Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Just saw it go to -19C .

My water jugs for the chickens was frozen in the barn this morning. I told them to eat their porridge fast before it froze also!

I am new to winter chickens I guess I will need to get one of those heated waterers.

How does everyone deal with not having eggs freeze?

I'm guessing a heating pad in the nest boxes. I lose a couple every year to freezing but I have not done anything about it. I just accept them as losses and feed them back to the tribe.

 

[BY Bob]

Oooh, no offense, Bob, but Phyllis' do looks like she partied a bit to hard New Year's eve...and is still suffering the after-effects. Unusual for her normally impeccably coiffed self!

I thought the same when I took the photo.

 

[RoyalChick]

Some MUGS for Monday

View attachment 2948694View attachment 2948695View attachment 2948693View attachment 2948692

I see what you did there .... I may not be good at chicken breeds, but I can spot a cat pretending to be a chicken from a mile off!
I am less confident about dogs pretending to be chickens.

 

[bgmathteach]

Including a high speed one!

Yes, my Dark Cornish...they are nearly always on the move! Very active foragers! @Shadrach would like this breed's temperament - highly self sufficient and more aware of their surroundings than my other breeds. However, they aren't sleek body style that you/he likes. They are much heavier than they look because they have close/hard feathering.
Taxa better mugshot)

My DC girls:

What are you doing here without my treats?

 

[BY Bob]

Reshuffling Begins? Is that an Egg I see coming?

I have always thought, wanted, hoped, that these two would be friends. Is this a sign that maybe they will begin hanging out together? Sydney was supposed to be Hattie sized and shaped.

It surely looks like Sydney is trying on the new nest box for size. Her comb and wattles have reddened appreciably in the past week. It is awful early but could she be getting ready to lay? She has laid in the Cluckle Hut before while it was under construction.

@Ribh, @MaryJanet, @Aussie-Chookmum

 

[BY Bob]

Yes, my Dark Cornish...they are nearly always on the move! Very active foragers! @Shadrach would like this breed's temperament - highly self sufficient and more aware of their surroundings than my other breeds. However, they aren't sleek body style that you/he likes. They are much heavier than they look because they have close/hard feathering.
Taxa better mugshot)
View attachment 2948700
My DC girls:
View attachment 2948703View attachment 2948705
What are you doing here without my treats?View attachment 2948706

They are beautiful birds!

 

[RoyalChick]

Just saw it go to -19C .

My water jugs for the chickens was frozen in the barn this morning. I told them to eat their porridge fast before it froze also!

I am new to winter chickens I guess I will need to get one of those heated waterers.

How does everyone deal with not having eggs freeze?

Mainly I just go out and collect them and bring them in - they don't freeze very fast and laying time is +/- predictable. But like Bob I accept a few losses and feed them back to the chickens.
I worry more about making sure they have water. I used to go out several times a day with warm water but that got old really fast and I got a heated waterer. I still have that, but I worry a bit that Maggie dunks her wattles in when she drinks and might get frostbite so this winter I got one of those little heated bases you can stand a waterer on and I just pop their regular nipple waterer on top of it. So far so good.
I also use a thingy - I think it is called a Thermacube??? - which is just like an outlet adaptor but only switches on below a certain temperature. That way I know it isn't on when it isn't needed.
I got my heated base with 2 day delivery on Amazon.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SWKH2BJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hope that helps and that the link works - never sure if the link takes you to my account or just the product page!

 

[BY Bob]

Heading out for a night on the town

Sunrise the next morning, (She is never more grateful we dont have a rooster)

 

[bgmathteach]

Reshuffling Begins? Is that an Egg I see coming?

I have always thought, wanted, hoped, that these two would be friends. Is this a sign that maybe they will begin hanging out together? Sydney was supposed to be Hattie sized and shaped.

It surely looks like Sydney is trying on the new nest box for size. Her comb and wattles have reddened appreciably in the past week. It is awful early but could she be getting ready to lay? She has laid in the Cluckle Hut before while it was under construction.

@Ribh, @MaryJanet, @Aussie-Chookmum

Do you think Hattie is being the 'Rooster" and watching while she lays? Or just hanging out with her? Or just happened to want to check out the Cluckle Hut at the same time Sydney needed to lay?

 

[micstrachan]

How cold was it? I'm curious what you consider to be cold.

Good question. The yard was covered in thick frost in the morning, so it dipped below freezing. I think it was in the low 40’s in the shade, but felt warmer in the sun. I actually didn’t measure yesterday. I just know Bridge and others have been standing around puffed up in the morning. Yesterday I carried her over to a spot where I had a heater set up and she relaxed in my lap for some time. I’m really hoping it’s just the cold bothering her.