Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[GregnLety]

The correct name for it is something like penetrating captive bolt gun.
I got mine on line from a website called bunnyrancher.com that has supplies for raising rabbits for meat.
I read a lot about it and stunning is regarded as best practice in meat animal slaughter from a humane processing perspective - more so than the other approaches normally discussed on BYC. So I figured I wanted to have the equipment to do that even if I might need help actually using it.

At my age I now understand why my dad had me dispatch chickens and other animals for the pot. As I have aged my heart has softened and I suspect the same of my dad. I watch Dr Oakley on tv and the other day when their family dog died I cried like a baby. I don't want to think of having to put down one of my pups or chooks.

 

[bgmathteach]

Here is Willow's brood house. It still needs a door, and some bedding, but other than that it is all done.
It is a old kitchen cabinet, with plenty of nesting space. It has a metal roof so that water does not seep into the nesting space.
The run is looped over the top, so that no one can fly out. The wire is attached to a piece of wood that is buried.
The wire is secured to the coop by zip-ties.
There will be straw or shaving in the nest box.
There will be access to food and water at all times, and once the chicks are a few weeks old, they will be let out to mingle with the others.
This whole structure, hoop run and all, is inside of the chickens run.
The door frame is a strong but bendy tree branch. The bottom of it is dug into the ground, and the tip is curved to match with the hoop run.
The door frame is secured with zip ties.
The actual door will be made out of wire and will have some sort of lock system.
Hopefully it will be done tomorrow so that Willow can go in there.
View attachment 3547634

That looks like a very nice nest box, and with the attached run, it should be great for her & the chicks when they hatch. And, it sounds like it is pretty secure - you and your dad did a great job!

 

[RoyalChick]

Sad news:
Today being Fathers day, I was cooking baking bread and the kids were up at our pond with their dad catching and releasing fish. Usually we go out to check on the chickens several times a day but today I only got a chance to go out once to collect eggs, change the wee ones water and we brought them a cool treat. All looked fine till I went to count, all the bigs accounted for. One of the littles was missing. I found a trail of feathers into the corner we had reinforced against the gd rats . Brownie has a minor eye injury I will address in the morning, I assume she got it trying save Fable.

Idk when this happened which is driving me crazy. All the babies still sleep in the tote. I went out tonight well after dark and stuck them all up on the roosts. They were quite unhappy with me but I feel like they may be safer up there then on the ground. I really hope they stay up there and don’t jump down.

I am really at a loss, and I am heartbroken and angry all at the same time. I think I am going have use poison. I made it much much much harder for them to eat the chicken feed so now they are going after my chickens instead.

Oh no - I am so, so. sorry.

 

[bgmathteach]

Sad news:
Today being Fathers day, I was cooking baking bread and the kids were up at our pond with their dad catching and releasing fish. Usually we go out to check on the chickens several times a day but today I only got a chance to go out once to collect eggs, change the wee ones water and we brought them a cool treat. All looked fine till I went to count, all the bigs accounted for. One of the littles was missing. I found a trail of feathers into the corner we had reinforced against the gd rats . Brownie has a minor eye injury I will address in the morning, I assume she got it trying save Fable.

Idk when this happened which is driving me crazy. All the babies still sleep in the tote. I went out tonight well after dark and stuck them all up on the roosts. They were quite unhappy with me but I feel like they may be safer up there then on the ground. I really hope they stay up there and don’t jump down.

I am really at a loss, and I am heartbroken and angry all at the same time. I think I am going have use poison. I made it much much much harder for them to eat the chicken feed so now they are going after my chickens instead.

 

[BY Bob]

What kind of bird is making the background noise? I've heard something similar, but couldn't identify it.

That is a cat bird. The cat birds have built a nest in the rose of Sharon bush behind the furniture on the patio. Because of that, the male cat bird follows Éowyn around the yard squawking. I imagine he is saying, Cat!, Cat!, Cat!
Catbird even checks the patio door to see if she is in the house. He wants to know where she is at all times.

Here is catbird

Here is a male cardinal who was chirping around this morning.

Here is the both of them in the Birch tree.

 

[featherhead007]

That is a cat bird. The cat birds have built a nest in the rose of Sharon bush behind the furniture on the patio. Because of that, the male cat bird follows Éowyn around the yard squawking. I imagine he is saying, Cat!, Cat!, Cat!
Catbird even checks the patio door to see if she is in the house. He wants to know where she is at all times.

Here is catbird
View attachment 3547692

Here is a male cardinal who was chirping around this morning.
View attachment 3547693

Here is the both of them in the Birch tree.
View attachment 3547694

Unfair, you get all the cool looking birds!

 

[BY Bob]

Hmmm, either they are slackers....or they need reinforcements, then! (I strongly suspect the latter, @BY Bob )










Nope, not a lick of enabling here!

They are slackers. Hattie was laying down eating grass today. LAYING DOWN! She couldn't be bothered to stand. That is slacking.

 

[RoyalChick]

@Pastel The Rooster, @LhickenChicken

I had hoped to spare Bob the pain of reliving it all by referring you to his primer but I probably failed, so here are the links.

Elphie and Dusty are mentioned in the FBA Primer in Bob's signature so if you read that thoroughly, you should have seen them. This is the link to his primer: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/fluffy-butt-acres-a-primer.77796/

- Elphie: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-22424389

- Dusty: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-22818962

Betty is more recent and is not in the Primer in his signature: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26798774

 

[featherhead007]

They are slackers. Hattie was laying down eating grass today. LAYING DOWN! She couldn't be bothered to stand. That is slacking.

Agreed

 

[bgmathteach]

The correct name for it is something like penetrating captive bolt gun.
I got mine on line from a website called bunnyrancher.com that has supplies for raising rabbits for meat.
I read a lot about it and stunning is regarded as best practice in meat animal slaughter from a humane processing perspective - more so than the other approaches normally discussed on BYC. So I figured I wanted to have the equipment to do that even if I might need help actually using it.

OOops, I don't have nor have ever used a bolt gun. I HAVE used a BOLUS GUN (used for putting pills down horse/cow, etc throats - shoves it far enough back they can't spit it out and keeps you from getting bitten.