Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Lexicon]

It's just over 13" and butts right up to wall no space, it's a single platform all the way around. And it's 32" high, I kept the steps I originally had and they all use the steps to get up and down, but most just hop down.

It's a good height for me to clean up also. No more using the step ladder to clean on top of the high nest box.

All the nest boxes are now on the ground or just above the ground boxes. There are 7 boxes but really only 3 are in play.

I bed them in shavings.
View attachment 3481875

Since the roost is like a shelf, do you have any trouble with the hens getting poopy fluffy butts since their droppings don't drop down below as in a traditional roost? I have poop boards, but during the winter Isabella frequently slept on the board instead of on the roost and it wasn't great for her fluffy booty.

 

[notabitail]

Remember when:
View attachment 3482012

Is that a barred rock and a Cream Legbar? We have Dominiques and Cream Legbars.

 

[bgmathteach]

Not an unusual problem. Just today I was trying to imagine a gutter system on our garage/barn that would be at "man height" and more manageable, and feed some potential garden boxes next to the garage. Something sticking out over the garage doors, feed across and down at one corner of the barn. But be easy to take down for winter.

PS I am on a lot today because I sprained my ankle yesterday and can't do much outside or anywhere, all that stuff that has been keeping me too busy to be on....

 

[BeefQuesoritto]

I got some additions. A fayoumi hen and rooster.


I'm going to keep them in the dog kennel inside the run for a bit before introducing these two to the group in general. They've got a feeder and waterer. Maybe later I'll grab some chicken wire and give them a quarter of the run. They've got 3 sides of tarp around them, so no worries about staying in the run.


The hen seems to have a real gentle temperment. But the rooster-- or cockerel since he's only 10 months old-- seems to overreact even worse than my leghorns. I'm prepared to cut him some ample slack based on his age and the time of year. He's just a jumpy, silly fella.


I've never had a rooster so I don't know how this is going to go.

 

[RoyalChick]

I got some additions. A fayoumi hen and rooster.
View attachment 3482069

I'm going to keep them in the dog kennel inside the run for a bit before introducing these two to the group in general. They've got a feeder and waterer. Maybe later I'll grab some chicken wire and give them a quarter of the run.
View attachment 3482060

The hen seems to have a real gentle temperment. But the rooster-- or cockerel since he's only 10 months old-- seems to overreact even worse than my leghorns. I'm prepared to cut him some ample slack based on his age and the time of year. He's just a jumpy, silly fella.
View attachment 3482068

I've never had a rooster so I don't know how this is going to go.

Beautiful birds.

 

[BY Bob]

I got some additions. A fayoumi hen and rooster.
View attachment 3482069

I'm going to keep them in the dog kennel inside the run for a bit before introducing these two to the group in general. They've got a feeder and waterer. Maybe later I'll grab some chicken wire and give them a quarter of the run. They've got 3 sides of tarp around them, so no worries about staying in the run.
View attachment 3482060

The hen seems to have a real gentle temperment. But the rooster-- or cockerel since he's only 10 months old-- seems to overreact even worse than my leghorns. I'm prepared to cut him some ample slack based on his age and the time of year. He's just a jumpy, silly fella.
View attachment 3482068

I've never had a rooster so I don't know how this is going to go.

You are going to quarantine them for a few weeks to be safe, right?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Since the roost is like a shelf, do you have any trouble with the hens getting poopy fluffy butts since their droppings don't drop down below as in a traditional roost? I have poop boards, but during the winter Isabella frequently slept on the board instead of on the roost and it wasn't great for her fluffy booty.

This is interesting, I'm not sure the varying levels of poopy butts here are due to sleeping on a flat surface but more to the quality of the poo. It does make sense that a narrow roost is conducive to poo dropping straight down and away because they sort of curl around the roost.
When standing to poop here though some poo will roll down & then off their booty feathers and if it's a bit goopy will leave a streak, if dry it just rolls completely off. Depends on what they're eating and how much they're drinking I think. The Science of Poo!

 

[BeefQuesoritto]

You are going to quadrature them for a few weeks to be safe, right?

Oh, the woman who I got them from is the woman I got my chicks from.

 

[featherhead007]

Is that a barred rock and a Cream Legbar? We have Dominiques and Cream Legbars.

They were a pair. Beetov-Hen was a Brown Leghorn, and Rocks-Ann was a Barred Plymouth Rock. Both well trained and two of the best of my original tribe.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Having Marans myself I have a fairly good idea of how big Brownie is. I also have orps who lay large eggs. 10 eggs will be no problem for her to cover at all. She will also have no problem especially with warmer temps coming keeping 10 chicks warm during the crucial time.
With your two options I would move Brownie and her nest bowl into the tent tomorrow. This will give you time to see if the change in location is going to set her off. Some hens will absolutely not take moving nest sites, some do. If she throws a fit, starts pacing and refusing to sit in the tent even giving her eggs in there at lockdown is a no go. If you do this in the morning you will know by tomorrow afternoon if she will accept it or not.
Now if it were me, I would be inclined to give all 10 eggs to her for her to hatch out in either location. If she stays in the tent, get her and those chicks back out to the flock at a little over a week old. Personally I only isolate or try to isolate for the first day or two. My girls will whip everyone over their chicks. Brownie will not allow the other hens to harass them.
If Brownie will not stay in the tent I would set up the cage in the coop and still let her have all 10 eggs. Again only keeping them separate for a few days. You want her and the chicks intermingling. The newness of the chicks will wear off for the others in a day or so and they will be established flock members. Allowing Brownie to rear them you are doing the chicks a favor. They will be integrated from day 1 and will not have to be integrated around 6 to 8 weeks old and be picked on with no protection or a buffer like a mother is.
Also as much as I love hand rearing chicks, I cannot deny that the mothers do a 100x better job then I can do. Broody raised chicks in my opinion grow faster, learn more and just in general know how to chicken better then hand reared ones.
There is one potential problem that may arise with Brownie having chicks and I'm surprised it is not already rearing it's head. Personally from my flock observations I think broodiness is contagious. I feel if you have individuals or breeds that are prone to go broody and you allow one to sit, it is not long before others get the same idea. It comes in waves in my flock. It is very rare that I only have 1 broody at a time, normally they are in pairs. Sometimes the other girls will go broody a week or two after the first group start sitting, and sometimes they will wait until the chicks hatch to be triggered.

Fantastic ideas here thank you Brownie will follow her eggs and sit where I stick them, that is how I got her from the wall mounted nest boxes into the bowl nest I made. So, I know for sure I can move her within the coop and she will tolerate that change. I don't know if she would handle being separated from the flock for certain.
Is wonderful to know she could handle that many eggs I wasn’t certain how many were to many. I would 100% love having her raise em.

I also would give her all the eggs. If I could easily get Penelope's eggs from my friend's place I would, but she is a 30 min drive away. And I imaginee they are in lockdown now.

A small temporary pen about 3x3' using either 1" chicken wire or small hole hardware cloth, could easily be built, walls can be held together by pins so it can be easily taken down. And the top a lid.

I don't know if your brooder tent is see through so the others can see or not. Or how big it is.

Either way can't wait to see what you hatch out!

My tent’s footprint is 7x7 and is dome shaped. It does have a large door that can be either mesh or solid depending on how you zip it up. My coop is 8x16 so I think I actually could squeeze it into the coop if I move some things around. I think I may try this first, tomorrow. Lock down starts on the 30th so I have a few days to sort the logistics out. If I cant make the tent wok inside the coop Ill what Rebecca suggested and move her into the garage in the tent and see if she is fine with that or not.

Where is Brownie in your pecking order? Have the others messed with her or her nest so far? Has she proven she will sit long enough?

I would lean towards letting her hatch where everyone else is. It's better for her and the chicks to be with everyone else if there is no threat to her. There are many ways to separate and do look but not see if needed.

Brownie is the leader of my tribe. Yes I am satisfied she is 100% serious about sitting she has been at it for a little over 2 weeks at this point, plucked most of her belly feathers out and rarely comes off the nest and she goes right back after eating pooping and dust bathing briefly.

The chaos that has ensued because she is sitting and not leading has been seriously crazy. They are all in a tizzy. The bowl nest is large and a few brave girls endure her protests and pecking to lay eggs in there with her and on the rare occasion she get up OMG they all rush to lay their eggs in the nest and a few try and bully her but Brownie puts an ends to that nonsense quickly.

I am going to try to simply squeeze the tent into the coop tomorrow and see if that looks like it will work. I suck at building stuff and my husband is currently to busy at work to help me out right now, unfortunately.

— to everyone: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and brainstorming with me. The kindness of the community on this thread never ceases to amaze me.