Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

Oh that looks great, and you will be happy with them. I originally had dirt floors in the stalls in my barn, it was misery cleaning the stalls and making sure I replaced the dirt on type floors yearly.

One day I got mad and started stripping the old dirt from the one side of the barn - all the stalls. Then I backfilled with fresh gravel and threw down brick pavers. I was never so happy to have those solid floors, I put down rubber mats for the horses to stand on. So much easier to clean!

Hmmmmmm you know actually you should look at getting some horse stall mats.

Like this

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat

What I’m going for is to elevate the floor of the run away from the water from the runoff around the run - my remediation measures haven’t been truly proven yet, like with a winter thaw. But with the cracks between the stones I do want some moisture and worm & bug access up into the bottom of the litter over the course of a season, to maybe get some nice decomposition and biological activity going, and for the gang to dig down to the stones to explore and get at it if they want. Basically a deep litter situation, which would work on bare ground, if that bare ground had good drainage.

So small gravel or the trench river stones would work here too for drainage, for awhile, but I think the litter would sift and mix too much (given the determined work crews here), and end up down at the actual bottom, all thoroughly mixed in. I wouldn’t be able to do a reasonable clean out once or twice a year without removing a bunch of gravel or having river stones to sift through. I’d possibly end up where I was before with a too damp or maybe soaking wet litter? So this, maybe hair-brained idea, is that some moisture and worms /bugs can come up through the cracks (and down from any snow or rain that blows in) but it will be limited.

 

[SimpleJenn]

@ChicoryBlue that looks great! I mentioned putting pavers all over the little feeder cave under the coop, hubby said he'd keep an eye out.
I went out just before sunrise this morning to get the birds up. Decided that Samara and Morinth needed some handling. Once they realized I was just checking them over and petting them, they both were chill with it! And ever jealous Liara wanted held too (Ash was SO mad at me for it though, they're besties)

After breakfast there was a break in the rain so kiddo and I went out with mealworms so I could get the punkin halves out of there. They were very poopy.

The chicken kid and the flock. Shep adores her and like, rubs up to her like a cat? Wanting pets.

Getting pets.

Kasumi/Thane. Big legs on them!

Samara and Morinth. They didn't come get mealyworms from my hand BUT today was their first ever mealworms and they ate all the ones I tossed their way.

Chickens squat for other reasons right? Samara did a couple times when I reached over top of her or went to pet her. Maybe just a "nooo don't touch meee" squat?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I don’t see wild birds moulting like this and never this time of year. For me I feel it’s a domestic poultry thing, a byproduct of their breeding I just feel so badly for them, and I know what you mean; some of mine also become very picky eating, I try to make sure those get special care to ensure they are ok.

It is true - you never see a molting pigeon, sparrow, heron, or for that matter hawk.
But surely they must renew their feathers too.
Strange.
Bernie is down to 3 tail feathers. Everyone is cranky.

From the Audubon web site. Varies depending on the bird species -
https://www.audubon.org/news/understanding-basics-bird-molts

Are molts obvious?​

Yes, though more so in larger species and in longer feathers on the wings and the tail. When birds are molting, you can usually spot the missing primary flight feathers by looking for a gap in the outline of the wing. The molt typically starts with the inner-most primary feather and works out; similarly, the central tail feathers tend to be shed first. At the same time, the plumage on the body is also being swapped. In black or darkly colored birds, the new feathers are noticable as they contrast with the faded old ones.

When does molting occur?​

Molting is energetically expensive—as is migration and breeding. So, birds make sure these three activities don't overlap. For many of our North American songbirds, that sweet spot in the calendar is July into early August. Townsend’s Warblers, for instance, go through a complete molt during this time, after they're done mating, nesting, and tending to their chicks, but before they embark on their southbound migrations. Other birds such as Gray Flycatchers fly down to their tropical grounds first to wrap up the process there. Tree Swallows, meanwhile, may begin the swap up north, pause for migration, and then complete it after arriving at their wintering destinations. Many species also have a partial molt in late winter or spring, replacing their head and body feathers but not their flight feathers. That's how a male Scarlet Tanager can switch to olive-green for the winter and back to luminous red for spring and summer.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

@ChicoryBlue that looks great! I mentioned putting pavers all over the little feeder cave under the coop, hubby said he'd keep an eye out.
I went out just before sunrise this morning to get the birds up. Decided that Samara and Morinth needed some handling. Once they realized I was just checking them over and petting them, they both were chill with it! And ever jealous Liara wanted held too (Ash was SO mad at me for it though, they're besties)

After breakfast there was a break in the rain so kiddo and I went out with mealworms so I could get the punkin halves out of there. They were very poopy.
View attachment 3669258
The chicken kid and the flock. Shep adores her and like, rubs up to her like a cat? Wanting pets.
View attachment 3669259
Getting pets.
View attachment 3669260
Kasumi/Thane. Big legs on them!
View attachment 3669261
Samara and Morinth. They didn't come get mealyworms from my hand BUT today was their first ever mealworms and they ate all the ones I tossed their way.
View attachment 3669262
Chickens squat for other reasons right? Samara did a couple times when I reached over top of her or went to pet her. Maybe just a "nooo don't touch meee" squat?

It was a real squat, not a frog-walking evade-your-hand squat? Maybe she's older than you think?

Your DH can ask at Home Depot or other store about broken pavers, when they might be available. I happened upon the employees there clearing out a space to put more in. They will sell them much cheaper. Here's the two grey 16x16 ones I got, the halves still fit together, though when I bought them I didn't know if I'd use the halves together or separately. I do use some large stones to hold down the edges of the aviary netting, so I'm always on the lookout. I'm kind of a hoarder that way!

 

[knoturavggrl]

Happy Fluffy Butt Friday everyone.
Here is Calypso who is developing some respectable fluff!
View attachment 3669223

She is gorgeous I absolutely love the iridescence, its so beautiful

 

[knoturavggrl]

Fluffy Butt Friday:

Myth is really rounding out now.

Lore, pretty boy and he sure knows it!

Various stages of molting, so somewhat fluffy butts?

 

[RoyalChick]

Fluffy Butt Friday:

Myth is really rounding out now.
View attachment 3669295
Lore, pretty boy and he sure knows it!
View attachment 3669296
Various stages of molting, so somewhat fluffy butts?
View attachment 3669297

Myth is almost spherical!

 

[Galaxy_rules]

17 have a few hanging out in nest boxes due to moulting. Dorothy, Misty, Whiskers and Sophia. Too many really for this small hen house , I hadn’t counted on Sophia raising chicks! But I have roost space lower down that some roost on like the silkies when they couldn’t get to the top. But it’s only at night they have the barn and outside run all day, and it’s funny how they all want to squash in together at one end!

Haha!
I have 12 chickens cramped in one TINY coop. Luckily we’re building a new coop a LOT bigger for them!

 

[Galaxy_rules]

Fluffy Butt Friday:

Myth is really rounding out now.
View attachment 3669295
Lore, pretty boy and he sure knows it!
View attachment 3669296
Various stages of molting, so somewhat fluffy butts?
View attachment 3669297

I see an Australorp and a Easter egger, but what breed are the top two? You have beautiful chickens!

 

[CCsGarden]

Happy fluffy butt Friday!