Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

Yes, it’s there! However, I’m a bit rattled right now, as I think I need to tube fluids into Ester and I’m scared. She is very weak and stumbling, but she is not handled easily and is covered in pin feathers. I don’t want to hurt her, but if I don’t get fluids into her, I fear she’ll die.

Oh no, poor Ester! Did you have any luck getting fluids into her?

 

[LozzyR]

Yes, but I had two swings up and they really preferred the one I made, I think because it was heavier and steadier for them. It has long 8" eye bolts right through the 2-3" wood perch. First I had regular bolts with a nut on top, see picture. When they were little I had rug-grip stuff on it so they could really grab it with their toes as soon as they jumped up. The Chicken Swing brand has a short 3-4" section into the perch which is plastic and though it is textured (like a corn cob) it is slippery. I put rug-gripper on that too. The short 3-4" section made for a shorter radius of unsteady-ness, which theoretically would be good, but maybe because it all is so light I observed their feet would zip back and forth in that radius a lot. The wooden one was first choice, the plastic one got used if there was no room left on the wooden one.

I trained them as chicks, I would tap on it and hold a mealworm out above the swing. They would get it when they jumped up on it. I steadied it with my other hand a lot as they first jumped up, and then slowly let it go, to let them experience steadying it while standing on it, using another mealworm for incentive to stay on. Soon they were competing to get up there, and Butters and Popcorn were getting on either swing pre-emptively when I would approach. I also hooked up bungee cords going both ways for both of them - like trapeze trainers - so the swings would move, but had a soft end point. I thought the bungee cords would not be necessary after a while, or maybe I should have removed them earlier, but they really didn't like either swing to be totally free so I kept them.

They used both swings during the Summer to hang out on. Each fit two birds then. Unless someone hogged one I'd see all four of them on the swings, two-by-two. Now I think only one each would fit.

There was an element of using it because there's nothing else available - when they were in the coop run getting tractored around those and the ladder perches were the only perches available. I tried to have as many things as possible off the ground so I wouldn't have to move them when moving the tractor, and I wanted to give them optimal use of the ground area.

The swings got more sunlight than the ladder perches - I had a small shade tarp over the coop pop door and perch - so on cooler days they loved it there. Plus there was either clear tarp or no tarp on one or both sides, so they could look out either way while perching.

View attachment 2472333

That’s awesome! I think teaching them as chicks is the key.

 

[LozzyR]

Okay. I'm impressed.
I'm going to check the rest out with the other browser. I have one browser running No Script and another that doesn't.

That’s seriously high praise Shad, thank you!

 

[Ribh]

Are you quite sure that's a fluffy butt Ribh? I have trouble telling one end from the other with your Frizzles.

Well, I think it's mostly butt. I was waiting on one of Shad's feather duster comments!

 

[Ribh]

I had the exact same thought but didn't want to offend. As both ends are adorable I decided it didn't matter and we could see the same shot on Mugshot Monday and be just as happy!

This totally cracked me up! If I remember I'll do it just so we can all have a good laugh.

 

[Ribh]

Yes, it’s there! However, I’m a bit rattled right now, as I think I need to tube fluids into Ester and I’m scared. She is very weak and stumbling, but she is not handled easily and is covered in pin feathers. I don’t want to hurt her, but if I don’t get fluids into her, I fear she’ll die.

How is she doing, Michelle? This is worrying & I think I've got my time zones muddled again.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh no, poor Ester! Did you have any luck getting fluids into her?

YES! I’m officially able to tube now. The first time I was shaking horribly (as bad as the time I took the family to a ropes course, LOL). Second time was a little easier.

 

[micstrachan]

How is she doing, Michelle? This is worrying & I think I've got my time zones muddled again.

Hi Ribh. She’s stable. Still sitting on her hocks and eating very little, but I proudly now have the skill of being able to tube fluids. Phew! I’ll tube feed if it comes to that. I think she’s trusting me a little more now, too.

I’m considering bringing Bridge by for a visit, but Ester’s not going outside until she’s stronger.

 

[RoyalChick]

She’ll eat a bit of scrambled egg, live meal worms, and wheat berries. But she stopped drinking. She needs fluids badly. I think I’ll be trying this soon. I’m just going to get it nice and toasty in here first.

Are you sure you can't get her to take in fluid with the scrambled egg and wheat berries? Poor baby!

 

[Ribh]

See... this is where I would have just plopped her down on the roosts with the Buckeyes for the night, closed the door and waited to hear if there was any big scuffle over it. Then gotten up extra early to let everyone out before tensions could get too high in the morning. Here is your new friend ladies... make her welcome! But that’s my no fuss speed integration. If they are already getting along semi peaceably during the day they should be ok sleeping together if you put her in once it’s fully dark, but again, I have a different set up, and more options if things don’t work out in one flock.

I sneaked into my neighbors coop at night, lifted his three remaining hens off their perches, and under the cover of darkness, placed them on the roosts in my own coop. The next morning Hawk had 8 ladies instead of 5, and it was good. A month or so later another 4 joined his flock, these girls look different, but again eventually- it was good. Sometimes it doesn’t work. Barney’s two girls that moved with him into Bob’s Coop were being bullied, maybe if I had the time to do a proper integration it would have worked better, but after three days I decided to move them in with the free range flock instead, there’s more flexibility there.

I'm a secret night time rooster too. I have always moved new girls on to a roost @ night. My set up has meant the older girls head downstairs to the food & water in the morning but keep the newbies bailed up upstairs. I usually add food & water separately for them until integration is complete.