Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I was surprised at how much a very small cut on Gytha's comb bled. There wasn't blood everywhere but I expected to find something bigger with the amount of blood there was. It stopped quickly with paper towel and pressure. But the most stressful part was keeping the other girls from pecking at it. Had to pinch a couple necks a few times

Oh, and they tried to eat the alcohol wipes I cleaned her up with

And now you know why Mr P is locked away from the girls who think he is very yummy!

I bought this to try…

 

[Ponypoor]

Sorry Kelly, they sent me a picture of the rooster they have in custody. But sadly it wasn’t my Rudy

I am so sorry to hear this.

He was likely picked up by someone who knows a gorgeous Roo when they see one.

 

[RoyalChick]

Next stage of Arctic blast prep underway. Food moved into the hen house where the warm-up station will be. Have put some cardboard around to cover some of the bigger and lower ventilation areas.
Second umbrella is up.
Now I am worrying that the umbrellas will be too effective and cause condensation to drip onto the chickens roosting underneath.
It should be cold enough tonight for me to test that concern giving me a whole day to figure how to take them down if I need to. I am probably over-worrying as really only three chickens roost underneath the umbrellas so there can’t be that much moisture??
Still thinking about a third umbrella over on the other side where Pooh and Sylvie roost but not sure it is needed. That is at the top of the hill so the total height is lower anyway.
I will add some fresh dry bedding tomorrow night.

 

[Ponypoor]

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It's basically a luxury apartment at this point.

Good job!

 

[RoyalChick]

And now you know why Mr P is locked away from the girls who think he is very yummy!

I bought this to try…

View attachment 4030998

I hope it works. I hate seeing him all chewed up.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am awe-struck by how fast Calypso is growing her feathers. It is like she knows she will need them very soon. I swear she covered her back in the last 24 hours. I am feeling better and better about her chances even though the temperature forecast keeps dropping and she is still dropping feathers.
I will try and get pictures when I next go out. I gave them the last pumpkin and they are having a blast with it.

 

[BY Bob]

High Energy

Aster continues to enjoy the yard alone. Yesterday we had what i call a "False Thaw". A false thaw occurs when after weeks of freezing temperatures you get a day or two of temps in the low 40s. Maybe even s little rain. It thaws out the top 1/2 inch of soil. It's dangerous in that the thawed layer of soil will slide free and dump you on your butt if you are not careful.

Well we had a false thaw yesterday and Aster took advantage of it to destroy sections of the yard. My gosh the mud on her feet. She dug up everywhere except where the grass was and even dug some of that up. She was at the backdoor knocking for treats. (And got many) In general she explored the entire yard, mostly alone. When she was near the coop complex the others would come out with her but otherwise she was alone.

Here she is wandering alone.

Today the thaw continued. I was out moving the heating panel from the Cluckle Hut where no one sleeps to the main coop. We are looking at a big snow storm tomorrow and then single digit temps next week. I will be locking everyone in the main coop until the extreme cold passes and I thought they might like the second panel.

Here she is checking out what I was doing in the Cluckle Hut nest box.

 

[ManueB]

Sorry Kelly, they sent me a picture of the rooster they have in custody. But sadly it wasn’t my Rudy

I'm so sorry too. We all hoped you could get Rudy back !

Fluff from the other dayView attachment 4030626rather determined march she has going...

It's a nice picture, very evocative ! You could enter it in the caption contest, though to me it's more poetic than funny.

And now you know why Mr P is locked away from the girls who think he is very yummy!

I bought this to try…

View attachment 4030998

I'm beginning to have the same issue with Gaston. Silly Lilly is picking his butt and neck's new growing feathers and he's too nice to make her stop. She's the only one to do that up to now, some of the other hens preen him but they are a lot more gentle.
What's in that product ?

Next stage of Arctic blast prep underway. Food moved into the hen house where the warm-up station will be. Have put some cardboard around to cover some of the bigger and lower ventilation areas.
Second umbrella is up.
Now I am worrying that the umbrellas will be too effective and cause condensation to drip onto the chickens roosting underneath.
It should be cold enough tonight for me to test that concern giving me a whole day to figure how to take them down if I need to. I am probably over-worrying as really only three chickens roost underneath the umbrellas so there can’t be that much moisture??
Still thinking about a third umbrella over on the other side where Pooh and Sylvie roost but not sure it is needed. That is at the top of the hill so the total height is lower anyway.
I will add some fresh dry bedding tomorrow night.
View attachment 4031002

That is so Mary Poppins ...or our kitch cult musical movie, with Catherine Deneuve, "Les parapluies de Cherbourg"

I don't think condensation will be an issue as the umbrellas don't take enough space to completely stop evaporation.

About wrapping the roost, I had the opposite experience from many of you. I wrapped one of the roost with a yoga mat last year when Lilly first had her abscess on her keel bone. I left it for weeks. Not one hen would roost on it, except Merle, and later Karz reluctantly. But Lilly never even set a foot on it!
I wonder if I should try it again now she has her abscess flaring back.

How dare you wake us up on Caturday ?

Léa and Merle have laid respectively 15 and 17 eggs since they finished moulting and both are now demonstrating for a pronatalist chicken policy, even risking jail.

 

[BY Bob]

A Caturday Crier

With the snow, Éowyn can no longer get under the fence to re-enter the backyard. So she has resorted to crying underneath my office window to be let into the house.

 

[BY Bob]

I hope it works. I hate seeing him all chewed up.

Agreed.