Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

Advice on dividing the run and coop placement please? I was thinking of dividing the run fairly evenly in terms of square footage, including each coop's run since they're different.

Goal is to keep Hazel protected with visual blockers and with her BO buddies but inaccessible to Shehnai, but when I'm there I'll let the BO's mix with the Buckeyes if they want.

Made cutouts, note that right now there's no actual division between the main run and the (unfinished) extension run, it's just two cutouts' edges visible. I think I can make the divider from leftover wire mesh.

Also I can move the door to any three-foot section, am thinking of moving it 3' to the north (left).

#1 Original plan, excavated for this. Coops are on the leeward eastern side of the run because of the serious wind from the west, and they're toward the south end because of the low hill and the protection of the run from the winter northwest wind.
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#2 Coops near each other. Either near or apart, have to excavate an additional amount.
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#3 Coops apart
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The gangs yesterday, they are hanging out more or less together (in the cutouts corners over the words "Main").
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Shehnai is tall enough he can see over the top some. He knew Hazel was there. Interestingly this didn't bother Hazel much, the perches partially block his view and her view of him.
I hate how long the build is taking, I know the Buckeyes loved those upper perches in the run and they'd like to hang close together. I made improvised perches out there with the chair and a board and cinder blocks. Their food and water is at their feet.
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We do what we need to do depending on what our birds dictate/need cuz of their temperaments/behaviors. You have good ideas... now they just need testing by the birds as to what will be your final solution.

Birds are all so different. A couple hens we had in the past gave us so much grief we finally re-homed them cuz there's no space in our small yard for separation coops/runs.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

On this fine Friday
Raven's third egg. It's out! It's out!

 

[Sylvester017]

Meeting chill hour requirements for apples isn't an issue anywhere in the UK, though I expect there'll be a move towards growing more low chill varieties in milder areas in the coming decades. They don't actually need really cold temperatures though; a few degrees above freezing is fine, so long they get enough time at those temps. Southeast England - the county of Kent in particular, 500+ miles south of here - is known for the apples grown there and volunteer trees often thrive in the wild without any care once established.

The wind is the issue here. Small trees or trained forms in a sheltered spot can survive and bear fruit, but they never do all that brilliantly even with a lot of care and they'll never be anything like as productive as a mature half or full standard tree. Warmer climate fruits like peaches, grapes and figs are actually easier because you can grow them in a polytunnel or polycrub without the summer heat being a problem.

Yep, wind is a real killer of fruit blossoms in spring. More than half our Pomegranate flowers get torn off during our vicious wind blasts but somehow manage to give decent yields by Autumn.

40 yrs ago I had a wonderful fig tree that yielded well... however I cut it down. Got tired of the ants, rats, birds, destroying figs, & then the June bugs clung heavily on the limbs every summer Yuch! When we planted new fruit trees we avoided any of the sweeter soft-skin fruit trees like peaches, figs, apricots, mango, plums, etc & only planted acidic citrus & hard skin fruit trees ~ Pink Grapefruit, Lemon, Pomegranate & the Guava bushes have a very tart acidic taste that don't appeal to wild life either.

Only our chickens will play tether ball w/ a very low-hanging Pomegranate but it takes them several days to finally penetrate the hard outer shell. It gives them entertainment to play w/ the swinging Pom much like a swinging cabbage

Pomegranate trees

Hens relaxing under the Pom trees

Lemon tree that hens use as shade (hens lower corner of photo)

Grapefruit tree

 

[BY Bob]

Hey yall . Still alive but it's been a challenge. I can highly recommend not getting salmonella. I seriously thought I was going to die. For 18 days I couldn't keep any food or liquids in me. Took my entire April from me. Lost a chunk of my ear to melanoma and have a couple procedures coming up. In between that I still work as much as possible. I pray that all my terrific friends here are doing well.

So glad you have recovered. That sounds like it was a real rough patch.

 

[Sylvester017]

It's Friday

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Not quite sure what's fluffier... their crests... or their butts

Our all-over body FLUFFIES

 

[Sylvester017]

Hello friends,
I missed you all! I got so busy getting ready for my big faire in July and then was so behind... Any way, busy summer.

We are minus one, plus one in the cat department. We lost our oldest Puff in a horrible and tragic way, to a dog attack.
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Another neighborhood cat has adopted us, she is a funny older girl that wants constant physical contact. Not that we needed more cats! There are currently 7(! )I consider ours.

In chicken news things are same as ever. Rosie screamed all summer as usual and laid at least three eggs a week April-last week. Pretty good for an 8 year old lady!
Between her and the speckles we got 2-3 eggs every day. Rosie and Alinta each had a broody spell, but only one each.

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There is no way I will catch up with all I missed (at least not soon) but i will try and pop back through the synopsis posts. And I will try and pop in more often.

I wondered how you were. There are several who pop in-n-out here so no worries. Thx for the update

 

[BY Bob]

Not quite sure what's fluffier... their crests... or their butts

Our all-over body FLUFFIES

They surely are fluffy all over.

 

[Sylvester017]

So sorry... but I'm really really bummed today... found out a good friend passed away. He had been President of the Union Rescue Mission on skid row in the '90's... but more than that... he was our neighbor one street away, his kids & mine were all in school together, did activities together, & ultimately he officiated at my DD's wedding & his DD was her bridesmaid. He was the sweetest gentlest human being I'd ever known. So so hard to lose a beautiful family friend

c.1999

I'm bummed... reflections of some other dear friends we've also lost...

 

[Ponypoor]

Did someone say Fluffy Butt Friday?
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Cinnabun has the BUNS
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Screamer booty

Wow that’s some fluffy butts you have there! Love it!

 

[Ponypoor]

So sorry... but I'm really really bummed today... found out a good friend passed away. He had been President of the Union Rescue Mission on skid row in the '90's... but more than that... he was our neighbor one street away, his kids & mine were all in school together, did activities together, & ultimately he officiated at my DD's wedding & his DD was her bridesmaid. He was the sweetest gentlest human being I'd ever known. So so hard to lose a beautiful family friend

c.1999
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I'm bummed... reflections of some other dear friends we've also lost...
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It’s hard to lose our beloveds - but it lovely to think about them.

Sending a huge bear hug your way


(Ps - beautiful photos of bride and chooks)