Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

Yeh we did. Their eyes are different to human eyes.

But I can't recall exactly how we learnt it. From Gloria? Or from the Catalan Poultry Club? Anyway, I have a feeling Shad relayed that info for us.

 

[Ribh]

But I can't recall exactly how we learnt it. From Gloria? Or from the Catalan Poultry Club? Anyway, I have a feeling Shad relayed that info for us.

Yep, I recall Shad explaining when Alpia was having her bubbly eye.

 

[featherhead007]

I’m glad I’m home. I really needed my afternoon cup of Coco. (She was waiting patiently for me to bring her inside with me ) She’s such a sweet hen and a privilege to be a chicken daddy to!

 

[micstrachan]

No, not ugly, necessary. I meant to respond to that original post with the video (but got distracted! by other posts.) YOU DON'T EVER NEED TO APOLOGIZE for doing something to help your chooks. We all understand! I wrap my run in that stuff in the winter, as the winds really whip down the mountain here in the winter. It is the right thing to do! Maybe you don't like the look, but clearly (pun intended), you like the effect it has...and I am quite sure your chooks appreciate it, too.

Thanks. You are right.

I need to update the molters as Aurora has lost feathers everywhere from Thursday into Friday. She has multiple bare spots and is into full stand off mode. That was fast and I am concerned for her with the temperature drop. I'm going to close the coop window and try to hold the warmth from the sun in the coop for her, Lilly and Sansa. This is not optimal. It was down to 27°F (-2.7°C). I'll watch the coop temp tonight and see if I need to do anything else.

Poor Aurora. I believe it’s past sunset there, yes? How is she doing?

 

[micstrachan]

@micstrachan, have you sprouted other things? I currently am doing alfalfa (found some organic sprouting seeds @ Ocean State Job Lot!), and have done peas, as well... this time of year...to try to give something with more protein. Do wheat, barley, etc. most of winter. Unfortunately, they don't get it every day...I presently have 106 birds (10 are ducks, rest chooks), so I can't possibly grow fodder for that many every day in my house! I have one of that exact same sprouter...but about a dozen individual different ones that are roughly the size of 9x12 baking sheets. (Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Sprouter-Soil-Free-Wheatgrass-Sprouting-13-4x9-84x4-72in/dp/B075D4W7JX/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CNI0E2NRJXOF&keywords=sprouter+tray&qid=1636225860&qsid=133-9415411-9346156&sprefix=sprouter,aps,104&sr=8-3&sres=B01AJJOJD0,B075D4W7JX,B08721HPWX,B07LG82X57,B081Z8D7G2,B08CZKKYDD,B07MXZG8DV,B08NC6B28P,B07839W2L6,B08S3H9WDJ,B086XF2T5D,B08R7GZPXB,B07YVH2HX1,B089LWF65S,B091FVX8HT,B005FVPP04,B07CP644DT,B085SZCV7B,B08ZYN71C2,B07VYTZP25&srpt=PLANTER)

Will be down to about 80ish for the winter...when my youngest 'extra' boys and some of the older girls go to freezer camp. More than I have ever kept over: I ended up keeping more ducks than I usually do, and chicken math plus hens going broody & hatching (LATE!) after I already got chicks thinking they weren't going to this year, kinda got the best of me.

Yes! I sprout other things (lentils, alfalfa, mung bean, adzuca beans, chickpeas, broccoli, kale…) but mostly for humans. I have sprouted a chicken forage blend for them, as well. Some of them do love alfalfa, so thanks for the reminder!

I actually have those exact same trays! But they are too big for my little flock, I have found, and the holes are too big for smaller seeds. Maybe I’ll pull them back out and give them another try.

That is a large number of chickens you have!

 

[micstrachan]

Michelle,
You can put her on your lap without 'handling' her. slip your hand/finger behind her legs...just above her feet an gently press...and she may 'step back' onto your hand...and you can lift her to your leg. @Shadrach explained this waaaayyyy back (Cat.P days). I'll see if I can find that post and edit with quote/link.

EDIT:
Okay, ?help in effective searches? I can't easily find it, and @Shadrach's post I mentioned is somewhere in the first 1100 pages of this thread! (probably not the first couple hundred...but beyond that I can't narrow the pages to search) and searching for @Shadrach on this thread, it won't go back far enough

Good point! I could try it!

 

[micstrachan]

I use clear shower curtains. They hold up fine here all winter.

Bob, how do you secure the bottom?

 

[micstrachan]

Be careful out there.

I know. Always looking over my shoulder for mountain lions. As soon as I see deer, my shoulders relax. Come to think of it, I did not see deer this morning, which is unusual!

 

[micstrachan]

Sunbathing Under Cover

With the hawks out and about, Sansa has located a spot to sunbathe while still under cover. Smart lady.
View attachment 2889722

Smart lady, indeed!

 

[micstrachan]

Cold hardy to zone 2, great because we can hit -35F without Wind chill. Deer bed down on the lea side (closer to the house) but don't typically browse the hedge) Peas 30% protein...yes the chickens eat it (goldfinches love it too). Bees and hummingbirds love the flowers. Ours is pushing 12 feet high. Interestingly, I ran across some info claiming that it has colorfast dye properties (some kind of blue which is rare in natural dyes), but haven't been able to find more info ont hat part. people can eat the peas too (kinda like lentils). have a lilac hedge along another side of the property which bloom time is offset (great for bee food). those don't draw the birds (other than the hummers) like the pea shrub does. RC found out its considered invasive in New Jersey so check with your state before planting it (I have sprouts if you want to come get next spring). The chickens happily run through it for the grasshoppers on the other side in the summer, but stay close for aerial protection. also works well for ground predator evasion (the dog came around it and found them on the opposite side of the house, closer to the coop, but dog is no longer out here so good).
Pea shrub does like water, but once established, will tolerate drought conditions (I tend to provide water to anything that looks like it's wilting a tiny bit). Drops it's leaves fairly early and seed pods start exploding in July so bird food available early in harvest schedule, but hide well so can be found well into winter too.
View attachment 2889123Current appearance

View attachment 2889131About 3 years ago


View attachment 2889132Summer foliage (background hedge)

Wonderful photos! Somehow I missed a couple pages here this morning.