Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

Yup, you guessed it. Calypso spotted that I had put Tassels in jail, and so the favored nesting box was available to occupy. Worse, Piglet provided an egg to sit on.
Calypso has moved back in to sit on Piglet's egg.
She will have to sit for a few days until Tassels gives up, and then I will get the body armor out again to remove her.
Geez. CHICKENS!!!!
If I had known how this would play out I would have designed the in-coop broody box/hospital with a mesh floor so I could use it as a broody jail. There is plenty of room for the dog-crate jail, but it is not the most stable of structures. I keep wondering if it would be safer if I hung it on a long chain from the rafters like I do the food and water. Hmmm.

Why can’t they both be in broody jail, do broodies fight when together?

I keep wondering if it would be safer if I hung it on a long chain from the rafters like I do the food and water. Hmmm.

This conjures images of a gibbet!

 

[fuentemoon]

Condolences to those grieving losses.
So glad Rosie was able to get the care she needed. I hope the situation can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Alinta is broody again, sitting on a fake egg. I am letting her sit (not hatch) because she is a terror otherwise.
Rosie resumed laying this week.
Sunday night we went up a nearby mountain to see the meteor shower and caught a good aurora show too. My camera isn't good enough to photograph it unfortunately, but got some pics before it got dark.

 

[RoyalChick]

Why can’t they both be in broody jail, do broodies fight when together?

This conjures images of a gibbet!

Well I wondered about two in jail and I tried it. Things turned violent. And Calypso doesn't like sharing. In an update from earlier, Bernie booted Calypso off the nest. Don't know if she will stay off, but Bernie was patrolling and Calypso was staying out of her way!

Edited to add: I also think that one would try and sit on the other. I have had that happen in the nest boxes, and it would rather defeat the point of the broody jail!

Oh dear, no gibbet!. I was thinking I could suspend the whole cage. More like a shark viewing cage than a gibbet. I am not sure though if it would be a problem if it swung back and forth or twisted around as the hen inside moved. My worry at the moment is whether it will get dislodged and fall over. I am always fighting the steep hill inside the Chicken Palace. Maybe I could use a chain to the rafters like a safety line rather than suspend the cage. So if the cage does get dislodged it won't fall because it will be held by the chain. Hmmm - need to explore that option. Could be viable.

 

[featherhead007]

Well I wondered about two in jail and I tried it. Things turned violent. And Calypso doesn't like sharing. In an update from earlier, Bernie booted Calypso off the nest. Don't know if she will stay off, but Bernie was patrolling and Calypso was staying out of her way!

Oh dear, no gibbet!. I was thinking I could suspend the whole cage. More like a shark viewing cage than a gibbet. I am not sure though if it would be a problem if it swung back and forth or twisted around as the hen inside moved. My worry at the moment is whether it will get dislodged and fall over. I am always fighting the steep hill inside the Chicken Palace. Maybe I could use a chain to the rafters like a safety line rather than suspend the cage. So if the cage does get dislodged it won't fall because it will be held by the chain. Hmmm - need to explore that option. Could be viable.

Two chains will suspend the cage, but three will keep it from moving too much. X-Y-Z and maybe even a fourth will help

 

[SimpleJenn]

Thirsty Thursday


A baby with a bug

And my newest project, chicken egg apron

 

[RoyalChick]

Two chains will suspend the cage, but three will keep it from moving too much. X-Y-Z and maybe even a fourth will help

Good point. I was thinking one chain, in which case it would swing and turn. But you are right, if I had 3 chains it would be pretty stable.
Need to see if that could work with the distance between the rafters.
Hmmm. Lots to think about!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I just indulged myself to about 30 minutes of sheer bliss outside with the chicks.

Adele, just as sweet as ever. Immediately in my lap and once I started petting her she went limp with her head hanging low. She stayed on me somewhere the entire time I was out there.

The silkies, 2 things have worked in my favor with taming them. The biggest has been they are now outside in the coop. They can come to me at will and I do not have to reach for them scaring them. The 2nd is they are curious and jealous of any attention Adele gets. If I want to touch a silkie all I have to do is have Adele in my lap. They notice and have to come see what she is doing. This allows me to pet them once they are up in my lap. The first time or two they are nervous and fly away, but if they give me just 3 seconds to do a crop massage they are hooked. Then it is a domino effect of everyone else needing to see what is happening. Today I ended up with 5 chicks on me and the other 2 on the tote seeing what is happening. I also had ALL the adults on the outside looking in knowing what is going on and wanting their fare share of scratching.

 

[RoyalChick]

I just indulged myself to about 30 minutes of sheer bliss outside with the chicks.

Adele, just as sweet as ever. Immediately in my lap and once I started petting her she went limp with her head hanging low. She stayed on me somewhere the entire time I was out there.

The silkies, 2 things have worked in my favor with taming them. The biggest has been they are now outside in the coop. They can come to me at will and I do not have to reach for them scaring them. The 2nd is they are curious and jealous of any attention Adele gets. If I want to touch a silkie all I have to do is have Adele in my lap. They notice and have to come see what she is doing. This allows me to pet them once they are up in my lap. The first time or two they are nervous and fly away, but if they give me just 3 seconds to do a crop massage they are hooked. Then it is a domino effect of everyone else needing to see what is happening. Today I ended up with 5 chicks on me and the other 2 on the tote seeing what is happening. I also had ALL the adults on the outside looking in knowing what is going on and wanting their fare share of scratching.

Awwwww!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Well I wondered about two in jail and I tried it. Things turned violent. And Calypso doesn't like sharing. In an update from earlier, Bernie booted Calypso off the nest. Don't know if she will stay off, but Bernie was patrolling and Calypso was staying out of her way!

Edited to add: I also think that one would try and sit on the other. I have had that happen in the nest boxes, and it would rather defeat the point of the broody jail!

Oh dear, no gibbet!. I was thinking I could suspend the whole cage. More like a shark viewing cage than a gibbet. I am not sure though if it would be a problem if it swung back and forth or twisted around as the hen inside moved. My worry at the moment is whether it will get dislodged and fall over. I am always fighting the steep hill inside the Chicken Palace. Maybe I could use a chain to the rafters like a safety line rather than suspend the cage. So if the cage does get dislodged it won't fall because it will be held by the chain. Hmmm - need to explore that option. Could be viable.

Yes, as a fail-safe chain at least.
The whole cage is what a gibbet is, I thought.
Chicken & Gibbet(s) - a @featherhead007 -worthy pun but I know he wouldn't dream of posting about any food involving chicken.

Also reminds me of Hansel & Gretel.

Why not make a raised cage/wire floor with bricks in the chicks' quarters? I think you're going to be in this situation long-term. I have wondered about this for myself, how to secure a broody area. Anyway you need two of these places!

Two chains will suspend the cage, but three will keep it from moving too much. X-Y-Z and maybe even a fourth will help

Yes. A fourth going horizontally more or less, from the windward side perhaps?

 

[featherhead007]

Yes, as a fail-safe chain at least.
The whole cage is what a gibbet is, I thought.
Chicken & Gibbet(s) - a @featherhead007 -worthy pun but I know he wouldn't dream of posting about any food involving chicken.

Also reminds me of Hansel & Gretel.

Why not make a raised cage/wire floor with bricks in the chicks' quarters? I think you're going to be in this situation long-term. I have wondered about this for myself, how to secure a broody area. Anyway you need two of these places!

Yes. A fourth going horizontally more or less, from the windward side perhaps?

The chain idea is good, and maybe you could borrow @ponypoor’s shackles? I don’t think she’s going to use them any time soon.
Shackles/Hackles