Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Beautiful! Just wonderful!

So good to see her goofing off, having fun and playing around, Russ is worth his weight in gold!! What an awesome horse

He truly is. He turns 18 or 19 this year. He has been there and done that in his younger years used in a 4-H riding program. His owner used him in drill team. He is no quarter horse, but, he knows a barrel pattern and sometimes Rosie will set up barrels in the ring and play around. As you can see, it takes some work to get him out of gaiting into galloping but it is all fun and games. If you are a total beginner, Russ is the horse you want. He actually prefers children and beginners. We can all ride Russ, but, Russ is only happy with his ears forward with Rosie on his back. One of us hop on, he behaves, but those ears are pinned. Rosie has decided this year, at least for the first show she is only entering "Go as you please" and "Doubles" with her best friend. Doubles is for redemption. The fall happened last year as they were announcing for the riders to get ready for doubles and they were walking towards the entrance.

 

[rural mouse]

So, raided the carport nest today. Had a wet spot, so at least 1 egg had been broken. Fished a lava rock out of it the other day, too.

There is an egg hidden on the right, too.

Left 1 egg there

The haul. Then raided the coop too. Left 1 egg in the corner ground nest. Blanche was working on an egg in one of the boxes. Total haul: 38 eggs. Current temp: almost 60 degrees. Going to let them accumulate again this week. Hoping someone commits to sitting. Possibly taking eggs to in-laws incubator at the end of week, dunno when the turkeys in it now are due to hatch.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

So Many Emotions

I am certain that everyone understands the relief I feel regarding the recent respiratory infection. On Friday I was worried that I was out of the chicken business. Mind I would have been out. I would not have replaced them.

Then the joy of releasing them to be together again yesterday. Combined with the anxiety related to another hen fight.

Today it was sadness. Because today Lady Featherington decided to move up in the pecking order as well. She attacked Betty and Betty backed down and started to flee. Once she started to flee Glynda decided to give chase. When it was over Betty was alone in the far corner of the yard.

Yes, I know this is the way of the chicken. But it still breaks my heart. I even took some corn over to Betty so she had a treat.

View attachment 3457485

Then my heart swelled and warmed up with affection. It was grooming time. Check out this photo. Aurora is standing guard over Betty so she can groom in peace. No one can bother her because Aurora is in the way.

View attachment 3457486

Aurora has driven me nuts at times over the years. There was a time I lived in fear of her taking over this tribe. But more and more I coming to appreciate her as a leader of this tribe.

You did well and were also lucky, and I'm glad you are still in the chicken business. Do you think, now, that had everyone died it you would have been done permanently? Or taken a break of some time? It would have been an awful loss, but does that undo, or negate all the other more pleasant times and emotions chicken-keeping brings?

Is it too exhausting, these swings from joy and fun to tragedy and heartbreak? It is all a microcosm of life. But maybe too compressed in time for our human nature to bear? Yet we do, we exercise our resilience, and it tends to expand our capacity for joy.....These are questions I explore.

A note on Aurora and Betty. How wonderful. It reminds me of what I've seen with the top and bottom hens here. There's very little competition and I think Popcorn (#4) feels safe with Peanut (#1). They forage incredibly well together. Very peacefully, side-by-side, working a line very close. Sometimes Peanut is interested in what Popcorn has found, but there's no stealing or real push-away.

Unlike with Hazel (#2) and Butters (#3), Peanut does not deliver a peck on the head, grumbling bok or shoulder push. Popcorn is a great forager, she is a tremendous digger and I think Hazel and Butters use her to find goodies and then they try to drive her off. She often just moves to another good spot, but Popcorn has gotten very good at counter-moves like body-blocking when she wants to stay a little longer on a good find. Of course she has totally mastered eating quickly.

 

[notabitail]

Tax will be required (more of your lovely Exchequer would be nice!)

Ok, ok. Here you go.

 

[notabitail]

I am hoping for more lovely tax photos as I read forward - if not then you owe a lot of tax

And all the photos I have are for tomorrow...

 

[notabitail]

I am sure Big Roo teaches his chickies how to pose love how they are sitting so nicely!

They do it naturally. Big Roo is very pleased with Little Hens.

 

[notabitail]

They do it naturally. Big Roo is very pleased with Little Hens.

And I do wish they had a "eye roll"reaction so I could do that for all the posts asking for tax from me.
Now I'm off to read those photography articles on BYC.

 

[bgmathteach]

@bgmathteach did you post the plans yet? I had company yesterday so I wasn't online.

Nope, here they are:
(Had to wait until Hubby got home, couldn't find the charger!)

So, note the following:
1)I forgot hinges & latch for rear door to clean out coop; can do large door entire width (so it would be ~4' wide by 2.5' high), or do double doors, each 2' wide (ish) X 2.5' high for cleanout.

2)Also, I put the roost closer to the back for 2 reasons - give quiet nest box that wouldn't be pooped on (instead of centered from to back of coop) , and since I was making it low (about 6" high...with bedding even 'lower', so that Goldie could get up on it AND wouldn't hurt legs hopping down....if it was closer to front (instead of back), she would have to get over it to get to the nest box. I thought too much higher...she could get under it, but might hurt leg hopping down.

3) I put a 30 degree slope on the roof. Using a 45 degree angle would increase the height in the center about 10"

4) I figured that 4' of roofing on one side would open up. It would give you 'top' access to the coop AND a 1' 'overhang' that would also give you access to the pop door/ramp combo.

5. I assume you could put a lenght of rubber at the peak of the coop about 6" wide tht you would screw ON TOP OF the roofing panels. This would flex for opening the coop proper roof, while still weather proofing. Since I have never done this, I'm guessing. Maybe an 8" wide rubber/flexible strip (4' long) would be better? This isn't included in parts list as I am not sure exactly what you would use, nor how it comes.
6) I assume you could use the 2' ends from rafters as bracing (angles bracing) to give more stability to structure..

To pull/more the coop, and either put eye bolts on sides of base & rope, or drill small holes diagonally through front left & right corner (through both front and side base frame on the diagonal) and run a rope through & knot.

If predator pressure is light during the day, you could put 2 sets of 10" wheels on it - 1 set front & one set back...will still want a rope for pulling, though.
10 " wheels I
10" Wheels II

I do apologize for the crude drawings ahead of time!

I was thinking something like this, but the roof line is the same - coop through run. (better image than mine), but it (mine) is, obviously bigger.

 

[featherhead007]

It does - I just propped it up so I could access the babies that hide - my back and hops are killing me from all the bending and crouching.

You need my emotional support rooster !

 

[notabitail]

You need my emotional support rooster !

Is he calm and friendly?