Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Awww. You know this group can’t resist a chick!
It is fun seeing you make progress through the thread. You some posts as you go and I love the reminders.
Just please don’t hold back cute baby pictures as they hatch.

That's why I added that one. It's still too dark to let them out yet and see if any more made it out of the shell. Trouble is I didn't WANT any more babies. Thanks to a fox family visit back in May, I was down to lead hen and 3 9-month old birds, the mama and another just like her and a jersey giant rooster (see profile pic). So had to order more chicks (the farm supply place was out)...free shipping => minimum 15, hatchery's choice assortment + freebie, - 2 by the 2 week mark = 14 9-week olds (1 a little golden penciled Hamburg roo) to go with all of this.

 

[RoyalChick]

That's why I added that one. It's still too dark to let them out yet and see if any more made it out of the shell. Trouble is I didn't WANT any more babies. Thanks to a fox family visit back in May, I was down to lead hen and 3 9-month old birds, the mama and another just like her and a jersey giant rooster (see profile pic). So had to order more chicks (the farm supply place was out)...free shipping => minimum 15, hatchery's choice assortment + freebie, - 2 by the 2 week mark = 14 9-week olds (1 a little golden penciled Hamburg roo) to go with all of this.

Sorry about the fox family, but otherwise it sounds wonderful!

 

[Marie2020]

My fermented layers feed was off

If it smells like yogurt or sourdough it's good.
warning. if it smells of anything different please throw it away.

Mine turned awful and was like a blue cheese that had gone off five years ago.

It is now binned, roll on collection day

 

[rural mouse]

Sorry about the fox family, but otherwise it sounds wonderful!

I'm bummed about the fox too. Had a hen on eggs, but by the time we figured out what had happened (next day in daylight), too late. Also bummed because Buster was gorgeous. Silver laced wyandotte, had the color for showing (weren't planning on it, but watching him ). He had spurs almost 2 inches long and we found his feathers scattered in a 6-8 foot circle. I'm hoping he put those spurs to good use in that fight. The foxes took half a dozen hens at the same time, and went over the neighbor's 6-7 foot fence to go into their coop the week before.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

So they stand on the step and the lid opens? Does it ever concern you that what if one were eating from the side and the others stepped off.. it would land on their head..... these make me nervous.. but I’m a worry wart! Just always wondered about that...

It's fairly light (aluminium I think), so even if the lid whacks one of them on the head it doesn't do any damage. I have put soft plastic tubing along the bottom edge of the opening as cushioning. It also muffles the noise the feeder makes when closing from
"CLANG!"
to
"clonk!"

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

The Time for Construction has Come

With Phyllis' chicks due to ship on Monday, it is time to begin coop construction. I need the coop (for which I still need a name) to be ready for either the chicks to grow in or for Phyllis to raise them in. Either way it has to be ready come Monday.

Pricing lumber is a sobering thing these days. With a 4x8 sheet of plywood going for about $40, this coop build is going to be WAY more expensive than the big coop. I started thinking of what I could recycle to create lumber and help lower the cost.

In my office for years has been an old entertainment center. I was able to disassemble it completely and come up with several good sized pieces of plywood not to mention some crown molding! Especially nice is the glass door which I will turn sideways and use as the primary entrance into the coop!
View attachment 2779243View attachment 2779244

Now I need to calculate the remanded of the lumber I need and head to the store.

Construction will begin tomorrow.

Great recycling idea. With all the big screen TVs around so may of these entertainment units are being tossed. I love that you are re-purposing it.

It will make a super fancy coop too!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Building materials? just buy an old VW Bus, and hardware cloth the windows. (Probably cheaper) Gezz

Like these?

 

[featherhead007]

Like these?
View attachment 2780270

Exactly like those!!!

 

[featherhead007]

I checked the porch one more time. I found Arizona and Dakota on the porch railing just now. It’s hot and I had my shirt off. I grabbed both of them and brought them back inside (where I promised myself I never would again) yes plenty of scratches on my chest and belly, but so what, they are safe! Shenandoah is missing in action .
Ps. Those two little redheads are going to be the death of me!!

Update on Shenandoah: good news and bath news. I found her early this morning, hiding back behind the house. She’s alive, but she doesn’t seem to be feeling well. She’s covered in I have her inside giving her a bath. (But yay, all my chickens are accounted for now) I’m relieved!

 

[BY Bob]

Reminds me of that hilarious video from ages ago where she shakes hersel off her feet. That one is worth a repost if things are quiet.

Here you go. Phlipping Phyllis