Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[SimpleJenn]

Last candling for the week I think. Getting harder to see inside the blue, green, and dark brown ones.
We have wigglers today though! 23 eggs still good. Had a legbar quit, just a blood streak, no longer clear veins.
Here's a little eggy peekaboo before it wiggled off

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[ValerieJ]

Like I said - a strand of electric fencing solves a lot of problems…

Keeps out predators, keeps chooks in - they don’t want to land on the wire.

Agreed. I have electric wire around my chicken run and have not had any ground predators at all.

 

[ValerieJ]

I think I read you have a Way Back Wednesday thing going. This is one of my all time favorite hens, Little Red Head Girl, who loved to get up in one of the trees and give a speech. From 2019.

Little Red Head Girl's Benediction

ETA: the hen sitting below her was Rosie saying, "oh for Pete's sake shut up!"

 

[Ponypoor]

Refried beans, sour cream, steak strips (carne asada) mole, cheese, jalapeno peppers, and onions.

Ok so Beanie, cheesie and pepper

(Not a fan of mole, though maybe that’s because the cook in camp didn’t make it right…)


sleeping beauties, they all want to sleep in Hen House A

 

[Ponypoor]

I think I read you have a Way Back Wednesday thing going. This is one of my all time favorite hens, Little Red Head Girl, who loved to get up in one of the trees and give a speech. From 2019.

Little Red Head Girl's Benediction

ETA: the hen sitting below her was Rosie saying, "oh for Pete's sake shut up!"

Awww she was such a darling. And very vocal

 

[BY Bob]

I think I read you have a Way Back Wednesday thing going. This is one of my all time favorite hens, Little Red Head Girl, who loved to get up in one of the trees and give a speech. From 2019.

Little Red Head Girl's Benediction

ETA: the hen sitting below her was Rosie saying, "oh for Pete's sake shut up!"

The echo on that is something. She is loud!

 

[Themellowyellows]

Ask Aurora
I finally found time to write another one. I hope everyone enjoys this one.

Today’s Ask Aurora comes from @Themellowyellows hen Peaches,

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Who writes…..

Dear Aurora,

I have been taking deep thought about this, but I could not figure out what is better, meal worms that my servant feeds me, or Cicadas that I have to work for, what do you think?


Dear Peaches,

What conundrum indeed. First let me say that you are a blessed chicken. I think in all my time here I have seen maybe 2 cicadas. They are wonderfully crunchy and juicy at the same time. Quite the treat. I believe that the population was wiped out by the legendary leghorns that resided here way before my time. There are stories of how there were so many cicadas that they got tired of eating them. Of course, over time those greedy leghorns wiped them out so that only a random lost cicada that has wandered onto Fluffy Butt Acres is available for my eating pleasure.

I am glad to hear that your servant feeds you meal worms as they should. I hope that you get them every day as all good human servants should be providing us with the meal worms that are our right. If not, I suggest you remind them of their duties and if they do not approve, you should contact the IFLC or International Federation of Labouring Chickens. With the price of eggs these days, a strike can be a most effective way of correcting your human servants and getting the meal worms you rightfully deserve.

There is an old chicken saying that kind of applies to this situation…..

Give a chick a bug and they are fed that day. Teach a chick to scratch up a bug and they are fed for life.

It seems you had good elders who taught you well The Way of The Chicken. We are not docile, fluffy, plant eating, cow-like creatures. We are fierce, dangerous, predators. We are descendants of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor. We kill and eat what we want when we want. Woe to the cicada that enters my realm for its time is up the moment it sets foot in FBA. You should picture yourself in this way when you are hunting.

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Show no mercy. Anything smaller than you is prey and you should enjoy the hunt.


When you are feeling your inner T-Rex, hunt alone and keep the spoils for yourself.

When you are feeling your inner Raptor, hunt in a pack and keep the spoils for yourself.


There is no need to share. You are the apex predator of your group. Make the others take their own share. No need to freely give it up.


But what of your question. Which is better, Meal Worms that are given to you or Cicadas that you hunt and kill for yourself?

I think you already know the answer but let’s talk through it a little.

When you get meal worms you get hundreds of them . They are tasty little worms with a satisfying crunch. The joy of eating them lasts quite a while as there are usually plenty of them to eat. You must have accurate targeting for your beak to gather them up and it is a real pleasure when you hit one perfectly and it flips into your beak whole.

I don’t know how plentiful cicadas are where you live but you are not getting hundreds of them. You are hunting them individually. However, while also crunchy, they have that bonus part, the gooey yummy center.

Hold on while I wipe the drool from my beak.

Cicadas also have the joy of the hunt and the satisfaction of the kill. Meal worms just have the rush of eating faster than others so you can get the most (as you rightfully deserve).

A study published in Social, Cognitive, and affective Neuroscience in 2012 proved that a reward hard earned, provides the most excitement and enjoyment while things that are given for little or no effort provide little satisfaction. Cicadas are big game. They are fast and clever. They can fly. They are no easy pickings. You must be at your best to catch them.

I can tell that in your heart, you already know that the satisfaction of the successful hunt makes the cicada taste so much better than the meal worm. (not to mention the gooey yummy center)

So, get out there and go hunting. Be the best dinosaur you can be and enjoy the hunt. Even more, enjoy the kill and your well-earned reward.

Aurora

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(I almost died of laughter reading this. Also, its been so long since I said anything here.)


Dear Aurora,

I dearly thank you for your kind and enlightening words. I am truely inspired. Lately, I have not found that many Cicadas, not sure if its the fact I love sitting on my fluffy butt, or its the season change. Either way, I do enjoy my royalty service of meal worms, as we all should.

Thank you so much for your reply and enlightening words.

Sincerely, Peaches.

 

[BY Bob]

(I almost died of laughter reading this. Also, its been so long since I said anything here.)


Dear Aurora,

I dearly thank you for your kind and enlightening words. I am truely inspired. Lately, I have not found that many Cicadas, not sure if its the fact I love sitting on my fluffy butt, or its the season change. Either way, I do enjoy my royalty service of meal worms, as we all should.

Thank you so much for your reply and enlightening words.

Sincerely, Peaches.

I'm so glad you saw it! Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[featherhead007]

How’s about I just get a car that says “INS IMMIGRATION “ painted on it? That would clear out half my neighborhood

Some people may think that this was a racist statement. It wasn’t meant to be. Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate everyone equally!

 

[Marie2020]

How is everyone doing this morning @Ponypoor? I've been worrying.

Finally. Pooh and Tassels laid today. First egg since before Xmas.
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Brilliant