Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

Two-fer Tuesday.
Gaby and Felicitas.

And a special one for @BY Bob. If you can, please tell me what is in the photo.

 

[notabitail]

Bird poop can fly w/ the force of a bullet sometimes. 35 yrs ago our Blue-fronted Amazon parrot (smaller than a Grey Amazon) had a 10x10 bedroom all to himself ~ thick painters' plastic sheet on the floor wall-to-wall, totally empty of any furniture, & his cage placed exactly in the middle of the room. It's where he went to sleep every night & in the morning we took him to his play area w/ us downstairs. Only happened a couple times but how a relatively smaller parrot could shoot poop thru cage bars across a room & hit a wall was beyond me!

Not a pic of our Paco but this is what a Blue-front looks like ~ adorable little talkers ~ they remind me of a gigantic Budgie that's how cute they are:

Speaking of poop...
We have three doves. Pichon, the original, Alexander, the territory thief, and Smartie, the flighty but quiet and friendly one.

Pichon will often land on Dad's wheelchair. Which, of course, happens to park in Pichon's territory. Turns out that Pichon figured out Dad hates getting any form of bird poop on him, and that bird lands on the headrest, points his tail at Dad's head, and usually gets pushed off. My Dad says that bird has good aim.

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Well, picked up the brooder lamp today! I wish it was a brooder plate, but Mount Healthy said heat lamp was better after travel, and they require that you use a lamp. Also picked up some cute little feeders! I may need to grab a second feeder and maybe another waterer for 11, but figured I'd start with these. They have cute patterns this year! I got blue jar tops with white confetti patterned bottoms. The normal white and red was not any cheaper, so I went for the fun ones. Man, there's a huge run on chicken things! Pretty much everyone in TSC today had stuff for chicks or chickens. I was in there last night for horse feed and they had a bunch of Buff Orpingtons, some Sapphire Skys, a few Easter Eggers, and some Barred Rocks. Today, POOF! All gone except a few Buffs! I am so glad I got ahead of that. It just makes me so sad knowing that for every 5 people who really get into it and continue keeping chickens, there will be 10 who dump theirs after they encounter issues or find that it really isn't any cheaper than buying eggs. On a happier note, can I use straw in the brooder, or should I get shavings instead? I have a ton of straw from insulating the cat house, so I'd like to use it if I may, but I can always use it in the garden if chicks are better off with shavings.

 

[Ponypoor]

We were playing with the babies, and the zipper was too far open so poor Chocolate fell out. Thankfully right into kiddo's lap so we returned her to the brooder.
Also, Slowpoke will lay on my hand and try to sleep, but couldn't because all the other jealous birdies kept pecking at her to move
More and more are getting less fearful and coming over for chesty scritches, which we all know are the best.

Oh! Yeti, Red, Navy, and Slowpoke all know "step up" and will do so!

I dropped one of my kiddos back last Spring, of course I very nonchalantly picked her up and put her back in her crate.

Who am I Kidding? I freaked out panicked cried… she was ok. Maybe that’s why she keeps pecking me on the leg

 

[Ponypoor]

Good night everyone. I've had a mad but eventful day. Bathroom completed and beautiful

The even better news is the abandoned kitten is being rescued and put into foster tomorrow

Oliver can now eat his dinner in peace

That’s good news! And some peace and quiet for you

 

[Ponypoor]

This reminded me of the first time I raised my chicks in the coop. We separate out a nice section for them that has indoor and outdoor enclosure space when they are old enough. For us it's perfect. There is even a separate door on that side of the coop. But after the first batch had grown a couple weeks, and they were wandering more and more beyond the sweeter heater, I opened the door and 5 chicks fell out onto the ground!!! They were fine, but we were all quite startled. They had been "roosting" on the little wooden edging that keeps the straw in. Of course I never let that happen again.

I love raising chicks this way, not having them in my house or the rabbit hole (room in garage). But, it is not possible to create strong bonds with them, as when they are inside and handled all the time. They hide under their heater when we come to freshen food, water and space. It works okay for us, as we enjoy watching our chickens create their own society and friendships. We love sitting out there and watching them. Our interactions are mainly maintenance, feeding and treats, and of course keeping an eye on their health. But when the berries and blueberries are in bloom, they all come running to me and say, "hey old buddy old pal...how's about some of your berries?" They get the lion's share of them.

I know that is very different than the sort of interaction you all have with your chickens. Can we still be friends?

I have some that are friendly and some that aren’t. I pretty much raise them all the same way. They all have individual temperaments, just like us Hoomans

 

[Ponypoor]

Well, picked up the brooder lamp today! I wish it was a brooder plate, but Mount Healthy said heat lamp was better after travel, and they require that you use a lamp. Also picked up some cute little feeders! I may need to grab a second feeder and maybe another waterer for 11, but figured I'd start with these. They have cute patterns this year! I got blue jar tops with white confetti patterned bottoms. The normal white and red was not any cheaper, so I went for the fun ones. Man, there's a huge run on chicken things! Pretty much everyone in TSC today had stuff for chicks or chickens. I was in there last night for horse feed and they had a bunch of Buff Orpingtons, some Sapphire Skys, a few Easter Eggers, and some Barred Rocks. Today, POOF! All gone except a few Buffs! I am so glad I got ahead of that. It just makes me so sad knowing that for every 5 people who really get into it and continue keeping chickens, there will be 10 who dump theirs after they encounter issues or find that it really isn't any cheaper than buying eggs. On a happier note, can I use straw in the brooder, or should I get shavings instead? I have a ton of straw from insulating the cat house, so I'd like to use it if I may, but I can always use it in the garden if chicks are better off with shavings.

As long as you hang the heat lamp by a sturdy chain from the ceiling you shouldn’t have any issues. Keep it well away from the walls and the ground, any flammable material.

As for bedding I use shavings for the chooks bedding - I worry about straw poking them in an eye, I do use ‘used straw’ in the nest boxes, straw that the chooks have picked through in the horses’ stalls, and that is broke up.

I have also used really soft grass hay in the nest boxes.

Gosh I can’t wait to see your chicks I won’t have any this year I am at capacity here.

 

[rural mouse]

"Step up" is the best little trick. Keep it up w/ them as juvies & adults. We did this w/ our Silkies. However, Yeti may get too heavy as an adult to feel secure to step up on a human's puny hand or arm...?

Got Rose to do it last night. 3/4 dark and she couldn't see well enough to launch again. About the same as a gallon of milk....which is 8.81 pounds.

 

[Sally PB]

I won’t have any this year I am at capacity here.

Me too. Sigh.

 

[ValerieJ]

Well, picked up the brooder lamp today! I wish it was a brooder plate, but Mount Healthy said heat lamp was better after travel, and they require that you use a lamp. Also picked up some cute little feeders! I may need to grab a second feeder and maybe another waterer for 11, but figured I'd start with these. They have cute patterns this year! I got blue jar tops with white confetti patterned bottoms. The normal white and red was not any cheaper, so I went for the fun ones. Man, there's a huge run on chicken things! Pretty much everyone in TSC today had stuff for chicks or chickens. I was in there last night for horse feed and they had a bunch of Buff Orpingtons, some Sapphire Skys, a few Easter Eggers, and some Barred Rocks. Today, POOF! All gone except a few Buffs! I am so glad I got ahead of that. It just makes me so sad knowing that for every 5 people who really get into it and continue keeping chickens, there will be 10 who dump theirs after they encounter issues or find that it really isn't any cheaper than buying eggs. On a happier note, can I use straw in the brooder, or should I get shavings instead? I have a ton of straw from insulating the cat house, so I'd like to use it if I may, but I can always use it in the garden if chicks are better off with shavings.

I use straw. Works for us.