Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

This morning's pics

The wayward wanderer took no harm from yesterday's adventureView attachment 2985281View attachment 2985282This is a favored winter perch....provided the snow is somewhat cleared to get to it...

Zoomed out view: perched, Splash; front right, Blanche; Cheetah on the left, Silver and Storm in the middle
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Broody JessicaView attachment 2985286

Pear still gets cold easily, but is finally getting feathers back in from her dump-them-all-at-once-in-the-dead-of-winter.View attachment 2985287

Twirp is in constant motion...if this girl ever goes broody, I will be gobsmacked!
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Hunting for the last snippets of the breakfast sardines. Not sure if Cheetah actually tasted any as he kept calling the girls who fell on them like starving jackals (some got snuck to Jessica too)View attachment 2985284
Bottom up to top: Cheetah, Blanche, Cuckoo, and Nellie

Temps up to 32 already today: more snow melt, but winter storms still likely through Mother's Day

Just lovely , nice to see pics of your chickies

 

[GregnLety]

I agree. Just say no to a metal coop.

I can see the logic but I am going to be building an open air coop which will have a lot of ventilation and will be including a thermostat controlled exhaust fan for the steamy central Texas summers. I am going with metal primarily because of the availability. I purchased all the metal from my neighbor when he tore down a huge shed. I have covered my runs and duck coop and still have a pile left. I am very big on repurposing everything.

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 2985278following along, will add some fluffy butt fotos later. My young ducklings and their parents are shown here.

Awww that's so awesome, ducks are very inquisitive I find....

 

[GregnLety]

Awww that's so awesome, ducks are very inquisitive I find....

I like ducks because they always have a mischievous thing going on.

 

[featherhead007]

It sounds good, but no pics of the inside set warning bells off for me. Many commercial coops have roosts too flimsy to hold birds larger than bantams. Would it be possible to do the disassemble on your existing to bring along and get the open air tarped "coop"/fence to use while yours is being put back together? The tarped one could then extend your run space, hold roost/climbing apparatus, and provide a bigger, sheltered time with the girls space. Bringing your existing coop would also minimize moving stress as the girls would be back in familiar quickly. Using the teen to help build (reassemble) could put it back together quickly. You'd also be able to inspect all the parts and replace any in need of that at the same time.

After watching the install/build video, I'm still concerned about the roosts themselves. The video is well done, the coop is well done and as long as it matches what was shown, fantastic! I still question the roosts dimensions/ sturdiness.

 

[Ponypoor]

Well finally a milder day here, I let the gang out on Mount Poopmore while I cleaned stalls, even the chicks went out for a bit, but it was so windy they kept getting their feathers all blown all over the place which they didn't seem to appreciate.

After about 10 min the chicks had enough and came back inside to pester me while I cleaned stalls hahaha. They like to perch on the wheelbarrow handles silly kiddos. The adults soon followed, seems it's not quite warm enough to spend too much time outside in the windy weather.

I have all my hay for the next couple weeks stored in the main barn and the chickens seem to think this is a grand playground for them, I gave Henny Penny instructions to NOT lay her egg at the top of the pile today hahaha. Seems she listened and went and laid her egg in a real nest box! Woohoo! I had visions of me hauling a bale down and an egg dropping into my head .

Still getting an average of 4 eggs a day, which is plenty in my opinion! Once spring comes and everyone gets back on track, and those 2 chicks start laying, and the broody bunch gets their act together I will have 11 hens laying - I will be awash in rainbow coloured eggs

 

[Ponypoor]

I like ducks because they always have a mischievous thing going on.

My niece has 2 Indian runners, hens, and they are hilarious as they run after the chickens

 

[featherhead007]

I like ducks because they always have a mischievous thing going on.

I don’t like how ducks charge $$ for everything they buy. “Just put it on my bill”

 

[BY Bob]

I can see the logic but I am going to be building an open air coop which will have a lot of ventilation and will be including a thermostat controlled exhaust fan for the steamy central Texas summers. I am going with metal primarily because of the availability. I purchased all the metal from my neighbor when he tore down a huge shed. I have covered my runs and duck coop and still have a pile left. I am very big on repurposing everything.

I very much look forward to seeing what you do. Open air coops are very different. I've also seen a coop built out of freezer panels which are also metal. In general though I am not a fan. Perhaps you can convert me.

 

[BY Bob]

I like ducks because they always have a mischievous thing going on.

Oh boy. I can't wait to hear stories!