Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

“Hi, I’m Coco, this is my bio. My manager said to keep it simple, so….
1. I prefer my meals eaten alone
2. I choose not to go out in public with any feathers out of place.
3. I’m not a brat, I call it being privileged!
4. Never touch my feet!
5. Refer to #4 !
6. I’m not a cheap date, so be prepared to fork over the
7. I love hot looking roosters, and men who aren’t afraid to cry!

 

[featherhead007]

All closed up before 5pm. Gray, overcast, still spitting random flakes. Not sure if it's the pumpkin in the coop or the gray day, but they were all in....Hector snuck out the door when I went in to shut the hatch. He had to consider whether to re-enter or not.View attachment 3300722

Hector, get in that coop!

 

[featherhead007]

Within the hour. Rosie needs her shower for school tomorrow. It will not be fun, she will need to be in a strangle hold to keep her in the tub.

Step the bath up a bit. Maybe some orange food coloring in the bath (make the dog into a pumpkin ) it’s Halloween season anyways. Then wash, rinse , repeat.

 

[BY Bob]

Operation Hawk Stop

So my plan is to use up all that old baling twine that is of no real use, I started by stringing it across the Rooster Run every couple of feet.

Tomorrow I will run it lengthwise down the run every foot or so making a grid work lattice which will deter any hawks from getting in.

What do you all think?

Before
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After with the twine across to run
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Do you know what kind of hawk it was? If it was a Cooper's Hawk that will make the swoop attack impossible but they could still land and dive through the openings you will have left. I think would discourage almost all other hawks. I love your determination and this is a pretty good plan!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Step the bath up a bit. Maybe some orange food coloring in the bath (make the dog into a pumpkin ) it’s Halloween season anyways. Then wash, rinse , repeat.

That is all I need, orange dyed bedding, no thank you. To tell you the truth I hate giving both my girls baths as much as they hate getting them. I have a golden retriever and a lab mix. They love water, outside. Mud puddles, the creek or river they are game to swim or roll. They act like they are dying and need animal control called when they have to take a bath. At least my golden Gracie will accept her fate once she is in the tub, she just gives you the sad tortured eyes the entire time. CeCe, she is coming out one way or another. She is also right at 100lbs of pure muscle hence the choke hold.

 

[BY Bob]

Good idea. I should get some of those pinwheels might scare the chickies though!

I had shed clothes as it warmed today and my outer pair of leggings blew off the fence onto the ‘minding their own business’ chickies hahahaha!

Wow! Can they jump, run, fly!!! Pinwheels might totally freak them out.

Pinwheels do not bother mine at all.

 

[BY Bob]

Such a lovely day today- didn’t get any kitty photos - Missy was irritated with me following her around hahaha.

So enjoy these instead

Misty
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Whiskers
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Curly (buttercup in the back)
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The gang hanging out
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Dorothy and her new shiny feathers
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Henny Penny and Fluffy
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My magnolia and oak trees looking lovely
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The Poplars all golden
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Oh and Reenie sharing her supper with the kiddos
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Dorothy is looking exceptionally shiny!

 

[BY Bob]

I was out, but I have a large flock, kind of broken up into 3 groups, and I can't be everywhere at once.....they cover about 2 1/2 acres. The fox came at the back/side most group while I was locking up the front most group (the very littles) (They sort of form a triangle - the coops of the 3 groups.) The littles are in a mobile tractor & run in the front yard, the main group in the back/side yard (to the side of but behind the house), then this group in the way side yard...again, they cover anywhere between 2 & 3 acres when they are out. The Geese and their 4 duck mates are in a mobile tractor & run between the back/side yard main coop& run, and the Way side yard mobile coop that has kind of become a permanent one with a temporary become permanent attached run. Honestly, I hadn't planned on me being so weak in late August and getting 30 littles (I have 28 as 2 were doa)...I personally think the mobile tractor & run is getting a bit small for them at this point....so I feel like I should let them free range a bit. And the others are used to free ranging and get upset when I don't let them. I didn't let anyone out today, and they yelled at me whenever they saw me. I feel like such a bad chicken mommy right now.

I have another permanent coop in process, but it isn't done yet. It is 10X4, and will be a double decker, ducks & geese on the bottom & chickens up top. This will be enough room, I think, for everyone for the winter, since the boys of the 'littles' won't be kept, but they are still way too small to go to freezer camp yet. I had planned on my main run being expanded by now, but I physically can't attach the auger to the tractor by myself, and my husband's parents have had numerous health issues, so he has spent a lot of weekends down there...so...no drilled post holes, so no expanded run. And this coop was going to be built in part of the expanded run, that will have a roof over it so there will be a little more run space that I won't have to shovel in the winter....so I didn't start building this coop until recently when I just got so frustrated at no movement on the run. It will be a pain to later build the roofed part of the run over the coop but I am just at my witts end at the moment....but I also can't be upset with hubby, either, as we really do need to take care of his parents...but them being 3.5 hours away means there is no splitting time on weekends between them and us....he is usually gone the whole weekend lately.

Sorry, I didn't mean to dump all this on you guys. I almost deleted everything...but sometimes I just want to cry. Then I think of people like @RoyalChick and @ValerieJ and @Kris5902 and I feel selfish thinking/feeling this way.

Selfish, feeling sorry for myself tax:

Some of my 'littles' enjoying the sun:View attachment 3299745View attachment 3299747

You should never feel you are being selfish sharing how you feel. Your feelings are as valid as anyone else's. You are going through a trauma. We are here to support you. Please kerp letting us know how you are dealing. Most if not all of us here have dealt with a tragic loss. Maybe we can help. But we can't help if you don't share.

 

[featherhead007]

That is all I need, orange dyed bedding, no thank you. To tell you the truth I hate giving both my girls baths as much as they hate getting them. I have a golden retriever and a lab mix. They love water, outside. Mud puddles, the creek or river they are game to swim or roll. They act like they are dying and need animal control called when they have to take a bath. At least my golden Gracie will accept her fate once she is in the tub, she just gives you the sad tortured eyes the entire time. CeCe, she is coming out one way or another. She is also right at 100lbs of pure muscle hence the choke hold.

Your golden Lab, is already orange, so you are 1/2 way there already! Come on it’s Halloween

 

[BY Bob]

I’m missing Chaco!