Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

I've been wondering whether somehow adding a nest box would ease the pressure on the nestbox area. Sounds like it won't. The Omlet setup is a long box divided from the roost area with a solid bottom instead of small roost bars, and it's big enough for two. Sometimes there are two hens in it, one on each end. More often though there is just one in it at a time, and depending on their cycle, one or more are waiting to go in, making wanting sounds, going up in there and checking, and coming out and wailing about it being occupied. Once in a while somebody lays an egg outside of it in the roosting side.

I'll be making nest boxes when I get the time and I'm going to make two wide boxes so that each box will comfortably sit three hens. I think they like a chat while laying.

 

[drstratton]

Five hens; four Buckeyes and one Buff Orpington rescue who joined recently. But I think they are not far apart in age, I know 7 months for the Buckeyes. So they are going gangbusters in egg laying since this is their first year. "Buckeyes lay 3-5 eggs/week" -- NOT! It seems to be 5-6/week, and the Orpington may be laying 6-7/week. I have 37 eggs in my fridge right now. I am giving them away, plus got a number for the food bank here, maybe they will take some.

Sounds like you have some busy girls, that's a bunch of eggs! So if I understand correctly you have one nesting box, but it has room for 2 hens? As often as they are laying, if you have room, it probably wouldn't hurt to add another box, if not, then they are probably okay! Some hens don't mind sharing a box, others won't do it, no matter how bad they need to lay that egg!

 

[MaryJanet]

This is a good suggestion, I'm having precisely this experience with Mary. She's moulting quite hard and will not accept a treat from my hand. I have to drop it before she'll eat it.

SHRA!

 

[RoyalChick]

This type of pad is what seems to have worked best for Cillin. The pad thickness is 9mm. A pad lasts about 2 days. I've been quite surprised at how much they compress after just a days use. Anything much stiffer is uncomfortable for Cillin.
I tape this on with sticky textile medical tape. The same stuff you can see in the picture.
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What did you make it from?

 

[featherhead007]

And the greasy crumbs too, not real snuggle-friendly!

I gave Rocks-Anne some canned salmon one day and WOW bad beak breath! Never again!

 

[featherhead007]

And a platypus
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Sorry, I still don’t believe that those are real!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I'll be making nest boxes when I get the time and I'm going to make two wide boxes so that each box will comfortably sit three hens. I think they like a chat while laying.

I've been working lately near to the Coop when a hen has been in there. Like shoveling snow, or today replacing the batteries on the automatic door. They hear me nearby and I hear a trilly kind of clucking coming from in there. It increases when I'm closer. Sometimes I hear that when I'm in the run with the others, it is loud enough. I don't know if she's talking to me, the other hens, or what she's saying. It is a distinctive sound though.

Sounds like you have some busy girls, that's a bunch of eggs! So if I understand correctly you have one nesting box, but it has room for 2 hens? As often as they are laying, if you have room, it probably wouldn't hurt to add another box, if not, then they are probably okay! Some hens don't mind sharing a box, others won't do it, no matter how bad they need to lay that egg!

Yes, and there have been two hens in there at least twice that I know of. It is a long 34"? x 12"? hall-shaped box made by a divider with a sliding door opening between it and the roosting area. The coop is an Omlet Cube. I can't add another nestbox to it exactly, except outside of the coop, like I could hang it from the protective welded wire run, and make a ramp to it. But I'm not sure they would use it. I might try.

 

[drstratton]

I've been working lately near to the Coop when a hen has been in there. Like shoveling snow, or today replacing the batteries on the automatic door. They hear me nearby and I hear a trilly kind of clucking coming from in there. It increases when I'm closer. Sometimes I hear that when I'm in the run with the others, it is loud enough. I don't know if she's talking to me, the other hens, or what she's saying. It is a distinctive sound though.

Yes, and there have been two hens in there at least twice that I know of. It is a long 34"? x 12"? hall-shaped box made by a divider with a sliding door opening between it and the roosting area. The coop is an Omlet Cube. I can't add another nestbox to it exactly, except outside of the coop, like I could hang it from the protective welded wire run, and make a ramp to it. But I'm not sure they would use it. I might try.

I just looked up your coop...that's pretty cool! I see what you mean about not having room for another box! They can be pretty curious, so they might decided it's a good place to lay an egg! Of course they might decide it's the preferred place to lay an egg...lol!

 

[featherhead007]

I may have said it by before, but I don’t think it’s fair, that chickens have wings but don’t usually fly. Whereas I have wings and do fly occasionally. Interesting point of Yin & Yang I guess.
chick tax:

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Alone to the Human Coop

Phyllis just paid me a visit all by herself. So she was rewarded with human coop time.

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And snacks, of course!

I think she is my favorite of your girls. She is just so adorable.