Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[GregnLety]

Oh, they are awful.
They bite Pastel. His comb is always swarmed with gnats and is slightly bloody whenever I cuddle with him.
We live right near a swamp, so we get some gnats that bite.

Having a pond near our house we always have lots of gnats and mosquitoes. This year the gnats are worse than the mosquitoes.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Bug tax, and any other tax I owe.
One of my guineas laid a fart egg. First time that's ever happened to me. Thanks Pie.

And Willow before she decided she wants to become a mum.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Having a pond near our house we always have lots of gnats and mosquitoes. This year the gnats are worse than the mosquitoes.

Try having two ponds

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Having a pond near our house we always have lots of gnats and mosquitoes. This year the gnats are worse than the mosquitoes.

I'd take gnats over mosquitoes any day!

 

[featherhead007]

I remember the clouds of gnats in south Georgia. They didn't bite but they would fly into your eyes, nose, ears and mouth.

Yep, we have those here too. Every ten seconds, it’s “ damn gnats!”

 

[featherhead007]

I was just out loading palm fronds in the trailer. I counted 4 black widow spiders, and I was glad I had gloves and a long sleeve shirt.
That old Dodge diesel truck still runs great, though it’s not much to see.
No mention of chooks tax:

 

[featherhead007]

Yep, we have those here too. Every ten seconds, it’s “ damn gnats!”

Mostly near the river, and ponds

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

(Not meant to be rude or anything)
That sounds like a really good idea. Really good.
The only thing is, the underneath of the big box in their coop is way too short for that. There got sure is no room.
And with how far back she is, it would be hard to put a tote on her.
What do you mean by, " most girls won't take too kindly to being moved from their chosen position? "
They will break their broodyness? Really have a huge fit and attack?

In my experience once a hen has chosen her spot to go broody, there is no moving her. I have tried and they simply will not have it. They will not settle at the new spot, pace, trample their eggs and given the first chance run right back to where their eggs were and sit on nothing. My flock over 2/3s of the hens I have have went broody at least once. Many have raised chicks multiple times. If the spot they choose to sit is good they are given eggs and I work around them. If it is bad and they will not be moved, again, tried and failed they have the eggs taken away and are broken up. My flock free ranges and I never separate the flock from the mothers and chicks. In doing this once the mother's are finished my chosen keeper chicks if I have any are already fully integrated into the flock. It has been a long year already since January. 5 broods of chicks, with another currently setting. I have another hen who is broody that my grandmother does not know about who I am trying to break. Right now it is a battle of wills, I will win this Perdita, no chicks for you right now.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

One of the totes in the coop. This one has a lid I keep on it. While the chicks are really little at night when everyone is up I block the entrance. Once they are about 3 weeks old I stop blocking it.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

View attachment 3545433
One of the totes in the coop. This one has a lid I keep on it. While the chicks are really little at night when everyone is up I block the entrance. Once they are about 3 weeks old I stop blocking it.

How does the hen get out to get food and water?