Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Oh that is ‘Leghorn’ her scratching like that!

She needs a cohort to get into mischief with

I think a nice polish lady would make a good friend.

 

[BY Bob]

With no Phyllis to torture she does seem mellowed.

I'm also wondering if the cold isn't making her bones ache too like Hattie. Maybe they can commiserate on getting up in years. Perhaps there is a little bonding going on between the 2 old girls.

 

[rural mouse]

One of These Hens is Not Like the Others

I went out the other day and Aster was dust bathing alone in the run. Everyone else was lounging in the main coop.

Today I caught this on film.

I really need to add another active hen this year so Aster has someone to explore with. Lady Featherington hung around Glynda because they grew up together. Clearly Aster does not have that relationship with her.

I would love to see what a pure hamburg hen would do...(not enabling at all)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

There is a special mesh material the is used on steel roofing to put under the ridge cap to prevent snow from getting in but allows air flow. Can’t remember the name but if you go to any hardware store they will know what it is.

I actually need to put this in my barn ridge cap, the snow blows in there all the time…..

I bet it would work for you.

I'll look into that. This Fall I decided to try balcony privacy fabric screening along the side peaks of the first run, and I think it's working okay on the East side, less so on the West, so maybe it needs to be doubled up there? It definitely works well for rain driven by wind. Here it was Jan 7th, looking East/South, at the West side.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

There is a special mesh material the is used on steel roofing to put under the ridge cap to prevent snow from getting in but allows air flow. Can’t remember the name but if you go to any hardware store they will know what it is.

I actually need to put this in my barn ridge cap, the snow blows in there all the time…..

I bet it would work for you.

This? I could wedge it into the side vent slots above the nest boxes in the coop. Expensive, for how little I would need
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Ve...cphy=1023512&hvtargid=pla-2281435179578&psc=1

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Hopefully you get a break soon and can make some adjustments. Mine are clearly enjoying the panel in the main coop.

I spent some time sitting right by the three warming panels on the East side with them today. That's where they are spending every day so far, with little forays to eat and drink, then right back to the panels. It's not bad right there and I gave them some corn and oats to scratch around and find before bed.

 

[Sylvester017]

It has taken me all day to catch up.
Last night (maybe 4:45) when I got home from work Lumi had once again gone on a trip to the neighbors. Good news though! First we have new neighbors, the house finally sold. Second they laughed and were thrilled to see her pecking about, they are considering chickens of their own.

After escorting Lumi home I did a quick coop check on my way inside. I have been checking the nest boxes once or twice a week for awhile now. Cassia has laid her first egg! And second egg too

They have freckles!
View attachment 4024221
So excited to have our own eggs again. Last egg was Rosie's back in early October.

Speckled shells are so pretty!

 

[notabitail]

Have you taken it to the authorities? Also maybe put up some security cameras to see anyone skulking around.

I don't want to deal with the authorities here. They took hours to deal with a druggie.

I get the feeling that either a bird dropped it or it was tossed over the fence.

 

[Sylvester017]

Got a shot where you can just see Hazel. She’s sleeping in the nest box, all draped over the front. You can see her feathers reaching to the platform roost. @BY Bob @Ponypoor
I have a panel warmer going, it’s under the camera that took this shot.
View attachment 4024200

This sustained wicked weather is making me rethink the big run tarp arrangement, the big run door location, and the coop location/orientation. About 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the big run has snow buildup, here below the camera is looking south, down the west / northwest side on the right.

That’s the man door on the right. I had hoed some of the snow under and pulled litter up this afternoon along the main pathways but left where the snow is a couple inches deep there on the side, no point!
View attachment 4024207
The chickens hang out in the best area, the east side of the perpendicular run this one meets, to the left of this picture. That’s where more panel warmers are too, on timers. Also the door jam openings on the right, though covered by overlapping tarps, cardboard and even a piece of plywood on the outside with a 2x4 against it, are letting snow through somehow. Snow builds up behind everything!

Top picture again- Snow is blowing into the nest boxes through the vents above on the mostly exposed north side. Hazel has chosen the most protected least-snowy one. It’s got the coop run tarp extending over it. The tarp is set away from the vent a little to allow air, with the tarp opening facing south. I didn’t want to block off the vent. But now snow is getting back in, going back under the tarp due to some aeronautical going-around-corners and-back-the-way-it-came effect @featherhead007

The lake effect snow we’ve gotten is getting driven sideways by a strong north wind blowing at 22 miles per hour at least, with much bigger gusts. You can see snow buildup in the back of the middle nest box; the tarp doesn’t extend to there. The box further left has even more piled in the back.

We’re all waiting for this weather spell to end, chickens and humans. They spend their day by the warmers, the feeder and heated water dog bowl. It’s tough to do any run modifications, my fingers can’t take the extreme cold (the warmest it got today was 15F). I did stuff an old bed sheet up into the southern ventilation gap over the man door in a futile effort to stop backwards-driven snow.

Wow! Snow is brutal the way rainstorms are a nuisance here. We opted to build a patio roof over our barn coop cuz we had to tarp it to keep out rain leaks. That determined our choice to put a roof over the coop & it keeps us dry also when we collect eggs or peek in the coop windows to check on the hens.

Before patio roof the tarp was a mess to deal with

After the patio roof was built over the coop & then run added

 

[notabitail]

We got snow!
Only a wee bit, it mostly melted, but this is very close to the max that we got. Taken earlier today.

Tax, @BY Bob, come look!