Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Okay, so last post before I go to bed.

Many of you have expressed concern about the heat and your chooks. I know in the past I have mentioned freezing soda bottles (16 oz, 1 liter, etc) wrapping ina towel and placing in a favorite hang-out spot and/or burying them in their dust bath area for a 'cool spot' for them to hang out. I've also mentioned freezing large plastic cups of water ( like the ones you get from fast food places - 16-30 oz sizes), and dropping those huge ice 'cubes' in their waterers ( remember the 2 gal. coolers I put nipple drinkers on? I also use the following (not sure if I have mentioned these or not - but I LOVE them. They can be used with 16 oz, 1 liter, or 2 liter bottles. I find the 2 liter bottles flex too much in the middle, so use either the 16 oz or 1 liter. I fill the bottle about 1/2 full of water, put it upright in the freezer...then in the morning, fill the remaining space with cold tap water.... put a coozie on it (doesn't completely cover it) or put a 'homemade' coozie ( use bubble mailers to create one - great 'reuse' option!), put the water cup on it, flip over, and fasten to fencing or what not with one of those 10" bungies or a ball bungie ( I find the springs that come with them don't do a great job). This gives them cold water for a prolonged period - especially if it is out of the sun.

The only down side of these for me is that the ducks bills are too wide to use them - but the chickens love them, and they get much less dirt in them than the traditional waterers (though I do use the bell shaped ones, and put a solid 160z chunk of ice in those in the am as well! - it is just harder to keep them cool as a homemade Koozie doesn't work too well with the handle. Yes, I've tried - and they are more of a pain than it is worth, imho.

Okay, so tax for icy topics:

Let us out, mom, we PROMISE we will come back when called (or when the streetlights come on - whichever is later!)

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Only problem I have with this is, my chooks would love to pop the packaging bubble mailers all day. (If they don’t, I would!)

 

[Ponypoor]

Okay, so last post before I go to bed.

Many of you have expressed concern about the heat and your chooks. I know in the past I have mentioned freezing soda bottles (16 oz, 1 liter, etc) wrapping ina towel and placing in a favorite hang-out spot and/or burying them in their dust bath area for a 'cool spot' for them to hang out. I've also mentioned freezing large plastic cups of water ( like the ones you get from fast food places - 16-30 oz sizes), and dropping those huge ice 'cubes' in their waterers ( remember the 2 gal. coolers I put nipple drinkers on? I also use the following (not sure if I have mentioned these or not - but I LOVE them. They can be used with 16 oz, 1 liter, or 2 liter bottles. I find the 2 liter bottles flex too much in the middle, so use either the 16 oz or 1 liter. I fill the bottle about 1/2 full of water, put it upright in the freezer...then in the morning, fill the remaining space with cold tap water.... put a coozie on it (doesn't completely cover it) or put a 'homemade' coozie ( use bubble mailers to create one - great 'reuse' option!), put the water cup on it, flip over, and fasten to fencing or what not with one of those 10" bungies or a ball bungie ( I find the springs that come with them don't do a great job). This gives them cold water for a prolonged period - especially if it is out of the sun.

The only down side of these for me is that the ducks bills are too wide to use them - but the chickens love them, and they get much less dirt in them than the traditional waterers (though I do use the bell shaped ones, and put a solid 160z chunk of ice in those in the am as well! - it is just harder to keep them cool as a homemade Koozie doesn't work too well with the handle. Yes, I've tried - and they are more of a pain than it is worth, imho.

Okay, so tax for icy topics:

Let us out, mom, we PROMISE we will come back when called (or when the streetlights come on - whichever is later!)

View attachment 3550279View attachment 3550281

Great suggestions! I was going to try RCs suggestion for a homemade evaporative cooler, but it wasn’t hot enough - the fan was adequate enough.

 

[fuentemoon]

Yes I recall you mentioned that, how much sand are you using? I use sand in their sand box for them to fluff around in; they poop there so I am going to get one of those kitty litter scoops to pick the poops out.

Litter scoops are perfect for that. I use sand in my coop as soon as the temps start rising. Less issues with mites, and so easy to clean!

 

[BY Bob]

No idea how the babies got down. They were down and came out in the middle of the mass exodus this morning. No pics yet.

They flew somehow. Our else they fell. One way or the other.

 

[BY Bob]

Beautiful hens, all!

Thank you. What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[rural mouse]

They flew somehow. Our else they fell. One way or the other.

No injuries, so all good. I'm going to attempt to video the exodus again this morning.

 

[BY Bob]

Managed to secure some Terramycin for Brownie’s eye as it was pretty swollen this morning. Finding someone that still had it in stock was a bit challenging but I have a precious tube now. She can still open the eye and I see no obvious scratches. Hopefully the Terramycin will work its wonders.

Twofer pics
Peanut butter and Flour
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Avalon and Story
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I'm so glad you were able to find some. This is why I am always saying, have a lot of stuff ready to go. Don't wait until you need it. Then you may not be able to find it in time.

 

[BY Bob]

Let's celebrate 2 for Tuesday with......

2 leghorns a laying
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It is official, Miss flopsy mopsy comb is my Peep. I can tell her apart at a glance from the rest.

Good thing they are slim and can share a box.

 

[BY Bob]

My most loyal egg customer picked up her eggs this morning and she shared heart breaking news. 3 times now she has bought eggs to hatch or chicks from me. She was slowly rebuilding her aging flock of hens. Prior to hatching chicks off me she had never kept a rooster, had evil ones as she called them. Well, you know my hatch ratio with boys, she ended up with a 25% percent of boys from chicks hatched. She also hatched out one of the first white fluffy feet Butter chicks. Instant love with that chick and it wormed it's way into her heart before it crowed at 5 weeks old. She placed some of her boys but kept that one and 3 more she was trying to pick a keeper out of from her late fall hatch last year. The white one was dubbed Moose as he grew huge but was her favorite chicken. Would come daily to sit on her porch swing with her. Tragedy struck 4 days ago as Moose and 3 young hens were killed. Her neighbors trail camera revealed the culprit. Huge raccoon. She is waging war on a coon that is too big to fit into her live animal trap. Her neighbor spent the weekend adding rat wire along all the sides and top of a coop made out of wood and metal. He is going to install electric fencing for her around the run and has promised her he will not stop until the coon is eliminated.

She shared these pictures with me of the boys she has left. They will not replace Moose but she has decided to hang onto all 3 now.
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So sad. Please send her our condolences. It is tougher to lose the special ones.

 

[BY Bob]

There is something off with this picture.
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Ok my eagle eyed friends. Tell me what you see.

Is there another chicken under her?