Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

How many chickens have you got now? I was looking at your thread for a bit trying to catch up but it was a little overwhelming (I’ve missed SO much… I absolutely don’t know how some people start at the beginning of threads and actually catch up!)

Well, I'm still trying to catch up. I read the current - staying up with that is hard enough, this group is so chatty. I'm closing in on the 2000ies atm, but it will be a long slog...but I love the stories, so will 'slog away', lol

 

[RoyalChick]

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.

I will try to get a picture tomorrow. She did go to bed sopping wet so that may have been the issue. It wasn’t a very cold night that night but it was below freezing.
If it is frostbite it isnt ver severe. Just the tip of a couple of tips. But still, I do feel sad about it.

 

[bgmathteach]

I may go the plastic shed route. Check these out! I would need to figure out how to add windows. I like the hardware cloth on the doors idea. I think I could lay down some sort of base rock, level it, and put large pavers on top for under the shed floor.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-plastic-shed-chicken-coop-build.1102213/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/7-ft-2-in-x-7-ft-6-in-resin-shed-coop-conversion.1092162/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/craftsman-plastic-shed-coop.1475165/#post-24578653

My neighbor picked one up used, but in good shape, and made it into his turkey coop. He loved it and said it has worked really well - this is his second winter with it. he said it has been really good in both the winter and summer!

 

[Ponypoor]

I don't do colors. That is Mrs BY Bob!

Well.tell her very nicely done in that case

 

[micstrachan]

My neighbor picked one up used, but in good shape, and made it into his turkey coop. He loved it and said it has worked really well - this is his second winter with it. he said it has been really good in both the winter and summer!

Good to know! Thank you!

 

[Ponypoor]

I will try to get a picture tomorrow. She did go to bed sopping wet so that may have been the issue. It wasn’t a very cold night that night but it was below freezing.
If it is frostbite it isnt ver severe. Just the tip of a couple of tips. But still, I do feel sad about it.

Oh dear well as Bob says it's likely not bad. By niece's hens have some it's been brutally cold here below -20C for long stretches... Chickens are tough critters!

 

[RoyalChick]

I try not to do that too much, FB gets pretty darn toxic, opposed to most of the people here. I mean this thread and chicken friends are awesome, but I’ve seen some pretty nasty stuff here on BYC too (mostly the preadator and meat bird forums). So I don’t want to burden anyone, or seem overly negative, add in all of the overwhelm and… not good.

There’s also the fear of negative backlash from not portraying the expected positivity. Right before my big social media purge, we had some issues with flooding, and supply chain issues, which led to of course more panic buying and general nonsense here. So, being alone without transport, and off grid (yes, eventually even I run out of my carefully stockpiled fuel…) so they put a 30L (7 gallons) limit on gasoline. No biggie, if you can get to the gas station. Some of my FB “friends” were being obnoxious about people complaining about it. I (stupidly) thought elaborating on how it affected me might add some different perspective about things like accessibility and need. I got absolutely lambasted by this person, told I didn’t understand rationing, mocked, and called a stupid snowflake… all while dealing with DH in the hospital, being physically trapped by flooding, losing my pet, and a nasty little cold snap. Really kicked me when I was pretty down but still trying hard to stay upbeat, publicly at that, and then several of her friends (complete strangers to me, started in on me too). Just for trying to give a different perspective on the fuel rationing situation.

So, I did a massive FB purge, 300+ people unfriended, and most of them won’t even notice I am gone. Over 3/4 of my “friends” gone. I kept family, really close friends with shared interests, anyone who lives on the same (literal) island as me. The result? I’m not bombarded by a bunch of peoples opinions on everything, especially current “events”. I have more peace of mind, honest positivity, and feel better knowing if I make a post that isn’t all about fake positivity and “flexing” my lifestyle, the people who will see it are ones that matter to me.

Some Additional info about my living situation for any new friends here… I’m completely off grid, on an island with one, questionable at the best of times, road access to our side of the island. I run a Gas powered generator to charge my batteries for RV lights, the water pump, and electric heat when the generator is running. (RV is a mid 90’s model! So not a spring chicken or a three season either, because it’s “temporary” while we build our house). Being off grid, I stock up a little at every shop to keep a decent supply of basic stuff. So we don’t need to panic but when life sends us hiccups, not even TP! I usually have on hand about 120L (31 gallons) of gas, one (now two with my heater) jerry can of diesel, and we have 5 20lb BBQ, and 3 taller 30lb propane tanks (we also have a propane heater, fridge, stove/oven. When it became clear a resupply was going to be problematic, I immediately started rationing my supplies (we won’t even go into the chicken feed situation! I have a lot of chickens) and only treating myself to the bare minimum 1-2hrs of generator power to keep everything functioning. I went basically one month with no supplies or shopping, and oh boy, was it nice when DH finally got home with feed and gas!

Long story short FB is evil… BYC is way better.

I continue to be in awe of your resilience, and good for you on Facebook.
I confess I don’t understand Facebook. Someone once created an account for me on my phone using a fake name. She did it as a joke. I use it sometimes to look around but it all seems very dull.
I guess I haven’t figured out what it is really for. I haven’t tried the ‘friend’ thing. And it sounds like I am better off without it!

 

[Ponypoor]

Another mild day, unfortunately I had to spend it at the office .

My poor arm is aching from the mouse use, I have a repetitive stress injury, and now everything aches! Even typing this is painful boohoo! I am not as tough as a chicken I guess , working from home I have an ergonomic setup. Guess I need to get my office setup with some economic equipment.

But prefer my home office in my barn were I can keep an eye on the horses and the chickens

 

[LozzyR]

Look Out Big Girls, Here Come the Polish Ladies!

View attachment 2987062View attachment 2987064

They look like friends!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I have always wondered about the treadle feeders. I am very interested in how you are training them. Any chance for some video?

OK I got some video today. This is the rat-proof chicken feeder, where the selling point is that the distance of the treadle from the food bin is beyond a rat or squirrel's reach but fine for chickens. Apparently rats have figured out ways to overcome treadle-feeders with close treadles. Also a plus is the door opens inward rather than outward, so is safer. Caveat: bantam chickens are too light for it, it is made for full-size chickens, but can be used with bantams when there are full-sized chickens in the flock. Like Hazel, they learn to get in on the action when the big girls have got it open.

Of course half or more of training chickens is training the trainer. Hazel likes to nip in on the left side when others have got the treadle down, and I did not plan for that at first. And now, the 6x6 chunk I had used on the left side previously to block was in use elsewhere so not available for today's video. In the first video I should have positioned myself on the left to be the block, in the two later videos I did. I had both sides blocked in the beginning of training after most everybody wanted to get to the food around the "barrier" of the treadle. So in this video I eventually gently herd Hazel to approach the feeder from the front. She is not afraid of it now, I would not have done that earlier.

Basically the idea is you reveal the food to them by stepping on it and pushing the treadle down, then lift up and close it, and do that a number of times, when they're hungry. You step on it partway, and when they step on the treadle too, let up. My foot wasn't very effective though. I found that because I have sort of inadvertently trained them to follow my hand and finger, as I do with cats - I tap on anything I want them to see and know about - I would tap on the treadle, and push it down a little. I also tap on the door and push it in a little, while holding the treadle down a bit with my other hand, about halfway in the beginning of training, as I found they were hesitant to lift their foot that high and get on top of it. But they will step on it and over it to get to the food. If they stepped over it I let the door down and treadle up. Same if they step on it and then kept going. If they stepped on the treadle I let up and let their weight take over and the door would open fully. Everybody except Hazel learned pretty fast.

Here I'm trying to get Hazel to try it and somebody else just steps right up to eat.

Here Hazel happened to be in the right position, in front of it, and I tried again. She didn't need to eat anymore for awhile after this.

It took some tweaking of three elements to get the weight to resistance ratio and travel distances right. The link length is a fourth but that's pretty well set by the maker. So -the spring tension/length, and the distance the treadle moves / door opens with a proper, firm, bottoming out of the treadle, and the last, which I eventually took out of the equation for the time being, a soft-close mechanism I had as an add-on. The very, very cold weather I thought was making it's operation stiff. I backed it off completely. Thus the door bangs shut for now, but everybody has gotten used to the sound and it doesn't scare them. It is true when I'm out by the run I can hear when somebody has just gotten off the feeder, so I know they are using it.

I thought the soft-close mechanism played a part in making the door too easy to push in when I had the weight-to-resistance ratio about right - I heard a scraping around in there and saw a mole leave, and saw either the same guy or another push it open and about to go in before I scared it away. The last mile of the close, the last half-inch - was too loose, but in pushing the door open further there was resistance, so making the spring stiff enough to hold it tight was making it hard to get the Buckeye weight-to-treadle/ door-fully-open right. The maker is very good at answering questions and providing help and he confirmed the mechanism needs a stiffer spring than one without it. I decided I didn't want to deal with it further for now because training the hens to use it was priority so I backed it off so it would have no effect. When the resistance is too great for the chicken's weight the treadle won't reach the bottom and be fully open, the treadle will float and wiggle some, which is another new and weird-feeling, and potentially unsafe thing for the chickens to deal with.

OK very long and I hope generally informative, though definitely extra-nerdy there at the end...