Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

The only way anyone gets pooped on, is when one of them decides to roost on that little wall I put up so that Marty wouldn't beat the crap out of everyone. That is usually her corner. But one of the Noirans has decided it's a great roost and anyone under her gets pooped on. Usually Holly as she is the one now roosting in there.

View attachment 4262556

The little alcove that wall creates is handy for Holly and the Noirans to all cram into, but then generally spread out after a while, and one hops up on the wall.... brat!

Last night Marty slept in the corner this side of the wall, reaping the benefits of Mr P's warmth and the Sweeter Heater.

I'll have to finish enclosing this small area today, the temps are slated to plummet tonight and stay cold the rest of the month.

I will need to put up the IR heater lamps for the main gang, they were all trying to fit under the Sweeter Heater yesterday.

Oh that is a helpful picture. Thanks. Your actual corner is quite spacious so they could shuffle around.

 

[Ponypoor]

Better than months of mud. I'm not asking for feet of the stuff but it's a welcome relief when we do get the odd day or two of snow. A bit more would be nice.

I've had to be really careful about letting the chicks out, even with mum, because there's been slippy thin mud and pools of standing water everywhere that would probably kill them if they fell in. I'd be far less worried about letting them out in snow.

Yes mud is miserable, and truth be told at least with snow you can move it around and shove it up in a pile. Mud not so much, my neighbour down the road and a bunch of horses, her place is very low and boggy, they make a miserable mess and the mud is miserable. With this freezing weather it is much better for the horses, the mud has frozen and they can get around easier.

Horses and cattle are plains/steppes animals, they are built for hot dry and cold dry climates. I see horses and cattle out west on the Prairies where it's -30C and they are standing in the sunshine snoozing no worries. As long as it isn't snowing or raining they are good. I rarely see run-in sheds for horses and cattle out there, but I do see 'walls' as fencing to use as a wind break. It's effective.

 

[Ponypoor]

Where would you suggest that go? Out of the window?!

Bit drastic....

What you need is Chicken Palace B to go with Chicken Palace A! Like I have a Hen House A & B!

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh that is a helpful picture. Thanks. Your actual corner is quite spacious so they could shuffle around.

Yes I think it is about 18" and the newest one I just put in (on the right there) is around 20".

Remember a few years ago? I took out my roosts and went with those ledges, the Silkies kept trying to get up really high (bad Marty and Curly!), and then there was Marty launching herself into the abyss at 2am...

I tore out everything and put in those ledges - love them, and really easy to clean poops - I do this daily takes about 5-ish minutes.
There are 4 nest boxes at the far end, but they only use the one to lay eggs in.

And this small section you can't see on the Barn camera its along the bottom of the photo above. There are a few nest boxes under that small section that no one uses.

Then I built Hen House B (HH-B) next to this one.

So it’s all spacious for everyone to shift around and find a spot.

Now today I take that darn door down! Tippy and Mr LC will need to roost somewhere else.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

@Ponypoor - I notice that your roosting shelves go around corners. Do you get hens roosting at 90° from each other and getting pooped on at night?
That is why I didn’t extend the under window roost to meet the main roost - there is a gap so nobody poops on someone nearby.

I’ll pipe up here…yes to the first and no, somehow they don’t end up with poop on them in the morning that I have found. Even though there is a height difference, too, in part of the Cube coop (the nest box which is open now, and the platform). Everyone in both coops routinely arrange themselves front to back and back to front next to each other, and also at 90 degrees like that. The other day Hazel, in the lower nestbox part, appeared to have her head nicely into the back fluff of somebody on the higher platform…..I figured it’s extra insulation for her head! She hadn’t tucked her head into her wing yet.

 

[RoyalChick]

Happy Pony Sunday people
Do not follow this raccoon’s lead!
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/vide...room-floor-after-drunken-rampage-in-virginia/

 

[featherhead007]

Good idea.
Like this one?
View attachment 4262542

Nobody likes to go around the corner because they seem to prefer being squished.
There is a small gap between the two so that someone who does decide to sleep around the corner can’t get pooped on all night.
I could go find a longer branch so the two roosts touch in the corner but I am not sure falling off is worse than being pooped on.
Cookie actually managed to stay roosted all night - clever girl!

Being pooped on is problematic! The normal (healthy poop), will roll right off of feathered backs, whereas unhealthy poops or cecal poops do not. They stick and can cause fly strike. Trust me I have worn every type of poop there is. I really know my poop!

 

[featherhead007]

Happy Pony Sunday people
Do not follow this raccoon’s lead!
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/vide...room-floor-after-drunken-rampage-in-virginia/

Those in Virginia are animals! They can’t hold their liquor !

 

[bgmathteach]

Missing lugnut tax:View attachment 4262185

Yes, you are missing 2 - there should be five, I thought - but only 3 'lug nuts' in the photo!

 

[featherhead007]

Does my heart good to see an alike breed toodling together

Oh, that’s what “toodling” means