a hardware cloth overhang for it. To the right of that I just made a roof extension of hardware cloth & shower curtain to do just that over the south-facing un-tarped vent area. I want to do one on the opposite back end, but maybe baffled/pointed down as the wind, rain and snow really blow fiercely 'round the garage/barn into it. Right now I have wood wedged between the top tarp and the run wall tarp on the back end. This tall run still needs 2-ft hardware cloth all around the bottom, won't get to it until the weather warms up. You can see from the lower door in the above picture that the bottom 3-foot panels have wire that is set smaller, but each column is still about 3" wide.


The 3x3 bump-out I made from freed-up panels after the coop & run were attached. I wasn't planning on using the small stable doors on the end so I wrapped them in shower curtains; I'm going to cut it and I have panels from shower curtains made that will fit there so the doors can be used. That's the cat carrier on buckets in there. I put a 2x3ft panel of hardware cloth between the right side wall and the carrier.


Looking from the tall run down the low run to the coop. The run handles are supporting the shape of the run top, and although the bottom panel is buckled in a bit where it hinges/attaches, it works. That's as far as it has ever buckled and I don't think it's going to move more. In the Summer and Fall the Buckeyes seemed to like to dustbathe on the right side of the length, and also they sometimes fly straight out of the coop door on the left side, so it's been free of furniture for awhile. They do like running down the length also. There were two above-the-head swings set up in line with the run length for the Summer and I will set them up that way once they start tractoring again. But now that there's a 4-5" log perch in the tall run they stopped using the swings for their mid-day siestas. The 3" flat wooden swing I made (not here now) was always 1st choice over the smaller diameter plastic yellow manufactured swing seen here, even with rug-stopper non-skid cushioning on it for when they were chicks. I set this one up perpendicular to the length but it is unused. I took off the rug stopper when they began shredding it.


OK that's the setup. I want to add levels in the tall run - a card table for instance which was suggested here, but I have to make or get one.