Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Excellent & cheers to you! Rome wasn't built in a day. It's one project at a time at our place too!

Cute coop w/flimsy wood & chicken wire (2011)
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New sturdy Barn Coop w/dog kennel wire & patio roof over coop to protect from weather 2015
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A chicken paradise

 

[Ponypoor]

Flopsy Update

Flopsy has been out and about most of the day, she was just getting too riled up being contained so I let her out. The boys have been locked away in the run and Mr P and his ladies, with Flopsy, were in the Summer House while I did chores. All afternoon though they have been out in the yard.

She is getting around better, but her hip still makes noise. I have not given her any Tylenol since Thursday, but I have been giving her 1/2 an aspirin at night, and the 1/4 tablet of calcium.

The pumpkin is a big hit with her and the rest of the gang.

 

[Ponypoor]

I will keep that in mind with my polishes. I imagine it is the "show quality" birds with the gigantic poofs that are the ones most at risk.
We had to buy another two bags of food today, they have almost eaten the entire bag of the Purina. We definitely can't afford to keep feeding it to them since it's $25/bag. 65$ in chicken food this week, that's over half of our usual grocery shop for the family!

I feed Hi-Pro 17% layer it’s $25 (with tax) for a 20kg (44lbs) bag. I go through maybe a bag of 17% textured and maybe half a bag of the pellets for all my chooks (I must have 40 now!). I just free range for about 90min after work so they aren’t foraging - unless they are getting bugs spiders and mice in the barn!

I keep feed in a large tub they can’t kick it all out, and the pellets are fed as a mash. Along with a feeder of pellets free choice.

Are your bags smaller than mine? If not they must be wasting it or vermin and wild birds must be getting at it. I do bring my feed dishes into the feedroom at night too prevent rats from having a feast. I don’t leave feed out in the barn and never in the Hen Houses.

I would think about bringing in the feed bowls at night and covering up your water so that vermin etc can’t get at it during the night. If you can’t bring it inside get a large tote to lock it in at night. I learnt long ago that wall feed sources need to be locked away at night. Even with the horses, the only thing they have at night is hay, I remove and wash their feed buckets and keep them locked in the feedroom secure from any vermin.

Tax
Enjoying the nice weather

 

[Ponypoor]

Speaking of 90s...my 92 year old gramma B fell and broke her pubis/pelvic bone.
She's too old for surgery and with her heart murmer they wouldn't even try it.
I have to wait for her to be done at the rehabilitation center and back at her assisted living home before I can visit with kiddo.
I'm very worried for her, she and I have always been extremely close.
Tax
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Looks like someone tried to wring Liaras neck, poor girl.
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Nocturne and her beautiful ombre egg.

Meant a heart not sure how a chuckle emoji got selected…

Sure hope your gran is better soon.

 

[featherhead007]

Seems like my chooks have a new game.
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New game. Who’s poop smells worse. I’m out in the yard on a recliner lounge chair. Surrounded by the chooks. So far it’s Aero in the lead, but Blue is a close second. Bad smelling stuff here. I think I need to move my chair.

 

[RoyalChick]

Flopsy Update

Flopsy has been out and about most of the day, she was just getting too riled up being contained so I let her out. The boys have been locked away in the run and Mr P and his ladies, with Flopsy, were in the Summer House while I did chores. All afternoon though they have been out in the yard.

She is getting around better, but her hip still makes noise. I have not given her any Tylenol since Thursday, but I have been giving her 1/2 an aspirin at night, and the 1/4 tablet of calcium.

The pumpkin is a big hit with her and the rest of the gang.

That is a LOT better!

 

[Sally PB]

All farm animals are expensive but chickens give eggs back to you at least.

Mine also give me excellent fertilizer with their poop. My compost got a LOT better once I got chickens. I think of poop as "the other" gift from my birds.

 

[Ponypoor]

The fluffy poofs on Silkies & Polish are a target but let us know how it goes. Yep, there's no profit in chickeneering any more. All farm animals are expensive but chickens give eggs back to you at least.

DD stopped by for a visit & we showed her your crochet work ~ she melted over the little Dominique chicken! She keeps drilling into her company executives to offer more variety chicken hen varieties not just roosters for people who have backyard chickens & not just white birds!

She's been successful getting her point across at the conferences!

Just a couple of her successes
Kitchen towel
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Shopping bag
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Those are wonderful

 

[Ponypoor]

They’re in the house because these two particular silkies just have zero survival instincts. They don’t go in the coop at night and they don’t leave the coop to go outside when they’re put in it if they wander into the yard, they scream and get lost and then just sit there, the old owner tried trimming their eyes, but she said they couldn’t find anything so I said I could take them in because she didn’t have the resources for an indoor chicken

How old are they?

Keep trimming their head feathers back and their cheek muffs, get them exposed to being outside as much as you can - walk around out there with them.

Sounds like they are just needing to be coached in ‘the way of the chicken’.

Be patient and take your time. Try meal worms and see if they like those.

 

[Ponypoor]

They need to be outside - digging up wormies, running flapping hopping about, my silkies are clowns! My one little pullet must have springs in her legs I really must get some video of her - it’s just hilarious!

I have 6 and they are always getting into things. Brats! And bossy too!

Get them outside - they will show you how funny they are

I need SHRA tax here

Tax
I cannot wait till Mr P gets his fancy feathers grown back

Having said that, he has no issues seeing things now!