Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ValarieF]

 

[BY Bob]

Ya gotta love that Orpington fluff!

It surely is impressive.

 

[BY Bob]

Bob will be complaining about this one!

 

[BY Bob]

I hope it's not offensive to say that I think the boy on that photo has the same look as you do now, the eyes of someone with dreams.

I hope these turn out to resolve as best as possible .

MONDAY MISTERY : Who stole my old marked eggs ?
I need some educated opinions. My three pullets lay in an old barn above our house and I leave an old egg in the nest marked so I can recognize it, otherwise they switch nest. They have two nests, each with an old egg. This morning, both eggs had vanished ! No trace of broken shell anywhere in the barn, no visible animal tracks. We leave a hole open for our cats in the night so anything that can get through it could have stolen the eggs. But do any of you have a clue on what animal would take them away and not eat them on spot ?
We don't have racoons or bobcats but other wise pretty much of anything that can be found in European rural land!
Anyway I wish it luck if it tried eating the three months old eggs.

Gaston's face for a mug and tax. Doesn't he looks kind ?
View attachment 3416978

Rats. I had a rat try to steal a ceramic egg and eat it elsewhere. They need to get out of the nest so they don't get attacked if caught.

 

[BY Bob]

I hope it's not offensive to say that I think the boy on that photo has the same look as you do now, the eyes of someone with dreams.

I'm not offended. No one has ever told me that before. Thanks for feeling comfortable enough to tell me.

 

[BY Bob]

I get to skip school on Wednesday because I have a Poultry Evalulation competition for my FFA!! No school!

That's excellent. Make good use of the time.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Clever idea. I like it!

Hey great idea! Thanks!

That looks like a great idea. The only down side I can think of to this set-up is that since the electric netting doesn't go all the way to the ground, it would be easier for a digging predator to dig under the fence without getting zapped. Otherwise, this looks like a very cool solution!

Most of the electric nets have a bottom wire that is not live.
The trick (so I have been told) is to bait the fence with something like bacon fat or peanut butter on a piece of foil so that the predators get zapped in their nose and don’t come back. It is basically training the predators to avoid the fence.

The digging wouldn’t be an issue I think because of the compact shale, but good to keep in mind. What has really stalled things here is the great thought from @3KillerBs when I started a thread elsewhere on BYC for this - that it raises the fence and the hot wires and a small predator would not ground the fence if it hops up on the board or the stone so not touching the ground. Weasels and possibly fishers are my concern here.

To continue with the idea and an electric fence probably requires a pos/neg fence, or a pos/neg couple of wires strung along there at ground level?

I haven’t done thorough research but I don’t think Premier One sells any poultry netting that is pos/neg, with small bottom openings for small predators. That stuff is usually for larger ones like coyotes, dogs, fox, maybe raccoon.

Single strands I know very little about, I could probably run one without having to pound too many ground so to the shale? Am thinking of about 100 feet or less. This requires lots more research so if anyone can point me in the right direction I appreciate it.


A favorite picture from this winter

 

[RoyalChick]

The digging wouldn’t be an issue I think because of the compact shale, but good to keep in mind. What has really stalled things here is the great thought from @3KillerBs when I started a thread elsewhere on BYC for this - that it raises the fence and the hot wires and a small predator would not ground the fence if it hops up on the board or the stone so not touching the ground. Weasels and possibly fishers are my concern here.

To continue with the idea and an electric fence probably requires a pos/neg fence, or a pos/neg couple of wires strung along there at ground level?

I haven’t done thorough research but I don’t think Premier One sells any poultry netting that is pos/neg, with small bottom openings for small predators. That stuff is usually for larger ones like coyotes, dogs, fox, maybe raccoon.

Single strands I know very little about, I could probably run one without having to pound too many ground so to the shale? Am thinking of about 100 feet or less. This requires lots more research so if anyone can point me in the right direction I appreciate it.


A favorite picture from this winter
View attachment 3417023

Kencove certainly have pos neg poultry netting. I think Premier do too.

 

[bgmathteach]

It’s not silly if it works, so, did it work??? Poor hens, fool me once… Sammy once tried using a poopy towel I had in a brooder tote, he was actually surprisingly successful with it

Nope. The girls are onto his game. They will come to within about 5 feet to see what, if anything, he might have, then they walk away - because usually it isn't much worth eating!

 

[featherhead007]

Whiskey showing off his splendor amidst the post sardine huntView attachment 3416990Horus and Hector duplicating this in the background


Which is Thing's best side?View attachment 3416991View attachment 3416992

And Maizie coming up to demand more sardines, closely followed by Cuckoo and Pippa.View attachment 3416993

It’s a little early for that great shot of Whiskey, don’t you think?. (Just saying)