Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

And we're currently evacuated...the house CO2 alarm was going off after our morning walk. Dad thinks the generator was venting into the house somehow, the exhaust was pointed right at the crawlspace door. We've opened it up to air out, dad is checking now to see if it's okay.
One funny thing from this...our lizard kept escaping so we had to put him in a trash can.
View attachment 3723142
He has a hot pad and a nice towel.

Why someone would throw away a perfectly good dragon is beyond me !

 

[featherhead007]

My church pastor came all the way out of town to bring me some supplies and vitamins. Then he’s taking his wife to the surgery center for a spinal surgery. That’s one dedicated man!

 

[Ponypoor]

Hubby had to snow plow when he got home today! I warmed him up with spagetti and homemade garlic bread (he says "homemade bread is good for this. We can do it again")

Also...look at the memo he left on my phone while I was in the shower... My homework is to find and price all these options.
View attachment 3722764
He understands the rule of nest boxes (they all pile in one) but he says he'll feel better if we have extras. That way Shep and Kasumi can sleep there because they already sleep in our two. Sometimes they cram into one.
View attachment 3722782
Our current run has a 5 foot doorframe that I always bonk my head on, we should go walk in then!
He says I "owe" him a big dog or a conure when our dog gets old and passes.

As for the rules, we have 5 acres and I believe the township limits us to 100 chickens. Which is...probably too many chickens for me to be able to care for them haha.

And how about this twofer from a bit back, before the snow. View attachment 3722787

I suggest and easy 8x10 shed with a door at the front and a 10x20 run off to the side, run some electrical from your house underground to a simple 4 receptacle outlet, and two overhead lights. Easy peasy. This will then easy to have a 4x8’ front storage section were you can store feed etc, and a doorway into the rest of the shed for an approx 6x8’ coop area.

If your feeling really energized you can also run some water lines underground that have a heat trace on it. That way you will also have water out there.

And as for the Conure you should talk with @RebeccaBoyd about that - her brother has one named Happy

 

[Ponypoor]

With limited space, elevated doubles your available chicken space and is more efficient. If space is no issue a walk in would likely be easier in a number of ways.

Very true - all these things one doesn’t think of!

 

[Ponypoor]

My coops are small enough that I can't get in them. No head banging. Now the big run is a different story.

I am glad for the small overnight coops - small enough so that it’s warm in there when it’s -14,000 below…..

 

[Sally PB]

All 5 of my pullets AND one of my 2 yo hens laid today! YAY!

The smallest egg was Robin's, and it was on the floor again. Maybe her "favorite" nest was taken...? Anyway, back to watching the floor for eggs. Oh well.

 

[featherhead007]

I am glad for the small overnight coops - small enough so that it’s warm in there when it’s -14,000 below…..

- 14,000?

 

[RoyalChick]

With limited space, elevated doubles your available chicken space and is more efficient. If space is no issue a walk in would likely be easier in a number of ways.

Or a walk in with lots of shelves and roosts which gives you both benefits.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Hubby had to snow plow when he got home today! I warmed him up with spagetti and homemade garlic bread (he says "homemade bread is good for this. We can do it again")

Also...look at the memo he left on my phone while I was in the shower... My homework is to find and price all these options.
View attachment 3722764
He understands the rule of nest boxes (they all pile in one) but he says he'll feel better if we have extras. That way Shep and Kasumi can sleep there because they already sleep in our two. Sometimes they cram into one.
View attachment 3722782
Our current run has a 5 foot doorframe that I always bonk my head on, we should go walk in then!
He says I "owe" him a big dog or a conure when our dog gets old and passes.

As for the rules, we have 5 acres and I believe the township limits us to 100 chickens. Which is...probably too many chickens for me to be able to care for them haha.

And how about this twofer from a bit back, before the snow. View attachment 3722787

Conures are nice birds, my brother has one. They may not be for everybody. For one, they bite, all birds bite, but Happy has got in some pretty good bites and drew blood. When she is molting, she is grouchy and bites if you hit a pin feather. During breeding season even without a mate the bird will get hormonal, territorial and chances for bites increase. We are not 100% sure if Happy is a girl, behavior points to one. My brother could get her dna sexed and he has thought about it, but then he knows by the time she is about 3 he will know for sure one way or another. If she is in fact a she she will eventually lay a egg. When we went through her first breeding season we did notice she hated girls, hated us. The only person she would tolerate for 2 months having any interaction with her was my brother. They need a fairly large cage, larger then petco where my brother purchased her recommended. Thankfully before he got her he had read up on that so declined the cockatiel cage that was cheaper they tried to sell him. She does not like change, her cage is her sanctuary and the quickest way to tick her off is to clean her cage. Even moving toys to different locations makes her mad. Toys, toys are a necessity. Those beaks grow constantly. They need plenty of toys in their cage to destroy. Destroying the wooden toys files her beak and keeps her happy so she does not become a feather plucker. That is one habit with any bird you want to avoid. Happy is a variety of a green cheek conure called "Black Capped". For a bird she is quiet. Oh she can still scream and be heard throughout the house but it is not constant. I love to hear her and my brother "argue". He will talk to her and she will scream at him. You can tell my her screams whether she is happy or angry. She also knows some words. Getting her to say those words or phrases if you are not him is hit or miss. He is her person. 1 issue she came with coming from petco was a crap seed diet. Yes she loved it, yes she would live on it. Is it healthy, nope, and would drop her life expectancy from about 20 to 30 years down to 5 to 10. Transitioning her to a healthy pelleted and veggie diet was a 5 month at times painful slow process.

 

[GregnLety]

New rooster in town! Oops I meant grandson