Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[TOMTE]

Jenn, I was thinking if you still had the flock how they would've fared in the temps you are now having. Any weatherproofing ideas for your new incoming flock? You snow country guys have such a short window for good weather either for building things or growing gardens. I can basically do stuff year-round like plant gardens as early as February that grow stuff into December or we can enlist construction repairs any month. I can't imagine the smaller window snow people are limited in to do projects. One good thing being snow people ~ you don't have our drought State !

Michigan has droughts. Bad ones, which is strange considering we're nearly surrounded by water. This past summer we hardly got any rain in my area. Lots of red flag warnings from late spring to mid autumn, even on the lakeshore.

Basically, we have about 5 or 6 months of good Doing Stuff Outside weather. Idk about Jenn but for us, spring and autumn are the biggest GET IT DONE times! Milder weather and temps.

 

[Sylvester017]

Brrrrrrrr

It is -2°F (-19°C) outside this morning but 11°F (-12°C) in the big coop. The girls are all gathered around one of the heat panels this morning.

View attachment 4032953

They will be locked in the next few days to keep them out of the extreme cold.

TG there are so many heat sources available for poultry. How many do you use for the hens?

 

[Sylvester017]

Michigan has droughts. Bad ones, which is strange considering we're nearly surrounded by water. This past summer we hardly got any rain in my area. Lots of red flag warnings from late spring to mid autumn, even on the lakeshore.

Basically, we have about 5 or 6 months of good Doing Stuff Outside weather. Idk about Jenn but for us, spring and autumn are the biggest GET IT DONE times! Milder weather and temps.

What stifles us are the humid summer months. Hot steamy summer heatwave temps drifting from hurricane weather elsewhere but no rain here. That's why we have no lawns any more & save water use for the garden beds & for the chickens to keep cool in heatwaves.

 

[featherhead007]

I have BoPeeps in with me now. She’s the biggest and the dumbest of all the Rockettes, but she deserves love and respect from me too.
She received steak and scratch grains, fresh water and lots of love from me.

 

[Sylvester017]

I was thinking of giving mine a bowl of snow. They do like eating snow. I am not sure about letting them out of the hen house just yet. They have plenty of space and it has been quite windy (wind supposed to drop today but I am wary).

Wind is a killer here ~ as Calif fires have proven. Our hens don't like wind & chickens in general don't like drafts on roosts.

 

[Sylvester017]

FYI: did you know that Ontario Canada has some of the most haunted places in the entire world?
I don’t know why I brought this up.

You should have saved that fact for an October post

 

[Sylvester017]

I can’t believe that I just called Mr Wyandottey, a fat little man!

I think I figured it out. God had so many colorful feathers left over, He decided to put all the rest on the Wyandotte !!
My roo is very handsome with his feathers!

Mr W is just well-insulated for the winter. Pretty boy!

 

[Ponypoor]

Glad to see the gang enjoying that lamp I spent a small fortune on

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Afternoon everyone.

I see many of us are dealing with insane cold weather. It is natural for us to worry about our flocks and take precautions to keep them warm. My flock is fairing well, no signs of frostbite and are acting normal and out and about. It is a stark reminder of something that I know to be true but I forget when I am personally freezing. Chickens are built for this. They handle cold 10x better then they handle my summer heat. Even young little Turkey who will be 7 weeks Thursday is thriving and a true snowbird. Momma Poppet is a digging machine and is uncovering patches of grass for her to eat. As long as I can keep unthawed water in front of them and food which they are now ignoring and choosing to forage for they are good. I still feel for poor George. I think he really would prefer to stay either in the coop or in the horse stalls by the food dishes. His silkie girls are having none of it. They are digging away like normal on the creek bank therefore George must follow them.

 

[rural mouse]

I can’t believe that I just called Mr Wyandottey, a fat little man!

Wyandottes are known for their curves....