Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I’m invo

with the food drive in town.

That’s a worthy cause for sure, especially these days .

 

[Ponypoor]

The cardboard is just straight down to the ground, sitting pretty flush. There’s going to be more old ramial wood chips (or a new bag of shavings, and hemp on top) and leaves piled up against it. Ideally I want six+ inches of litter, last year they loved digging around in it and even dust bathing in it. I’ve left a lot of ground exposed for now so they still have foraging in here, little leaves and grasses are growing, one reason to not fold the cardboard to have some flat on the ground, I want the ground access, especially as this run is now permanent.

Got the doorway ready for more litter with a board across the inside to keep it in and a couple logs to ease the ladies' exit. The Omlet run door is absolutely on the ground, not at all good for winter climes. I have to keep it very clear there. I might get a log to put down on the outside for when I let them out but today they hopped in and out with ease. The piece of rubber is over the latch to keep from having to knock it clear of freezing rain and snow. I set up a further windbreak in the back there, and turned on the coop warmer panel. This sudden change has not been good for them with their molts, Peanut was shivering today when I held her for her antibiotics. I got the tarp on the right pulled over properly, ready to close it up for winter with the wire panels, but for now leaving a narrow way in and out.
View attachment 3321950

Here you can see this piece of cardboard got wet from rain and snow blowing in the open door edge next to the working doorway. Need to cut and duct tape a shower curtain for that part still.
View attachment 3321951

Last year I had the tarps down to the ground and the cardboard between the tarps and the wire. The stiffness of the tarps left a breezy gap which the cardboard helped. But the tarps do wiggle some with heavy wind, and the run litter would get scratch-thrown and pushed into the space between the wire and the cardboard, pushing the tarp out and rendering the litter inaccessible. Once snow accumulates, the gap to the ground is not an issue in most places anyway, I pile it up along the outside walls, not too high, keeping some places good for sunshine and seeing out, others higher where they want to gather and feel safe and snug to rest and preen (I suspect it’ll be that corner where the dust bath is now, see how they are hanging there).

So this year I changed it - the tarps are actually going to be higher and not at ground level, maybe four to six inches up. But the grommets are still zip tied to the wire wall at the bottom. The cardboard is serving the windbreak purpose, and the wood roof supports are handy for wedging it in between them and the metal poles of the run, and the litter I’m going to be piling up helps hold it there (plus they could be zip tied). Hanging the tarps higher gives me more coverage high up the walls, particularly the short sides east and west, where there’s triangular spaces I want for ventilation but have to figure out still how to manage.

The group getting warm by the coop panel. Left to right, in back Hazel hogging it, Peanut on the right. Butters looking right at us on the left in front, and poor Popcorn out in the dust bath on the right. I might pull the dust bath further out for more room, but not sure they'd let her get closer anyway.
View attachment 3321971

Here's another pic of the temporary windbreak set up while I narrowed the opening on the right to the yard that wind was blowing in. View attachment 3321976

Wonderful setup! And great lawn chair

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Im surprised @bgmathteach did not point this out but I think you have at least 10 layers likely 11. There are only 7 days in a week. They all would have had to lay 8 eggs in 7 days. That is unlikely.

You all are right I cannot count. My current layers are the 5 new girls from Royal king. Plus Lilly, Karen, Chiquita, Holly, Butter, Baby and Corona. That makes 12 hens currently in lay. I shall add this along with mood swings and hot flashes onto the side effects of the new medicine.

 

[RoyalChick]

You all are right I cannot count. My current layers are the 5 new girls from Royal king. Plus Lilly, Karen, Chiquita, Holly, Butter, Baby and Corona. That makes 12 hens currently in lay. I shall add this along with mood swings and hot flashes onto the side effects of the new medicine.

Will they still get their Craisins?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Will they still get their Craisins?

Of course they will. Even if they were total free loaders I would still spoil them. I may call them ungrateful brats if I have a no egg day which *Knock on Wood* has not happened in a bit. They are pets first and providers of breakfast second.

 

[fuentemoon]

Well until it snows she can get grass outside.
I will start some wheat sprouts - though last year I had issues with mold so I am going to try growing them in dirt rather than the usual way of doing sprouts.

I stopped letting get to grass stage. My girls love them most when they first germinate

 

[micstrachan]

Perfect. Mine eat a ton of grass when molting.

Mine, too!

 

[micstrachan]

I stopped letting get to grass stage. My girls love them most when they first germinate

Mine like them pretty young, too..

 

[micstrachan]

My ex sister-in-law nearly crashed in a car park because of a huntsman. And many years ago I was taking my son somewhere, we get in the car and he let out a blood-curdling scream. I involuntarily leapt out of the driver’s seat to find there was a huntsman on the back seat. I hate to think what would have happened if we’d actually been driving! We took DH’s car whilst MIL unleashed a tin of surface spray in mine.

Scaredy-tax:
View attachment 3321761

GORGEOUS!!!

 

[micstrachan]

Are they actually dangerous? Or just scary because they are big?
I confess to quite liking spiders, though I prefer not to be surprised.

Same here! I think I’ve shared this before, but once I uncovered a trap door spider in the run. Dorothy devoured it. I had never seen a chicken dismember anything so quickly before!