Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[GregnLety]

Stay cool

Thanking God that our ac broke before it got this hot. Blessed that the hvac company installed the new unit before I could withdraw the money to pay for it. They installed it on a holiday at no extra cost.

 

[Lilion]

Happy Saturday! I caught Eenie today and looked her over. Without any trouble at all, I might add. She's never been so easy to catch before. But I saw no bugs anywhere at all. Just damaged feathers. She does seem to have been plucking her breast feathers a bit. They seem much sparcer than they should. Of course she was run back into the nest by Meanie when the others were let in. I can't believe I didn't realize Meanie was living up to her name.

 

[Ponypoor]

I know a lot of you have been having mice issues around your chicks or feed. We have them in the RV we live in. Bought some new traps the other day and I really like them. They are plastic spring traps, and in the past plastic traps haven’t been great. But these are super easy to set, not like the wood style. And they only way to trigger them is by lifting the lid to where the bait is, much less likely to go off accidentally. So when the mouse tries to stick its head in to get the bait the trap goes off. We caught three in about 12 hours. I still wouldn’t want them where chickens (especially chicks) could reach them. But in feed bars or other areas like that they would work well.

Not set, showing inside bait compartment
View attachment 3554252

Set and ready to go. The little loop in the red part also makes it easy to pull up the bar to release a dead mouse and to set.
View attachment 3554251


Mice trap tax

Lining up for water.
View attachment 3554255

Thanks - I will look for these - my main reason for not wanting to use them is that the snap traps many times don't kill the suckers outright...

But I have such a rotten problem with rats and mice I need to try something.

 

[Ponypoor]

Jaffar, he no speak French!

What makes him think that is french?

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Okay... so. The egg that I heard chirping will probably hatch tomorrow, or overnight. I'm going out of town tomorrow and coming back the next day. I don't know if I should take the non-peeping eggs and put them in the incubator just in case. I also don't know whether or not I should lock Willy in her brood house and put a bit of water in there for her.
Should I leave the non hatched eggs, and hope that she doesn't get up, or should I incubate them using my incubator?
I'm really eggcited, and I've never hatched a chick using a broody before, so I have NO idea what to do.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Willow can eat chick food, right? I have the Purina Non Medicated food (I'll post a picture later)
I'm in my car at the lumber store, and there is a T-Storm cell right above us.
We've been getting storm after storm, after storm. It's awful.
Willy is dry, even though no one else is.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Thanks - I will look for these - my main reason for not wanting to use them is that the snap traps many times don't kill the suckers outright...

But I have such a rotten problem with rats and mice I need to try something.

I got these at Walmart, they are Victor brand.

Okay... so. The egg that I heard chirping will probably hatch tomorrow, or overnight. I'm going out of town tomorrow and coming back the next day. I don't know if I should take the non-peeping eggs and put them in the incubator just in case. I also don't know whether or not I should lock Willy in her brood house and put a bit of water in there for her.
Should I leave the non hatched eggs, and hope that she doesn't get up, or should I incubate them using my incubator?
I'm really eggcited, and I've never hatched a chick using a broody before, so I have NO idea what to do.

I’m not sure how long before hatching that they start peeping, I thought it could be several days. I thought you took away all the eggs and gave her a batch that were all laid within a few days of each other? From what I have read they usually will be fine as long as the eggs hatch within 48 hours of each other. And the hen usually doesn’t get off the nest for long at a time until 2-3 days after they start hatching. So if you are only going to be gone that period of time you should be fine.

And yes, she will be fine eating chick food. If she has plenty of ventilation, food, water, and is safe from weather and predators it should be fine to lock her in for a few days.

 

[featherhead007]

What makes him think that is french?

The oeuf ( pertaining to an egg)

 

[Ponypoor]

The oeuf ( pertaining to an egg)

Hmmmm so he does indeed know french in that case ?

Tax…
I need more photos!

The screen is working great! But I miss my daily visitors! Don’t miss their little presents, but I miss them

 

[featherhead007]

What makes him think that is french?

I understand French, because I am a cunning linguist!