Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Juice, Georgina and no name.
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Juice has color already in the comb. It is still small, but the color is starting.
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Maybe wattles getting ready to pop as well. I'm also starting to think he is splash like his sister. That grey is new, as in the last week new.
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Georgina is my only hope for a pullet.
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She is definitely splash though. More spots incoming.
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Goose's boy. I have not named him yet because if I name him he will stay.
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He is a chunk though, albeit a little homely at the moment. Juvenile molts are doing him no favors.
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Mr Chonkers is going to be a very lovely Marans looking boy - he already is looking very handsome I think.

And Juice sure has interesting colouring - like his half-brother Bert, an orange creamsicle And he has a really funky comb and topknot.

Georgina is a splash and I love that huge dark spot on her rump!

 

[Sylvester017]

Ebony is even getting some sparkle on her silkie feathers.

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Awwwwww!!

 

[Ponypoor]

Sounds like good organizational planning! Love that you are helping to preserve Buckeyes! With a big run or free ranging chickens only use coops for laying or roosting so they don't need to be huge. We got a tall coop only cuz we have hot hot hot SoCalif weather & heat rises in tall coops.

We looked into Omelet cubes decade ago cuz of easy maintenance but their styles, sizes, wire runs, & accessories were flimsy IMO for the cost. Now they've listened to customer complaints & made some great improvements yet still not the kind we needed. But as w/ any pre-fab coop, they will never be 100% perfect.

We wanted our run to be sturdy kennel wire, have a coop much higher off the ground w/ a tall roof w/wall vents for heat escape, windows, & actual perches rather than the plastic perch floor the Omelet has. I loved so much about the Omelet except for the features we particularly needed. & as w/ any pre-fab coop, the mfrs always claim it holds more chickens than it should!!! That gripes my goat about ANY pre-fab mfr... but I digress...

Anyway, our old Chicken Condos Barn Coop met just about every need we had 11 yrs ago & still does today for the same equivalent cost of the premium Omelet at that time. Our coop's mfr came out w/ a plastic barn design in the same size yrs later & that is the only part I wish was available 11 yrs ago but not enough of an improvement to switch out our current Barn Coop which still has better features for us than their newest barn model.

Old Chicken Condos

New plastic Chicken Condos ~ has a fun video on the site main page to watch for all the newer stuff
https://chickencondos.com/

Our old customized 4'x4' Chicken Condo Barn Coop came w/ solid floor tray for winter, kennel wire floor for summer, 2 windows, 5 variable height perch slots, cleated ramp, large air vents both ends, dog kennel wire run, tractor wheels ~ we keep it on a slab patio w/ patio roof overhead. Perfect for our half dozen birds but certainly not for the mfr's recommended 15-20 birds!!! (Never believe a mfr's recommended capacity when buying pre-fab!)
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After several winters now I can say I am very glad I didn’t build an outside coop. I appreciate the fact that the gang has the barn to roam in during the winter, AND I appreciate the fact I don’t have to be outside feeding and watering them. Especially after last winter with all the snow and how cold it was - being able to have a warm place for me to get to when doing chores is a big help.

Also on the upside in the summer heat (esp this summer) the barn stays much cooler than outdoors and the brick pavers are a cool spot to lay on. AND I don’t have to go out and get all big eaten, sunburnt and working in the sweltering heat and humidity.

I am so thankful I have the barn, even if my floors are now a disgusting mess!

 

[Ponypoor]

Maybe Maximus. One of George's nicknames was Georgimas. Max could be a good strong name fitting for a future big boy.

Max is (was) my Dads name

 

[SimpleJenn]

Already back to flipping over youngsters. She had to take a nap after rampaging through the cochin pen.

Mr. Handsome is very happy to have her back. He was calling to her when she was seperated for medicine.

 

[Ponypoor]

Already back to flipping over youngsters. She had to take a nap after rampaging through the cochin pen.
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Mr. Handsome is very happy to have her back. He was calling to her when she was seperated for medicine.

Guess she’s feeling better!

 

[BY Bob]

We had someone fall into the pool for the first time. They got right out on their own.

Spoiler: Who was it?

It was Nimue!

 

[BY Bob]

Oh ya! They love paddling in the flooded ponding and generally making a mess. @RebeccaBoyd has chickens that catch minnows and crayfish.

July 2023, we had a huge thunderstorm with torrential rain, afterwards the chooks had a blast wading in the water catching all the bugs floating to the top.

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Awesome photos!

 

[BY Bob]

Love the fluffy butts I got some of my own

Thanks for sharing. Love the photos!

 

[Sylvester017]

So cute, I am not used to seeing them without a beard

Maybe we need to post more non-bearded pics ~ our Moorhead is a hoot!

KEIKO a chick in the breeder's hand ~Jan 2024

KEIKO at home w/us ~ Jan 2024

We almost named her Miss Hoover for the way she vacuumed up food faster than any other!

Feb 2024

Mar 2024 ~ teeny wattles showing

Sept 2024

May 2025

June 2025 ~ wattles still teeny

Broody Keiko w/ broody Betta ~ May 2024