Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Actually, I just heard a 'thing' on that. Colds/viruses (respiratory ones) actually are more effective at infecting in the cold because our nose cell linings are damaged by the cold (sorry, don't remember the temp that they said was the 'tipping point'), and so it is easier for them to gain a foothold into our systems.

again, I don't remember the temperature they said, but I do remember being shocked, as it wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be to have that effect!

Nose tax:
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Yes you are correct - the study was done to see how virus' infected the lining of the nose at the entrance where most of the virus' are trapped and destroyed. Here is the News article:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/scien...le-get-more-colds-and-flu-in-winter-1.6182625

And the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (if you like big fancy words )

https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(22)01423-3/fulltext

So long and short - keep you nose covered in the cold weather to make sure that the cold dry air doesn't kill off all the cells lining the nose, which help protect against viral infections. I am gonna wear my mask forever now! AND it keeps my cheeks and lips warm also hahaha! Just need to find a fancy dancy one with sparkles and pictures of chickens and ponies!

Techno Talk Tax

I count 12, but I know there are 13 - mum said one of the Grey Ladies hopped into a nest box under the view of the camera.

 

[Ponypoor]

I've been wanting snow for a while now because I want to enter the Winter on the Farm contest and I can't do that without snow! I mean, imagine taking a picture of your chickens on depressed looking grass and trees with no leaves... represents winter but snow increases chances of winning. I'd do the Chilly Coop contest but the coop is not a coop... it's a shed that used to hold the lawnmower...

I know what you mean - snow makes everything look lovely. Even a shed can look amazing with some snow on it !

 

[Ponypoor]

You're in rare form Keep them coming! Laughing (ok more like giggling as I can't laugh too much) makes me feel better!

 

[Ponypoor]

If it is used as a coop, then it IS A COOP. There are all kinds of coops out there. Again, it if is home to chickens, ducks, 'poultry', it is a coop. Enter the Chilly coop contest! The worst that will happen is that you don't win...and you won't win if you don't enter...so no different than that!!!

Oy vey, I am really hitting the tax 'jackpot' tonight! Won't I ever learn to not respond - so I can avoid taxes????

Chicken jail, ha ha ha.
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Escape artist, notice she is the ONLY one on the wrong side of the fence? She always watches for when I flip up the top to give them more food and water - and strategically plots her flight path to avoid my 'grabbing hand' trying to catch her and keep her in!
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She's lovely

I like how she photo-bombed that first photo hahaha!

 

[Ponypoor]

Is she a Welsummer? She looks like my Rosa who is a trickster too! Rosa used to have nice yellow legs like your girl, but they seem to have faded over the years.
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Look at those wattles and comb - love the feathers also

 

[Ponypoor]

Amen to that! My chickens’ coop is a refurbished redwood playhouse! You can see it behind Dorothy here. (It has way more ventilation than appears in the photo.)

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That looks like an awesome coop - you should give up a tour of it someday so I can get some ideas for mine.

Hi pretty girl - look at your comb nad wattles - gorgeous

 

[Ponypoor]

Hello RC - you're up late/early

I am heading back to bed - check in later in the morning

 

[RoyalChick]

Flu

Not as bad as when I had Covid but I feel like

And I just had a sip of apple juice and you would think it was battery acid on my sore throat !!! I am bound and determined to drink that juice tho! Might mix with water

I just got up to take some cough medicine. The good stuff your Dr prescribes.

Wanted to check my chickies but the network here sucks - everyone is online at this time of night. We r trying to get them to increase the bandwidth but it’s a battle. I might just get a new internet plan with a turbo hub with Bell and bring it out here.

Or maybe try to get hooked up with one of the guys here who has StarLink. I asked him if I could use a wireless bridge from his wellsite to mine. He said yes. I just need to see where his trailer is - then I will order a bridge if I have a line of sight.

Ok I am tired again have good night Alex give Jaffar a mealie worm from me

Gargle with soluble aspirin. It does wonders for the sore throat phase.
I am past that phase and at the interminable cough stage.

 

[RoyalChick]

You can also put plastic up to your windows, I do that in the house with our big patio slider out back. I put plastic on the outside to keep drafts out, you can also put it inside (I have done this in my room where my north facing window it. It helps with condensation and drafts!

I use bubble wrap on the windows of the mud room.
Best way is to have it inside and bubbles facing the glass.
If you spritz the window with water the bubble wrap will stick to the window on its own.
It actually works quite well as an insulator - worth a couple of degrees in my mud room. And it still lets in the light.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hello RC - you're up late/early

I am heading back to bed - check in later in the morning

I am a mess. I wake up in the night coughing. So then by 4pm I am exhausted and need to nap. Then I wake up even earlier.
My cats think it is too early for me to disturb thm so I am in bed looking at BYC and listening to the snoring cats that have me pinned in the bed.
They are toasty warm on my back and feet.
I took a tumble yesterday and one of them is warming my aching shoulder.