Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Partial payment of my overdue Chicken Tax.
They are Dark Cornish boys. I love this breed (second only to my BRs)
3 of my 5 DC think I am 'their' hen/flock.

Such glossy feathers.

 

[BY Bob]

Great! I recently got two of these. Thankfully, Flo roosted beside the wall, and I was able to prop one up beside her. I hope she feels its warmth and doesn’t knock it down.

Very clever.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I need to update the molters as Aurora has lost feathers everywhere from Thursday into Friday. She has multiple bare spots and is into full stand off mode. That was fast and I am concerned for her with the temperature drop. I'm going to close the coop window and try to hold the warmth from the sun in the coop for her, Lilly and Sansa. This is not optimal. It was down to 27°F (-2.7°C). I'll watch the coop temp tonight and see if I need to do anything else.

That sounds good. Could you use the coop warmer for the Bigs and set the Brinsea on its side for the Littles?

It's getting to 23-24F at night here, but I'm thinking at night in the coop they're okay because it's insulated and small, close quarters, and there's not much wind coming at the vents. It's during the day I've noticed they don't want to spend much time out in the open, and prefer the boxed-up areas. I've put up full plastic around the little run and around the coop base, and put a pile of leaves under there too; somebody was happily sunbathing there today, looked like Butters; two others standing near and one eating in the coop run. I've seen both Popcorn and Butters stand and shiver briefly when out in the open aviary runs in the last few days, and they have the least feathers. Everyone seems to stay in the coop after the door has opened until the sun gets up high. At least they do have that as a retreat. That's also why I've switched to a bit of corn for an evening treat, but it may be turning Hazel into a fiend... (she is quite a pill these days)

 

[featherhead007]

If you ask me, they are cuckoo marans, The barring is not distinct (though, way too much white in the barring for GIRLS of either. Probably supposed to be the iconic Barred rock, though

Cuckoo is exactly right!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

This is very true. They go off feed and eat what helps them to grow feathers. That's why next year I'm switching to feather fixer in September before they start molting to pump up their protein reserves.

I like this idea but I wonder /doubt if it is possible nutritionally to actually have protein "reserves"? That would be in muscle and organ tissue, or where? One would not want to have a protein deficiency going in to molt, and logically I think molting processes start well before we see them. So enough protein should be available early, as you're thinking, and when needed, but I don't see how one can "store" it. It would be excreted if there's excess, and excess could be a problem for those systems (kidneys), couldn't it? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[featherhead007]

I don’t think Dakota is feeling well tonight. She’s usually purring me into a relaxing sleep, but I can’t hear either of them making any noise in the next room at the moment ?

 

[featherhead007]

I like this idea but I wonder /doubt if it is possible nutritionally to actually have protein "reserves"? That would be in muscle and organ tissue, or where? One would not want to have a protein deficiency going in to molt, and logically I think molting processes start well before we see them. So enough protein should be available early, as you're thinking, and when needed, but I don't see how one can "store" it. It would be excreted if there's excess, and excess could be a problem for those systems (kidneys), couldn't it? Just thinking out loud here.

Listening silently to your thoughts

 

[BY Bob]

Construction

In addition to painting, we did some construction as well today.

First up, the new roost for the littles. This roost should be out of reach of Phyllis.

Here it is:

How did the littles like it? Here they are at bed time.

Oh well. Maybe they will like it over time.

I then built a cover for the top of the automated door so it can't get filled with snow and ice this winter.

Next up will be shower curtains on the run but I'm going to hold off a little longer before I do that. There is no snow due for a while.

 

[featherhead007]

I don’t think Dakota is feeling well tonight. She’s usually purring me into a relaxing sleep, but I can’t hear either of them making any noise in the next room at the moment ?

I will try to get to sleep without the purring tonight, but it just won’t be the same.

Construction

In addition to painting, we did some construction as well today.

First up, the new roost for the littles. This roost should be out of reach of Phyllis.

Here it is:
View attachment 2890470View attachment 2890471View attachment 2890472

How did the littles like it? Here they are at bed time.

View attachment 2890473

Oh well. Maybe they will like it over time.

I then built a cover for the top of the automated door so it can't get flies with snow and ice this winter.

View attachment 2890474

Next up will be shower curtains on the run but I'm going to hold off a little longer before I do that. There is no snow due for a while.

Clever coop

 

[MaryJanet]

I like this idea but I wonder /doubt if it is possible nutritionally to actually have protein "reserves"? That would be in muscle and organ tissue, or where? One would not want to have a protein deficiency going in to molt, and logically I think molting processes start well before we see them. So enough protein should be available early, as you're thinking, and when needed, but I don't see how one can "store" it. It would be excreted if there's excess, and excess could be a problem for those systems (kidneys), couldn't it? Just thinking out loud here.

Hmmm thanks for sharing your thinking.