Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

So in the background along with a whole bunch of junk on the “to clean up” list the green tarps are over my three layer tractors, you can’t see them but my two remaining and one crushed (by cows) meat tractors are in the far corner of the yard too. We were initially told it’s impossible to free range chickens out here because the eagles and ravens will eat them all, so my initial foray into chickens (because I didn’t want a static coop as the ones here are disgusting nightmares) was completely tractor based. There are some serious design issues with the wheels and 1” hardware cloth bottoms under the roosting area. They are also not Cow/bill proof. If your cattle get hungry enough to go for the chicken feed the 2x2’s don’t stand a chance!

Because we are pretty temperate here but damp they only really need the “coop” for nighttime. And when they are afraid of the strange white stuff on the ground for maybe a week a year… I had some well aged cedar bevel siding for the roosting box area, some corrugated steel for the roof, and could have used something far less secure for the run portion rather than expensive hardware cloth, because the ramp doubles as a door and I close them in manually every night. They are 6x12’ with an elevated 3x6’ nesting/ roosting area in the rear. They use a 9x12’ tarp (prefer white but whatever DH manages to find on sale of a correct size) and I replace the tarps every 1-1.5 years. The first one was done in 2018, and they are just now starting to fail badly.

Biggest design flaws: the wheels get angled in and rub. The threaded rod of the axels, one nut tends to unscrew and the other tightens when they are moved. I didn’t think about moulting and the feathers catch in the underroosting area, which then collects poop and rots out the metal. When they were newer I could easily move them myself, now it’s a two person job. They are pretty heavy. But I can walk in and when I have roll away meat boxes in them I actually get hatching eggs. When I move them daily they are ok for 12-13 chickens with their rooster. Also good for containing my one violent boy. I’ll see if I can find the link to my build…

I can fix them!

 

[BY Bob]

Look who decided to nap with me.
View attachment 2999038

BRIDGE! Hi Bridge

I've never asked, where did the name Bridge come from?

 

[featherhead007]

At any rate no matter what it is treat with permethrin or ivermectin. Will have to treat the roosts, neat boxes etc to kill the insects there.

I think egg withdrawal is a couple weeks... If your gals are laying...

I haven’t had the bugs before, until I bought some “questionable” bedding for the coop

 

[BY Bob]

#1 reason why being broody now is a BAD idea
View attachment 2999057Note: this is F temps, 32 = 0C

Bird tax
View attachment 2999059

That's pretty chilly.

 

[BY Bob]

Don't let Mrs. Bob see the pics....

That is very true. I would have get her a goat to avoid silkies!

 

[BY Bob]

Even more Hard “No” I think about half of those lows are too low even if they were in Celsius… I don’t know how you guys can do it!

We are tough stock.

 

[BY Bob]

Any chance someone knows what these black bugs are? View attachment 2999068

The picture is too blurry for me. It does not matter treatment is the same, ivermectin (spelling).

 

[Ponypoor]

I haven’t had the bugs before, until I bought some “questionable” bedding for the coop

What sort of bedding? Straw or shavings?

Parasites are hard to deal with for sure...

 

[Kris5902]

That is very true. I would have get her a goat to avoid silkies!

Well I could possibly fix that… she can goat sit Jimmy for a day or two! Not long enough to get noseblind to him like I am though!

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 2999091

You need to treat her for sure. And find out where they are coining from.