Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

Thanks for putting it into perspective. I tell myself at least I am not as sick as with Covid!

More whining tax owed
Dorothy
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This is a beautiful portrait of her. Looks like a painting! Great pose & expression. A very grand lady.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Thirsty Thursday
Diana went for the wild water again.

Nice slo-mo!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Mom thinks it is because of the way I was walking that I was scaring them. She is like, you really cant stand up straight and you have a walking stick. They are used to you walking right up to them. As hurt as I am over Branch, I cannot blame him. Mom never really tries to catch him, and he has always made Rosie work to catch him. I am the only one who can walk straight to him and pick him up. It sucks though that he would not even come and get a treat out of my hand.

They have to adjust to how you are holding your body, remember body language means so much to them! That was the very first time they’ve seen you behaving differently. I could see the Buckeyes noticing the difference with me and my walker after my hip operation, looking at me limp around plus eyeing this new rattling contraption. Then later when I could be closer and work with them I had a walking stick and that’s like I grew a third leg or something. They’ll soon get used to you in your new way.

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm so very very sorry you are not feeling well.

Thanks Bob I appreciate it.

Ya know I can go years and not be sick but this year twice

Ok well I will tell myself ‘suck it up buttercup’ and just put up with it.

Suck it up tax

For a minute there I really couldn’t figure out about Mr P… then I realized it’s Curly and Mr P looking like some weird mutant chicken! Wee Marty better not catch her messing with her man

Now why would Curly go roosting on an Over 5’ high roost and freak me out???

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

The Real Shake-n-Bake Chicken

Just checked your caption out. I love it.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Hoo, 200 messages and most of them were on this thread. My 201st message calls it a day and I will go to bed now.

 

[Ponypoor]

They have to adjust to how you are holding your body, remember body language means so much to them! That was the very first time they’ve seen you behaving differently. I could see the Buckeyes noticing the difference with me and my walker after my hip operation, looking at me limp around plus eyeing this new rattling contraption. Then later when I could be closer and work with them I had a walking stick and that’s like I grew a third leg or something. They’ll soon get used to you in your new way.

This is so true. My horse know when I have a migraine and they want to crowd around me for some reason. Probably to trample me hahaha.

When I twist my back and hobble around the chickens are Leary of me.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hoo, 200 messages and most of them were on this thread. My 201st message calls it a day and I will go to bed now.

Good night sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite

Were does that old saying come from I wonder??

 

[Ponypoor]

Jaffar is angry at me. I didn’t share my pizza with him tonight, he’s already got a full crop and I don’t want to give heartburn !

I would eat pizza if I had a desire to

Maybe some more toast and watered down apple juice,..

Juicy tax
BFTP

Remember this find bet I find more when I get home

And of course the handsome lad

 

[knoturavggrl]

Ask Aurora
Today's question comes from @micstrachan Buttercup.

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Dear Aurora,

I really think I should be top hen. I mean, I’m the biggest and I’m the only one here with feathered feet! But that Bridge is just not having it. I swear sometimes she scares me with her dirty looks so much I shudder! Even though I’m bigger, I cannot challenge her. All the other hens look up to her. Why can’t they see my potential? Is there anything I can do to take her seat? Here’s a picture of me on the top roost in the upper level of the coop. Of course Bridge kicked me off. Please help.

Frustrated,

Buttercup



Dear Buttercup,

You are not alone. Around the world there are billions of chickens that feel like you do. They all think they should be in charge. Of all those billions, only a handful actually take action and determine their own destiny.

Buttercup, are you prepared to make your own destiny?

This is serious question because what you are about to do is difficult. It requires a commitment to purpose that very few hens have.

It is hard and it will take time. Ask yourself, is this how you want to spend your time?

It will cost you friends. Be certain that you are prepared to jettison those friends that would hold you back from reaching your own destiny.

Only if you are truly committed should you start down the path I am about to place you upon. Many hens start down the path and give up. The cost is too high they say. Many in your position chose to just wait out the death of the hen in front of them and then assume the mantle of authority through attrition. That is a strategy.

It’s a mamby pamby strategy but it can work.

Are you Hen enough to chart your own destiny?

If your answer is yes, them it is time to start fomenting a little revolution. And I am just the guide for whom you are looking.

A famous human named Thomas Jefferson once wrote that “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing”. The same holds true in the chicken world as in the human world. You have to believe that fresh leadership is needed at the top in your tribe and that leader is you. They will all be better off if you are in charge. A Coup d'état is what you will need.

Now that is a French phrase. It is not talking about a chicken coop where you sleep. It literally means “stroke of state”. Oh bother, perhaps I should have used a business term like “Hostile Takeover”. You need to seize the reigns of power without permission.

Another very smart human named Che Guevara once said “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” He was of course correct and this advice too carries into the chicken world. You are not going to wait for Bridge to get ripe and fall. You are going to make her fall.

So how do you make her fall?

Whatever you do, don’t announce your intentions. Subtlety is the key here. You need to start eroding everyone’s confidence in her but you don’t want it to seem like it is always coming from you. You need to get others to start the conversation. Have side discussions with some of the “less aware” members of your tribe. Give them juicy bits that they can then share in group settings. Remember, this is a long game. Be patient and seed your fellow hens with discontent.

You need to get everyone good and disgruntled. Once you have everyone there it is time to act.

Another smart human, Winston Churchill, once said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. What you are looking for is a good crisis. It really doesn’t have to be anything big but bigger is better. Of course, you can always invent one if you need to. It doesn’t matter what the crisis is the important thing is that Bridge seems to be incompetent and you seem to have all of the answers.

Once the crisis is underway, then it becomes a matter of how Bridge reacts. Will she bow to the desires of the tribe for you, the perfect leader with the right answers, to lead them or will she fight.

Yes, it could still come down to a fight. That is “The way of the Chicken” after all.

Hopefully you are working out and getting stronger this whole time. Hone those fighting skills when no one is looking so you are ready. Practice jumping and kicking. You must be at your best when the moment arrives.

What you have done with all this subtle work is assure that no one will help her; she is on her own now. Of course, she could, as Hattie did here, just step away and concede to your rule. Should she step aside, do not be magnanimous. You must consistently remind her that you are her better. Do not forget this part. Otherwise, you may find her plotting your downfall with everyone else. In fact, be certain to remind everyone that there would be a very high cost for betraying you. Peck them at every opportunity. Yank them off the roost for no reason. They never were your friends and surely are not once you become leader.

As a leader FEAR is everything.

If everyone was afraid of Bridge then your plan would have no chance.

Remember that.

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This was a hilarious read! Well done and well said Aurora.

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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Both my Welsummers are super inquisitive and the first to run out the door for some supervised free range time. Clever little troublemakers

She did it! Speedy laid an egg!


It wasn’t as dark as I expected, and no speckles. I know first eggs aren’t always a good indicator of color, hopefully they end up a little darker. But I love her even if they don’t.

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Congratulations

Worst Weather
Today is an example of the worst weather we get. It's not blizzards. It's not hurricanes.

it's ice.

It iced all night and is still freezing rain at this moment. I went out just before lunch time to feed and water the chickens. They were hanging out under their coop nice and dry.

While i was out there I her a huge crack and down came one of the truncated l trunks of the birch tree. Thankfully i got all that dead stuff trimmed and the roof replaced on the coop because down it came.

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The arrow shows where it broke off.

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Here are some more photos of the ice. Be sure to zoom in on them to see the details.

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Just down the street from us a pine tree was sagging below car height.

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I would rather 3 feet of snow to this stuff. Very dangerous. This is why I chose a development with underground wiring. Very little chance of a power outage. So far so good. We still have power.

Oh I have experienced this it is absolutely stunningly beautiful but so dangerous! I am very glad that tree caused no damage to your coop.