Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I was so sick last night we almost went into the ER since my lips went numb anytime I moved. Kiddo is sick too. But we are a lot better today. Hopefully hubby doesn't catch it.

Marble and chicky bird update coming soon. Everyone is doing good, but I want to get pictures.

So glad you are feeling better!

 

[BY Bob]

That is one intense stare!!!

She really does have an intimidating stare. She also just came in from having spent the night outside. She's a bad cat sometimes.

 

[Sally PB]

Side note: this is the first I'm hearing of freezing a chicken.

I double bagged her, but removed the bags before I buried her. I could have buried her that day; the garden was thawed. But it gave me a chance to find a really nice place for her.

How are you doing now since it has been almost a week?

A bit better. I realized with the nice weather we've had recently (not that common for March) how often I said, "Oh, what a nice sunny day!" And then my heart seized a bit and I had to turn my sob into a cough so that I wouldn't start crying on our morning dog walk.

Fly high and free, Sunny Girl! You will live on forever in my memories and my heart.

 

[BY Bob]

Oliver is back.
I haven't seen him for a week but he's had his two meals today View attachment 4073357

How sweet!

 

[BY Bob]

I'm almost certain this is the pecking order at the moment:

Aliss
Sybil
Gytha
Esme
Magrat

That is always interesting to figure out. It takes time and astute observation. We'll done!

 

[BY Bob]

Yup… I’ll go give him the rest of the 9cc when I go back out later

He sure isn’t happy to be dosed though.

They never are.

 

[BY Bob]

Cat pictures as promised.
View attachment 4073659
View attachment 4073660

What a cutie!

 

[BY Bob]

The short answer is "yes, but no". It does keep water unfrozen longer - just by virtue of it being insulated, but at some point the nipples will freeze. The way it is set up, the extension portion freezes easily. I have a different form of Britetap that that is an issue with as well. The extension that the nipples are off of freezes. AND, just adding hot water doesn't work as it doesn't get into the part that extends out.

Conversely, my 2 gal. coleman coolers with the nipples directly through the cooler wall are better for winter. If it is going to be super cold over night (read - low teens or single digits), I do bring them in, but otherwise, just bring out a gal. of hot tap water and add it to the cooler - it is enough to keep everything unfrozen for all but the coldest overnights - even below freezing during the day. (note, my chickens and ducks easily drink 1-1.5 gallons from it daily - so adding the 1 gal (or more) every day of warm water in the winter is needed anyways.) As long as the nipples are through the walls in a level manner - the actual nipples self drain and don't freeze. (unfortunately, I'm not that adept at level drilling, so mine don't ALL self drain, FYI.) These are the nipple extenders I used so the nipples can go through the cooler walls. They are great as is for square coolers (i.e. flat sides), I did need to get a thicker gasket to use for the curved edges of my round coleman coolers. I got the gaskets in the plumbing section of a local hardware store.

I do love my coleman coolers for summer, as well - I freeze a large block of ice and drop it in every morning in the heat - and it keeps the water nice and cool all day long. I do also have a cooler with the brite tap (as I mentioned above), and add ice to that in the summer. That said, I prefer my coolers with the nipples through the wall using the extenders.

My suggestions, if you think about going that route:

Use a square/rectangular cooler with the nipple extenders. Something that you can move easily (re: size). I really LOVE mine! My bucket nipple waterers are away for the winter because they freeze (obviously), but I use my coleman cooler nipple waterer year round.

The even better thing, for you, is that you can, since you have electricity in the palace, drill out a small semi-circle on the side of the cover (for the electricity) and put in a bird-bath water heater and they would be good to go for the entire winter regardless of the temp.

Excellent tips here!

 

[BY Bob]

? a red one?

Polka dot maybe?

 

[BY Bob]

I double bagged her, but removed the bags before I buried her. I could have buried her that day; the garden was thawed. But it gave me a chance to find a really nice place for her.

A bit better. I realized with the nice weather we've had recently (not that common for March) how often I said, "Oh, what a nice sunny day!" And then my heart seized a bit and I had to turn my sob into a cough so that I wouldn't start crying on our morning dog walk.

Fly high and free, Sunny Girl! You will live on forever in my memories and my heart.

We have all been there.