Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[goldenfingers]

My chicken trailer comfortably sleeps about 70 with the current roost arrangements, and the current 60 residents include 4 Roosters, and 6 cockerels. I was up to 93 before the mink attack things were getting tight, but I had one additional roosting spot above the nestboxes near the door where most of the littles and juveniles were sleeping. They were hit hardest by the mink

I free Range, completely, only semi supervised, and our weather is usually very temperate (much like California) so they only generally hang out in the coop in really awful weather. Then I just keep adding shavings much more regularly to combat the increased poop loads, because
I’m not going to try shovelling it out in -15C either! When the weather gets that bad they all just literally sit on their roosts and wait it out. That’s also the Only time I put water in the “coop”. They can go overnight without drinking. And usually hit the waterers first thing in the morning.

Around here we find it easier to clean out poop when it's all frozen into little icebergs beneath the roost. It all comes out in one, hard-as-a-rock blob. No fuss no muss!

 

[featherhead007]

Jaffar for president

That would probably work!

 

[Kris5902]

Around here we find it easier to clean out poop when it's all frozen into little icebergs beneath the roost. It all comes out in one, hard-as-a-rock blob. No fuss no muss!

We don’t really get much freezing, just a LOT of wet. Our cold snap of -10 to -12 Celsius was declared as an emergency. People’s pipes froze… it was awful! Over a week of below freezing temperatures… yes, we are delicate west coast flowers… the chickens see snow and go “nope… I don’t need to go outside today” so on the inside of the coop the poop won’t really freeze, but I would going back and forth from there To my compost pile (mental note: build new coop closer to the compost pile for less winter cardio!) lol

 

[Kris5902]

Nice job Phyllis!
I was out in the Chicken Palace when I looked at this. My princesses were definitely intrigued by Phyllis clucking around. They became very alert in a 'stranger in our midst' sort of way.
A little later when it was not playing they did the alarm trill and all froze to the spot - but I couldn't figure out what they saw. I was right there!
I fear Dotty may have got a bit of frostbite on a couple of the tips of her comb. I wonder if she just didn't have enough feathers to keep her comb warm when she buried her head, or whether when she got sopping wet and later it froze that was a problem.
It is certainly not severe and I may be wrong - I didn't want to handle it in case it hurt. I will observe over the next few days but it wouldn't astonish me if she lost a bit of a tip.

I feel really bad about it - but it must be said she seems full of beans and is definitely growing new feathers - I see a lot of black tail feathers coming through and some around her neck.

Frostbite sucks… Dean’s blistered up and seemed quite swollen but mostly ok, until one of his lady friends decided to investigate it… with her beak. As we all know, combs bleed quite spectacularly, and once it would stop she would peck at it again, it happened right before roosting (the bleeding, not the frostbite itself) so I brought him in to separate him from the culprit and let it heal up. Mostly it was left alone after that. I agree that not messing with it is probably the best course of action.

 

[BY Bob]

Is this her first?

Of this year, yes.

 

[micstrachan]

Ok great! At least you know the options have been carefully considered by your crack team of BYC buddies

I know! You all are the BEST!!!

 

[BY Bob]

Nice job Phyllis!
I was out in the Chicken Palace when I looked at this. My princesses were definitely intrigued by Phyllis clucking around. They became very alert in a 'stranger in our midst' sort of way.
A little later when it was not playing they did the alarm trill and all froze to the spot - but I couldn't figure out what they saw. I was right there!
I fear Dotty may have got a bit of frostbite on a couple of the tips of her comb. I wonder if she just didn't have enough feathers to keep her comb warm when she buried her head, or whether when she got sopping wet and later it froze that was a problem.
It is certainly not severe and I may be wrong - I didn't want to handle it in case it hurt. I will observe over the next few days but it wouldn't astonish me if she lost a bit of a tip.

I feel really bad about it - but it must be said she seems full of beans and is definitely growing new feathers - I see a lot of black tail feathers coming through and some around her neck.

Don't be too upset. If it is frostbite it's not the worst thing that happen.

I'd love a picture. I find it hard to believe that she got frostbite in your well ventilated coop. Usually moisture is required.

 

[micstrachan]

Mystery Layer Identified

I caught this young lady heading into the nest box today. There is a freshly laid egg in the box and the hen in question sang the song of her people for 15 minutes afterwards.

Spoiler: Mystery Layer

@Ribh @MaryJanet @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue

Bob, this is filtered out at work. I’ll check it out later.

 

[BY Bob]

What was your dream about involving this teacher?

We are going to start collecting dream tax unless the dream was about a chicken.

@featherhead007 @Marie2020 and anyone else.

 

[BY Bob]

That's not her first egg since brooding, is it? I seem to recall she was laying before winter, but I'm not sure.

Hey! Also,

And thanks for tagging me

Phyllis laid a bunch of eggs after she was broody all the way through her molt.