Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Sorry this isn't a chicken post.

I'm hoping to have a little advice on a mobile phone.
I only just got back from a wonderful time with my relatives. But I'll be back in here tomorrow.

I have to find a phone that's not going to cause so many problems. And one with a customer service.
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated

It would be hard to make a suggestion since you're in the UK and cellular providers would be way different than even here in Canada.

My suggestion is to talk with some people in your circle of friends and acquaintance's and see what works for them.


ring ring ring tax
BFTP - Curly 2022

 

[bgmathteach]

I haven’t seen an egg in weeks!

LOL I got a total of 7 eggs today! (remember, I have about 78 birds right now. If we are talking about female chickens....that number is approx. 55....and i haven't gotten more than 11 eggs in any one day for weeks and weeks. AND, there are only 4 young pullets that are too young START laying before we got so dark - so they will wait until Feb. The others are old enough they had started laying. But with the adults molting, and the sudden really really cold temps while they were coming out of their molt, I am only getting 4-6 doz. eggs a week.

They are killing me, considering last weekend I spent $468 on feed & bedding, and will need to pick up more of both next weekend! Though, to be fair, it will be more like $300-330, I did and extra big stock-up last weekend.

 

[Ponypoor]

New clown car

After taking feed into coop,

Caturday mugs a day late/early
View attachment 4269662

And Poor LarkView attachment 4269663looking like a rumpled, Rumpless Aracauna. I think she's the last to moult. Blurr is improving, but still growing feathers

I love listening to the all grumble and mumble

And I love the epic woodpile!

It worked!

I made a sort of booster seat for cookie out of a scrap cedar shingle and she is much more able to reach the food without working really hard to balance.
If she were just a few ounces heavier it would open wider, but I think this will do for now.

That's a good job well done! She sure looks like she enjoys her grub!

I haven’t seen an egg in weeks!

I was gifted with an even dozen yesterday; and 5 today... At the moment I am getting around 5 a day so the dozen was a surprise!

LOL I got a total of 7 eggs today! (remember, I have about 78 birds right now. If we are talking about female chickens....that number is approx. 55....and i haven't gotten more than 11 eggs in any one day for weeks and weeks. AND, there are only 4 young pullets that are too young START laying before we got so dark - so they will wait until Feb. The others are old enough they had started laying. But with the adults molting, and the sudden really really cold temps while they were coming out of their molt, I am only getting 4-6 doz. eggs a week.

They are killing me, considering last weekend I spent $468 on feed & bedding, and will need to pick up more of both next weekend! Though, to be fair, it will be more like $300-330, I did and extra big stock-up last weekend.

I am averaging around 3 dozen a week at the moment - not enough to pay for their keep but once the daylight hours increase and it gets warmer they will pick again. I am happy they are taking a break.

 

[rural mouse]

Well that should be fancy! do you think the red will be toned down a bit? or remain that rich chestnut colour?

The assorted shades of red and how they're made/affected is an area I haven't investigated. The max of my knowledge about red is that silver turns it white and Dom white and blue leave it alone.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Waterer report

They do dribble a bit when they drink.

So likely water buildup inside the above bucket bottom rim tripped the GFI, this was the waterer with ice around the plug.
Below, the new Buckeye's waterer, the nipple drips a little too.

Now one nipple on the OG Orpingtons' waterer needs replacing, or it was failing before and leaking a lot when used, thus the pool of water (the other waterer doesn't drop much).

That one does face the coldest side of the run, but the others haven't done this so I don't think it leaked more because of the power failure. The icicle was higher before the waterer got fully heated up.

Outtakes Corner

Not a bad view of her upper mouth

I would like a shot of the waterer, please! You're not the subject in this one!

Shehnai can you get her to move over please? No? She's doing important investigation work? I had no idea.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

In my state, we have a Community Aid, which is a thrift store and there are bins outside of certain stores that people can drop their stuff in that they no longer need or use. While the place does sell a plethora of clothing, they also sell household items (yes they had Christmas decor), especially signs. Even though there weren't a lot of signs and decor, there were some interesting signs I found that your local Michael's, Hobby Lobby or any arts and crafts store wouldn't have. But I will admit Michael's and Hobby Lobby have some interesting signs too. So here are a few signs that they had that I found quite funny with some context.
Mother unapproved

Now who could that be...

Why does the figure look angry?

Very true in this economy.

Any teachers out there?

Mind you, this was yesterday. And now for some chicken photos from the other day.

And this one from today. Parmesan is looking slightly worse.

And then the Pentatonix. Those beady eyes are hard at work... Sitting and standing, I mean. And staring when you walk in to their territory.

Here's a pair of evil eyes (well red eyes) from the other day. Well, they aren't that evil. @BY Bob, are the evil eyes (well red eyes) allowed much like the beady eyes?

 

[BY Bob]

My leghorns are mean. I don't plan on getting the breed again.

I hope their zombie daughters take after Riddick, who is a gentleroo View attachment 4268830
This muppet bites me any chance he gets. Hubby calls him Soup.

That had not been my experience with leghorns at all.

 

[Ponypoor]

In my state, we have a Community Aid, which is a thrift store and there are bins outside of certain stores that people can drop their stuff in that they no longer need or use. While the place does sell a plethora of clothing, they also sell household items (yes they had Christmas decor), especially signs. Even though there weren't a lot of signs and decor, there were some interesting signs I found that your local Michael's, Hobby Lobby or any arts and crafts store wouldn't have. But I will admit Michael's and Hobby Lobby have some interesting signs too. So here are a few signs that they had that I found quite funny with some context.
Mother unapproved
View attachment 4269859
Now who could that be...
View attachment 4269861
Why does the figure look angry?
View attachment 4269862
Very true in this economy.
View attachment 4269863
Any teachers out there?
View attachment 4269864
Mind you, this was yesterday. And now for some chicken photos from the other day.
View attachment 4269866
And this one from today. Parmesan is looking slightly worse.
View attachment 4269867
And then the Pentatonix. Those beady eyes are hard at work... Sitting and standing, I mean. And staring when you walk in to their territory.
View attachment 4269868
Here's a pair of evil eyes (well red eyes) from the other day. Well, they aren't that evil. @BY Bob, are the evil eyes (well red eyes) allowed much like the beady eyes?
View attachment 4269869

I love the eyes, they’re great!

Poor Parmesan- I have a few moulting like that, it looks like her pin feathers are coming in good though.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Some old posts I meant to reply to and never did, plus some recent ones.

Is your "roofing" material avian netting or chicken wire? It looks great! I'm impressed that you can keep the tension on it to minimize sagging.

It’s garden netting for animals. Getting it tight is a chore and has made some the post lean even with anchors and cabling to hold them.

Dust bath poll, what do you use?

The vet I consulted about Hazel's respiratory problems, bubbly eyes, etc wanted me to minimize sources of dust, as irritants to her eyes and lungs. So what’s a dust bath going to consist of that will be effective, but be low dust? I think she said construction sand but I’m not sure. I can email them.

There’s so much confusing information about sand on BYC and elsewhere. Different companies or outfits around here might sell different sands and call it different things. Washed sand? And is sand even an effective dust bath if there’s no fine clingy material?

I am tempted to put in there just the topsoil dirt/organic material gathered from the deciduous woods by us. No added wood ash, definitely no DE, no sulphur, etc.

The sand we have in our coop we get from a local aggregate plant and they call it Concrete sand. It’s a little courser with smaller pebbles still in it.
I also found it very frustrating when research and looking for sand. Different places use different names for the same thing. Ours is course enough to not make dust everywhere, but they still love dust bathing in it.

You found a Castor clone!View attachment 4219910

Also a Squeak clone!

He is not however what he was advertised as - a Speckled Suspect pullet!

I missed it if you ever said, did you contact Meyer’s to get a refund, since they offer a guarantee on sexed pullets? I think you are going to be very happy with him, but I know you spent a lot of time and money to go pick up those chicks.

I would love to learn more about your insulated waterers. I have one 5gallon bucket with horizontal nipples that stands on a metal warming plate governed by a Thermacube - so only comes on when temp gets close to freezing. The plate is only 30W, so less than a light bulb, but keeps that bucket liquid very well.
In addition I have hanging waterers that of course freeze, so I keep one inside and trade it out for the one outside 2-3 times a day when it is really cold.
I am wondering if an insulated waterer might reduce my trips back and forth trading out the frozen water.

I have a 10 gallon Igloo insulated water jug, with a Britetap replacing the water dispenser. I know the nipples themselves might freeze, but it has worked well so far keeping the water from freezing. And also keeps
it cool in the summer. We could
Put in some ice and the water would still be cool several days later even when we were 90-100 degrees every day.

You're like me... when we researched Wyandottes. It was a 50/50 split from owners about their Wyan temperaments so we crossed them off our personal list too. I mean, any breed can turn up a meany but there are other breeds we felt had more consistent reputations JMO.

None of my Wyandottes are mean. Except when they are broody, and then they are just “grumpy”. And Indigo was a great Mom.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

“Pony” Sunday

The goats are getting used to their new home and not as timid around us now. Dancer/GoGo (still deciding on her name). The white one, even jumps on us to beg for treats. Glad they will never be very big.