Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

This picture made me think of a silly 'ditty' my father used to say. I've amended it here to be more appropriate to the situation:

"Back to back we faced each other,
drew our feathers and quilled one another'



Original silly ditty was:

Back to back we faced each other
drew our swords and and shot one another"

 

[lightm]

We use hay in our coop and nests. It's supposed to be a big no, but we've never had any problems. Once in a while, they eat a bit out of boredom I think if we have a whole day of rain, but it never led to crop impactions.

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain how your settings are organized ! I guess I'm trying to get ideas of what could work for us... It seems every option I can think of either has major disadvantages or is too complicated. Your post was also helpful in showing me I need to see the bigger picture and not just the actual problem we have. As you say, things may evolve quickly when cockerels grow.
I tend to be pessimistic, because everytime I've been told about things that will get better ( like broodies coming back in the flock with no problem, roosters imprinting or accepting chicks, hens being better accepted once they lay..) never worked out here. I love my chickens like they are but sometimes I would enjoy less drama.

And @RoyalChick I know that feeling about a chicken not wanting to be touched or cuddled. The ones that like to engage with me show it by spending hours pecking my pants . Most of my chickens I can't touch, or barely. Chipie never even came near us before she had the chicks, she was terrified of us. Now she will come ask for food, and eventually pick something from our hand if it's a treat she loves. Piou-piou has only once eaten a grape out of my hand (or rather snatched it off ) after dozens and dozens of trials, and she has never repeated the deed . If I even throw a treat near her, she just walks away. She doesn't run, she's not afraid: she just wants nothing to do with me .
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A few tuefer. The new unlikely couple: Piou-piou and Gaston.
View attachment 3308596
Taking a bath together
View attachment 3308626
For size and color comparison: Piou-piou and Chipie
View attachment 3308600
Cannelle is molting terribly but otherwise better these last two days
Here with Brune looking for slugs after the rain this morning
View attachment 3308612
Théo would have Chipie back. She asks for his protection, comes when he tidbits, but shies away from him when he does the dancing thing, making him angry everytime...
View attachment 3308616

Im glad Cannelle is doing better. Poor Theo. Chipie is so taking advantage of him...

 

[featherhead007]

Yep she is Foxy the hunter!

Big game hunter!

 

[featherhead007]

I just couldn’t help it. It’s a rainy night, chilly wind blowing. The birds seem okay in the coop, but the poop board above Jaffar is missing (and I don’t want Jaffar pooped on in the night) so he’s inside with me tonight. I will fix the coop tomorrow. And I’m getting a free alarm cluck (he’s set for 5:30 am )

 

[featherhead007]

Jaffar gets comfortable. Tax:

 

[knoturavggrl]

Twofer fail but I do have some pics:

Our revived repurposed oh so ugly yet functional coop and run. The rest of wire is going up tomorrow on the run, so excited to be able to have everyone out in the run as much as they choose to be during the daylight hours!

Powder:
Why did the child put me up here? I don’t understand the point of this contraption.

If you think I am sliding down this thing, think again.

I am getting down this is silly .

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Ok so what are fresher strands

I have a feeling you are joking. But just in case you aren’t, what I meant was there may have been some pieces of hay that were still slightly green instead of all dried out. That would make a little more sense as to why she ate them. But it was still a bad idea. Lol

 

[BY Bob]

This picture made me think of a silly 'ditty' my father used to say. I've amended it here to be more appropriate to the situation:

"Back to back we faced each other,
drew our feathers and quilled one another'



Original silly ditty was:

Back to back we faced each other
drew our swords and and shot one another"

Excellent!

 

[micstrachan]

Hi peeps. I hope everyone is doing well. I was in San Francisco for a girls’ weekend and Halloween happened, so I’ve been absent. It’s going to drop to 40°F tonight and Flo is still pretty bare in some large areas. If she had roosted in her usual spot, I’d put a microwavable heat disk beside her like I have a couple times lately. But she roosted upstairs and there isn’t a great place to put it. She’s in a pretty draft-free spot and has been taking this molt like a champ, but I’m wondering if I should do something for her. I haven’t measured the temp myself, but my weather app says it’s already down to 46° now. Sun doesn’t rise until 11 hours from now. Thoughts?

 

[bgmathteach]

Hi peeps. I hope everyone is doing well. I was in San Francisco for a girls’ weekend and Halloween happened, so I’ve been absent. It’s going to drop to 40°F tonight and Flo is still pretty bare in some large areas. If she had roosted in her usual spot, I’d put a microwavable heat disk beside her like I have a couple times lately. But she roosted upstairs and there isn’t a great place to put it. She’s in a pretty draft-free spot and has been taking this molt like a champ, but I’m wondering if I should do something for her. I haven’t measured the temp myself, but my weather app says it’s already down to 46° now. Sun doesn’t rise until 11 hours from now. Thoughts?

Is there a place to put a hot water bottle near her...of do you have some rice and an old pillow case? Heat the rice in the Microwave, put in pillow case and put near/under her. (what is she roosting on...can you wrap and zip-tie the heated rice around her roost?

Sorry, only thoughts I have! I don't know if you have electricity out there, so could use a heat plate of not? If you can, drive 2 nails or 2 cup hooks into wall, and hang heater place (they make ones that can go in nest boxes, etc., and have small holes in each corner for mounting...but if can get hooks to work, makes it much easier to put up and take down...