Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

Oh, I should have shown I divided the coop. Duh. Again, not very good picture.
View attachment 3409226
The break on top board is nesting boxes to the left. The chicks had roughly half the coop, floor space-wise.
View attachment 3409234
This was a panel that served as a door, and I used bungee cords to hold it in place.

The cardboard was a "panic door" for the littles. Too small for the adults to get in.

That is an awesome set up. Saving to show my husband, building is not my strong suit at all. Thank you so much the pictures are great

I don't know how big your brooder tent is - so not sure on that. If it is in the garage, you might be able to add what I'm referencing below for the integration piece to your brooder tent to give them more space.

For the integration piece: I'm assuming you mean something like this. If you put it against the run or coop wall, so it could be more like 4' deep by 8' long* ( using 8' of a coop wall as 4th 'wall'), to give them 32 sq. feet of space - instead of the 16 sq. feet the pen would give by itself, it would be enough. Just note that you would need to put something over the top, such as left over chicken wire or mesh or something - even scrap plywood if you have it. The spaces between the panel wires are wide enough to slip a 1" to 1.5" X 4' long dowel through at the 8" high crosswire for some roosting space. ( brace it in place with a ball bungie or 10" bungie cords at each end & stretched tight around the wire framing to keep it from sliding, rolling and moving in general)

* 2 panels wide sticking out from wall (4')...4 panels long (8') , then the last 2 panels to turn & return to the coop wall again)

Sorry, I am such a math geek, and think in imagery/spatially that sometimes what I'm imagining doesn't always translate well for others...I hope this makes sense. If not, I can draw a crude sketch that might help.

My tent is 7ft x 7ft and your right with a tarp or lid of some sort I could add a little run space using the dog enclosure outside the tent for the quarantine period.

Yes, I believe I do understand what your suggesting and I think that will work wonderfully for quarantine time and for integrating them. I can take the tent and the dog playpen add a lid of some kind and viola a coop inside the run see but not touch and it will be a cinch to take down. Perfect ty!

 

[Ponypoor]

Why does Missy do it? Have you figured it out?

When she does it she appears very relaxed laying on my legs, and usually kneads my legs with her claws, she will stare into my eyes and just keep kneading and her head and ears draw back like Enzo is doing, just staring at me

I am fairly certain she is visualizing me as a wildebeest on the Serengeti and she is a lion chasing me down....

 

[knoturavggrl]

I'm working in Oklahoma and got Lety's message that she found Gorda dead this morning when she opened her coop. Not sure why but Gorda was sick constantly as a pullet. She was in our home several months. That's how we have a strong bond. Fortunately yesterday Lety had put some of her last eggs in the incubator. Cholo has lost 2 girls from his tribe recently, poor fella.

Oh no, I am sorry to hear this and doubly hard that you are away when it occurred. I am heartened to hear you have some of her eggs and will join you and others here in hoping for a successful hatch.

 

[featherhead007]

Don't your chooks go after the mice? Mine are very interested in vermin - and I have seen them kill and eat snakes, and Buttercup beat the tar out of a poor mouse and killed it - she tried to eat it but I took it away as I wasn't sure if chickens should eat such things!

Fluffy eating the snake caused me many sleepless nights! And then when I saw Buttercup with that mouse - and the sounds she was making - it was terrifying! That's when I knew it was a good thing chickens weren't 6' tall - they would be a real serious danger to humans otherwise!

Yeah, we humans would be laying eggs for them!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Fluffy eating the snake caused me many sleepless nights! And then when I saw Buttercup with that mouse - and the sounds she was making - it was terrifying! That's when I knew it was a good thing chickens weren't 6' tall - they would be a real serious danger to humans otherwise!

Maybe you haven't seen these then? They can be 30" tall. Massive legs and feet. These and the Aseel/Asil are very cool.
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/malay-chicken/

 

[featherhead007]

I thought this was funny:
Today I was eating a twinkie cake, and Dakota was of course begging to try it. I told her that it’s not good for chooks to eat twinkies, but she insisted. I let her peck it a little bit, but then she looked at me with disgust, and didn’t want it.
(Hey, I warned her didn’t I ?)
The look she gave me was priceless.

 

[Ponypoor]

The birds are starting to stay out a little longer now, I’m hoping this means they will start laying eggs soon.
Three of them are laying now!

I think I have 6 laying now - not every day, but I know that mum got 6 eggs yesterday

Today only 4 eggs. Penelope, Blanche and Sophia do not lay much anymore, if at all. So that is just leaving the other gals (Fluffy, Curly, Henny, Misty, Whiskers, Buttercup, Rose and Dorothy), and Rose and Dorothy are not prolific layers to begin with - which is fine with me. I don't have my gals for laying eggs, they are firstly my pets.

And last year Fluffy, Curly, Henny, Misty, Whiskers, Buttercup and Dorothy all went broody on me. Dorothy surprised me as her mum Penelope has never gone broody! So my egg laying is dictated by those that tend to go broody!

 

[Ponypoor]

Maybe you haven't seen these then? They can be 30" tall. Massive legs and feet. These and the Aseel/Asil are very cool.
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/malay-chicken/

Yes I have seen both those breeds - I tried to find a breeder here in Canada but couldn't - also they tend to be more aggressive and I don't want my poor silkies put at any risk.

But they sure are cool aren't they!

 

[Ponypoor]

Try Pinnon Hatch 25x50 heavy knotted 2" squares is under US$100. I see 50x50 is US$129. Both are sold out right now.
https://pinnonhatch.com/poultry-sup...medium=email&utm_source=customer_notification

Interesting - I could likely get the 25x100 and cut the 100 into 6 pieces of 16'x25'.

$135USD (~$182CD) - will need to research this more - thanks!

 

[BY Bob]

Yes, it could work with poultry if you are able to flush deep enough into the would. With the duck, she had one tear and a coupleof puncture wounds. I stitched the tear.

Honestly, I don't think I was able to flush deep enough into the puncture wound - and it was the first puncture wound I had dealt with. I later had a sort of abscess/puncture wound that was slightly bigger that I could sort of stuff with thin strips of gauze ( soaked in betadine and then coated with honey. Flushed & repacked daily) That worked quite well! But the tiny (diameter) wound on the duck - plus the thick abundance of feathers making ot more difficult - just wasn't possible.. If something like that happens again, I would probably cut/pluck feathers surrounding the wound, and possibly even cut the wound itself open a bit for better flushing..though I hate cutting them - so not sure I could do that WELL...especially given my assistant (hubby is not really the best at holding them - but he tries!)

They are all so nerve-wracking! I just do the best I can, and, hopefully, learn more each time. Do wish there was access to an avian vet - if for nothing else but suggestions and possibly anti-biotics!!

You know, @BY Bob - you said you like teaching. Maybe you (?with help of vet or something?) could develop the equivalent of EMT training - but for chickens and backyard pets. I would certainly pay to take that - especially if you were teaching it!!!

That is very sweet to say. I would have to have vet help as it would be perilously close to the line. I hate to get myself in trouble.