Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

It has taken me all day to catch up.
Last night (maybe 4:45) when I got home from work Lumi had once again gone on a trip to the neighbors. Good news though! First we have new neighbors, the house finally sold. Second they laughed and were thrilled to see her pecking about, they are considering chickens of their own.

After escorting Lumi home I did a quick coop check on my way inside. I have been checking the nest boxes once or twice a week for awhile now. Cassia has laid her first egg! And second egg too

They have freckles!
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So excited to have our own eggs again. Last egg was Rosie's back in early October.

Those eggs are super pretty! Love the spots

 

[Ponypoor]

It has taken me all day to catch up.
Last night (maybe 4:45) when I got home from work Lumi had once again gone on a trip to the neighbors. Good news though! First we have new neighbors, the house finally sold. Second they laughed and were thrilled to see her pecking about, they are considering chickens of their own.

After escorting Lumi home I did a quick coop check on my way inside. I have been checking the nest boxes once or twice a week for awhile now. Cassia has laid her first egg! And second egg too

They have freckles!
View attachment 4024221
So excited to have our own eggs again. Last egg was Rosie's back in early October.

I think it’s awesome that Lumi goes walk-about she is scenic-ing as I call it.

 

[bgmathteach]

And then there were 32.

Twirp has gone to join her bestie, Cuckoo, also due to reproduction issues. The last egg I saw from her was almost 2 years ago and was entirely shell-less....and hers were ALWAYS extra-large. Feeling blessed to have her as long as we did, but already missing my other primary banana lover and adventurous lady. First to breach the baby fence, first to go walk-about. Intolerant of hormonal idiots. Curious about everything. Rest in Peace independent lady.
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Every flock needs a couple of Twirps: independent, adventurous, steals your heart!

I hope you can find your heart that she stole.....and mend the holes she left.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Got a shot where you can just see Hazel. She’s sleeping in the nest box, all draped over the front. You can see her feathers reaching to the platform roost. @BY Bob @Ponypoor
I have a panel warmer going, it’s under the camera that took this shot.

This sustained wicked weather is making me rethink the big run tarp arrangement, the big run door location, and the coop location/orientation. About 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the big run has snow buildup, here below the camera is looking south, down the west / northwest side on the right.

That’s the man door on the right. I had hoed some of the snow under and pulled litter up this afternoon along the main pathways but left where the snow is a couple inches deep there on the side, no point!

The chickens hang out in the best area, the east side of the perpendicular run this one meets, to the left of this picture. That’s where more panel warmers are too, on timers. Also the door jam openings on the right, though covered by overlapping tarps, cardboard and even a piece of plywood on the outside with a 2x4 against it, are letting snow through somehow. Snow builds up behind everything!

Top picture again- Snow is blowing into the nest boxes through the vents above on the mostly exposed north side. Hazel has chosen the most protected least-snowy one. It’s got the coop run tarp extending over it. The tarp is set away from the vent a little to allow air, with the tarp opening facing south. I didn’t want to block off the vent. But now snow is getting back in, going back under the tarp due to some aeronautical going-around-corners and-back-the-way-it-came effect @featherhead007

The lake effect snow we’ve gotten is getting driven sideways by a strong north wind blowing at 22 miles per hour at least, with much bigger gusts. You can see snow buildup in the back of the middle nest box; the tarp doesn’t extend to there. The box further left has even more piled in the back.

We’re all waiting for this weather spell to end, chickens and humans. They spend their day by the warmers, the feeder and heated water dog bowl. It’s tough to do any run modifications, my fingers can’t take the extreme cold (the warmest it got today was 15F). I did stuff an old bed sheet up into the southern ventilation gap over the man door in a futile effort to stop backwards-driven snow.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Yep - and I do have a pair of heavy duty rubber gloves I use for ‘ice’ removal from the water pails trough etc. but they are cumbersome dealing with gripping things. Like hay bales, doors, wheelbarrow….

Tonight I grabber the handle on the outside of the door to pull it shut. Did I mention my hands were damp…. And it’s like -11c . Ouch.

Some thirsty Thursday pics for tax
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They are cute, but holy moly they are a lot of trouble.

I want to get them out in the Summer House during the day, I am thinking I will have to break down and get one of those heat lamps, I cringe at the though of using one. But it’s just so darn cold, and I dont want them stressed by the cold.

I am researching the use of them, I know lots of people use them, but I also know bad things happen also.

Anyone here ever use them?

Why can’t you use a brooder plate or mama heating pad set for their height? Or a panel heater?

 

[BY Bob]

I'm sorry but I missed the blurred pic ? Who's the neighbor?

Hattie and Aurora sleeping next to each other is very unusual to say the least.

 

[Ponypoor]

Why can’t you use a brooder plate or mama heating pad set for their height? Or a panel heater?

They have their mama to keep warm under. So they will be warm, but I want them out and about digging and scratching.

Right now when I have them out in the summer house they spend more time snuggled under mama, so mama and babies aren’t being active.

I have been letting them roam the feedroom where it’s warm but that’s not ideal. And Georgie keeps hopping/flapping up on my office chair and then hops up onto the chair back! The babies then freak out, she freaks out and tries to jump off the chair! So then I freak out.

I figured if I can put them in a small pen in the Summer House during the day full time and have a heat lamp for them, they can get exercise and be a bit warm. I have two sweeter heaters but my moulting and elderly ladies are using them.

It’s a pain in the derrière

 

[Ponypoor]

Got a shot where you can just see Hazel. She’s sleeping in the nest box, all draped over the front. You can see her feathers reaching to the platform roost. @BY Bob @Ponypoor
I have a panel warmer going, it’s under the camera that took this shot.
View attachment 4024200

This sustained wicked weather is making me rethink the big run tarp arrangement, the big run door location, and the coop location/orientation. About 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the big run has snow buildup, here below the camera is looking south, down the west / northwest side on the right.

That’s the man door on the right. I had hoed some of the snow under and pulled litter up this afternoon along the main pathways but left where the snow is a couple inches deep there on the side, no point!
View attachment 4024207
The chickens hang out in the best area, the east side of the perpendicular run this one meets, to the left of this picture. That’s where more panel warmers are too, on timers. Also the door jam openings on the right, though covered by overlapping tarps, cardboard and even a piece of plywood on the outside with a 2x4 against it, are letting snow through somehow. Snow builds up behind everything!

Top picture again- Snow is blowing into the nest boxes through the vents above on the mostly exposed north side. Hazel has chosen the most protected least-snowy one. It’s got the coop run tarp extending over it. The tarp is set away from the vent a little to allow air, with the tarp opening facing south. I didn’t want to block off the vent. But now snow is getting back in, going back under the tarp due to some aeronautical going-around-corners and-back-the-way-it-came effect @featherhead007

The lake effect snow we’ve gotten is getting driven sideways by a strong north wind blowing at 22 miles per hour at least, with much bigger gusts. You can see snow buildup in the back of the middle nest box; the tarp doesn’t extend to there. The box further left has even more piled in the back.

We’re all waiting for this weather spell to end, chickens and humans. They spend their day by the warmers, the feeder and heated water dog bowl. It’s tough to do any run modifications, my fingers can’t take the extreme cold (the warmest it got today was 15F). I did stuff an old bed sheet up into the southern ventilation gap over the man door in a futile effort to stop backwards-driven snow.

There is a special mesh material the is used on steel roofing to put under the ridge cap to prevent snow from getting in but allows air flow. Can’t remember the name but if you go to any hardware store they will know what it is.

I actually need to put this in my barn ridge cap, the snow blows in there all the time…..

I bet it would work for you.

 

[lightm]

Two-fer Tuesday.
Agathae and Gaby. Despite her small size, Agathae is a expert at teaching Gaby a lesson.
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I love Gaby's hackle feathers!

 

[BY Bob]

Hazel sleeps like that too, spilling her breast feathers over the nest box edge. Maybe part of their crop is on the edge, maybe they like the support or something. If I can get a picture I will, usually the Spuds are right near her blocking the camera.

That is how Hattie sleeps every night. Crop over the lip.