Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

Cement tubs are *da bomb*. My aunt had a trio that sat on her back verandah but her house was 100 years old & missing most modern essentials. The loo was an old *thunderbox* in the farthermost, darkest, most mozzie infested corner of the back yard & her *bathroom* sat directly under the water tank for the best water pressure. I like small houses until everyone comes home. Then I'm super glad we have a big house & everyone can have their own space.
@LozzyR : I'd definitely cut that roost down. See what everyone else says.
@BY Bob: I love how you *rooster* & your girls come & sit with you. It's so satisfying, isn't it!

 

[MaryJanet]

The Pattern Repeats and Costume?, What Costume?

I have noticed recently that about an hour after sunrise and their release from confinement in the coop, the flock stops to groom and digest. This seems to happen everyday. Now they are up and out before the sun actually rises but using that as a marker, it does seem that they are full and need a moment at about the hour mark. I feel like the gorge themselves first thing in the morning and they eat at a much more leisurely pace throughout the day until dusk starts to fall when the gorge themselves again. Today, Maleficent decided to take her break in my lap and Aurora took hers on the footstool. Here they are.
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So as we sitting there together for over 20 minutes together I thought I would ask them what they wanted to dress up as for Halloween. Aurora immediately responded that since she was behaving like her namesake that Mal should dress up as her. Maleficent said that she could not deny it so here she is. All ready for Halloween.

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That costume... awesome. That's my Thursday off to a very good start.

And it's wonderful they trust you so much they'll sit with you

 

[WhoDatChick]

I did wonder if it was a bit too wide, or whether they would just curl their claws over the edge. I did have a lump of wood that probably would have been a better width but I didn’t know if it had been treated with chrome or arsenic. The plank I chose, I knew it was wax-wood, so it would be safe. I can cut it down to make it a smaller width. It’s not that far off the floor, that’s where the notches are. I would have to put in new notches to get it higher.

That’s a good idea.. I would cut it to 4 inches or smaller and def try to raise it a bit.. just want to be helpful

 

[BY Bob]

I did wonder if it was a bit too wide, or whether they would just curl their claws over the edge. I did have a lump of wood that probably would have been a better width but I didn’t know if it had been treated with chrome or arsenic. The plank I chose, I knew it was wax-wood, so it would be safe. I can cut it down to make it a smaller width. It’s not that far off the floor, that’s where the notches are. I would have to put in new notches to get it higher.

As long as it's higher than the nesting box, they should use it. @WhoDatChick is right, no wider than the wide side of a 2x4 is best

 

[BY Bob]

Cement tubs are *da bomb*. My aunt had a trio that sat on her back verandah but her house was 100 years old & missing most modern essentials. The loo was an old *thunderbox* in the farthermost, darkest, most mozzie infested corner of the back yard & her *bathroom* sat directly under the water tank for the best water pressure. I like small houses until everyone comes home. Then I'm super glad we have a big house & everyone can have their own space.
@LozzyR : I'd definitely cut that roost down. See what everyone else says.
@BY Bob: I love how you *rooster* & your girls come & sit with you. It's so satisfying, isn't it!

I am mesmerized when they come and hang with me like that. It is so satisfying that they trust me so much. Sometimes I find myself holding my breath!

 

[LozzyR]

That’s a good idea.. I would cut it to 4 inches or smaller and def try to raise it a bit.. just want to be helpful

Will do. What's too narrow? This was something the breeder said; if the perches are too narrow they put too much pressure over a small surface area of the chook's chest and it isn't good for them.

 

[LozzyR]

As long as it's higher than the nesting box, they should use it. @WhoDatChick is right, no wider than the wide side of a 2x4 is best

Is that inches? So it shouldn't be any wider than 4 inches? So that's a little over 10cm, I can cut it down to that. I might be able to make some notches over the door and make it higher. As the pre-fab houses are so small, it's hard to make a perch higher than the nesting box.

 

[LozzyR]

She's out!

Charlie was out this morning! Chickie was laying an egg so I whipped it away from her once she was done. Hopefully I can get sleeping arrangements sorted before she goes broody again and maybe it will lessen the number of times.

 

[BY Bob]

That costume... awesome. That's my Thursday off to a very good start.

And it's wonderful they trust you so much they'll sit with you

Thank you. She has been so mean to Aurora for the last few weeks it just seemed right. It's like she knew the movie was out.

 

[BY Bob]

Will do. What's too narrow? This was something the breeder said; if the perches are too narrow they put too much pressure over a small surface area of the chook's chest and it isn't good for them.

I use a 2x4 on the wide side so they can fully cover their feet in the winter. That is surely wide enough.