Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Now we are talking!

I like it!

 

[BY Bob]

I love this idea, Bob! I think Sydney and Phyllis agree.

As I watched them free ranging today I thought how much those 2 could benefit from another coop. Although I do have to say that Sydney almost always finds her way onto that high roost with the hip ladies.

 

[BY Bob]

Can't steal what's freely given.

That is what all thieves say!

 

[BY Bob]

Of course you really want to do this! More chickens...

Actually on my list of concerns is how many more chickens can the yard support before the grass starts to give up. I don't want a brown back yard.

 

[Kris5902]

I've taken a risk with Mag.
I've bought some asprin 100mg tablets and crushed one then divided it into eight.
I'm goinng to give Mag one of the eight doses once a day for eight days.
The idea is the same as it is for human heart attack sufferers. The asprin thins the blood. I would use garlic but I can't find out how much I need to give to get the equivelant asprin dose.
If he's popped a valve or done some other permenant heart damage the asprin probably wont make any difference. If however, he has a blockage or anorrowing of an artery then it may help.
I haven't been able to get any pictures today because we've got 50mph to 60mph winds here atm and the chickens, if they aren't hanging onto a nearby branch, don't stay visible for long.

Even if it is a valve issue, reducing the pressure by thinning the blood could be very helpful... and aspirin is such a mild thinner I wouldn’t worry too much about using it. I have to say when DH actually takes his warfarin regularly, it really reduces the number of heart complications he has. They are milder, last a shorter time, and are significantly less frequent. He resisted being put on the thinners for years because of his occupation and tendency to get cut. The Dr’s never told him it was to reduce the pressure on his heart valves, they always went on about clots (which he had no history of). I wouldn’t expect overnight changes though, and have no idea how you would go about testing a chicken’s INR.

 

[micstrachan]

My view is choice can't be a bad thing, althoug it may cause some confusion at first.
I doubt they would split into tribes as such. You really need roosters to do that.
As you know, I'm in favour of multiple coops and just having a spare or two, no matter how basic has been a life saver and convenience boon for me here.
I've had single hens take up permenant residence on their own when they haven't had any relatives in a tribe. Hens will build a tribe ime but it's a very slow process.
I don't know how long a hen only tribe stays stable for because when new cockerels grow up they have tried and often succeded in gettinng the hen only groups to accept them as their rooster.
It's just about my favourite thing to observe here.
So, I would say yes, build a seperate coop and on legs as you mention would be how I would do it. I'll never build another ground based coop. If nobody moves in straight away I wouldn't be concerend or force the issue.

Oh, Bob! And remember I keep my little prefab coop inside the run. It’s great for raising littles (though if I had been smart, I would have put it in the second half of the run!) Nobody chooses to sleep in it, but in the spring snd summer when lots of ladies are laying, the nestbox gets used occasionally.

 

[micstrachan]

As I watched them free ranging today I thought how much those 2 could benefit from another coop. Although I do have to say that Sydney almost always finds her way onto that high roost with the hip ladies.

Sansa, too! When was the last night she was banished to the nest box?

 

[featherhead007]

Make a night flight to a remote Canadian Island? We have landed choppers and paragliders in our fields before... I will trade pullets for fish-mox

All I would need is a strip to land my SkyHawk and a hug from you, when I deliver your fish-Mox free of charge!

 

[featherhead007]

All depends on how well the birds are being cared for... IMO. Though I would always rather not, I don’t think I would be above stealing a bird if I though it was being badly enough neglected or treated. Define “not nice”?

not nice, to me, is theft and destruction of pets, they don't own!

 

[featherhead007]

These are spectacular, Bob!!’

the noodles look good too!