Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[CrazyChookChookLady]

So the girls are having a sleepover in the garage tonight. It’s been blowing a gale all day and bucketed down pretty much all day too. Their bedding is all wet again as they’ve soaked it, plus water has got into the pre-fabs because they’re, you know, cheap. So I broke out the dog crates, put Teff hay in there, dusted them down and put them in the garage (which is dry and wind-proof). I went and got the girls one by one (they were saturated!) I toweled them all down as best I could (I couldn’t access a powerpoint to blow-dry them), popped Lucy and Charlie in thè smaller crate and the Faverolles in the bigger one. I gave them some food and said goodnight to them. I don’t want them catching pneumonia!

Sounds like they are safe and sound now. Good job!

 

[BY Bob]

Way to Bee!

It's time for be photos!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I have officially decided I no longer want a incubator, game hens do a far superior job. For the 3rd time this season I have a hatch starting on day 19. Henrietta is a momma to a cute little blonde chipmunk. Nugget was very tolerant and let me check the other eggs under her and so far 2 of the 5 remaining marans have pipped. I'm not going to stress her out but later this evening will try to get pictures, hopefully by then will have at least 1 fuzzy black baby out. Holly has surprised me by going broody. She's not 6 months old until tomorrow but she officially started setting yesterday. She has 7 marans eggs and 1 Henrietta egg under her as well.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Galvanized items if ingested can cause Zinc toxicity. They are fine if not ingested. But remember chickens explore things with their beaks so might peck at something and ingest it.
normally it comes from ‘hardware disease’ - bits of wire or nails left lying around.

Well, I have two feeders and two waterers that are galvanized... I thought they were anyway... ... I mean, that’s what they sell for you to use for your chickens!

 

[WhoDatChick]

Sydney did a good job

You all saw the video where Sydney taught the chicks, as soon as they could fly, to go up, to roost and use height to their protection. She taught them so well they are using it all the time. Including someplace I really don't want them, the table!

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Ned is just a darling little thing ❤ ❤

 

[RoyalChick]

Well, I have two feeders and two waterers that are galvanized... I thought they were anyway... ... I mean, that’s what they sell for you to use for your chickens!

Personally I am totally not worried about that. I use two galvanized feeders. But as Shad said if it gets old and beaten up I might worry a bit. Really there is a much bigger risk from a galvanized nail on the ground.
Remember the zinc coating is electrically bonded to the underlying metal. If a nail is swallowed the digestive processes dissolve the zinc and release it into the body. The zinc doesn’t get into the chicken food in the feeder and I don’t see my chickens taking a bite out of the feeders.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Just too much drama for one day
There has been a lot happening.
First of all there was an upset in the Chicken Palace.
In the evening there is a way of doing things at the Palace that everyone agrees to. First the big ladies walk up the ladder, along the branch and settle at the end looking out of the window. The order in which they go to bed varies, but it is always orderly and determined by who decides to go up to bed first. They have given up getting past each other to the prime spot at the end, so once they are heading up the ladder their position on the big branch is set for the night.
Then, once they are settled in, the little ones dare to fly up to the branch and launch themselves to the top of the window and roost there.
Peace and harmony.
Imagine the consternation all around when this orderly process was met with this situation.

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I just happened to be there working on a bit of the coop. Everyone (including me) froze. Total shock. The proper order of things has been turned on its head! Palace protocol has been broken. Civilization may come to and end.
This is how it played out.

The rising panic you can hear from the babies peeping cracks me up. In the end, justice was delivered swiftly but with mercy. Order was restored and half an hour later the babies were in bed at the top of the window as is right and proper (and for me a pain because they poop on the window sill).
Meanwhile, my own drama was playing out. The noise you hear in the background is my little generator that keeps essentials going during a black out and at this point I was into the 5th day without power.
The electric company came and sealed off my drive with electric hazard tape and then left, with me incarcerated in my home. After multiple calls to the electric company's phone-answering robot I called our local police station to ask if they had any advice (I thought maybe they would have a way of getting a live person at the electric company). God bless the officer I spoke to because he got really upset that I had been sealed in and while on patrol he stopped one of the electric crews and insisted they prioritize releasing me safely.
The crew came and showed me how the downed wire had retained its charge and punched a big whole in the ground and turned the surrounding soil into glass. Very cool but very scary!

So sorry to hear about you being locked in!! And I too would love to see the “glass”....

 

[WhoDatChick]

Way to Bee!

It's time for be photos!
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These are SO great ❤

 

[BY Bob]

I have officially decided I no longer want a incubator, game hens do a far superior job. For the 3rd time this season I have a hatch starting on day 19. Henrietta is a momma to a cute little blonde chipmunk. Nugget was very tolerant and let me check the other eggs under her and so far 2 of the 5 remaining marans have pipped. I'm not going to stress her out but later this evening will try to get pictures, hopefully by then will have at least 1 fuzzy black baby out. Holly has surprised me by going broody. She's not 6 months old until tomorrow but she officially started setting yesterday. She has 7 marans eggs and 1 Henrietta egg under her as well.

That's great. It is a wonderful way to raise chicks. Good for you and your hens.

 

[BY Bob]

These are SO great ❤

I knew you would like them!