Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Late today, an expedition outside for the junior jungle fowl
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The big grown ups out in the real world.

 

[Marie2020]

With that, I decided that I would confess to everyone that my chooks are nuts!
I take full and complete responsibility for the way they have grown up. I say this, because I’m also nuts. There’s no history of insanity in my family, until I got into the hobby of raising chickens. Now I’m the only one. I also believe that the demographics of my homestead is a major factor in my insanity. Everyone around here in this tiny town are just as crazy as I profess to be!

Well I just can't speak

 

[RoyalChick]

But wouldn't the dried milk take away the good bacteria?

No. It is like food for them. Just like the regular milk.

 

[Marie2020]

No. It is like food for them. Just like the regular milk.

When I was young I thought people my age knew almost everything. Well my friend you have most certainly proved my young thoughts wrong, over and over again.
Dried milk going in that jar tomorrow

 

[Marie2020]

Right, on with my night time stories and off to sleep for this old girl here.

 

[Marie2020]

Oh, I had a right go at netflix tonight I was fuming with them . Telling me i can't use my vpn. So I'm looking for another stream service. They are rubbish anyway

Tax

 

[ChicoryBlue]

But wouldn't the dried milk take away the good bacteria?

I wouldn't mind using that dried milk method in a pudding though.

No. Mix the powder into the liquid milk, it just adds milk solids, nothing bad for the yogurt creatures in there.

Additional tip is that it really helps to heat and then cool the milk mix before adding the culture. Slowly heat to 175-180F (79-82C) which will help set the proteins but is shy of denaturing them, then let it cool to less than 114F (45C), add the culture and let set however you do it, either with a heating pad, a warm off oven, or at room temperature.

That heating may or may not be enough to kill bacteria in your fresh milk, I don't know but I don't think so, hasn't that already been pasteurized? (Unless you're using truly raw milk?) Any bacteria that gets in pasteurized milk might not be what you want to culture anyway.....

You don't have to heat it but I thought that's what commercial yogurt makers do, and that's been key for great thick yogurt for me.

 

[Ponypoor]

Sigh, I am really missing Butter tonight. I did not realize just how much I depended on that hen and her peace keeping skills. Raven's chicks now know they need to roost in the coop. They want to, but those dang girls are evil to them. This evening Lilly was standing guard at the entrance and would peck them if they tried to run by her. I had to grab her behind and toss her on the roost so they could come in. They have been used to having the front roost to themselves as the girls had been until this evening content to stay on the back one. The chicks get on the roost, get settled and then Goose has to show herself. She flew to their roost and was aggressively pecking at them trying to run them off. I repeatedly put her on the back roost but she kept coming. I finally resorted to letting her on the front roost. Every time she went to peck at the chicks who were huddled at one side I used my fingers and pecked her head and neck to reprimand her. Finally after it had been completely dark for about 10 minutes she gave up and settled on the other end of their roost. I thought of bringing Raven in to use a buffer between the chicks but she has been reprimanding them herself when they try to gather closely around her. If Butter were here she would not have let Lilly bar them from entering the coop. She also would have placed herself on the roost between the chicks and the other hens and beat the tar out of any who tried to peck them. They have to sleep in the coop for now and I hope this does not become a nightly event. When they are older they may choose to sleep on the big roost between the horses. That seems to be the natural progression of things with some of them. I think if it happens tomorrow I will pull Branch off the big roost and see what he does. I know he will not be happy as he does not like sleeping in the coop anymore. I also believe though he will not let Goose or the others harass the chicks.

Bedtime drama - always the same everywhere I see.

 

[Ponypoor]

Jailbreak at Chickatraz!

Newly installed perch + lots of calisthenic wing flapping exercises for two days = this...
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Then this.....Gauging height + distance
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Bingo! She was short, but hooked her chin on the top edge and with tremendous effort, flapping like mad, pulled and climbed up.
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This one got a closer launch spot and easily managed, but her perch was really wobbly. Third one left behind started peeping but then blasted up too. Soon they got up on my shoulder, which I loved. Can't say I was anxious to get the top on, I want them flying!
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Got them to bed by lowering the lights, putting them in again, then getting down right next to the brooder plate and calling them. They hopped down. Stuck my arm in the lower hatch opening there, tapped on the warm side, & cupped the kiddos next to my hand under there. Little beaks in my fingers, love it!

Awwwww - so sweet

There will be poop everywhere now

 

[Ponypoor]

Where's the spoiled chicken?View attachment 3614518

Hahaha I ‘spot’ her