Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

No, that input was for another chicken coop. The goose house bumped that back a bit..plus I was trying logistically/design wise how to incorporate some of the suggestions. No, the goose hasn't gone broody. Not sure if it is because she won't, or because I keep taking the eggs. The geese sleep under one of the coops, which has 2x3 wire on the bottom...so rats can get in, so I won't leave the eggs there to help induce her - hence the 'goose coop' build.

This is the progress so far: Hopefully today I will have time to put up the already cut and varnished rafters and can then put fencing on the open top part. Then to cut and build the front with doors. Then cut the last piece of backed plywood for the portion of roof not yet decked...:
View attachment 3537694


I had just shooed out my 'inspectors', and have to scrub the side walls again, as the chooks felt they should be christened...and I need to put one more final coat of urethane on it once it is all screwed together so the wood doesn't absorb H20 where the screws are. The 4X4 uprights, base/floor of coop (5/8" plywood) and a couple of the longer boards I bought for this, everything else was free (wood-wise) I will be putting metal roofing on when finished (I will be buying that, too, 12' cut in half to 6' each. The coop proper is 4' deep X 75" long (needed that specific length due to the length of the longest piece of backed plywood (back side of hut). I wanted the goose house as big as possible, but still able to use the free (thin - 1/4 inch) backed plywood for the sides. I used 2 of the backed pieces back to back so there is the thin plywood on both the inside and the outside, these (together) are the exact width of a 2X3 on it's side - which is what is topping the walls. I have the one for the back cut and urethaned it Friday eve after work, but it wasn't dry yet yesterday, due to high humidity (sprinkles off and on Friday eve and Sat. morning through mid-day)

Okay, I probably owe another tax payment:

'Friend' to the Buff Orp.:
Hey, you are going the wrong way - you are supposed to ESCAPE over the fence, not put yourself back in!

View attachment 3537707

Ah but chicken talk is never taxes - and coop builds are most definitely chicken talk

I took down the plastic on the small window in the Hen House and finally made a proper window up there on hinges woo hoo! Just need a latch, but there is no way I am driving into town just for a latch. I will throw and screw into the frame to lock it if I think it's going to be that bad! Oooo - actually all I have to do is drill a small hole and use a nail tied to a string so I don't lose it, and drop the nail into the hole to close up the window - hahaha Newfoundlander style fixes

Escapees:
Yep I just had Misty and Whiskers fly over the temp safety fencing, and 5 of the 8 school chicks squeeze through the bottom and go with them - oi boy, these kiddos are driving me bonkers. I would let them free range but the mosquitoes are murder here (been drizzly rain on and off all day, no wind - perfect skitter weather), and there is no way I am sitting on my lawn chair in that hahaha.

 

[Ponypoor]

No, that input was for another chicken coop. The goose house bumped that back a bit..plus I was trying logistically/design wise how to incorporate some of the suggestions. No, the goose hasn't gone broody. Not sure if it is because she won't, or because I keep taking the eggs. The geese sleep under one of the coops, which has 2x3 wire on the bottom...so rats can get in, so I won't leave the eggs there to help induce her - hence the 'goose coop' build.

This is the progress so far: Hopefully today I will have time to put up the already cut and varnished rafters and can then put fencing on the open top part. Then to cut and build the front with doors. Then cut the last piece of backed plywood for the portion of roof not yet decked...:
View attachment 3537694


I had just shooed out my 'inspectors', and have to scrub the side walls again, as the chooks felt they should be christened...and I need to put one more final coat of urethane on it once it is all screwed together so the wood doesn't absorb H20 where the screws are. The 4X4 uprights, base/floor of coop (5/8" plywood) and a couple of the longer boards I bought for this, everything else was free (wood-wise) I will be putting metal roofing on when finished (I will be buying that, too, 12' cut in half to 6' each. The coop proper is 4' deep X 75" long (needed that specific length due to the length of the longest piece of backed plywood (back side of hut). I wanted the goose house as big as possible, but still able to use the free (thin - 1/4 inch) backed plywood for the sides. I used 2 of the backed pieces back to back so there is the thin plywood on both the inside and the outside, these (together) are the exact width of a 2X3 on it's side - which is what is topping the walls. I have the one for the back cut and urethaned it Friday eve after work, but it wasn't dry yet yesterday, due to high humidity (sprinkles off and on Friday eve and Sat. morning through mid-day)

Okay, I probably owe another tax payment:

'Friend' to the Buff Orp.:
Hey, you are going the wrong way - you are supposed to ESCAPE over the fence, not put yourself back in!

View attachment 3537707

How high is that Goose Coop off the ground? Do they fly ok? Do you use a ramp? How tall are your geese? I only ask because I was on my way to town a couple weeks ago and a place a few miles up the road, their kid was out 'herding' 3 ducks and a HUGE goose up the road (more escapees!), I slowed and asked if he needed help, he didn't and the beasties knew were there were going (bet that happens lots!), but that goose was amazing! African Goose? I looked up Geese and that was the closest I could see. I should have asked him.

 

[Ponypoor]

Well, he's matured very well. He's also well liked by his chiefs and CO. He was put up for Blue Jacket of the Quarter (supervisors have to submit names: based upon work ethic mostly, we think, those names go before a board, answer questions) and won it. They wanted to put him in again for the following quarter, but apparently you can't be in for more than 1 quarter a year. It does put him in for same title for the year. Probably bigger/higher ranked board for that, but don't really know. Basically it's like Employee of the Quarter, and goes on his permanent record. He's a good kid (no longer a kid) and the whole family is delighted he's doing so well. He has several more years before he can re-inlist or get out. Whe he decides to do then is something he has to decide, probably closer to then. He does know the whole family will support whatever decision he makes on that, too.

Good for him! Is he doing a trade? Or just a general infantry?

chicken tax
The little dark grey I like

 

[featherhead007]

I need more Jaffar. I need more Mr. P.
I need some news on Twiggy. ”I’m in the mood for… Roosters….. simply because they are near me . Funny but when they are near me,… I’m in the mood for.. Roosters!”

 

[bgmathteach]

I checked Henny Penny's legs yesterday for any critters or anything funky (I was trimming back her curled Silkie-toe nailes. I didn't see anything and they all looked fine. Should I be overly worried with those hairy legs?

I am more worried about ticks, not sure if a chicken will be able to get any off their head/neck area.

I was only concerned because they got mites last year (first time ever) probably from wild birds....and a couple of the older roos - their legs looked....best way I can describe it, was it looked like they could use a bit of lotion! They didn't look like they show in pictures (or maybe that is because the pictures tend to be bad cases????) But, you can't see the leg mites, only the damage they cause/poop they leave around the edge of the scales - at least that is my understanding. So, I decided to treat them just in case, since it is a benign treatment if they don't. So every Sat for the past 3 weeks, 2rds of the chooks I dunked their legs in oil. It was just too time consuming to do all at once - I took them out of the coop one by one dunked each leg, made sure the oil was up to the top of their 'ankle', and set them down, got another from the coop. I should have started the remaining 1/3 today, but I decided to take a break from that and work on other things and spend some time with hubby (our 10 yr. anniversary was this week) So, next week will start the weekly dunking of the remaining chooks. (I used linseed oil for this)

 

[bgmathteach]

How high is that Goose Coop off the ground? Do they fly ok? Do you use a ramp? How tall are your geese? I only ask because I was on my way to town a couple weeks ago and a place a few miles up the road, their kid was out 'herding' 3 ducks and a HUGE goose up the road (more escapees!), I slowed and asked if he needed help, he didn't and the beasties knew were there were going (bet that happens lots!), but that goose was amazing! African Goose? I looked up Geese and that was the closest I could see. I should have asked him.

My coop is 2 feet off the ground, and when done, I will put the legs on thick pavers/formed stones to help keep it from rotting longer. They are Embden Geese, considered a mid size goose. I raised it off the ground mainly because of rats, but both the ducks and geese have been laying in the shade under it! My geese are about 2.5 feet tall. The coop is 4.5 feet in the front and 3.5 feet high in the back (inside) It will have a ramp when finished

 

[notabitail]

I was only concerned because they got mites last year (first time ever) probably from wild birds....and a couple of the older roos - their legs looked....best way I can describe it, was it looked like they could use a bit of lotion! They didn't look like they show in pictures (or maybe that is because the pictures tend to be bad cases????) But, you can't see the leg mites, only the damage they cause/poop they leave around the edge of the scales - at least that is my understanding. So, I decided to treat them just in case, since it is a benign treatment if they don't. So every Sat for the past 3 weeks, 2rds of the chooks I dunked their legs in oil. It was just too time consuming to do all at once - I took them out of the coop one by one dunked each leg, made sure the oil was up to the top of their 'ankle', and set them down, got another from the coop. I should have started the remaining 1/3 today, but I decided to take a break from that and work on other things and spend some time with hubby (our 10 yr. anniversary was this week) So, next week will start the weekly dunking of the remaining chooks. (I used linseed oil for this)

I dunk my chooks. Butt not their legs. Oh, no. I clean their butts when I dunk them!

(Dominica made me pay her in mealworms for posting this once. She did not want Sydney to see her in such a state.)

 

[ValarieF]

Oh yea pony sunday. I gave the chooks some veggies. The big kids are finally staying outside. I'll have to get photos for you those chicks are big now. And Poseidon doesnt have his dads wattle but has his moms wattle.

 

[featherhead007]

So many little beaks to feed. But they aren’t even my chooks!

 

[LhickenChicken]

Oh yea pony sunday. I gave the chooks some veggies. The big kids are finally staying outside. I'll have to get photos for you those chicks are big now. And Poseidon doesnt have his dads wattle but has his moms wattle.

The gif is pretty cute...