Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Beautiful Fall colors and a chicken to match who is entirely uninterested in laying eggs.

 

[featherhead007]

Asphodel? Oh god I hope she’s okay. I remember her as a little playful chick

 

[bgmathteach]

Exactly. Still have more ground to check, but the wind was kicking in.

I hope you find her.. If I remember correctly, you don't have a run, at all, only a coop, so it is free range or, literally, 'cooped up'. Boys can be watchful & sound the alarms, but for many predators, they can't actually fight them off successfully. Can you, give them some space outside but with the protection of the electric netting? Would be good for all but arial predators. I do hope that you find her or can find a way to exclude a predator if that is what happened. Unfortunately, if they are successful in their hunt, they come back.

So, I don't know if this is feasible (and the chickens won't like it - having had total freedom), but could you get a couple hundred feet of poultry netting and a charger ( the plug-in ones are much more powerful and less expensive than the solar ones)?????

I'll tag @ChicoryBlue here as she has looked into (and uses) poultry netting, She may have some thoughts.

Speaking of that CB, I am hoping that the hip is well on it's way to healing/strengthening......and that the pain is much more manageable now!

 

[bgmathteach]

What, Mum?? You harassing me about that darn egg thing again?

I'll tell ya, I'll lay when I am good and ready! (maybe in the early spring? kinda too dark and cold to START now!)


In other words. Mum, don't bother me about eggs, I've got more important things to worry about...like are there any worthy seeds left on these grasses.

...and where have all the grasshoppers gone?

 

[RoyalChick]

Retirement stuff. Practice makes perfect!

I practice napping as part of my retirement plan. Unfortunately the cats take it as a signal they can sleep on my head.

 

[micstrachan]

I didn’t like to mention the more chickens uin case I got branded an enabler. But the attic got me thinking. I think it is @micstrachan who has an upper story to her coop. I am sitting here imagining opening up the attic for the chickens and there being room for @knoturavggrl to add even more more!

Love it! Yes, I have a second level to my coop. It’s not as high as the ceiling of the main coop; it’s where we enclosed a little deck that was part of the wooden play house that we turned into a coop.

 

[ValarieF]

 

[featherhead007]

I practice napping as part of my retirement plan. Unfortunately the cats take it as a signal they can sleep on my head.

My chooks do that too!

 

[rural mouse]

I hope you find her.. If I remember correctly, you don't have a run, at all, only a coop, so it is free range or, literally, 'cooped up'. Boys can be watchful & sound the alarms, but for many predators, they can't actually fight them off successfully. Can you, give them some space outside but with the protection of the electric netting? Would be good for all but arial predators. I do hope that you find her or can find a way to exclude a predator if that is what happened. Unfortunately, if they are successful in their hunt, they come back.

So, I don't know if this is feasible (and the chickens won't like it - having had total freedom), but could you get a couple hundred feet of poultry netting and a charger ( the plug-in ones are much more powerful and less expensive than the solar ones)?????

I'll tag @ChicoryBlue here as she has looked into (and uses) poultry netting, She may have some thoughts.

Speaking of that CB, I am hoping that the hip is well on it's way to healing/strengthening......and that the pain is much more manageable now!

Considering it's been a year and a half since we lost any to predation (the dog doesn't count as feeding a hungry belly didn't happen), and 2 years since a mysterious disappearance of just 1, I have to say we've been lucky. Not happy about it, but not lost in the tissue box either. Being out in the country means predation is a fact of life. If losing her means the rest learn, then good. Silver and Pear are the only ones who are still here from the last predator (again not counting the dog; defining predator as wild animal feeding self or offspring). She was a beautiful sweetheart and is missed. The rest are staying closer together, Pear out in close company with Hector. Belladonna is the most "down", so far staying in the coop. Silver, Maizie, and Thing are with her.

 

[featherhead007]

Considering it's been a year and a half since we lost any to predation (the dog doesn't count as feeding a hungry belly didn't happen), and 2 years since a mysterious disappearance of just 1, I have to say we've been lucky. Not happy about it, but not lost in the tissue box either. Being out in the country means predation is a fact of life. If losing her means the rest learn, then good. Silver and Pear are the only ones who are still here from the last predator (again not counting the dog; defining predator as wild animal feeding self or offspring). She was a beautiful sweetheart and is missed. The rest are staying closer together, Pear out in close company with Hector. Belladonna is the most "down", so far staying in the coop. Silver, Maizie, and Thing are with her.

I’m in the country, and have only lost my chickens to evil human neighbors. (But it still hurts me bad)