Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

A late day 2 Fer
View attachment 4128381

Out walking Sherlock when they sailed through callingView attachment 4128382Sandhills are NOISY!

Beautiful Have you always lived there?

Sandhills! Our neighbor & DH saw an Ibis but I thought it might've been like an Egret since it was so white & getting chased by our Crows. A few minutes later DH saw a flock of whatever they were flying north so guess they were migratory birds of some sort. W/ the Santa Fe Dam so close we always see unusual migrations. Just hope they were a healthy flock of wild birds. Too far for a clear pic

 

[Sylvester017]

View attachment 4128381

View attachment 4128382Sandhills are NOISY!

So are migrating geese... but we love hearing them honking high overhead .

 

[Sylvester017]

No respect, no respect at all.

This is on BYC

Polish can't see!!! | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens
www.backyardchickens.com

 

[rural mouse]

Beautiful Have you always lived there?

Sandhills! Our neighbor & DH saw an Ibis but I thought it might've been like an Egret since it was so white & getting chased by our Crows. A few minutes later DH saw a flock of whatever they were flying north so guess they were migratory birds of some sort. W/ the Santa Fe Dam so close we always see unusual migrations. Just hope they were a healthy flock of wild birds. Too far for a clear pic

We bought in 2017. I'm still struggling with the garden. Old place, got stuff to grow with ease. Here....only stuff I can get to grow is the established prior. Anything I try planting stuggles the first year and doesn't come back or gets eaten by the deer. Same when I try moving or thinning something, even when it needs it to grow better. If it seeds itself, it grows like crazy.

On the other hand, hummingbirds didn't exist at the old place no matter how much I planted food/nesting sites, couldn't have animals (especially the chickens), was in a town and one of the kids was unlikely to have graduated high school let alone have gone on to pursue his dream (currently stationed in a country he's always wanted to see).

Also get to see cool things like the Sandhills and migrating geese with trumpeter swans mixed in (yes, saw that last year and so surprised that no pics). Saw a snowy owl on a walk at about 10-20 feet the first spring out here too.

I'll figure out the gardening eventually. Meanwhile, keep trying and ENJOY

Tax pics, from the last couple of years, either "I'm having fun, don't bug me" or "I'm focused on more important stuff so take that thing (camera) away"

breakfast

playtime, feet are fun to catch

extra goodies, hurry before the rest show up

go away

what's this?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Hi everyone.

I am behind. I think I need to go back to Sunday to play catchup. I will do that this evening after work.

I wanted to pop in and give a quick update.

I delivered my boss's 4 silkie chicks to her last night. The plan was originally for me to brood them for her. Over the weekend she got a very nice custom built chick brooder with a installed heat lamp. Very very nice and perfect for the 4 silkies. It is big enough to raise a dozen normal sized chicks for 5 to 6 weeks. These 4 silkies, they are set until it is time to go outside to the coop. I love that brooder, in fact I want one just like it. I have saw a couple like it for sale a few hours away. She had hers give to her. One of her employee's did some trading and he also took in that brooder and gave to her so she could raise her babies herself. I have her on the lookout for one just like it for me. If we find one I am taking the day off and we are going on a road trip to pick it up. I have also came to the decision that I am going to allow her to have Turkey. She started laying 2 weeks ago. Her eggs are currently significantly smaller then the silkies but once they come up to size I will definitely have a hard time telling them apart. She is still wild and untamed. I have tried with that little devil. Betty tamed Karen and she is the sweetest hen now. I have a feeling if anyone can tame Turkey it will be her. I also saw her rooster, he is small, the same size as George so he will not be too big for her which was one of my worries about giving her to Betty.

After today I will have time to catch up and flood everyone with pictures. Mom works the next 2 days and we got wonderful news yesterday. We are closed Saturday and Monday for Memorial day. 5 day weekend for me. I am ready for it. I have stuff I need to do and one of those days me and Rosie are heading to the lake. I have not taken a day for myself to go fishing in almost 4 years. That changes this weekend. Chicken therapy is wonderful, the best really. I still need a day with my girl, the water and a fishing rod in my hand. It has been too long.

 

[BY Bob]

And a hat… wear a hat!

Good advice.

 

[BY Bob]

OK here goes - had to search a bit for it. This was when I first brought him home here, I do not think he was impressed! Anyways it came free, his feathers were too slippery for the ponytail-holder. Not to mention his topknot is extremely thick!

Nov 2022

View attachment 4128349View attachment 4128350

So embarrassing. Poor fellow.

 

[bgmathteach]

Awww...was that Hattie and Mal???

Nothing like being a perching post and a snuggle post all at once!!!

 

[bgmathteach]

Is that Ned or Sydney?? (I'm guessing Ned) Either way, I am sure they are saying:

Cool, thanks, Dad - great view from up here - I can see for miles and miles and miles


. ooops, got a little carried away there!

 

[Sylvester017]

We bought in 2017. I'm still struggling with the garden. Old place, got stuff to grow with ease. Here....only stuff I can get to grow is the established prior. Anything I try planting stuggles the first year and doesn't come back or gets eaten by the deer. Same when I try moving or thinning something, even when it needs it to grow better. If it seeds itself, it grows like crazy.

On the other hand, hummingbirds didn't exist at the old place no matter how much I planted food/nesting sites, couldn't have animals (especially the chickens), was in a town and one of the kids was unlikely to have graduated high school let alone have gone on to pursue his dream (currently stationed in a country he's always wanted to see).

Also get to see cool things like the Sandhills and migrating geese with trumpeter swans mixed in (yes, saw that last year and so surprised that no pics). Saw a snowy owl on a walk at about 10-20 feet the first spring out here too.

I'll figure out the gardening eventually. Meanwhile, keep trying and ENJOY

Tax pics, from the last couple of years, either "I'm having fun, don't bug me" or "I'm focused on more important stuff so take that thing (camera) away"

View attachment 4128501breakfast

View attachment 4128502playtime, feet are fun to catch

View attachment 4128503extra goodies, hurry before the rest show up

View attachment 4128504

View attachment 4128505go away

View attachment 4128506what's this?

Your property is perfect for chickens. Even though they are tree perching birds at night chickens spend most all their time in the wild on the ground; therefore foliage, thick brush, tall weeds, potted plants, all offer them refuge from predators. It's the reason we planted so many bushy trees, put container plants around the patio, & made quick DIY lean-to benches, & doghouses around the yard for their mid-day snoozing. There's never a guarantee against predators but the foliage & low structures give the birds a feeling of comforting refuge.

I love Trumpeter Swans... it was the reason I called my 1st Silkie "Trumpet" cuz he sounded like one

As for planting gardens or veggies, sticking to the agricultural zone worked for me. I tried planting Russian & Hungarian cold zone plants & they did very poorly for me in our Zone 9 area. We had to enrich our soil w/ organic compost, vermiculite, wood ash, Azomite, organic plant food, chicken manure, even pulverized eggshells, to get anything to grow decently. The wild weeds & thorny roses did fine in hard untreated ground but good vegges needed pampered preparation. I love gardening cuz I learned so much from Mom on the farm. DH caught the chickeneering & gardening bug too... he planted all our vegges single-handedly this year since my broken arm put me out of commission for yardwork.

Love your pics.