Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

The fire escape is in place and the babies are out and about.
I am hovering anxiously. No bloodshed yet.

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They have a taste of freedom now - that's it they will be wild things now!

 

[bgmathteach]

Happy Mugs Monday All

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I love that Hattie photo! Gotta make that neck stretch one more inch...)

 

[BY Bob]

Sad news: The chick I tried so hard to save didn’t make it through the night. I am glad the wee thing was with mama. To much stress and perhaps something else was amiss I couldn’t see. I just don’t know.

Chicks are so very fragile. Sometime no matter what we do they can't be saved. I'm very sorry this happened.

 

[BY Bob]

They really are cute I had read Orpington's are really very round like bowling balls and the chicks really do already show that shape already. Fuzzy yellow tennis balls

Are you calling me a bowling ball! Look how sleek I am!

 

[Ponypoor]

Destructive? I prefer the term architecturally motivated!

Well not sure what you would call this architecture!

 

[BY Bob]

Where is the lovely Sydney?

She would not hold still this morning. Nothing but blurry photos of her.

Will this work? I went out and grabbed one more.

 

[BY Bob]

I am sorry to hear this this morning. You gave it a chance and did the best you were able to do. Putting it back in with Brownie was also a wise decision. If it had made it and you had kept it isolated for a day or so Brownie probably would have rejected it when you tried to reintroduce it back to her. No matter what we do or how hard we try unfortunately some are just not going to make it. It hurts each time, and for me never gets easier. We just have to love the ones that do make it all the more.

Great post!

 

[bgmathteach]

I think @bgmathteach has the most experience with wet runs. I will let her respond. I personally have not had to deal with this situation.

Wood chips work well for me for all but the worst of the weather - but once I get gutters up, and can direct it to rain barrels and the - to be added - drainable duck pond, it will be MUCH better.

I think river stone (or pea stone) is a very good idea. River stone is nice because it is smooth/rounded, no sharp stone edges. That said, it is not something they can scratch around in like wood chips. Even sand they will scratch about in some. That said, the only real wys to clean off the pea/river stone is to blast it with the hose at times,

 

[BY Bob]

Another thing is that board on the front and the sides, the roofing tar paper should be OVER that board, not under it - the water will run down between the board and the tar paper, and into the shed.

I would re-paper with that roofing tar paper and put it on the outside of those boards. Then put an eves trough under that edge on the front and the rear, run the down spouts away from your shed.

The way the roof slopes is the correct way, I have never seen a shed with the roof sloping down on the door side. You always want the water to run away from the place you want it dry.

What sort of floor is inside that shed? is it just bare ground? If so then I suggest putting in some paving bricks. Then you can use wood chips of shavings. You can get used pavers really easy I bet, and they don't have to match or be all the same colour because who cares! They will be under shavings. This is what I did in the Hen House, I used all the old pavers I had here and slapped them in there. You have a small shed so it should be relatively easy to get enough pavers and put then in easily. Do what I did, I put them in 2 or 3 bricks every day - I had a 10x10 foot area so it took me a bit of time.

The chickens are happy they can scratch around in the cracks between the bricks for bit of whatever they find.

I did this with Hattie House. It is up on pavers. It works great and nothing can tunnel in.

 

[Ponypoor]

But you do have a new king.

Royal tax
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Hmm yes we do, and new Queen.

Has Aurora had her royal audience with them yet? She should ensure she meets them, always good to have good relations with other royal families!