Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

My take on this is that yes there’s been a ton of non-chicken posts of chat without tax. Not all @featherhead007 ’s doing by any means, far from it. I spent several sessions during the day trying to catch up yesterday and made zero headway. 20 pages behind, ended at 25 pages behind, and at one point I was 30 pages behind. I am sad we’ve lost some participants because of it, and I’ve gone to their threads at points to visit.

It’s Bob’s thread. Since I’m behind maybe this is decided already…I would prefer mostly chicken-oriented posts and way less than 20 pages a day to read. There are other threads on BYC for daily random chats and small talk about whatever. I think some people split their time between several threads for these reasons, so you can get what you want. As a community on this thread I get that it’s important to relate to each other as humans, going through human stuff, and I’m okay with some of that. BUT can we keep it to the big, major stuff in that regard though?

I’m not clear which is better multi-quote or not, but here I’ll try to keep this on one post.




Their Servant filming them had everyone on their best behavior, I suspect. Nonetheless it is a great little group @Lilion !

It is indeed a massive thread. Perhaps a off topic offshoot? Idk just a thought to ponder. I feel like I am to new to have an opinion.
Edit to add tax:
Biscotti

 

[GregnLety]

With my job being on call and working several days and sometimes weeks straight I took Kelly's advice. I jumped to the end and read backwards. I do miss lots but stay kind of current. It was a busy weekend here with the tree service cutting and trimming, the building of the brooder and other honey do's. I do miss yall and try to pop in as often as possible. I hope everyone has a great afternoon

 

[BY Bob]

Actually, for us who work fulltime and have part time jobs, it is almost impossible to keep up when there are lots of random posts, and that has made a number of long-time thread participants leave.

It is sad, and I miss them, pics of their flocks, and their wisdom!

Off topic tax: (and missing my chance to eat lunch tax!)

Some jailbirds
View attachment 3405987

My loving couple, Sampson and Delilah (she is laying 4 eggs a week or so (lays 2 days, takes a day off!)

I'm a bit concerned because they are only supposed to lay about 30 eggs a year. At this pace, she will be done laying before it is nice enough to brood! I would love it if she sat and hatched a few.
View attachment 3405988

Miss Gimpy Girl:
(The only way I can tell it is her is if I pick her up and feel her thigh/drumstick bone for the tell-tale thickening where the bone mended!!!! No discernable limp! I was so lucky with her! )
View attachment 3406033

And, last but not least: Miss Crop GirlView attachment 3406002

Such medical marvels in your tribe. It is amazing what you have achieved. You should be proud of yourself.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Weather has been really warm but temperatures begin to plummet next week.

Continuing with Tony.
Tony: Me and Parmesan just don't get along. My owner really wants us to get along but I keep pecking her, trying to draw blood. Mozzarella also gets the same treatment. I have to show Grandma respect because she is older than me. I only pecked her face once but that was to show love.

You should see me in a bowtie. Or a regular tie.

Weather has been updated and now here's the temperature.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks Bob, it was a group effort. I had Lety helping out so we could teach her some tool safety and basic carpentry. Thankfully she has accepted the importance of ventilation so we didn't argue about it at all. I hope she learned that due to the weight of OSB it should be a last resort for material. We explained that due to the weight we had to build on the desired location.

Materials used always force decisions on location and orientation. It is excellent that you are using this as a learning event. It is important to know how to use tools safely. I highly endorse this.

 

[BY Bob]

It is indeed a massive thread. Perhaps a off topic offshoot? Idk just a thought to ponder. I feel like I am to new to have an opinion.
Edit to add tax:
Biscotti
View attachment 3406056

Any reason to see Biscotti!

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 3405916
Weather has been really warm but temperatures begin to plummet next week.
View attachment 3405917
Continuing with Tony.
Tony: Me and Parmesan just don't get along. My owner really wants us to get along but I keep pecking her, trying to draw blood. Mozzarella also gets the same treatment. I have to show Grandma respect because she is older than me. I only pecked her face once but that was to show love.
View attachment 3405920
You should see me in a bowtie. Or a regular tie.
View attachment 3406148
Weather has been updated and now here's the temperature.
View attachment 3406145

Tony is adorable!

 

[Lilion]

I was wondering why not as much posting as we usually do. Its to quiet and I have nothing to read.
Please post during your day. The rest can catch up later it doesnt take that long.

Gosh, I thought THIS was busy!!! Cant imagine keeping up with more. Like so many, I have a full time job. I try to catch up and really, I skip most non-chicken posts since I mostly lurk and well, I don't know anyone really, so personal stuff feels a bit...personal.

Their Servant filming them had everyone on their best behavior, I suspect. Nonetheless it is a great little group @Lilion !

LOL! You mean it's possible to tell a chicken what to do? I'm flattered by all the compliments to my cluckers.

Went to visit the chickens and took them some left over potato salad. They like my cooking better than i do. Got my two morning eggs today and was surprised to find that the girls didn't lay on the golf balls, but made a new nest off to the side! Still where I want it, just opposite side of the box, which is big enough to make two boxes if I wanted. Yesterday I noticed they'd moved the balls off to the side of the nest, instead of laying right there with them. Are the balls not fooling anyone, I wonder?

Should I leave eggs longer than I do? How long can you leave a fertile egg in the nest? No one's broody...which is good. I have picked them up still warm at times. I don't want them to change spots because they feel the nest box isn't "safe". Advice anyone?

 

[Ponypoor]

I would love to hear his lil crow! Good morning and have a good day at work.

Here are Mr P and Penelope my old girl (who can crow really well!), sharing a duet:

As promised, pics of the brooder. I plan on putting a metal roof and adding more ventilation. View attachment 3405889

View attachment 3405897View attachment 3405898

Wow they sure don't take long to grow up do they? Is that Naked Neck you have there?

I am but I made it a point not to get close to them. Saving that for my silkies when they hatch

FYI - Silkie Roos - you won't know if it's a pullet or Roo until they either crow or lay an egg! So you will have them for around 6 months before you know!

Maybe, if you need more reading, you could join multiple threads - that way each thread remains manageable for most of us, but you still get lots of posts between all the threads, so you are happy as well? I already spend far too much time on this thread...and as the daylight increases, will have less time - unless I want to ignore my own chickens, which I don't.

I don't have time to truly catch up - I do a search for people who I know have important items happening IE: chicks, questions about coops, etc...

Went and collected a few eggs. Found one behind a box on the ground. I was wondering why not as much posting as we usually do. Its to quiet and I have nothing to read.
Please post during your day. The rest can catch up later it doesnt take that long.

Actually takes me an hour and a half in the evening to catch up, I am up at 4:30am, work a 12hr day (6 days a week), come home around 6pm, cook supper (when the camp has nothing I want which is most days), then shower and jump into bed by 8pm - many times I am reading in bed to catch up Mostly I am just skimming not truly reading - looking at the photos

Good morning everyone.

I know it will not last but it feels like springtime outside. Have a dr appointment later but I just did something that feels like ages since I've done it. I took my new chicken mug and went straight out to the back steps to have my morning coffee. No coat or sweatshirt needed, barefoot and still in pj's. I was rewarded with the entire flock coming to say good morning. Momma Hen even came and sat on the bottom step with her brood. Yes it lead to toes being peck by curious chicks but I do not care. This time around she has let me get closer to her chicks far earlier then ever before. At night I am even able to pet them, while they are under her and she is not even growling anymore or trying to peck my eye's out. This change in behavior almost has me worried that hen is sick. She is not though because during the daytime she can bring them to me, but I must not reach out to touch, the old Momma returns. Chiquita and the marshmallows were off dustbathing just outside of Dirt's stall. I stayed outside for a hour and all the built up stress from the past few weeks of Rosie being sick and grandma nagging melted away. I needed that this morning. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Oh Bliss! I could feel it here as you were describing it thanks! I also needed that break! I can't wait to get home this time around - thanks for that lovely little break with the chickies

Mystery Solved

I thought I would go back and close the loop. The mysterious egg in this photo........

View attachment 3405963

Spoiler: Answer Revealed

Belonged to Phyllis. It was not a fake egg.

Thanks for clearing it up! I actually did think it was a fake egg

And finally here is a Lynx out here on the project, chowing down on a deer.

 

[bgmathteach]

Gosh, I thought THIS was busy!!! Cant imagine keeping up with more. Like so many, I have a full time job. I try to catch up and really, I skip most non-chicken posts since I mostly lurk and well, I don't know anyone really, so personal stuff feels a bit...personal.. Agreed. Some of us feel like we are old friends though, so while it is still personal, having the major updates doesn't feel quite as weird!

Went to visit the chickens and took them some left over potato salad. They like my cooking better than i do. Got my two morning eggs today and was surprised to find that the girls didn't lay on the golf balls, but made a new nest off to the side! Still where I want it, just opposite side of the box, which is big enough to make two boxes if I wanted. Yesterday I noticed they'd moved the balls off to the side of the nest, instead of laying right there with them. Are the balls not fooling anyone, I wonder?. It isn't so much fooling them as letting them know it is a safe place to lay.

Should I leave eggs longer than I do? How long can you leave a fertile egg in the nest? No one's broody...which is good. I have picked them up still warm at times. I don't want them to change spots because they feel the nest box isn't "safe". Advice anyone? As long as they won't freeze, they can be left for a while. I collect everyday, but as long as they won't freeze and the temp stays below 70 ish in the summer - they can stay for a few days to a week -especially if your goal is to get them to think that is a good spot to lay. Once that has been accomplished, collecting at the end of the day is a god practice. Others may feel differently, but as long as eggs aren't washed, the bloom protects them and they will keep unrefrigerated for a few weeks.