Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I love your plane’s new name! Named for a special friend, I assume?

Nope, I just got drunk one night, named the plane and got a tattoo too!
Im only kidding .

 

[Scrambles83]

How many chickens? I am worried about size.

I only have the 2.

 

[Scrambles83]

For me, the pre fabs appeal to my desire for order and ease. And they are cute. But they all seem to make claims to support a lot more chickens than they really can.
The original coop we ended up getting was well made, with fir wood (not plastic! ) and was more realistic about the number of birds it would house.... but it was literally 3-4x more than other coops.

And it ended up being too small too.

Totally hear you on the excessive expense and the handy thing being a deciding factor... am I reading that the choices are either the coop (raise it) OR the cubby (add boxes) OR is it an option to retrofit them both together?
(Sorry if I'm being dense. Coffee hasn't kicked in)

Haha, the choice is the prefab with a netted run added plus the yard the roam most of the day or the cubby -raise that and add stuff to it.

 

[featherhead007]

Sorry, Bob, to have hogged the thread with all the well wishes about Ruby. I do appreciate all the support.


She’s been poked and prodded so much, I debated just letting her rest and burying her at home. However, did send her to UC Davis this morning, mostly for two reasons:

1. If she had cystic right oviduct and hormones kept it at bay for years, that’s good info for me, avian vets and other chicken keepers. It’s good info whatever the underlying issue was; I suspect she had multiple issues.
2. I’d like to know definitively if there is Marek’s in my flock. I feel I get too many sick birds, considering their quality of life and care.

Of course, I will keep you all posted.

You are very thoughtful and brave! Thank you.

 

[Scrambles83]

So to be clear, you have no need for an enclosed run, correct?

Correct.

 

[Ribh]

I'm thinking she's either a Lavender Maran or a lavender Orpington x Maran cross. Interestingly in my lavender Maran research I found out they introduced the lavender color through lavender orpingtons.

That would explain why her outline is so Orpish.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Heat denatures protein, making it firm. In a pan or oven, by gas or electricity. Microwaves work on the water in foods, agitating it and that heats it up. That heat works on any protein. That's my understanding. Maybe the scientists here could weigh in?

 

[Ribh]

Haha, the choice is the prefab with a netted run added plus the yard the roam most of the day or the cubby -raise that and add stuff to it.

You know Scrambles, given you only have the 2 hens [with no plans for additions?] I think I would go with the prefab. There are drawbacks either way but modifiying something is always a complete PITA.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Last post for me before bed.
After I put all the new bedding back in the coop, Snow went right in to lay (she had been grumbling for a while at me, hurrying me up) so I watched her from the side door (where I’ve just realised that spider was, so close to my head and hand and I had no idea )
She bustled around then gently turned the wood egg around and moved it to her chest before rising up to fluff out her chest feathers and covered it when she settled back down.
She turned herself a few times as I watched but each time she did this with the fake egg, it was so gentle and sweet

Contrast this with finding Popcorn in there, standing with one foot on a (fake) egg!

 

[Scrambles83]

You know Scrambles, given you only have the 2 hens [with no plans for additions?] I think I would go with the prefab. There are drawbacks either way but modifiying something is always a complete PITA.

That was my thinking too… the thought of building something was exciting but at the same time so many things could not work and it wasn’t going to be much bigger than the prefab I found anyway.
I think the only additions to the hens would be if I lost one, I would get 2 more to make 3 which the prefab would support for living in.