Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Did you make that blue ladder in the first photo? I love it! (Yes, I know I've seen it in pictures before, but not from this perspective) It looks like a regular ladder - EXCEPT way too many rungs! Did you just supplement with dowels?

I haven't found an old wooden ladder like that. I have gotten a wooden step ladder for free, but that is more work to make it usable like that as the 'treads' then need to be taken off and readjusted (angle of inclination)

Yes. It was abandoned in my basement when I moved here. The ends are rotten and I wouldn’t trust it for a grown human to climb up.
So I added dowels (they don’t all match as they were scrap from the first little coop and from hanging drapes in my living room).
Then when I went nuts and painted everything the color of blueberry pudding naturally the ladder had to get painted that color too.
It is a big success with the chickens. Bernie flies up to that roost but almost everyone else uses the ladder.
The Pentagonists gather on its rungs in the evening before bed for a natter.

 

[bgmathteach]

Now, all I need (yeah, right, really just means 'add another thing to the list') is more safe broody/incubating huts for the girls.

1) I have my White Rock with 5 chicks ~4 weeks old) She is in the broody tractor
2) I have a BR with 4 chicks ~ 1 week old She is in the dog crate with extra fencing in the run.
3) I have a DC that has been sitting on eggs since 6/11
4 ) Another DC that went broody and is sitting on eggs since 6/20
5) One of my mixes (that thought about being broody last year, but then decided 'no) that has been sitting for 3 days now...Eggs put under her on 6/25
6) Marylin, my very large BO appears to be broody - nest box at night on Wednesday, but off the nest during the day Thursday. Back into the nest box Thursday night - off (according to hubby) for a couple of hours Friday, then back on - on all day yesterday _ I had to kick her off to drink & eat both yesterday am 7 today. No eggs yet - but probably will tomorrow ( a friend came over with her son to see the chicks - and he loved gathering eggs, so don't have a lot to select from to put under her tonight.)

Now, all this, plus the DC that hatched Eli & Babs hasn't gone broody yet. She usually does in July ( but it was August last year when she went!)

All but Marylin are lower in the pecking order and get thrown off the nest. I'm running out of nest boxes that the chooks actively use that doesn't have a broody in it!

And, whoops, I went to TSC to get chick food - and they had straight run marans, and BR pullets (and two BO pullets) So, I have 10 chicks being brooded in the house (hence the previous post about needing to set up brooder space in the primary run!) But they are so darn cute!

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 3555578
First day outside for the littles. Took about a minute for them to decide to all come outside.

They are all grown up it looks!

 

[Ponypoor]

At this point, I say pullet. That said, I really have absolutely no experience with Polish, and given she is 1/2 Polish - that could change things.

I just love the small head tufts - maybe next year I can get you to sell a couple of 1/2 Mr. P. pullets. It makes me think of RC's RoadRunners - but I wouldn't want the full on headdres that Mr. P and Phyllis have - too dangerous for them here.


oh, boy - chicken math at work - I really don't NEED more breeds But, Rico, Eli-too, Martina, and that whole gang are just so darn adorable!!!

I will visit and bring a couple dozen eggs for you

Those I can get across the border! If I could get live kiddies across the border I would send you the school chick pullets

 

[Ponypoor]

Now, all I need (yeah, right, really just means 'add another thing to the list') is more safe broody/incubating huts for the girls.

1) I have my White Rock with 5 chicks ~4 weeks old) She is in the broody tractor
2) I have a BR with 4 chicks ~ 1 week old She is in the dog crate with extra fencing in the run.
3) I have a DC that has been sitting on eggs since 6/11
4 ) Another DC that went broody and is sitting on eggs since 6/20
5) One of my mixes (that thought about being broody last year, but then decided 'no) that has been sitting for 3 days now...Eggs put under her on 6/25
6) Marylin, my very large BO appears to be broody - nest box at night on Wednesday, but off the nest during the day Thursday. Back into the nest box Thursday night - off (according to hubby) for a couple of hours Friday, then back on - on all day yesterday _ I had to kick her off to drink & eat both yesterday am 7 today. No eggs yet - but probably will tomorrow ( a friend came over with her son to see the chicks - and he loved gathering eggs, so don't have a lot to select from to put under her tonight.)

Now, all this, plus the DC that hatched Eli & Babs hasn't gone broody yet. She usually does in July ( but it was August last year when she went!)

All but Marylin are lower in the pecking order and get thrown off the nest. I'm running out of nest boxes that the chooks actively use that doesn't have a broody in it!

And, whoops, I went to TSC to get chick food - and they had straight run marans, and BR pullets (and two BO pullets) So, I have 10 chicks being brooded in the house (hence the previous post about needing to set up brooder space in the primary run!) But they are so darn cute!

Must have been all my questions re: Hoover Hatchery

Oh I hope you got some BR

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Now, all I need (yeah, right, really just means 'add another thing to the list') is more safe broody/incubating huts for the girls.

1) I have my White Rock with 5 chicks ~4 weeks old) She is in the broody tractor
2) I have a BR with 4 chicks ~ 1 week old She is in the dog crate with extra fencing in the run.
3) I have a DC that has been sitting on eggs since 6/11
4 ) Another DC that went broody and is sitting on eggs since 6/20
5) One of my mixes (that thought about being broody last year, but then decided 'no) that has been sitting for 3 days now...Eggs put under her on 6/25
6) Marylin, my very large BO appears to be broody - nest box at night on Wednesday, but off the nest during the day Thursday. Back into the nest box Thursday night - off (according to hubby) for a couple of hours Friday, then back on - on all day yesterday _ I had to kick her off to drink & eat both yesterday am 7 today. No eggs yet - but probably will tomorrow ( a friend came over with her son to see the chicks - and he loved gathering eggs, so don't have a lot to select from to put under her tonight.)

Now, all this, plus the DC that hatched Eli & Babs hasn't gone broody yet. She usually does in July ( but it was August last year when she went!)

All but Marylin are lower in the pecking order and get thrown off the nest. I'm running out of nest boxes that the chooks actively use that doesn't have a broody in it!

And, whoops, I went to TSC to get chick food - and they had straight run marans, and BR pullets (and two BO pullets) So, I have 10 chicks being brooded in the house (hence the previous post about needing to set up brooder space in the primary run!) But they are so darn cute!

So um, you took a chance and got at least 1 Marans......right?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Well played Lilly, well played. She has had me convinced she was laying under the house. I braved the spiders and chance of coming across a snake and looked under there the other day. NOTHING. I did go face first into a spiderweb a few times, ick. Had to open up a new bag of feed so pulled it to the front of the big wooden feed bin. Low and behold there it was, 14 eggs. Sneaky, sneaky girl, but you are busted.

 

[Ponypoor]

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks.

(Shakespeare; Macbeth Act 4, scene 1)

Enjoying an Agatha Christie movie “By the Pricking of my Thumbs”.

 

[Ponypoor]

So um, you took a chance and got at least 1 Marans......right?

Hopefully 4! And 4 BR, and the 2 BO

 

[Ponypoor]

Well played Lilly, well played. She has had me convinced she was laying under the house. I braved the spiders and chance of coming across a snake and looked under there the other day. NOTHING. I did go face first into a spiderweb a few times, ick. Had to open up a new bag of feed so pulled it to the front of the big wooden feed bin. Low and behold there it was, 14 eggs. Sneaky, sneaky girl, but you are busted.

Yee gads! 14 eggs!