Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

I haven't given news in ages. We've been having a few health and behaviour issues with our chickens.
But, I also have some leghorn news @BY Bob ! We will be welcoming four chickens next tuesday, and though it happened totally independently of any decision of mine, it turns out two are leghorns.

I do look forward to seeing how similar or different they are in shape and behaviour to american leghorns !



I was thinking about her last night when I couldn't sleep, and putting together the egg-laying problem she had before, her unbalance, and getting broody.
It could be coincidence but I was also wondering if it was possibly all hormone related ? Or if hormonal unbalance could be linked to other physiological or neurological issues ?
**********
Finally I wanted to share a video I filmed in between storms, showing a bit of our place, especially for those of you who are experienced in organizing spaces for chickens. I enjoyed @knoturavggrl 's coop tour, and thought maybe with a video I could also ask for ideas / feedback. We are still looking for ways to keep both our roosters who hate each other , either by separating them and the flocks (we have materials to build a second coop) or by using any other tricks, other than freezer camp, that is.
Problem is they both really want to hang around the coop and sleep in there- no one's willing to move!

Apologies for my french accent, I haven't had occasions to practice speaking English in years.
Have a lovely sunday and take care of your chickens.

Oh my, what a treat to wake up to this video!
It only confirms that you live in a place that is made of my dreams.
Luckily (for you) I am now too ancient to cope with the physical demands of your place or else I would be hopping on over to move in with you.

Don't get me wrong, I love my current place, but before I moved here, you could not have kept me away!
That means I have literally dozens of ideas for you and your chickens because I have been dreaming about it for decades! Some of my ideas stretch to the truly fanciful and some are more practical.
I will try and avoid imposing my dreams on you, but will share a couple of ideas as you asked. Incidentally, you 100% fail the clutter contest that you and I discussed with @MaryJanet - I have never seen such an orderly set of storage spaces!

I will start at the more extreme end. While not as extensive as your mountains my property has a good part on quite a steep slope. The Chicken Palace is built on one of the steepest slopes which is probably equivalent to some of yours. When I first considered building I seriously thought about building into the side of the hill. Structures that are largely underground are very stable from a temperature point of view and also of course protected from the wind. Here it is quite common (though declining) to have small structures like this called 'root cellars' that are separate from the main house and are excellent for storing potatoes and carrots etc. I was going to create something similar for the chickens but with the front open to the daylight with hardware cloth and the back underground. I did a lot of research on this and it is totally practical and was often used for livestock in New England in times gone by. If you are interested I can share what I learned in PM (it is a lot and probably not interesting to most people). It would make an excellent coop and might feel quite like the cellar coop you use now with its big stone walls. The biggest issue is that it is a lot (A LOT) of work!

To get more practical. Why did the chickens reject the first shed you showed? It is a great space. They might not have liked that it felt so open - but you could fix that in may ways with partitions. Is it well ventilated? I would probably pursue using that space as you have it already.

Also, you mention ventilation issues in the new woodshed. Is that because of the metal roof? You didn't show a lot of detail on that but we saw some during construction. My guess is you could solve the ventilation issues relatively easily and that would be a perfect spot.

Finally, I am assuming you aren't giving up on the existing coop. You complained about the roosts, but again you can provide other roosts (warning, you might get chickens like Eli who will simply go as high as it is possible to go). So my interpretation is you are looking for a second coop so you can have two tribes. Maybe even also a 3rd coop because, well, chicken math!

OK. I have gone on for too long so here is a tax payment. It is definitely bad hair day at The Chicken Palace.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

They do not care.

Their combs still have so growing to do. You are still a couple of weeks away from eggs I would think. But you never know for certain.

I'm going to say they turn 16 weeks old tomorrow. Rural king gets their chicks in on Wednesdays, so I am estimating a Monday hatch day. I know we are close, been saying I would start looking for eggs the end of May with them. You told me, but I was not prepared for this rapid comb growth. They had nothing in the comb and wattle development 2 weeks ago....nothing. Now they have red faces and combs and wattles are growing fast. I really did not think I would like them as much as I do, and they are not lap chickens. I am amazed every day on how smart they are. I cannot believe I am saying this, but, it is a shame broodiness has been bred out of them in general. Their intelligence is up on Momma Hen level. Momma Hen is a good mom in part due to her intelligence, and she passes it on to her chicks. It will probably never happen, but if one of them ever decides to go broody, no matter what time of the year I will have to let her sit. I also told mom last night I should not allow that one to roost in Holly's spot. Mom told me to leave her alone, she thinks when Holly returns she will not be able to throw her down. Time will tell I guess.

 

[Ponypoor]

I've saving this pic most of the week. With the creek over flowing, the neighbors to the eastView attachment 3504681(Where the shrubs along the creek are)

Needed to move their horses. The northern neighbors moved their dairy cows, so the horses could move onto that pasture instead (they've done quite a bit of sharing land). Anyway, beginning of the week, I heard a faint buk-buk-bukawk and it getting echoed from near the coop. Hector was near the coop. That meant a hen was stuck? Maybe? Where is she? Went looking...

Found thisView attachment 3504680Both curious. Wind was blowing, so distorted sound. Found myself playing Marco Polo along the fence line to call her back. Never thought I'd talk buk-buk-bukawk with a chicken. Once she'd found her way mostly back, I stood back and let Hector keep talking her in. She proceeded to march straight down the hill to the coop, ignoring him entirely.

Creek has subsided some, but isn't entirely back in its banks yet. Today is also garden planting day.

I remember when I first got the chickens, Truly was completely freaked out, Reenie was ambivalent (I bet there are plenty of chickens running around the tracks), and Sally and Lulu curious.

Once they all became used to one another Truly became quite taken with them, now she gets real anxious if they are not in the barn at night.

Everyone MUST be in the barn when the horses come in at night haha! Truly says so!

Last Fall when the apples were ripe Truly and Reenie were tall enough to reach over the fence.

 

[Ponypoor]

Update;

There are now 3 healthy looking chicks hatched and another pipped!

That’s awesome! Patience is the key sometimes.

I can’t wait to see what you get

 

[Ponypoor]

I love those hairy legs of Martina

And Penne is flying everywhere, she is crazy about getting up on things, which freaks out Fluffy and Curly, the baby silkies try to follow but they fly worth

 

[ValarieF]

 

[ValarieF]

Hades daughter has the easter egger muffs so cute

 

[rural mouse]

Garden planting done. Sticking with above ground plants this year to give the wood time to really start breaking down. Nellie tried to join me in the garden. Those who can fit through the fencing cans till get in, but now that the gate is closed, I'm hoping the interest is minimal. They spread the compost quite well. Planting list: pole beans, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, dill, zucchini, and summer squash.

Out in the rest of the yard: Johnny jump ups and lupine under the trees in the middle.

Doesn't look like the birch survived the winter (wasn't doing well anyway), so going to try taking it down with the wood hauling. Eventually would like to replace it with an oak of some sort, but meanwhile focused on the lupine at that end. The planter under the favorite lilac lounging spot

(Not much for leaves yet, but pops late, drops early)

got the hollyhocks (hoping to keep the deer off them) and the bed near by got the purple coneflower.

(Under the wire, spread it more and rock on it to keep Twirp out).

Columbine went in by the water spigot and Canterbury bells between a couple of boulders.

(Whiskey at the Columbine, , raked patch the bells)


Also planted a couple of dwarf Mungo pines. 1 below the birch, and 1 across that drive, hoping to create some wintry wind baffles.

(It really blurred) dark patch in the grass and darker patch farther out in the brown

MAY SOMETHING GROW! So far the only things coming back are a FEW struggling strawberries and 1 beebalm.

Some of the struggling strawberries, planted last fall as I was give them from someone's hanging basket. Surprised they made it.

The list that hasn't made it: elderberry, walnut, decorative almond, asparagus, chokecherry, raspberry, strawberry, (rhubarb was moved and is struggling, but coming back this year), mint, crocus and a myriad of veggies that have shot up and died or been eaten by deer. (Planted over a variety of years)

Nox making almost as big a ruckus in the coop as Nellie does. Someone laid a white egg in the corner ground nest and Mera working on one in the TINY nest box.

Blanche checking out the area I turned over to steal a bucket of last year's compost for each of the pines. (Left side of pic)

 

[ManueB]

Thanks everyone for all the useful feedback ! I really, really appreciate it. It allows me to think again about things in a different light.
And also for the kind words about my accent. I do find french accents in english ever so funny - but maybe less so than canadian french !
@GregnLety I might have trouble understanding you, especially if you speak fast and a lot.
I love accents in general - just not french accent in english.

My point: even if the walls aren't perfectly flat, could some sort of framework be created (tree branches, fenceposts, shipping pallets) to provide support to place more roosting locations/purmmsuit blockers? Even hanging from the ceiling?

Thanks for the detailed explanation, and the visuals. I have to admit I don't understand much about construction, even sometimes in french, so the pictures really help ! We don't use wood a lot as building material in France, except for cabins in specific regions of the Alps. But I think we would have the same technique with wallboard or plasterboard (not sure of the term).

I'm not sure it would be possible to frame the walls. It was really difficult making the few holes in the wall required to build the run. And because the building is completely buried on the one side that is the only straight wall, we can't cover that wall as it needs to breathe. But the idea of a separation in the actual coop, we could definitely work on.

That coop is amazing, lots of space, and I bet cool in the summer and snug in the winter. For me I found that using the ledges has meant less drama at roost time. My nest boxes are under the ledge.

I would separate that area into two rooms, you have lots of space for that, I would make it two areas, but make the wall with mesh or chicken wire for air flow. Would that be an option?

Possibly, yes ! We would need to find a way to hold the mesh in place. However I think visual separation is important so maybe we would need it to be partly solid. My roosters still try to attack each other through mesh and netting !
What I like about this idea is that we could use something temporary to see if it works, before building or making a more permanent type of separation.

Love the run under you kitchen window

Can you put another run on the other side of the coop doorway, to help keep your Roos separate. Would that be feasible?

Yes having the chickens and run under the window is really great ! But we were a bit disappointed that the polycarbonate is not transparent from above, so we can't see the chickens when they are in the run. On the other hands it means raptors don't see them.
Unfortunately the door next to the coop is my partner's tiny beekeeper's workshop. I really tried to convince him to give it up to make a second tiny coop and a small run there, but he loves it, as he can clean and prepare the frames and the super in there in winter as it's insulated. So I gave that idea up.

Can you refresh my memory on Piou-piou - is that the wound on her wing that is keeping her in a cage?

Yes. We let her out with Gaston before it was completely healed and it got so badly reopened that she had to go back to the vet for stitches. Now it may be we will never be able to let them be together again. This is why we are getting more adult hens.

Oh my, what a treat to wake up to this video!
It only confirms that you live in a place that is made of my dreams.
Luckily (for you) I am now too ancient to cope with the physical demands of your place or else I would be hopping on over to move in with you.

Don't get me wrong, I love my current place, but before I moved here, you could not have kept me away!
That means I have literally dozens of ideas for you and your chickens because I have been dreaming about it for decades! Some of my ideas stretch to the truly fanciful and some are more practical.
I will try and avoid imposing my dreams on you, but will share a couple of ideas as you asked. Incidentally, you 100% fail the clutter contest that you and I discussed with @MaryJanet - I have never seen such an orderly set of storage spaces!

I will start at the more extreme end. While not as extensive as your mountains my property has a good part on quite a steep slope. The Chicken Palace is built on one of the steepest slopes which is probably equivalent to some of yours. When I first considered building I seriously thought about building into the side of the hill. Structures that are largely underground are very stable from a temperature point of view and also of course protected from the wind. Here it is quite common (though declining) to have small structures like this called 'root cellars' that are separate from the main house and are excellent for storing potatoes and carrots etc. I was going to create something similar for the chickens but with the front open to the daylight with hardware cloth and the back underground. I did a lot of research on this and it is totally practical and was often used for livestock in New England in times gone by. If you are interested I can share what I learned in PM (it is a lot and probably not interesting to most people). It would make an excellent coop and might feel quite like the cellar coop you use now with its big stone walls. The biggest issue is that it is a lot (A LOT) of work!

Well, I think you travel to England every now and then ? London-Nice flights are only two hours and rather cheap, and from Nice it's two hours by bus to get to Daluis...and if you take the bus on friday or saturday the driver will even take you to where he and I live just saying !

I forgot to mention that the price we pay for our lovely isolation is that we don't have vehicle access up to the house. A very small vehicle that can drive on mountain tracks can be brought just above our house, but that's it- there's no further going down. No excavator can reach the terraces. Just bringing any building material is therefore a job in itself . So I think making a real building partly underground would not be realistic for us, even though the three houses have been built like this in other times ...with donkeys as carriers!

To get more practical. Why did the chickens reject the first shed you showed? It is a great space. They might not have liked that it felt so open - but you could fix that in may ways with partitions. Is it well ventilated? I would probably pursue using that space as you have it already.

They used to lay there for a while but I think they were scared of some critter in there, either sparrows, or a bat. Piou-piou and Léa hated it. Merle and Piou-piou actually escaped through a hole in the floor that was hidden under the hay which led them to the second floor of the house underneath and then they must have flown out of the window.
It would be easy to ventilate as we have added several windows. All we would need to do would be to add mesh to the windows and leave them open. However, it's a bit far from the house for our liking and since it's above we couldn't hear a chicken screaming alert in case of a raptor. I think it's the other reason why the chickens don't like it. They know that being close to us means more safety.

Also, you mention ventilation issues in the new woodshed. Is that because of the metal roof? You didn't show a lot of detail on that but we saw some during construction. My guess is you could solve the ventilation issues relatively easily and that would be a perfect spot.

We built the shed when it was still freezing and I asked my partner to block some of the ventilation because I thought it was too windy! The problem comes from the transparent part of the roof which acts as a greenhouse when the sun shines on it, and also we didn't take into account that all the wood inside stores the heat and gives it back at night. We could add ventilation easily, but then I think if we built a coop inside it, it would still need to be three sides open.
We could technically pull a power cable, there's one just outside, but having a power activated vent for chickens is just not something I would do. If we can't keep the place at a decent temperature we need to find an alternative.
But you are right - it is an option we may keep.

Finally, I am assuming you aren't giving up on the existing coop. You complained about the roosts, but again you can provide other roosts (warning, you might get chickens like Eli who will simply go as high as it is possible to go). So my interpretation is you are looking for a second coop so you can have two tribes. Maybe even also a 3rd coop because, well, chicken math!

OK. I have gone on for too long so here is a tax payment. It is definitely bad hair day at The Chicken Palace.

View attachment 3504759View attachment 3504760

Roosts we intended to change whatever happens, because they are too high for our older ex-batts. We have already added, and they just kept going higher.

We actually began building some new ones then decided we had it all wrong. I think we need to wait a bit to see how things go with the new chickens and the chicks. Depending on whether we try to keep everyone in the same coop or instead try to move Gaston's team elsewhere,the ideal disposition will differ a lot!

Thanks again everyone. You are all so kind to take the time to help. I need to make time to be here more often, this thread is just wonderful .

 

[ManueB]

You do not know how much I am praying these are true Italian leghorns. I must have constant details no matter what. I'm especially interested in how frequently they lay and their personalities. Please stay in touch.

I doubt these are true Italian leghorns. We are getting them from a very local breeder whose mission is to supply layers for all the rural households around us. I just asked her to pick four of her more healthy hens, and she said two would be leghorns (the other two are dark hybrid layers, which are Marans crossed with a high production type I think).

I will definitely update you about them, it's the least I can do!