Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I can see the logic but I am going to be building an open air coop which will have a lot of ventilation and will be including a thermostat controlled exhaust fan for the steamy central Texas summers. I am going with metal primarily because of the availability. I purchased all the metal from my neighbor when he tore down a huge shed. I have covered my runs and duck coop and still have a pile left. I am very big on repurposing everything.

I need to build a covered run this Spring... But I think I will use PVC clear panels for light. Only the roof will be covered as its an outdoor run.

 

[BY Bob]

Well finally a milder day here, I let the gang out on Mount Poopmore while I cleaned stalls, even the chicks went out for a bit, but it was so windy they kept getting their feathers all blown all over the place which they didn't seem to appreciate.

After about 10 min the chicks had enough and came back inside to pester me while I cleaned stalls hahaha. They like to perch on the wheelbarrow handles silly kiddos. The adults soon followed, seems it's not quite warm enough to spend too much time outside in the windy weather.

I have all my hay for the next couple weeks stored in the main barn and the chickens seem to think this is a grand playground for them, I gave Henny Penny instructions to NOT lay her egg at the top of the pile today hahaha. Seems she listened and went and laid her egg in a real nest box! Woohoo! I had visions of me hauling a bale down and an egg dropping into my head .

Still getting an average of 4 eggs a day, which is plenty in my opinion! Once spring comes and everyone gets back on track, and those 2 chicks start laying, and the broody bunch gets their act together I will have 11 hens laying - I will be awash in rainbow coloured eggs

Sounds like a wonderful day!

 

[Ponypoor]

Sounds like a wonderful day!

Just happy to not be froze! There is a palpable relief between the chickens and the horses. Extreme Cold stress is a huge problem, same as extreme heat... Why can't we just have a constant 26C ??

 

[Ponypoor]

I don’t like how ducks charge $$ for everything they buy. “Just put it on my bill”

Good one

 

[featherhead007]

Good one

It’s Sunday here. Even my humor took a day off!

 

[Ponypoor]

I very much look forward to seeing what you do. Open air coops are very different. I've also seen a coop built out of freezer panels which are also metal. In general though I am not a fan. Perhaps you can convert me.

All building materials have their up and down side. My barn is cement block, darn chilly in the winter but heavenly cool on those steamy hot sultry summer days .

I fully insulated the Hen House room in the barn so the chilly cement wasn't an issue, only the floor which is paving bricks, isn't insulated, I keep that covered in several inches of shavings and straw.

I want to put a ceiling fan in there for the summer but not sure how or what to utilize for that, it's only a 4x10 room so I don't want to have a hurricane in there! Also don't want to have dust etc stirred up, I use box fans for the horses in their stalls but their stalls are rather larger . There are two windows in the hen house....

Any suggestions anyone ?

 

[Ribh]

So, Hi again… it’s been far too long I know! And I am very sorry to have dropped out on everyone here. Life just got a little out of control, overwhelming and I have been having a really rough time. 2022 is getting better, it really is. So long story short, the contractors/goat hunters that were helping build our house didn’t. They totally ghosted us, didn’t return my calls and had asked for $20k, which I got (through primarily saving, and borrowing a bit from my family… I briefly considered a go fund me, but asked my dad for some help instead). I also lost cell phone/internet service for a little bit due to funding issues. I fell into a really, really bad depression, and was barely managing the day to days here.

Then DH (Andrew), who was working his behind off, became very ill. For anyone who doesn’t know, he has a congenital heart defect, pacemaker, and has had multiple heart surgeries since he was a young child. I almost lost him. He spent three weeks in Hospital, his was when the Flooding hit our province, we were fairly lucky on our island, but I was literally trapped for quite a while with no help or ability to get fuel/feed. While trapped by the Washed out roads I had to Put down my cat Charlie. Then I had a Mink attack literally the next day (it found a little hole in the floor of the coop by the door) and lost 31 birds, some I had quite close relationships to.

I got Arduinna a friend and slept out in the Barn with the two goats for several nights in early December. She’s moved outside and wasn’t too happy about it, but being completely distraught over Daddy not coming home… it seemed like a now or never time for bringing home Jimmy (especially as webhad lost a few other “goat friend” prospects to freezer camp with their owners not wanting to wait on my fencing getting done). There was another In-laws family blowout situation which culminated in a “If anyone harms my pets statement” so yeah, you can imagine. Andrew finally made it home the second week of December (with many new meds, and some upcoming surgeries are likely this year). We had to put down my last kittie Bullet, just before Christmas. That’s the really dark place I’ve been trying to climb out of for most of last year. Things are doing better…

I still have Sammy and Dean, we lost Cass to a raccoon attack. Roostie’s boy Chunk survived the mink attack, as did my Bully Girl, Tailless, Ziptie, and my Rogue mama who hatched out 11 babies in late summer, in my house trusses. It mostly took my broody hens and up and coming layers, as well as some of the core laying flock.

We have fully scrapped our second floor, replacing it with a planned attic, I reframed a lot of the first floor to accommodate the loss of the upstairs, and make it the wheelchair accessible space we had requested in the plans. I have been working everyday for the last three weeks for 5-9 hours on the build, often alone, sometimes with Andrew’s help, regardless of the weather. I also hired a local kid for a few days as well ($50/hr got me some general labour, and I knew I was in trouble when one of the first things she said was “so, what do you mean when you say “stud”…”)! But I’m making progress, and feeling a lot better about things.

Glad to hear from you. So sorry it was such a rough year.

 

[Kris5902]

So we have some new introductions… here is Chunk Roostie’s boy, he’s big like his father, and quite Tall. With a very good demeanour. Still has a bit of the cow hocks going on, but he’s a sweetie.

And Dean Crowing, you can see the still black tips of his comb from the frostbite…

Tailless, Goldie (aka mean meat mama!) and the new favourite dust bath spot

And this nice little girl shows her grand-dad Chickie Hawk’s cheek puffs!

 

[GregnLety]

Oh boy. I can't wait to hear stories!

The 2 Pekin drakes enjoy chasing our smaller dogs whom annoy our chickens frequently

 

[GregnLety]

I very much look forward to seeing what you do. Open air coops are very different. I've also seen a coop built out of freezer panels which are also metal. In general though I am not a fan. Perhaps you can convert me.

I like to use soffit vent covers for ventilation and will be placing those to take advantage of our predominantly southeast summer breeze. The north side will butt up against the duck coop which is against the garage so we have a break against the winter winds.