Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Be careful Bob… they can get way too comfortable in vehicles… turns out Arduinna can get through the little window between the truck cab and the canopy… and every time she sees one of her trucks she’s in it! Less fond of the Jeep’s, mostly due to moms driving… and then there’s the chickens here. Every Rooster believes the car is the best place to lay eggs, and as soon as a door opens they are trying all to get in. Next thing I know the chickens are going to be driving themselves to the feed store for corn and scratch, if they can figure out the ferry schedule!

Chickens and goats driving cars is an image I will enjoy all day.

 

[rural mouse]

Yes. My thinking is I would insert a hook in the rafters with a chain (that is how I hang water and food already) and attach the heater to the chain so it hangs over the roost. The Sweeter Heater is an enclosed unit and rectangular so a good portion of roost could be under the heat.
I would need to solve the issue of where the electric extension cord would go so I could unhook the heater easily as I would only have it there for the cold season - and to answer your question the rafters are about 4-5' above the roost which is 4' above the ground at the end where they prefer to roost (so not within easy reach for me).
Both the heaters claim to direct the heat downwards and are designed to be hung from above.
I may be over-reacting to the frostbite issue so maybe the whole thing is a bad idea.

You have enough roosts to put it over one and they can choose where they're going to sleep.

 

[BY Bob]

While I understand your thought/desire, and the fact that this at least has a safety switch is an improvement....however, the switch only works if the angle of the light changes. If it happens to fall/land somewhat straight down....a) it would light straw or shavings in no time at all and b) landing 'upright' so to speak would mean the switch wouldn't shut it off.

I used to use a heat lamp in my brooder (because they were inexpensive & covered a larger area). Despite using a secondary tie-up in addition to the clamp...my young fliers managed to knock it down...and it burned part of the large wooden brooder box (4'X6') Fortunately, I caught it before it did more than smolder (plus, it happened to melt the corner of a waterer, so water slowly dripped and moistened the bedding...so smoldering only, no flame-up. I felt someone was watching out for me that day, as I could have lost all my babies, maybe even the house. I was VERY lucky, - didn't lose anyone. However, I will never use a heat lamp again. Not even a month after that, the farm down the street lost their whole dairy barn and a couple of cows and all their baby calves as they were using a heat lamp for a newborn calf (2-3 days old), and the heat lamp got knocked down & the entire barn (plus all the hay in the loft!) burned. This was a couple of years ago, and they just finished rebuilding this past summer.

So, again, I will never use a heat lamp again! I won't dictate to others, but I WILL encourage you to use safer options.

The cozy coop heater is working well for Betty and Phyllis.

 

[BY Bob]

While playing a game of cards after dinner last night, Rosie went and got Ezzie out to play with her. A hour later when I went to check on them and tell her its bed time I see she's already asleep. On the floor with Ezzie snuggled right up to her. I was informed last night that apparently Tractor Supply has chicks in already even though when I called them they told me they would not have any until the 28th. Depending on work schedules I hope to have time to run up there today to get her some siblings. She is doing fine as a lone chick, but I see a potential huge problem happening if she doesn't get a sibling or two. She is already VERY people oriented, but she needs to learn that she is a chicken and what other chickens are or introduction outside is going to go very very bad.

Yes. She needs feathered friends or you are going to have a house chicken.

 

[BY Bob]

OMG what an awful thing to happen.
I am very, very wary. This seemed to be promoting that it was somehow safer than a regular heat lamp. The Sweeter Heater (which that company doesn't sell) says the same thing. I am skeptical but would like to know why they say that.
I believe an oil filled heater genuinely is safer and I have a spare one of those that I can have in the people side of the Chicken Palace so there is no risk it gets knocked over (actually they are very hard to knock over even if you try). The trouble is that it doesn't direct heat towards the chickens so it really doesn't do much.

The oil heater heats an area. If you put it where they are hanging out, they will realize it is warmer by the heater. If they are cold, they will go there on their own and use the heat much like they lay in the sun.

 

[featherhead007]

When I get back home tonight, I will have to befriend all my chickens over again.
(Nothing worse than an angry bird !)

 

[BY Bob]

I house mine 'together' so to speak. They share the same run space...and I have an 'up & down' coop. Bottom level was for ducks, top level was for chickens. However, the ducks moved themselves to one of my other chicken coops (the only one that isn't raised off the ground), and now sleep with the chickens. They sleep under the nest boxes and/or under the ramp, so don't get pooped on...but I have one duck that will sometimes climb the ramp and sleep with the chickens (I have a slightly sloped 'roof' to the nest boxes that acts as a poop board under 1 of the roosts). This 1 sweetie (duck) likes to sleep there at times. I also have 2 ducks that will hop into the raised nest boxes to lay sometimes. They do very well together! The ducks keep the roosters in line (well....control the roosters), so there is no issue there.

A couple of things to consider, though:

IF you have a drake, make sure you have enough female ducks for him, though. A duck's anatomy is different than chickens, and he (drake) can hurt hens if he tries to mate with them.....which he will only do if he doesn't have enough duckie females. (1 to 4 per drake, depending on the breed)

Water. As you know, ducks love to play with and make a mess of water. This means that sometimes they 'play' all the water out of the dish so there is none left to drink! (In the winter when the ducks just get a small 'duck bath' with added deep water dishes...in the summer I have a larger pool & nipple waterers - which the ducks can't mess up!) My solution is to raise one rubber water dish high enough so the ducks can't reach it, and place a roost next to it so the chickens can hop up and drink CLEAN water. Though they usually prefer the dirty duck water,,,

Other than these 2 things to consider (well, plus the fact that ducks make a mess with the water, and chickens don't like damp, so it means either a designated area for waterers with plenty of other dry space in the run, and/or lots of frequent changing of bedding.) Note that I NEVER put water in the coop, regardless, but you absolutely can't with ducks.

Excellent response! Thanks!

 

[BY Bob]

? How far is the roost from the ceiling? Could you maybe hang the first one with wire from the ceiling? While I understand that heat rises, so maybe not the most efficient, it should still give them warmth, especially with the heat side down (top side really doesn't get warm at all.) It is about 18" long, so should give enough heated space for all the girls (if they would only all roost together, of course!)

What I am thinking:
'l' = wall, '*' = roost, '_' = heater

l
l ___________
l
l
*******************************
Not sure if this will work????

EDIT: Hmmm, for some reason, when I post it doesn't keep the 'spaces' I entered between the wall and the heater. I was thinking that with the wall there...placing the heater 8-10 inches away from the wall will still keep that (in this diagram) left most hen warm.

I am thinking this too. I will try and draw something and post when I have the capability.

 

[BY Bob]

A picture perfect fluffy butt from Maggie

View attachment 3004684


But then it all started to go wrong....

A little gust of wind caught her unawares

View attachment 3004695


And then the wind got stronger …..

View attachment 3004702


And then it really blew .. ..

View attachment 3004703

At this point Maggie stalked off in disgust and went to shelter in the Chicken Palace.

Happy Friday everyone.

Amazing!!!! I just love this photo essay.

 

[BY Bob]

Happy Friday

I too have been saving this one!