Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

This video is long, and I'm sorry it is sort of dark. The Marshmallows discovered their new roost at the edge of dark. They clearly do not need Chiquita to teach them to use those tiny wings of theirs. My camera died as soon as I stopped recording so no pictures. I have it on charge now and after dark I will go back out to see if they end up using it tonight. Judging by Chiquita's reactions, I think she wants them in the tote with her again tonight. I'm so glad Momma Hen is not raising this crew. She has tried and has failed to get Madea up into the tree. The Marshmallows, would follow her with ease right now I think.

Chiquita got her way again tonight. I think she needs to realize though that her marshmallows are growing up and do not really fit under her anymore. She joined them up on the roost for all of 30 seconds and then hopped down into the tote and called them to her. They really did not want to come down at first. I predict in a few days they will stay up. I'm ready myself to kick them out of the tote, I have to clean it out every 2 days the little poop machines. Look at their crops though, Chiquita does not take her kids to bed on a empty stomach.
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Oh my can they fly! Smart, agile, and adventurous should be quite the experience watching the marshmallow crew continue to grow into adults.
Chiquita is such a good momma, this little video is simultaneously hilarious and sweet as can be. She clearly doesn’t feel her job is done yet and takes that job seriously, even if she has to make em fit under her

 

[Kris5902]

Oh dear - kids! Have to have nerves of steel I tell you!

hahaha I remember that from your photos!


Or.... maybe have a new home with a loving family to take photos and send to us! and baby chicks....


I am leaning towards the suggestions of a 2.5' roosting shelf, with some nest boxes underneath, and a couple of the bottom ones extended out so that there is a 6-8" wide step for them to jump up on to get to the roost.


Was that Sammy I thought was going to get blown over running in the wind haha!

Everyone looks so happy running about doing chicken-things

Yes Sammy, the most Amazing Rooster ever (sorry Jaffar…) waiting on Andrew to get home so I can see what the Damage is. Sammy has a Torn up Earlobe, no biggie there, little Sister is Laid open on her Back, there is an Eagle rethinking Chicken Dinners between whatever the chickens did between its strike and the Crazy lady with the broom in her PJ’s. I need DH to better assess the girl, between the bumble foot, and now this…

It looked like after the strike the Eagle was mobbed by my chickens. It took off before I got in broom reach.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes Sammy, the most Amazing Rooster ever (sorry Jaffar…) waiting on Andrew to get home so I can see what the Damage is. Sammy has a Torn up Earlobe, no biggie there, little Sister is Laid open on her Back, there is an Eagle rethinking Chicken Dinners between whatever the chickens did between its strike and the Crazy lady with the broom in her PJ’s. I need DH to better assess the girl, between the bumble foot, and now this…

It looked like after the strike the Eagle was mobbed by my chickens. It took off before I got in broom reach.

Holy Dinah - oh I sure hope she is ok - Good Sammy! Good Boy!

Ok I will check in later on - I am heading to bed, tomorrow is my day off, but I am not going to town. My back and legs are really bothering me from sitting so much at my desk - I need some exercise tomorrow will go for a walk.

 

[Ponypoor]

Bedtime and sleeping
But check out Blanche, just determined to stay on top of that nest box!

Sophia is on the shelf in front of the nest box tonight, so can't see her.

 

[featherhead007]

Wouldn’t want Coco to get jealous

Coco is sweet, but I can’t take her out to dinner or a movie theater

 

[featherhead007]

Yes Sammy, the most Amazing Rooster ever (sorry Jaffar…) waiting on Andrew to get home so I can see what the Damage is. Sammy has a Torn up Earlobe, no biggie there, little Sister is Laid open on her Back, there is an Eagle rethinking Chicken Dinners between whatever the chickens did between its strike and the Crazy lady with the broom in her PJ’s. I need DH to better assess the girl, between the bumble foot, and now this…

It looked like after the strike the Eagle was mobbed by my chickens. It took off before I got in broom reach.

OMG !

 

[featherhead007]

Wouldn’t want Coco to get jealous

“Kris, come on, I don’t get jealous! With my looks, I don’t need to be “
Signed Coco.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes - that is what I was going to do last year, put it at around 2.5' or maybe even 3' - but now I think 2.5' is a good height. If it wasn't for the Silkies I would just let them be. But those wee silkies give me fits! And that one night I watched Marty just launch herself down from her chosen spot (about 3' high), it just gave me the such a fright! And yet she plunked down to her chosen landing spot and proceeded to lay her egg (crazy hen!).

What I was thinking last night (while I was awake with my RLS) was to put in new nest boxes with the tops at 2.5' along the wall, and roosts/shelves the rest of the way so that there was no fighting. It would be all one height all the way around, and put in the steps at one end so that anyone can hop/flap up that way.

I would still have a 'ground floor' level nest boxes for the Silkies (they like to lay their eggs on the ground floor nest boxes) underneath the top nest boxes. Being awake at night give me too much time to think!

I would want the 'ground floor' boxes to be off the floor a bit (~6") - I would put some hardware cloth at the bottom so that they couldn't dig under or chicks get stuck under there.

Also the 2.5' height would be good for the heavy Brahmas, which I would worry about jumping down.... Even though I am told they can roost up high!

Thoughts?

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I like this much better than 4 feet.

 

[BY Bob]

@Ponypoor I just thought of a caveat, that I'm sure @BY Bob would appreciate, given his laments with roosting:

While I would suggest 2 long roosts (much easier for you installing) you might want to 'break up' the roost by putting up a plywood divider or two in the middle of each roost, so a hen on one side of hte divider can't reach a hen on the other side. (kind of like nest box dividers...but for the roost!)
.

Yup. You can also use chicken wire so they can see and talk to each other but not peck or push.

 

[BY Bob]

That is still a good amount of hens to keep - and plenty of eggs!


I am getting a consensus of roost height of around 2.5 to 3' - which is what I was thinking of doing last year.

I could even do the nest boxes as steps - make the bottom ones around 2' deep and the top ones around 14" deep and about 1.5' off the ground - that would still be an easy hop/flap for the silkies. OR along the short wall at the door put in a couple bottom nest boxes with the top at around 1.5', then a few second story boxes run them along the long wall with the tops around 2.5' ('L' shape to the nest boxes) - and then run roosts at 2.5' along the long wall and far short wall.

If the nest boxes stick out they could fill them with poop at night.