Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

Enhancement

I realized that since no one was sleeping in the Cluckle Hut, I have never removed the window from it. Therefore, no ventilation and high heat. Of course removing the window creates its own issue with rain coming in the open window. So an awning had to be built.

2 hinges, a leftover piece of plywood, some leftovers from the pool shed for supports and bingo, an awning.

View attachment 3172472
I filled in the gap between the Hut and awning with a piece of an old rear hatch seal from our long gone minivan. There should be no leaks there.

Now it just needs painted.

This looks great! @BY Bob and @Kris5902 , both of you are so creative with solving building issues! I do wish I was as talented in the actual building part! While my structures are very stable, I'll be darned if I can make things meet up perfectly square despite my best efforts.
I'm a bit jealous of your abilities

 

[bgmathteach]

Roost!

While I was working on the awning I decided to build a small roost for use in the quarantine coop. Simple enough using @ChicoryBlue idea. 2 2x4 pieces with a smaller board across.

View attachment 3172476

And deployed in the coop.

View attachment 3172477

So I moved them up last night. Lady Featherington loved it. Glynda used it but check out how her head drapes! That cannot be comfortable.

View attachment 3172481

But honestly, these Polish are the worst. Everytime I look on the camera at night I worry she is dead until I see her breathing.

View attachment 3172482View attachment 3172483

She still has her eyes open and is moving her head around in the video. I *suspect* part of it is trying to 'look around' Lady Featherington's ample feathery bottom. I agree with @Ponypoor that she will probably tuck it under a wing...especially if it IS uncomfortable for her hanging like that.

Also, look at poor Gucci...nose-dive into the bedding. I think that the youngsters can somewhat 'collapse' where they are and be 'comfortable. When I was younger (kid through early 20s - before car accident injuries) I would go tent camping and could sleep just about anywhere with just my sleeping bag & be fine. Now, can barely even get down/back up from the ground, never mind sleep there! They will figure it out!

 

[featherhead007]

Did you pick up the egg to inspect? Is this one of the last eggs she took on?

No

 

[BY Bob]

Was it Whodatchick who used to say ‘MOAR CHIKINS!!’ ?

It was.

 

[bgmathteach]

The heat made Gorda sick so I bathed her in cold water and have her sitting on a wet towel in the floor. She's eating and drinking now but when I found her in the coop she was almost unresponsive and couldn't raise her headView attachment 3172369

So, working in HVAC, you probably know all or most of these tricks, but I'll share just in case, (note, I don't know how humid it is where you are - some don't work as well with high humidity)

A) Spray roof of coop (or roof of run, if you have a solid roof) with water from hose.

B) Hang shade cloth over area near coop to help lower temps under cloth and around coop in general.

C) Dampen ground in a shady area for them to dust bath in cooler, moist soil.

D) put ice in their water...and have a shallow dish they can 'wade in' to cool their feet.

E) Give them a block of ice in a quiet shady area they can lay near to cool off. I freeze gallon jugs of water just for this purpose in the summer. ( Note, on really miserable days, I 'bury' a 20 oz. soda bottle, with frozen h2o in it, in their favorite nesting boxes. I slide it into an old sock to slow melting and to soak up condensation)

F) and, of course, frozen treats and/or chunks of ice with treats frozen in them.

G) (only if dry where you are) Mister high up to help cool area.

I didn't mention fan since you stated you are already deploying that. I will say that I started using shade cloths 2 years ago and they make much more of a difference than I expected.

Also, a longer term solution would be to plant a bush/tree/climbing vine in strategic location near coop.

Again, you probably know all or most of these strategies...but thought I'd mention them just in case.


I'm sooooo glad you found her in time! That would have been a horrible loss..the poor girl!

 

[rural mouse]

Among the Missing

I will be among the missing again today as Eve is here. I'll see you all tonight.

Enjoy her visit and may she enjoy her time with the birds

 

[Ponypoor]

She still has her eyes open and is moving her head around in the video. I *suspect* part of it is trying to 'look around' Lady Featherington's ample feathery bottom. I agree with @Ponypoor that she will probably tuck it under a wing...especially if it IS uncomfortable for her hanging like that.

Also, look at poor Gucci...nose-dive into the bedding. I think that the youngsters can somewhat 'collapse' where they are and be 'comfortable. When I was younger (kid through early 20s - before car accident injuries) I would go tent camping and could sleep just about anywhere with just my sleeping bag & be fine. Now, can barely even get down/back up from the ground, never mind sleep there! They will figure it out!

I was just thinking that, I have seen the kids sound asleep in the dining room chair slumped over hahaha great photo ops for later in life

My chickens when they were younger would have the same thing going on, could sleep any which way hahaha. I rarely see them sleeping with their heads hanging down now... Unless they have had a very busy day outside and are pooped!

Wish I could sleep like that (sigh)....

 

[Ponypoor]

So, working in HVAC, you probably know all or most of these tricks, but I'll share just in case, (note, I don't know how humid it is where you are - some don't work as well with high humidity)

A) Spray roof of coop (or roof of run, if you have a solid roof) with water from hose.

B) Hang shade cloth over area near coop to help lower temps under cloth and around coop in general.

C) Dampen ground in a shady area for them to dust bath in cooler, moist soil.

D) put ice in their water...and have a shallow dish they can 'wade in' to cool their feet.

E) Give them a block of ice in a quiet shady area they can lay near to cool off. I freeze gallon jugs of water just for this purpose in the summer. ( Note, on really miserable days, I 'bury' a 20 oz. soda bottle, with frozen h2o in it, in their favorite nesting boxes. I slide it into an old sock to slow melting and to soak up condensation)

F) and, of course, frozen treats and/or chunks of ice with treats frozen in them.

G) (only if dry where you are) Mister high up to help cool area.

I didn't mention fan since you stated you are already deploying that. I will say that I started using shade cloths 2 years ago and they make much more of a difference than I expected.

Also, a longer term solution would be to plant a bush/tree/climbing vine in strategic location near coop.

Again, you probably know all or most of these strategies...but thought I'd mention them just in case.


I'm sooooo glad you found her in time! That would have been a horrible loss..the poor girl!

Option E frozen h2o in nest box is a great idea!!

My big issue is in the evening when everyone roosts for the night, that side of the barn is just hot hot hot.... I now have the box fan in there - was looking for a portable AC unit but they are so darn expensive.

I think if I do what @BY Bob did with an awning it will cut down on sunlight streaming in and heating things up - and keep the box fan in there.

I think heat is far worse that cold in many cases.

 

[bgmathteach]

Among the Missing

I will be among the missing again today as Eve is here. I'll see you all tonight.

Enjoy your time with your granddaughter & daughter/son-in-law!!!!! Maybe you both can get a little 'chicken time' in together

 

[Ponypoor]

Ok Pony Sunday , here is Lulu looking all cute under the weeping willow (fyi they are loveiy trees but darn messy with branches falling everywhere all the time!)

Notice how the bottoms of the branches are all trimmed level?? Courtesy of Truly eating them hahaha, in the other paddock the branches on the other side of the tree are down to the ground hahaha! I need to put Truly out there in the Fall so she can eat the branches and trim them up