Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

"Toxic to most animals"
Wonder why the deer keep eating my plants off an inch or 2 above the ground? (Why am I asking this? They ate my rhubarb leaves too)

Evidently deer aren't 'most animals'?

They have devoured mine...ate stalk and all...right down to about 1" above the ground as well! Along with my cucumber plants in the next bed over.They even ate my 'deer resistant' hostas. I would hate to see what they do to the older hosta varieties that aren't 'deer resistant'!!

 

[GregnLety]

Evidently deer aren't 'most animals'?

They have devoured mine...ate stalk and all...right down to about 1" above the ground as well! Along with my cucumber plants in the next bed over.They even ate my 'deer resistant' hostas. I would hate to see what they do to the older hosta varieties that aren't 'deer resistant'!!

Deer won't eat our lilies but the roses to the ground.

 

[bgmathteach]

I am intrigued by that too for those really, really cold nights. I have been a bit shaken by the frostbite incident. I could hang it from the ceiling maybe.

While I understand your thought/desire, and the fact that this at least has a safety switch is an improvement....however, the switch only works if the angle of the light changes. If it happens to fall/land somewhat straight down....a) it would light straw or shavings in no time at all and b) landing 'upright' so to speak would mean the switch wouldn't shut it off.

I used to use a heat lamp in my brooder (because they were inexpensive & covered a larger area). Despite using a secondary tie-up in addition to the clamp...my young fliers managed to knock it down...and it burned part of the large wooden brooder box (4'X6') Fortunately, I caught it before it did more than smolder (plus, it happened to melt the corner of a waterer, so water slowly dripped and moistened the bedding...so smoldering only, no flame-up. I felt someone was watching out for me that day, as I could have lost all my babies, maybe even the house. I was VERY lucky, - didn't lose anyone. However, I will never use a heat lamp again. Not even a month after that, the farm down the street lost their whole dairy barn and a couple of cows and all their baby calves as they were using a heat lamp for a newborn calf (2-3 days old), and the heat lamp got knocked down & the entire barn (plus all the hay in the loft!) burned. This was a couple of years ago, and they just finished rebuilding this past summer.

So, again, I will never use a heat lamp again! I won't dictate to others, but I WILL encourage you to use safer options.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

While playing a game of cards after dinner last night, Rosie went and got Ezzie out to play with her. A hour later when I went to check on them and tell her its bed time I see she's already asleep. On the floor with Ezzie snuggled right up to her. I was informed last night that apparently Tractor Supply has chicks in already even though when I called them they told me they would not have any until the 28th. Depending on work schedules I hope to have time to run up there today to get her some siblings. She is doing fine as a lone chick, but I see a potential huge problem happening if she doesn't get a sibling or two. She is already VERY people oriented, but she needs to learn that she is a chicken and what other chickens are or introduction outside is going to go very very bad.

 

[bgmathteach]

Hi, everyone. I have some catching up to do on the thread, as I did a girls overnight with two other moms and two of the daughters last night. It was so much fun, and the best part is that I had quality time with my daughter and after a couple years of really struggling, she’s now getting super excited about possibly going on to University someday. Fingers crossed! Anyway, some of you know that my Little Mill has been struggling. Here’s a little update.

Awww, what a lovely video of happy chickens doing what chickens do!
Thank you for sharing this. I love seeing your videos!

It was so nice to watch this when we are grey & in the midst of that snow storm. Thanks again, it brightened my morning!!

 

[RoyalChick]

While I understand your thought/desire, and the fact that this at least has a safety switch is an improvement....however, the switch only works if the angle of the light changes. If it happens to fall/land somewhat straight down....a) it would light straw or shavings in no time at all and b) landing 'upright' so to speak would mean the switch wouldn't shut it off.

I used to use a heat lamp in my brooder (because they were inexpensive & covered a larger area). Despite using a secondary tie-up in addition to the clamp...my young fliers managed to knock it down...and it burned part of the large wooden brooder box (4'X6') Fortunately, I caught it before it did more than smolder (plus, it happened to melt the corner of a waterer, so water slowly dripped and moistened the bedding...so smoldering only, no flame-up. I felt someone was watching out for me that day, as I could have lost all my babies, maybe even the house. I was VERY lucky, - didn't lose anyone. However, I will never use a heat lamp again. Not even a month after that, the farm down the street lost their whole dairy barn and a couple of cows and all their baby calves as they were using a heat lamp for a newborn calf (2-3 days old), and the heat lamp got knocked down & the entire barn (plus all the hay in the loft!) burned. This was a couple of years ago, and they just finished rebuilding this past summer.

So, again, I will never use a heat lamp again! I won't dictate to others, but I WILL encourage you to use safer options.

OMG what an awful thing to happen.
I am very, very wary. This seemed to be promoting that it was somehow safer than a regular heat lamp. The Sweeter Heater (which that company doesn't sell) says the same thing. I am skeptical but would like to know why they say that.
I believe an oil filled heater genuinely is safer and I have a spare one of those that I can have in the people side of the Chicken Palace so there is no risk it gets knocked over (actually they are very hard to knock over even if you try). The trouble is that it doesn't direct heat towards the chickens so it really doesn't do much.

 

[RoyalChick]

While playing a game of cards after dinner last night, Rosie went and got Ezzie out to play with her. A hour later when I went to check on them and tell her its bed time I see she's already asleep. On the floor with Ezzie snuggled right up to her. I was informed last night that apparently Tractor Supply has chicks in already even though when I called them they told me they would not have any until the 28th. Depending on work schedules I hope to have time to run up there today to get her some siblings. She is doing fine as a lone chick, but I see a potential huge problem happening if she doesn't get a sibling or two. She is already VERY people oriented, but she needs to learn that she is a chicken and what other chickens are or introduction outside is going to go very very bad.

Well that is exciting!

 

[lightm]

Whew, I think I can go to bed now

I stayed up late for Sydney's hatching as well!!! I see now that I am following your footsteps.

 

[bgmathteach]

Has anyone housed ducks and chickens in close proximity? I will finish the house for the silkies this weekend and the north side will adjoin the duck pen. In the yard they avoid each other but there's lot of space. I put up a wire wall between the two coops and due to the silkie coop being unfinished I temporarily covered that with 2 metal sheets. Should I leave the lower sheet on so they have no direct contact with each other?

I house mine 'together' so to speak. They share the same run space...and I have an 'up & down' coop. Bottom level was for ducks, top level was for chickens. However, the ducks moved themselves to one of my other chicken coops (the only one that isn't raised off the ground), and now sleep with the chickens. They sleep under the nest boxes and/or under the ramp, so don't get pooped on...but I have one duck that will sometimes climb the ramp and sleep with the chickens (I have a slightly sloped 'roof' to the nest boxes that acts as a poop board under 1 of the roosts). This 1 sweetie (duck) likes to sleep there at times. I also have 2 ducks that will hop into the raised nest boxes to lay sometimes. They do very well together! The ducks keep the roosters in line (well....control the roosters), so there is no issue there.

A couple of things to consider, though:

IF you have a drake, make sure you have enough female ducks for him, though. A duck's anatomy is different than chickens, and he (drake) can hurt hens if he tries to mate with them.....which he will only do if he doesn't have enough duckie females. (1 to 4 per drake, depending on the breed)

Water. As you know, ducks love to play with and make a mess of water. This means that sometimes they 'play' all the water out of the dish so there is none left to drink! (In the winter when the ducks just get a small 'duck bath' with added deep water dishes...in the summer I have a larger pool & nipple waterers - which the ducks can't mess up!) My solution is to raise one rubber water dish high enough so the ducks can't reach it, and place a roost next to it so the chickens can hop up and drink CLEAN water. Though they usually prefer the dirty duck water,,,

Other than these 2 things to consider (well, plus the fact that ducks make a mess with the water, and chickens don't like damp, so it means either a designated area for waterers with plenty of other dry space in the run, and/or lots of frequent changing of bedding.) Note that I NEVER put water in the coop, regardless, but you absolutely can't with ducks.

 

[bgmathteach]

OMG what an awful thing to happen.
I am very, very wary. This seemed to be promoting that it was somehow safer than a regular heat lamp. The Sweeter Heater (which that company doesn't sell) says the same thing. I am skeptical but would like to know why they say that.
I believe an oil filled heater genuinely is safer and I have a spare one of those that I can have in the people side of the Chicken Palace so there is no risk it gets knocked over (actually they are very hard to knock over even if you try). The trouble is that it doesn't direct heat towards the chickens so it really doesn't do much.

Have you thought of putting in one of those coop heaters (flat panel ones that are to be mounted to a wall?) They also make ones with removable legs & dual switch that can be used as a brooder plate, or mounted to a wall & used as a heater.
Something like this.

This puts out less overall heat, but I picked up one of these on sale last spring as I am planning on installing solar panels, so low wattage/draw is important...and it will give them a space they can huddle next to if they need to warm up. I will (hopefully) be putting this on the wall of my coop or run for next winter. I've bought some solar panels and an appropriate battery...and am reading up on how to safely create a system (probably will need another battery). So that I can have at least 1 warm area and at least 1 heated (hopefully 2) waterers for next winter. At the rate we are going with the house, though we have a trench and conduit done, I am not confident I will have regular electricity out there next winter...and I am SOOOO over this ridiculous lugging of water for drinking & as a heat source! 3 winters of this is enough!