Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

We wet a broody's chest & bottom but chicken bodies are so overheated they dry off in no time. Separation from nestboxes and individual cages or pen area works best for us. The first day or two they are agitated or frump down all day & sometimes don't eat but usually 2-3 days of no nestbox access works.

I wish. She already did more than 3 days in the cage.

 

[Sylvester017]

I wish. She already did more than 3 days in the cage.

The first year our Silkie Suzu went broody it lasted 6 weeks of trying to break her. She would frump around the outside of the run by the closed entrance and we would move her around to eat/drink, move her to the sandbox where a sandbath would distract her for a while but then she'd go right back to the closed run to frump for another couple hours before we moved her again. She was a hard new broody but each year it takes less & less effort to break her.

But this year w/ the onslaught of new hormonal pullets to compete w/ Suzu is harder to break. Do they sniff hormonal broodiness in each other or what!?

And these normally sweet girls turn into b*tchy little monsters at each other. Meanwhile our normally snotty personality Silkie "Ginny" goes toodling around the yard ignoring all the drama blissfully ignoring their tantrums. "Dana" the old Dominique snoozes far away from the whole bunch.
GINNY

GINNY & SUZU

DANA

 

[LozzyR]

Piglet posed for her mugshots so she could wish everyone a happy Mugshot Monday.

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Princess Pigletine

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Tassels is back in broody jail. She settled in to incubate her little bit of 2x4.
Setting up a fan was more complex than I expected - if I put it under her then will for sure hit the fan - so I need to work out how to do this.
I will try in the morning.
I am also wondering if I should spray water in her undercarriage. Has anyone had any experience with that method?

Try some nylon porch screen under there above the fan, poop can't go through that but air can. I have an 8" fan under the gals here, it's set on low, and it blows through the extra poop tray I bought and modified by cutting out a big rectangle and zip-tying hardware cloth to it and I lay nylon screen on top of that. It catches poo pretty well. Normal poo actually rolls off it easily with a kitty litter scoop for cleaning. It's also easy to lift off and hose down / scrub if necessary. I'd say it would work unless she is pooping really wet runny stuff.

Also, the fan here is basically under one end, because the right-size stick I found to clip it on was only long enough to go that far. So it's tipped and it blows upwards at an angle into the rectangle. Maybe you could have it not exactly under her but angled in.

I hang the stick through a hook hung near the edge of the tray under the coop, and then the other end I put through a loop of zip-tie and tuck under a step of the ladder. Easy to remove and pull out to recharge the fan.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Crazy crazy day

The chooks are all bonkers, fighting and carrying on. Must be a full moon coming on.

And all day we have been under tornado watches and now a heavy rainfall warning added to it



It’s disgustingly humid even though it’s not overly warm (barely 70F)

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Two lovely silkie cockerels.

Rebecca if you get all girls I am coming for a visit…. View attachment 3921380View attachment 3921381

Until proven otherwise by crowing I am standing firm. Georgie is a pullet. The sparring probably was simply being fed up by her brothers antics. A few hard tail feathers, Poppet has a few. That tail, it is perfectly rounded. Now, if you want to bring me both of them I will happily take them. Mine are still too young to sex but I think the smaller ones are pullets. Actually now, none of them are screaming boys right now. I am going to have to wait until they start crowing myself. I could trade you one of the little suspected girls for both of them. Oh and no sneaking Adele or Poppet in your truck either. I will check.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I have lost track of time but I believe everyone is 8 weeks old now, maybe 9.

 

[Marie2020]

I have lost track of time but I believe everyone is 8 weeks old now, maybe 9.

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Gorgeous

 

[Marie2020]

Princess is still here but not eating layers at all. I have to hand feed her now.

 

[RoyalChick]

Try some nylon porch screen under there above the fan, poop can't go through that but air can. I have an 8" fan under the gals here, it's set on low, and it blows through the extra poop tray I bought and modified by cutting out a big rectangle and zip-tying hardware cloth to it and I lay nylon screen on top of that. It catches poo pretty well. Normal poo actually rolls off it easily with a kitty litter scoop for cleaning. It's also easy to lift off and hose down / scrub if necessary. I'd say it would work unless she is pooping really wet runny stuff.

Also, the fan here is basically under one end, because the right-size stick I found to clip it on was only long enough to go that far. So it's tipped and it blows upwards at an angle into the rectangle. Maybe you could have it not exactly under her but angled in.

I hang the stick through a hook hung near the edge of the tray under the coop, and then the other end I put through a loop of zip-tie and tuck under a step of the ladder. Easy to remove and pull out to recharge the fan.

Sounds promising. Could you post a picture? Is porch screen like window bug screen?

 

[rural mouse]

View attachment 3921646
Princess is still here but not eating layers at all. I have to hand feed her now.

Is she moulting?