Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Grandma The Chicken]

Today is super super cold

Accompanied by extremely high winds

At least there is good weather to be expected

 

[featherhead007]

My mountain snow is too far away to see today.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Power finally back on. Praying it stays that way.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I'm about to head out, top off the feeders, refresh the water, turn up the cozy coops, and prepare to lock them in for 12 to 24 hours. They however are oblivious. Chickens are running all around my yard right now. Fools.

Betty will be coming into the garage tonight. Too cold out there for her.

Is a friend going with Betty?

Geez. Now they are sunbathing!

The Buckeyes have been using the Cozy Coop Corner as their base and making little forays about the run. Butters rested by one of the panels two times that I saw, sitting, and each time she turned onto her side against it, like she was sunbathing with the panel.

I was out with extra mealworms and some corn this afternoon and found the nipple waterer frozen. Glad they have the heated dog bowl, which I topped up. -7F and going lower (that’s about -22C) right now, with wicked wind. Put the heating pad back in the coop, placed longwise so all hopefully can use it, set on low.

Snow is getting in the back vent with the intense wind. Good to know for next year, prob will place the coop so the back faces south next year. Last year it was that way and was better for this weather. I’d hoped the placement had it a bit more sheltered this year, but no.

I don’t know if the pad warmer is a good idea or not, just had the thought that snow coming in would melt, and the towel will get wet.

All my cams are not working. Think I read somewhere they don’t work below -4F?

 

[RoyalChick]

Is a friend going with Betty?

The Buckeyes have been using the Cozy Coop Corner as their base and making little forays about the run. Butters rested by one of the panels two times that I saw, sitting, and each time she turned onto her side against it, like she was sunbathing with the panel.
View attachment 3394710

I was out with extra mealworms and some corn this afternoon and found the nipple waterer frozen. Glad they have the heated dog bowl, which I topped up. -7F and going lower (that’s about -22C) right now, with wicked wind. Put the heating pad back in the coop, placed longwise so all hopefully can use it, set on low.

Snow is getting in the back vent with the intense wind. Good to know for next year, prob will place the coop so the back faces south next year. Last year it was that way and was better for this weather. I’d hoped the placement had it a bit more sheltered this year, but no.

I don’t know if the pad warmer is a good idea or not, just had the thought that snow coming in would melt, and the towel will get wet.

All my cams are not working. Think I read somewhere they don’t work below -4F?

Oh lord. I hadn’t thought about the cameras atopping working. I know they won’t charge in the cold but I didn’t know they didn’t work. Ugh.
I think after this experience I may invest in a second flat panel heater so I can have one at ground level like you have.
Off out to put my space heater out in the coop now everyone is in bed.
Socks, scarf, hat and gloves are all needed for that task.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Did the weather change?

Yes it did. Haven't experienced this temperature since mid to end of December.
Freeze-your-legs cold weather tax. Parmesan is bound to have her feet frozen tonight. Couldn't go out for photos so you'll have to deal with this 3 day old photo.

 

[knoturavggrl]

I am so sorry, I know loss too and how difficult it is.
Are you sure it’s not a fox or coyote? Most raptors will kill and eat what they can right there, even a large bird of prey has difficulty carrying off a chicken. Only sign being a few feathers suggests a ground predator - a fox, coyote, fisher, or maybe a mink. So guard against diggers, it will be back and could try to dig, if that’s what it was.

I don’t know what it was for sure. I assumed bird of prey because she was just gone no blood, nothing just a tiny pile of white feathers and it happened during the day. We live on 8.5 acres most of which is wooded. So it could have any of those you mentioned.

Oh yes, we are doubling down on securing the run. Quickcrete is drying in the hole they escaped from and when it dries hardware cloth skirting will be added along that whole wall. The lower portion of the enclosure is also being reinforced and inspected as we go. Boards are being added along the bottom of the run to push the hardware cloth down. Washers and screws will be added to reinforce the staples.

 

[BY Bob]

Behind Bars
Betty is in the house. My office to be exact. It will be a nice warm night for her.

 

[lightm]

Both battle it out. I could get up to go but oh what a production it was, especially early on before you somewhat get used to moving around on one leg.

I am well. My daughter (6yrs) took it better then expected, Powder was her favorite. She said she was glad we got chickens, I said are you sure since it can be sad sometimes. She paused and thought, her reply was yes I am sure, we had lots of good times too. So proud of her.

I am okay, I’ll feel guilty forever most likely but we are fixing it as I type this. Still no sign of her at all. I am pretty certain at this point something took her, probably an bird of prey.

I am so sorry. I am glad that it is becoming a growing experience for your daughter. Don't blame yourself or blame yourself less. You cannot be out there all the time.

 

[Ponypoor]

Neither the automated phone line or the online system had any way to indicate special issues. I think anyone who has “permanent” medical issues is supposed to register with them so they know in advance.

Oncor is horrible. There are lots of power poles in our area that have been about to fall over for more than a year or two and they never seem to do anything until they actually break or fall. Maintenance of trees, poles, power lines, etc is ridiculous. After the past two February’s in the area they definitely should have been more prepared but weren’t. The number of total outages may not seem like much compared to total customers. But they don’t have the resources to deal with even that many at a time.

We had ice still on the ground and coating everything until early yesterday, but have been above freezing most of the time since then. Some areas still had bad roads but most were passable. So they should have made a lot more progress yesterday than they did.

The generator had tripped again when I woke up at 7:30 am. He got it going again and we have managed to limp it along since then by adapting plugs to run the trailer on the 30amp circuit. Just means we can’t have our supplemental heaters/etc going or it draws too much power. Replacement breaker shows to be in transit for delivery today.

So far we know our Keurig and electric kettle got fried, possibly some other things as well, when the breaker malfunctioned the first time and pumped 220v into the system instead of 110v. We are lucky it didn’t destroy a lot more. Would love to make them pay to replace things but no way to prove the generator was at fault.

Electrical whining tax:
View attachment 3394519

Oh she is a beauty

I learnt my lesson a few years ago out on a job site when they plugged a new genny in and didn't reset the power from 480 to 110 - fried everything in the office trailers! Including the 2 high output office printers worth $9000 each - ooooops! I had removed the powersurge protectors from them because the printers wouldn't work - ooops! I got my fingers rapped for that!

So now I always make sure I have a power surge bar on everything (oooops!)

Bad Kelly Tax

Everyone is snuggled up tonight, it's -21C and snow squalls still back home. I love how Mr P is snuggled up to Buttercup haha!