Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Emily is laying right beside me. She’s got her eyes closed, and I don’t know if she’s either feeling very comfortable, or she’s dying. (Hopefully she’s just comfortable)

I am praying for her and you.

 

[BY Bob]

Coop: Top View

I drew up a top view of the coop for your review.

 

[featherhead007]

Coop: Top View

I drew up a top view of the coop for your review.
View attachment 2709390

I’ll throw this across Beetov-Hen’s desk in a few minutes. But looks good to me, so far.

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh dear. Someone laid an egg with no shell. A whole egg, but just in a membrane not any hard shell at all.
That is a calcium issue I assume.
They are on layer feed and have oyster shell and crumbled egg shells available whenever they want so I wonder if someone isn't absorbing the calcium properly.
I gave a crushed up human calcium with vitamin D pill in scrambled egg and will give another one at bedtime (I think night is when they form the shell so when they need most calcium).
Any other ideas? I heard different kinds of calcium are easier to absorb but I am not sure what the best kind is. I am hoping the vitamin D is OK as well.
Any advice welcome!

 

[featherhead007]

Emily decided to sit up on my lap.

 

[fuentemoon]

Oh dear. Someone laid an egg with no shell. A whole egg, but just in a membrane not any hard shell at all.
That is a calcium issue I assume.
They are on layer feed and have oyster shell and crumbled egg shells available whenever they want so I wonder if someone isn't absorbing the calcium properly.
I gave a crushed up human calcium with vitamin D pill in scrambled egg and will give another one at bedtime (I think night is when they form the shell so when they need most calcium).
Any other ideas? I heard different kinds of calcium are easier to absorb but I am not sure what the best kind is. I am hoping the vitamin D is OK as well.
Any advice welcome!

If it only happens once I wouldn't worry, weird things can happen, it is if they continue to produce odd /soft or no shells that I think there is cause for concern. One of mine laid a a no shell once last year.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Better Coop Plans

I have translated the photo drawings to graph paper and sent them on to my engineer for working up. Here are the graph paper drawings for your perusal. Please feel free to make any and all suggestions that pop into your head.

View attachment 2708631View attachment 2708632View attachment 2708633View attachment 2708634

This is fun, to vicariously enjoy your build plans and projects! My only question now is - What are the reasons the window is in the middle of the wall? Aesthetics for you and Mrs. Bob, ventilation, light for cleaning, etc. Would chickens prefer their roost area to be darker than elsewhere, for feeling it's a safe and hidden place to go when they sleep? I mean, maybe chickens like to be on their roost and look out the window, I kind of doubt that, but possible, I don't know. Or maybe there could there be another perch in front of an offset window for that, like daytime perching?

 

[fuentemoon]

We went from 80s and 90s last week to barely in the 60s this week, quite a change.

A sleepy Brenna, not quite ready to go to bed

A very hidden a prickly nest site

 

[RoyalChick]

This is fun, to vicariously enjoy your build plans and projects! My only question now is - What are the reasons the window is in the middle of the wall? Aesthetics for you and Mrs. Bob, ventilation, light for cleaning, etc. Would chickens prefer their roost area to be darker than elsewhere, for feeling it's a safe and hidden place to go when they sleep? I mean, maybe chickens like to be on their roost and look out the window, I kind of doubt that, but possible, I don't know. Or maybe there could there be another perch in front of an offset window for that, like daytime perching?

I have a window in front of the main roost in the Chicken Palace and I am reasonably sure they do like to sit and look out of the window.
A favorite pass-time after the first frenzy of eating and preening is to hang out there chatting and looking out of the window.

 

[Marie2020]

Oh dear. Someone laid an egg with no shell. A whole egg, but just in a membrane not any hard shell at all.
That is a calcium issue I assume.
They are on layer feed and have oyster shell and crumbled egg shells available whenever they want so I wonder if someone isn't absorbing the calcium properly.
I gave a crushed up human calcium with vitamin D pill in scrambled egg and will give another one at bedtime (I think night is when they form the shell so when they need most calcium).
Any other ideas? I heard different kinds of calcium are easier to absorb but I am not sure what the best kind is. I am hoping the vitamin D is OK as well.
Any advice welcome!

I've been giving my ladies the yogurt you suggested. I wonder if you try this with some fruit would this help.