Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

You must have a more delicate strain of mouse than I do.
I put peppermint oil on little cotton swabs and the mice ate the cotton!

Minty fresh breath!

 

[Marie2020]

You must have a more delicate strain of mouse than I do.
I put peppermint oil on little cotton swabs and the mice ate the cotton!

These mice scarpered

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I am at a bit of a loss on Maggie and roosting.
In spite of two days of near perfect balance she is still going to bed in a nest box. Here she is demonstrating her perfect balance by going up to the upper level boxes.
Should I let her decide on her own when she is well enough to roost again? Or should I block her access to encourage her to roost? I could of course also haul her out at night and put her up there.
I am not sure what is best really.

That's the question you're asking, is there harm in someone sleeping in a nestbox. Is there harm to the hen? That's the "what's best" part, ses to me, what's best for the chickens. But is there "harm" to you - additional poop patrol there, and is that a real pain? Hard to get in there, etc.? I would be inclined to let them sleep where they choose, figuring she has her reasons. Maybe there's a low-level integration going on, because she was moving so oddly before?

I'd give it some time, unless or until it becomes a real PITA for me. Then I would make a Bucket Girl command decision, inform the shop steward, and that's that, see what transpires.

 

[Ponypoor]

Don't wash your eggs! The eggs have a bloom on them that the hen applies after the spray shop has finished applying the colour. This bloom helps to keep bacteria out and also helps to keep them fresh.
Don't put then in the fridge either if you are going to eat them. They taste better when kept at room temperature I'm told although I can't tell the difference.
Next thing to do is to adjust the nest box or roost bar so roosting hens don't poop in the nest.

It's not the hens roosting there it's darn tootin Rose my 2 month old henlette, the brat.

I do not know how she can see to fly back up there in the dark when I remove her from her lofty perch.

This weekend all the babes r going to learn what the roost is. Brats! If they r big enough to fly the 4' on top of the stall doors they r big enough for the roost!

 

[LozzyR]

Just wanted to share a video I took yesterday; the Willy Wagtails were giving the crows some aggro. There’s chickens in there too so I don’t owe tax.

 

[featherhead007]

Take it back to the store & get them to do it. They're experts.

Don’t count on that!

 

[Ribh]

Don’t count on that!

works here.

 

[Marie2020]

Just wanted to share a video I took yesterday; the Willy Wagtails were giving the crows some aggro. There’s chickens in there too so I don’t owe tax.

That entertained the girls
Those wagtails are little monsters. I've never heard or seen them before

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

My little gorilla chicken! Or is that Sasquatch?

You can call him a gorilla, Sasquatch, King Kong or even Monkey man and it wont offend me. It is 100 times better then the nickname my dad has for him. He calls him Don King. I didn't even know who that was until I looked it up and yelled at him for insulting poor Branch.

 

[bgmathteach]

Just wanted to share a video I took yesterday; the Willy Wagtails were giving the crows some aggro. There’s chickens in there too so I don’t owe tax.

The Willy Wagtails have a very interesting call! It is somewhat nice to see the crows get the same treatment that they give hawks. (although I DO prefer the Hawks get harassed & then move on so they aren't near my chickens!)