Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Tax:
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Pretty Lady

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I should point out that in arguing with mom I did not need to set any hens, let alone 2 or now 3 she threw out a valid point. It has never failed in the last 2 years that around February I keep getting asked if I have any pullets close to point of laying for sale. I never have any as they tend to be girls I plan on keeping for myself. Her reasoning for letting these girls hatch is the momma's will do the work of brooding them, and come February pick 1 or 2 keeper girls if there is one or two that I have to hang on to. Then offer up the rest as close to point of laying. Now this all depends on myself not hatching out potentially 24 boys if all the eggs hatch. She has some very good points on this. Plus with winter coming on and these being "older" gals I was going to loose them as layers anyway for a few months. I might as well let them do something useful instead of being complete freeloaders.

 

[lightm]

It's late but still Tuesday. Here we have 2 broody girls happily doing what I did not want them to be doing. Look closely though, do you spot something that should not be there?
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How about now?
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Yes your eye's are not deceiving you, that is a 3rd broody hen. Blueberry decided she wanted to be a momma the day after I set Bunny and Raven. I have had to keep her for the most part locked up in the coop as every chance she got she was trying to share Raven's nest and eggs. Mom noticed, and the rest is history as of a hour ago. She too now has 8 eggs. I cannot win for loosing. If anyone complains I have too many chickens it is her, yet, she is entirely responsible for my current situation.
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Awwwww Blueberry.

Where she sits reminds me of a horror story in a college dorm room. I won't tell the story here.

 

[knoturavggrl]

People on this thread will tell you that a self-made coop from zero carpentry skilled person is still better than a prefab.

I bet it was a good learning process and here is hope that it will last and keep them safe.

I am very glad to have avoided the prefab trap. We like to up cycle whenever it’s feasible to do it and so making use of the old sad shed was a definite yes. We did learn alot and Id bet quite a bit that after a year of using it and learning more and more we will adapt it and change it to suit our needs and the chickens needs. Its pretty basic on purpose at the moment on purpose though. I want to see how it works for us before doing to much.

 

[Ponypoor]

Pooped

Pooped pooped pooped….

Came home did chores, then removed the nest box over the rat hole, removed all the brick pavers, shoved as much of the limestone screenings back into the rat dug tunnels as I could pack in there, then put the brick pavers back, screwed some strapping along the bottom of the wall, both inside the hen house and outside where the entrance of the rat tunnels was. Lastly put the nest box (which BTW is 3 boxes high and weighs a ton!) back in place and to be safe placed a couple of pavers blocking the front bottom of the nest box just in case!

I will have to move the other nest boxes out on the weekend to see if there are any other area where the beastie is getting in.

After all this, it was going for 8pm so I just did evening chores, counted chickens, and came back to the house for my supper. I was so hungry I could have hunted that rat down, clobbered it, stuffed it and thrown it in the oven hahaha

Just for poops and giggles I put out the electronic rat trap…. Maybe the beastie will get curious!

 

[Ponypoor]

I should point out that in arguing with mom I did not need to set any hens, let alone 2 or now 3 she threw out a valid point. It has never failed in the last 2 years that around February I keep getting asked if I have any pullets close to point of laying for sale. I never have any as they tend to be girls I plan on keeping for myself. Her reasoning for letting these girls hatch is the momma's will do the work of brooding them, and come February pick 1 or 2 keeper girls if there is one or two that I have to hang on to. Then offer up the rest as close to point of laying. Now this all depends on myself not hatching out potentially 24 boys if all the eggs hatch. She has some very good points on this. Plus with winter coming on and these being "older" gals I was going to loose them as layers anyway for a few months. I might as well let them do something useful instead of being complete freeloaders.

I like your logic

Hoping for all pullets in this case!!!

 

[Ponypoor]

To Everyone

I have been dealing with some issues and was out of town for a wedding that is why for a week I really did not post. 7 days later I am over 70 pages behind.

The good news, I have worked it down to 20 pages at this point.

The bad news, there are many things to share but I do not know when I will catch up and I at this point I am pretty certain that I will no longer be able to keep up. I am not certain what I am going to do at this point but I wanted to pop in and let you know what has happened to me.

No worries! We just like seeing the pics of your gals

You know how I love your Polish gals

I tell Mr P about your ladies all the time

 

[featherhead007]

I arrived home, and this is who greeted me. The lovely “Flash”!

 

[RoyalChick]

I should point out that in arguing with mom I did not need to set any hens, let alone 2 or now 3 she threw out a valid point. It has never failed in the last 2 years that around February I keep getting asked if I have any pullets close to point of laying for sale. I never have any as they tend to be girls I plan on keeping for myself. Her reasoning for letting these girls hatch is the momma's will do the work of brooding them, and come February pick 1 or 2 keeper girls if there is one or two that I have to hang on to. Then offer up the rest as close to point of laying. Now this all depends on myself not hatching out potentially 24 boys if all the eggs hatch. She has some very good points on this. Plus with winter coming on and these being "older" gals I was going to loose them as layers anyway for a few months. I might as well let them do something useful instead of being complete freeloaders.

I think your Mom has some good logic to her thinking.

 

[rural mouse]

3Rd fairy egg in as many weeks. Am I possibly correct in thinking one of the Brahma girls has started laying but hasn't gotten them big enough for yolks yet?