Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “if you can’t tell a sick chook from a well one, then you don’t know poop!”

 

[BY Bob]

Doing better yes, but still in the house (spoiled rotten bird)

I know how that goes.

 

[BY Bob]

Trying to post about the excavation & coop placement —

Before big coop attachment to run, big coop directly in view, little coop to the left, you can only see the run part.
View attachment 4241207
See the gravel "path" to the left of the striped cloth, that's the swale drain we put in to help divert the water coming off the hill and onto the barn, parking area & driveway. The big main run is between the drive and this and face west northwest. So this side here is very protected. Decided both coop runs are going to cross over it, I couldn't figure out any other way for now. The wind shelter that the main run offers is really good.

So I'm covering the gravel of the swale with pavers just where the coops cross it in an effort to help keep litter and run soil from getting in and clogging it.

Buckeyes’ end of the main run, pavers for coop partially done. This one is very wide to accommodate the predator skirt too, the coop run is up on the main run’s paver edge, and there’s a slope down to the swale. Complicated story but it helped with the main run leveling and base stability. So pavers are going under wherever the skirt isn’t flush to the ground.
View attachment 4241199

Big coop attached, & the closer area excavated for the little coop
View attachment 4241203
The opposite perspective, end of main run covered that day with what I had on hand because of the cold wind.
View attachment 4241217

Below, little coop attached, it's a good shot to see the whole arrangement. Five Buckeyes in the left big coop, four elders, Hazel & Orpingtons in the little coop on the right. The main run is divided in half with wire panels and a striped fabric piece for a visual block.
View attachment 4241202

I made a sort of dutch door arrangement with zip ties and coop run doors.

Below here’s another picture with Shehnai and Lizbel, shows the run divider reused coop doors (right) and the back external man door (bottom). This is before I put up the visual block on the divider, the fabric just hooks on and off for access. Without the visual block Hazel just goes and hides around their main run corner when she sees Shehnai, and he goes nuts to try to get to her.
View attachment 4241221

I figured out that with the long run divided here, including each coop's differently-sized runs, each group has the same square footage, 153 sq ft.

Yoga, Buckeye-style
View attachment 4241201

Preening fluff-outs
View attachment 4241200

I love the u shape of the setup. I think you have done an outstanding job of working with the land you had and the problem you needed to solve. That's just great work.

 

[Ponypoor]

Trying to post about the excavation & coop placement —

Before big coop attachment to run, big coop directly in view, little coop to the left, you can only see the run part.
View attachment 4241207
See the gravel "path" to the left of the striped cloth, that's the swale drain we put in to help divert the water coming off the hill and onto the barn, parking area & driveway. The big main run is between the drive and this and face west northwest. So this side here is very protected. Decided both coop runs are going to cross over it, I couldn't figure out any other way for now. The wind shelter that the main run offers is really good.

So I'm covering the gravel of the swale with pavers just where the coops cross it in an effort to help keep litter and run soil from getting in and clogging it.

Buckeyes’ end of the main run, pavers for coop partially done. This one is very wide to accommodate the predator skirt too, the coop run is up on the main run’s paver edge, and there’s a slope down to the swale. Complicated story but it helped with the main run leveling and base stability. So pavers are going under wherever the skirt isn’t flush to the ground.
View attachment 4241199

Big coop attached, & the closer area excavated for the little coop
View attachment 4241203
The opposite perspective, end of main run covered that day with what I had on hand because of the cold wind.
View attachment 4241217

Below, little coop attached, it's a good shot to see the whole arrangement. Five Buckeyes in the left big coop, four elders, Hazel & Orpingtons in the little coop on the right. The main run is divided in half with wire panels and a striped fabric piece for a visual block.
View attachment 4241202

I made a sort of dutch door arrangement with zip ties and coop run doors.

Below here’s another picture with Shehnai and Lizbel, shows the run divider reused coop doors (right) and the back external man door (bottom). This is before I put up the visual block on the divider, the fabric just hooks on and off for access. Without the visual block Hazel just goes and hides around their main run corner when she sees Shehnai, and he goes nuts to try to get to her.
View attachment 4241221

I figured out that with the long run divided here, including each coop's differently-sized runs, each group has the same square footage, 153 sq ft.

Yoga, Buckeye-style
View attachment 4241201

Preening fluff-outs
View attachment 4241200

Good job!

Your trees look to be about were mine are re: leaf loss. It’s a wonderful playground in those leaves with the chooks - not sure what they are finding in there. More baby turtles likely!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I love the u shape of the setup. I think you have done an outstanding job of working with the land you had and the problem you needed to solve. That's just great work.

I took inspiration from your setup actually, & the ability to close it off in the middle when needed!

 

[Candiru09]

Yep, he’s a youngster.

Yeah he's only around 8 months old

 

[Candiru09]

You don't like being pooped on ?

One time my cornish just released all over my ENTIRE shoe
It took forever to clean

 

[Candiru09]

And I thought Sir Shirley was big at 10lbs!

She's probably near 17 pounds now
I can't even lift her up
She's like a bowling ball

 

[RoyalChick]

Trying to post about the excavation & coop placement —

Before big coop attachment to run, big coop directly in view, little coop to the left, you can only see the run part.
View attachment 4241207
See the gravel "path" to the left of the striped cloth, that's the swale drain we put in to help divert the water coming off the hill and onto the barn, parking area & driveway. The big main run is between the drive and this and face west northwest. So this side here is very protected. Decided both coop runs are going to cross over it, I couldn't figure out any other way for now. The wind shelter that the main run offers is really good.

So I'm covering the gravel of the swale with pavers just where the coops cross it in an effort to help keep litter and run soil from getting in and clogging it.

Buckeyes’ end of the main run, pavers for coop partially done. This one is very wide to accommodate the predator skirt too, the coop run is up on the main run’s paver edge, and there’s a slope down to the swale. Complicated story but it helped with the main run leveling and base stability. So pavers are going under wherever the skirt isn’t flush to the ground.
View attachment 4241199

Big coop attached, & the closer area excavated for the little coop
View attachment 4241203
The opposite perspective, end of main run covered that day with what I had on hand because of the cold wind.
View attachment 4241217

Below, little coop attached, it's a good shot to see the whole arrangement. Five Buckeyes in the left big coop, four elders, Hazel & Orpingtons in the little coop on the right. The main run is divided in half with wire panels and a striped fabric piece for a visual block.
View attachment 4241202

I made a sort of dutch door arrangement with zip ties and coop run doors.

Below here’s another picture with Shehnai and Lizbel, shows the run divider reused coop doors (right) and the back external man door (bottom). This is before I put up the visual block on the divider, the fabric just hooks on and off for access. Without the visual block Hazel just goes and hides around their main run corner when she sees Shehnai, and he goes nuts to try to get to her.
View attachment 4241221

I figured out that with the long run divided here, including each coop's differently-sized runs, each group has the same square footage, 153 sq ft.

Yoga, Buckeye-style
View attachment 4241201

Preening fluff-outs
View attachment 4241200

The visual block curtain is a really good idea.

 

[RoyalChick]

I love the u shape of the setup. I think you have done an outstanding job of working with the land you had and the problem you needed to solve. That's just great work.

I agree. @ChicoryBlue you have created a really great set up for them.
Now that I am back I need to turn my mind to how to create some more vertical places for scared little hens to escape from Mr. Chips for when he grows out of his tiny peep-peep stage. At the moment almost everyone bosses him around but he is growing fast!