Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

SO my electric door to the coop hasn't been working right and doesn't charge anymore; locking the chooks in the coop. So hubby is taking it off and putting on a door I can open myself.

Can he get the mechanics of it working?

 

[Ponypoor]

Saturday (in the park you’d think it was….)

Ok sorry almost burst in song there again

Caturday today

Missy wanted out….

So I let her out…

Than she wanted back in! Seems she only goes out when I go out! She was telling me hurry human and get you butt in gear!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

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!

From the bit I’ve read, no remains of poor Asphodel found yet? Then I would first suspect a ground predator like a fox or coyote, something that typically carries their prey away. I’m so sorry @rural mouse

Yes, I use electric poultry netting with a plug-in charger around a big area in a rough oval, about 90 ft x 50 ft. The ground grasses where @rural mouse is seem sparse and poultry netting wouldn’t be a lot if maintenance. The dry ground would be the challenge, to get a good grounding and zap. Plenty of cattle farmers there have it figured out though. If it’s larger predators like coyote or fox, three line hot fencing might be enough and it would be cheaper. Same dry ground issues though. For small predators like mink, raccoons and weasels, poultry netting would be more effective.

Within that ground predator perimeter I have aviary netting against attacks from the air held up with greenhouse frames, poles, etc., and it drapes down on the edges to the ground, held down with ricks and logs. So everyone is confined within the aviary netting, it’s overall about 50 ft x 30 ft, not including the wired runs and coop area it’s attached to.

Hip is coming along…physical therapy is still helping to keep the pain kind of up though! Very tired of the pain but it is at a much lower level than before. Mobility is way better however. Having to resist the urge to push the PT even more to speed things up and be done with the pain, but it doesn’t work that way, it’s not ready yet.

I’m getting ready to treat everyone and the coop with the permethrin solution today (arrived last night). Have knocked down mite numbers with the cleaning and have treated certain places they don’t go (poop tray) with DE, elsewhere with First Saturday Lime (citric acid special non-caustic lime). It’s very difficult for me with this hip thing to maneuver inside the low-ceiling area of the little coop run to clear it out, it’s only 43 inches high? I am thinking of trying just a very liberal dusting with First Saturday Lime for there, when mite eggs hatch they will encounter it, it is weather protected.

 

[Ponypoor]

From the bit I’ve read, no remains of poor Asphodel found yet? Then I would first suspect a ground predator like a fox or coyote, something that typically carries their prey away. I’m so sorry @rural mouse

Yes, I use electric poultry netting with a plug-in charger around a big area in a rough oval, about 90 ft x 50 ft. The ground grasses where @rural mouse is seem sparse and poultry netting wouldn’t be a lot if maintenance. The dry ground would be the challenge, to get a good grounding and zap. Plenty of cattle farmers there have it figured out though. If it’s larger predators like coyote or fox, three line hot fencing might be enough and it would be cheaper. Same dry ground issues though. For small predators like mink, raccoons and weasels, poultry netting would be more effective.

Within that ground predator perimeter I have aviary netting against attacks from the air held up with greenhouse frames, poles, etc., and it drapes down on the edges to the ground, held down with ricks and logs. So everyone is confined within the aviary netting, it’s overall about 50 ft x 30 ft, not including the wired runs and coop area it’s attached to.

Hip is coming along…physical therapy is still helping to keep the pain kind of up though! Very tired of the pain but it is at a much lower level than before. Mobility is way better however. Having to resist the urge to push the PT even more to speed things up and be done with the pain, but it doesn’t work that way, it’s not ready yet.

I’m getting ready to treat everyone and the coop with the permethrin solution today (arrived last night). Have knocked down mite numbers with the cleaning and have treated certain places they don’t go (poop tray) with DE, elsewhere with First Saturday Lime (citric acid special non-caustic lime). It’s very difficult for me with this hip thing to maneuver inside the low-ceiling area of the little coop run to clear it out, it’s only 43 inches high? I am thinking of trying just a very liberal dusting with First Saturday Lime for there, when mite eggs hatch they will encounter it, it is weather protected.

Glad your hip is giving you better mobility, and you are wise to not over do it.

I think a dusting of the lime should be good, sounds like you have it well under control!

Re: electric fencing, yes I was also thinking that 4 strands of electric twine set at 6”, 12” then 2’& 3’ would be inexpensive and zap the crap out of predators like coyotes, foxes and dogs! Also give any mink, or other a good lifter if they stuck a nose on it (mwah-ha-ha! I love electric fencing). Grass/weeds can be kept down by just spraying the fence line with some round up couple times a year!

I used rebar (for posts) with the screw on insulators for just such a fence in the past.

Dry ground requires a proper ground rod at least 8’ in the ground, and maybe 2 ground rods. I had to do that here.

 

[ValarieF]

Can he get the mechanics of it working?

Nope already tried and already replaced it.

 

[bgmathteach]

Can he get the mechanics of it working?

You haven't had it long...should be under warranty

 

[ValarieF]

You haven't had it long...should be under warranty

Ive had it all summer not under warranty just a cheap door.

 

[Ponypoor]

Ive had it all summer not under warranty just a cheap door.

That’s too bad, well it’s not all bad having to get up and let them out

I love how mine barrel / fly out the door haahaha, and some just wait till I lift them down, or just want to sleep in

 

[ValarieF]

Updated pics of chooks and tweenies the babies are big. Hades is biggest and is obsessed with biting me in the butt! Dottie jumps on me and acts like shes gonna peck my eyes out. They are blue.

 

[rural mouse]

From the bit I’ve read, no remains of poor Asphodel found yet? Then I would first suspect a ground predator like a fox or coyote, something that typically carries their prey away. I’m so sorry @rural mouse

Yes, I use electric poultry netting with a plug-in charger around a big area in a rough oval, about 90 ft x 50 ft. The ground grasses where @rural mouse is seem sparse and poultry netting wouldn’t be a lot if maintenance. The dry ground would be the challenge, to get a good grounding and zap. Plenty of cattle farmers there have it figured out though. If it’s larger predators like coyote or fox, three line hot fencing might be enough and it would be cheaper. Same dry ground issues though. For small predators like mink, raccoons and weasels, poultry netting would be more effective.

Within that ground predator perimeter I have aviary netting against attacks from the air held up with greenhouse frames, poles, etc., and it drapes down on the edges to the ground, held down with ricks and logs. So everyone is confined within the aviary netting, it’s overall about 50 ft x 30 ft, not including the wired runs and coop area it’s attached to.

Hip is coming along…physical therapy is still helping to keep the pain kind of up though! Very tired of the pain but it is at a much lower level than before. Mobility is way better however. Having to resist the urge to push the PT even more to speed things up and be done with the pain, but it doesn’t work that way, it’s not ready yet.

I’m getting ready to treat everyone and the coop with the permethrin solution today (arrived last night). Have knocked down mite numbers with the cleaning and have treated certain places they don’t go (poop tray) with DE, elsewhere with First Saturday Lime (citric acid special non-caustic lime). It’s very difficult for me with this hip thing to maneuver inside the low-ceiling area of the little coop run to clear it out, it’s only 43 inches high? I am thinking of trying just a very liberal dusting with First Saturday Lime for there, when mite eggs hatch they will encounter it, it is weather protected.

No trace.

Glad the hip is healing.

Is there a way to rig something on a long stick (like a broom handle) to disperse the mite stuff?