Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

You are really going fast. It's been months and our coop still isn't done. Although we had to redo the whole base in steel due to the toxicity of cedar wood. (It won't be going to waste). After that we've got to cut openings, vents, the roof, the run, and all the doors needed. Slow but steady hopefully means fortified.

Mine is being built in a fortified run so I have double protection.

 

[RoyalChick]

No yard....just coop (was here when we bought the place), hillside, and overgrown trees. House in the pic is the closest neighbors who like to shell peanuts for the chickens when they visit. Also have to leave the door open at the moment. Mama won't let anyone in through their hatch. Not sure how things will go when dusk fallsView attachment 2780716

What is the bush to the left of the coop? Is that the Russian Olive? I need to look those up. I need a few substantial bushes like that for shelter and shade.

 

[drstratton]

What is the bush to the left of the coop? Is that the Russian Olive? I need to look those up. I need a few substantial bushes like that for shelter and shade.

Russian Olives are tree's with thorns in them. I think they're really pretty!

 

[RoyalChick]

We have a floor

This was a bear to put in.
View attachment 2780760

WOW! Looks wonderful!
I can see it would be tricky to cut and fit in. Do you need to paint it or Flexseal it or just leave it as is? Mine is all dirt floor so I am not as familiar with how to handle wood on the floor.

 

[rural mouse]

Not unless you want.............wait for it.............Explosive Diarrhea!

Or explosive eggs (see Abbott & Costello's Jack and the Beanstalk)

 

[rural mouse]

What is the bush to the left of the coop? Is that the Russian Olive? I need to look those up. I need a few substantial bushes like that for shelter and shade.

There's whole string of them. yes russian olives. They're more tree than bush, but highly overgrown, and water hogs. For bushes, I would suggest Siberian pea trees (actually a shrub) the "peas" are 30% protein so they make great forage places for the chooks. unfortunately at the moment, they're on the opposite side of the house from the coop.

The far background. The midground is chokeBERRY (not chokecherry) and birds love it too. Sadly it's slowgrowing.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Thank you, Bob! I had planned to tube her a mix of water, gatorade and baby bird formula, but her crop wasn’t empty when I got home. I offered more baby bird formula and tuna and she ate a little of each (she has access to feed and water 24/7 right now, too.) Outside, she ate a few chicken forage blend sprouts and dry meal worms. She VERY SLOWLY walked around part of the yard and even preened a bit. It’s not great, but it is definitely improvement.

I brought her back in for bed. I don’t think being in the house is stressing her out and I can tube her later tonight if her crop empties. Minimally, I’d like to tube her each morning for awhile. I think if I’m going to commit to helping her gain strength, I’ll need to tube a lot of calories, or else she’s just going to wither away. Hopefully it’s not too late. She vocalized a little, which is great!

Can I just say that this is the second time I feel I definitely made the right choice by tubing and the little patient very likely would have died without it? I am very grateful to have this skill and would be very happy to walk anyone through it if they have a crisis and need to do it.

Here is Ruby sleeping in the kitchen.
View attachment 2779898

Hope she does well and keeps feeling better! Ruby is one tough Buckeye for sure. Love those tail feathers!

 

[Ribh]

How the heck does a search in my electronic library books site for Nikolai Tolstoy bring up George Saunders A Swim in the Pond in the Rain?! Us bibliophiles are always looking for new reading material.

Artificial Intelligence. It makes some odd connections.

 

[Marie2020]

I’ve had mine go bad, too. Blech!

It took two days to get the pong out of my home

 

[Marie2020]

Oh no, Alex! There is still some daylight left in CA. Can you scour the property and look for them? Or did you do that already?

Shenandoah didn’t show up in the coop tonight. And I couldn’t catch the two littles. So there’s three of my feathered friends out in the night.I’m hoping that Shenandoah is nesting hidden somewhere. I can’t search anymore tonight.

Shake some treats and call out.