Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BeastBaby]

I'll dig up some pictures of the stuff.
A table that sits in the corner. They get on top, they go underneath. Doubled the space in that corner.
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This is one of the feed stations. The back is to a wall, but about 15" away, so they can run behind it, out of sight for a moment.
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The dirty thing to the right of Robin is the Chicknic table. Another thing to be on top of, and I have a bowl of their feed underneath too. I can't find the picture of this when it was first built.
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All 3 of those are either built from pallet or scrap wood.

The "balance beam" log. The fence is from the chicks' integration last summer.
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The ramp to nowhere. The chicken climb it and dig around under it.
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A cool stump. That's Middle, mid-molt last year.
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I really like to use stuff that they can be on or under. Adds some space.

Ooh I really like your spare feed station! And the ramp to nowhere made me chuckle. Those are great examples, thanks for sharing.
Now to figure out a time to build a mini hut like that

 

[BY Bob]

The more cluttered the better, I think, usually! For the Spuds' integration it's been better to have not much straight-line distance to run or see without some obstacle.

In the back under the veranda and coop the ladder is a "go around" escape obstacle. But I did put an upside-down 3 gallon bucket a little further back to prevent any cornering when first integrating, because it's a classic "dead end". Now they all preen and rest together under there and it's not needed.
View attachment 3733085
There are three long old cedar logs in these runs. One you can just make out above the red-top heated nipple waterer. The log going straight back - the Spuds used to sneak under it but now they're too big. It's still useful though, a quick jump up and over, or run down and around the end for an easy escape. That cross-log is low enough that the Buckeyes don't want to go under it, but tall enough the Spuds can still zip through. It leads to a pretty tilted log going by a platform on a captain's chair (one Spud is on it here) and to the upper decks perching area. Another log is tied to the captain's chair and leads slightly down, into the next run.

The dust-bath pool is a great obstacle too, they run around it, or hop up and across it. A treadle feeder is near there on the left, you can see a Buckeye using it. Near the feeder is the captain's chair with no canvas and a small platform board across the arms which the long log going slightly down is tied to. The front chair legs form a sort of tunnel that gets used as an avoidance bypass.

The Buckeyes are not inclined to flap-jump up on to much. I've given the Spuds lots of places to go up, and that's "their" territory, even treats up there, the Buckeyes just catch anything that falls off.
The run is a "T" shape, and here below is the right side of the second 6x12 run. You can see the upper root-end of the long pretty tilted log. That leads to a perch of two 2x2's put together. When the Spuds were younger there was a heating panel up there for them too and they spent a lot of their rest time up there. They used to flap-fly down from it but now even when there is plenty of landing zone they prefer to walk back down on the big log, so I've pulled the corner log out further for more obstacle in that landing zone space. Nearest the red waterer is the low end of the log that's tied to the captain's chair.
You can also see some of the apple "breakfast log" and chair at the bottom which are in the center left of this run.
View attachment 3733095
That short log in the left back corner the Buckeyes will hang out on sometimes. The Spuds can slip under it or hop over it, and now go into the triangle area from the side next to the cozy coop panel too. They get up onto the little perch going across the other corner from it.
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That's Diane-Ida Biter on the end of the big log. She's not biting as hard when she does peck now, and training continues. I went over there to get a picture illustrating the path from the captain's chair and the two logs.

Diane-Ida Biter: "Are you trying to get a close-up?"

Me: "Actually I was trying to get a chicken's-eye picture of the logs you guys use, with you on it. Then yes, I was going for a mug-shot picture since you came over and filled the whole frame. But now, the camera won't focus right with you moving so much."

Diane-Ida: "I might like to peck something on your face. Come closer and hold still."

Me: "That's what I thought. Forget it, no face pecks happening. How about YOU hold still for a second while I get a shot of you? No? Then I'm outta here!"
View attachment 3733137

The left side of the other run, right of the feeder & heated water bowl in the first picture. The light coming from the left out of view is the hooman door. The chair is missing lower rungs on one side and the back. Everyone can and does go under the plank. Spuds also go on it and the chair (also the chair back) and sneak through under the back corner.
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Sorry if this post is too long for some, I love seeing other people's setups to get ideas, so did it with that in mind!

Definitely not too long for me. Well done.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm getting a clearer idea of what's going on with Diane Ida-Biter and she's beginning to understand biting and hard pecking is not okay. I think her inner drives are very intense, she's both super food-oriented and very focused on me, much more than the other two Spuds. She's learning the boundaries and I can see (and hear in her vocalizations) how hard it is for her to resist her urge to peck to get what she wants. She still needs a reminder from me every day, always vocally and sometimes restraining her when that fails. She's battling her instinct to bite hard against her fear of discipline from me if she does (I warn her vocally, then with my finger raised, then peck her with it if she persists, then hold her down tipped on her side or hold her firmly under my arm if she fights me).

Lately her bites have been relatively gentle, no blood drawn and usually no bruising even but that's still not okay to go for my hands. She's allowed to preen my clothes and get dust bits off me, eat snow off my boots, and beak my pants just to hear the zippy sound it makes, undo seams and pull on threads and whatnot, climb on my back and shoulders and explore whatever, just nothing hard directed at my hands or bare skin.

They might be learning. Yesterday there was a group of them lightly pecking, pulling and exploring my lower back clothes as I crouched, and there must have been a bit of skin showing and I got a sharp peck back there. It wasn't too hard but their beaks are sharp! I yelped and jerked a bit, and suddenly it all stopped for a couple seconds. I didn't move further and everything resumed, but nobody pecked that spot again. Progress?

Sounds like real progress! Congrats. I think you are doing well teaching them.

 

[notabitail]

Food.

 

[BeastBaby]

The more cluttered the better, I think, usually! For the Spuds' integration it's been better to have not much straight-line distance to run or see without some obstacle.

In the back under the veranda and coop the ladder is a "go around" escape obstacle. But I did put an upside-down 3 gallon bucket a little further back to prevent any cornering when first integrating, because it's a classic "dead end". Now they all preen and rest together under there and it's not needed.
View attachment 3733085
There are three long old cedar logs in these runs. One you can just make out above the red-top heated nipple waterer. The log going straight back - the Spuds used to sneak under it but now they're too big. It's still useful though, a quick jump up and over, or run down and around the end for an easy escape. That cross-log is low enough that the Buckeyes don't want to go under it, but tall enough the Spuds can still zip through. It leads to a pretty tilted log going by a platform on a captain's chair (one Spud is on it here) and to the upper decks perching area. Another log is tied to the captain's chair and leads slightly down, into the next run.

The dust-bath pool is a great obstacle too, they run around it, or hop up and across it. A treadle feeder is near there on the left, you can see a Buckeye using it. Near the feeder is the captain's chair with no canvas and a small platform board across the arms which the long log going slightly down is tied to. The front chair legs form a sort of tunnel that gets used as an avoidance bypass.

The Buckeyes are not inclined to flap-jump up on to much. I've given the Spuds lots of places to go up, and that's "their" territory, even treats up there, the Buckeyes just catch anything that falls off.
The run is a "T" shape, and here below is the right side of the second 6x12 run. You can see the upper root-end of the long pretty tilted log. That leads to a perch of two 2x2's put together. When the Spuds were younger there was a heating panel up there for them too and they spent a lot of their rest time up there. They used to flap-fly down from it but now even when there is plenty of landing zone they prefer to walk back down on the big log, so I've pulled the corner log out further for more obstacle in that landing zone space. Nearest the red waterer is the low end of the log that's tied to the captain's chair.
You can also see some of the apple "breakfast log" and chair at the bottom which are in the center left of this run.
View attachment 3733095
That short log in the left back corner the Buckeyes will hang out on sometimes. The Spuds can slip under it or hop over it, and now go into the triangle area from the side next to the cozy coop panel too. They get up onto the little perch going across the other corner from it.
View attachment 3733098
View attachment 3733105
View attachment 3733097
That's Diane-Ida Biter on the end of the big log. She's not biting as hard when she does peck now, and training continues. I went over there to get a picture illustrating the path from the captain's chair and the two logs.

Diane-Ida Biter: "Are you trying to get a close-up?"

Me: "Actually I was trying to get a chicken's-eye picture of the logs you guys use, with you on it. Then yes, I was going for a mug-shot picture since you came over and filled the whole frame. But now, the camera won't focus right with you moving so much."

Diane-Ida: "I might like to peck something on your face. Come closer and hold still."

Me: "That's what I thought. Forget it, no face pecks happening. How about YOU hold still for a second while I get a shot of you? No? Then I'm outta here!"
View attachment 3733137

The left side of the other run, right of the feeder & heated water bowl in the first picture. The light coming from the left out of view is the hooman door. The chair is missing lower rungs on one side and the back. Everyone can and does go under the plank. Spuds also go on it and the chair (also the chair back) and sneak through under the back corner.
View attachment 3733108
View attachment 3733110
View attachment 3733120

Sorry if this post is too long for some, I love seeing other people's setups to get ideas, so did it with that in mind!

Ah! So good!! Thanks for the tour!
Oh so many good ideas. I particularly like the bucket idea for dead ends, and the cinder block log holders. I feel like I could probably build tiny cinder block pyramids with at least two logs spanning them at different heights so it would create both a roost and a “fence”.

My older ladies are content to harass from ground level, but not only are Albert & Whiskey only seven months old, they’re also very athletic! It’s the leghorn in them. They love flying and perching way up high. So there is no height that new gal Perry can reach that will shake them off her tail. She also happens to be of a more standard build, favoring middling 1.5 foot high perches over the four foot high ones where she might find some reprieve. Maybe she just needs a long ramp to get up there, like the Spuds have.

 

[BeastBaby]

Food.

Oh so good. Love a plot twist!

Lmao your down and dirty bare feet Do you go barefoot about town as well, or just at home? I occasionally hike barefoot, but otherwise I’m in flip flops outdoors.

 

[notabitail]

Oh so good. Love a plot twist!

Lmao your down and dirty bare feet Do you go barefoot about town as well, or just at home? I occasionally hike barefoot, but otherwise I’m in flip flops outdoors.
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Usually just at home. I use sandals without socks if I go somewhere.

 

[BeastBaby]

Last minute Wattle Wednesday:
Becky!

 

[RoyalChick]

Food.

Very cute.
But barefoot in the chicken yard? Eww!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Ah! So good!! Thanks for the tour!
Oh so many good ideas. I particularly like the bucket idea for dead ends, and the cinder block log holders. I feel like I could probably build tiny cinder block pyramids with at least two logs spanning them at different heights so it would create both a roost and a “fence”.

My older ladies are content to harass from ground level, but not only are Albert & Whiskey only seven months old, they’re also very athletic! It’s the leghorn in them. They love flying and perching way up high. So there is no height that new gal Perry can reach that will shake them off her tail. She also happens to be of a more standard build, favoring middling 1.5 foot high perches over the four foot high ones where she might find some reprieve. Maybe she just needs a long ramp to get up there, like the Spuds have.

I find something sitting away from the edges is very helpful against bullying.
Mostly I use tree stumps but I have used buckets or overturned chairs.
The key is they can fit between the item and the wall.
Then they chase each other round and round it but nobody can get cornered.
Often the bully gets bored going round and round and moves on peacefully.