Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Just so I learn this stuff - it would need to be a pos/neg system up there, because the dog won't be grounded any other way, right? So two wires?

Yes. That is correct.

 

[BeastBaby]

@BeastBaby
Your coop and run look great!

You asked about my setup. I think the area the chickens can roam safely in under the netting right now is about 30 ft x 40- 50 ft? Then there's electric fencing further out from that.
Pics:
I have a few of these moveable greenhouse frames (3) so I can walk under them there. I generally run the netting from the runs to the greenhouse frames and it's easy to move under it. They are 7' high, 7' wide and 12-13' long. This pic you can see how the aviary netting runs from one to the ground, held down sort of tight with stones, bricks or landscape blocks.
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Here below is where the E fence goes up the slope. The transition up is the only spot there's a potential gap, once you're on a slope it's a straight line. If you have a pole at the transition point that helps lessen it. Here also you can see part of the power line to the run. I ran power out from our garage/barn, through an upstairs window (which we keep open a crack even in winter for ventilation) out and over to the hillside, then along the woods and back down, over the tripod of 2x2's and into the run. The bunch of fence nearest is extra fencing gathered up since earlier when I made the fenced area smaller.
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Here's the low area of netting far to the left, I had enough to put poles under it to get a little more ranging space. There's not much area where the netting is close to the ground, I try to have a pole propping it and have the net come pretty straight down, I fear a hawk trapping someone under the net so I try to keep the angles steep.
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Here's the end of the netted area, this is a clump of maple saplings and lilac bush and the net comes down on the far side of the clump but hugs the trees, so the birds have the bent branches over them. The electric fence goes past this on the right and in between a bunch of trees and swings up and around. That non-netted enclosed area I would let them out in when I'm out there doing things. It is the shady summer coop spot and had more netting in summer but I've scaled everything back prepping for winter.
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Wow wow wow! They have so much room, the ground is still green What lucky chooks!! Your enclosure is super impressive and well thought out. I’m sure they appreciate that you even managed to hug in some trees for them.
If I had that sort of space, chicken math would have bitten me bad.

Do you still get birds of prey taking swipes at them, or is the aviary netting enough that they don’t bother?

So here I’m living the city life- our lot is considered “Over sized” at 50’ wide and just a fraction of an acre. It’s also steep and terraced, so requires three sets of stairs to get from one end to the other. I mean we’re lucky we have as much space as we do, buuuuut… my, wouldn’t having a whole (less steep) acre or two be nice. I would fill it with chickens!

 

[BeastBaby]

Dog removal successful. Ran and climbed back over the fence to the neighbors yard

“Climbed” back over the fence! That’s not what you want to hear

 

[BeastBaby]

Have been trying to get run litter materials piled in before the rain. Managed to get a couple of fluffy butts inspecting and helping with the latest loads!
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One is taking a little break for a snack...started training them on the treadle feeder, going well, but they are barely heavy enough and I'm making adjustments to the feeders. So they've got dual systems going for the time being.
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Good looking leaf litter! And I love the idea of those wide boards on the side. You could probably pile those leaves up super high. Makes it seem like a chicken’s ball pit.

 

[BeastBaby]

It was all hands on deck today.
I cleared out one of my in-ground garden beds and piled a big ole mound of straw, fall leaves, mulch, weeds, and loads of fresh chicken poop from the coop’s poo boards right in the middle of it. The composting team expertly mixed, shredded, and spread the contents to all four corners of the bed.

(I piled it back into a mound once they clocked out for the day )

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Absolutely!
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Ash
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Liara
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And Kasumi! She's my favorite haha, so friendly and happy to cuddle.

Liara has such a precious face. Good luck everybody

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Good looking leaf litter! And I love the idea of those wide boards on the side. You could probably pile those leaves up super high. Makes it seem like a chicken’s ball pit.

Whats the black material you used to hold the wood the the concrete block?

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

@RebeccaBoyd I will keep all of you in my thoughts. I don't know if you have ever talked about BYC with Grandma, maybe you can tell her how sad we all are for her loss and for all of you.


I so wish this week would end, that I was convinced it was saturday a good part of the day, so I forgot to take butt pictures.
I have one huge butt from yesterday. Kara has the biggest butt of my chickens and even though she has only been here since May, I’m beginning to worry she may have had some discussions with Queen Aurora on beakbook.
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Her comb looks super sharp doesnt it?

 

[Ponypoor]

I was thinking maybe an antibiotic could be good depending on the extent of the infection and how long you estimate it's been going on. Are you seeing pus in or near his ear, is the area swollen? I hope to read ahead that it's not too bad after all!

So to clarify, there was no swelling around the ear, I only noticed because I could smell a foul odour (yes Alex you may call it a fowl odour), upon investigation I found the skin in the fold of skin above his left eye was irritated and there was excoriated skin under the fold.

I started getting it cleaned up a little bit every day. There were matted feathers I removed and that’s when I noted the ear feathers were all gunky so I removed all of them, them removed a small bit of gunk from the ear. It wasn’t swollen or clogged so I have just been keeping the skin cleaned and applying the antibiotic ointment.

The amoxicillin and Tylenol seem to be doing their thing, he is feeling better it appears.

I am just extremely thankful this didn’t happen min the summer and get fly-strick. That would be horrible and extremely bad with an ear and eye so near by.

 

[Ponypoor]

Just so I learn this stuff - it would need to be a pos/neg system up there, because the dog won't be grounded any other way, right? So two wires?

Well my fencer has a positive and negative terminal, the positive leads to the actual fence, the negative terminal leads to a grounding rod that is at least 8’ deep in the ground.

If you can’t get the rod down deep enough then 2 or three rods can be used in a daisy chain.

I can attest to getting a lifter off of that fence more than once and it was not fun! But wearing rubber boots will insulate you from getting a zap. In which case I don’t suggest grabbing the wire fence and the electric fence at the same time