Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I'll check into it. (This will be funny, "Do you have any headsets for chickens"?)

Be sure to record that conversation.

 

[BY Bob]

Forgive me, I know the following information isn't chicken related...but it has wings...

My son designs 3D airplanes...he is very talented, everything he does is self taught! Here is the latest one he did...it's completely his own design, he's finally finalizing the design...Covid kind of messed things up! You can see the others he's done on his YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7aSxYosPz9UiaV0za61nVg
His Flapjack won a competition it's a WW2 plane! The people in the remote airplane community are patiently or impatiently waiting for him to release the build plans for his current plane - The Revenant MK IV! He wanted to keep the landing gear, but hasn't found any of good enough quality! I have expect him to set up to make and sell his own someday!

The Maiden! The picture you see here is a computer rendition...when you start the video you will see his first prototype!

Just have to show his Flying Flapjack, this was flown at Flight Fest in Ohio

Those are awesome. Thanks for sharing! Way cool.

 

[Shadrach]

I have watched one of the rats jump/climb/slither at least to 3' height.

Oh yes, they don't have any problems getting in if they want to, but once in they're trapped. The coops are open all day so they could just walk up the ramp.
What they can't do is gnaw their way in from the ground and that is how most get in to coops. There used to be a coop here (a garden shed in fact) and that had terrible rat problems to the point of a pack getting in and killing partly hatched chicks. That was it for me. No more ground coops.

 

[Ribh]

Lilly is Queen

Watching the flock yesterday just confirmed that Lilly truly runs the joint. She pecked no one, intimidated no one, but when she sat down to rest her leg no one left. No matter where it was.

Normally when they are free ranging they can scatter some. Two over here, two over there, they spread out. Yesterday that did not happen. The best was when Lilly sat under the grape vines which do mot have leaves on them any longer. The web of vines still proceeds great cover from arial predators but it is not a favorite spot for the flock. She sat down and they all just stood around her. They looked sincerely bored but no one left.

Sadly I did not get a photo as the phone was charging at the time. ☹

This repeated itself throughout the day. It was oddly reassuring.

Flock dynamics are complicated & no~one likes disruption to their usual routine.

 

[RoyalChick]

That makes me uncomfortable for some reason.

Makes me massively uncomfortable having seen it!

 

[RoyalChick]

My friend who keeps chickens in the town area of the island has a problem with Rats as do many people in his area, even those without chickens. He has been baiting his trap with peanut butter and scratch, and leaving it near his feed bags. He gets at least one Rat every night, but there are more than that because the trigger is getting licked clean after the trap is sprung daily. He has gotten more than one in a day before as well. 5-7” usually in length, not including the tails.

I have caught a few in traps, but it seems to me that there is little point in trapping until I have blocked their entry-ways.

 

[featherhead007]

best mouser on the planet, is right here with me.(She jumped into my lap, so I brought her inside with me) "Say hi, to these nice people Rocks-Anne.

 

[MaryJanet]

best mouser on the planet, is right here with me.(She jumped into my lap, so I brought her inside with me) "Say hi, to these nice people Rocks-Anne.

Hi Rocks-Anne

 

[featherhead007]

Barred Rocks make this strange brrp brrp brrp sound. I guess that means HI

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh yes, they don't have any problems getting in if they want to, but once in they're trapped. The coops are open all day so they could just walk up the ramp.
What they can't do is gnaw their way in from the ground and that is how most get in to coops. There used to be a coop here (a garden shed in fact) and that had terrible rat problems to the point of a pack getting in and killing partly hatched chicks. That was it for me. No more ground coops.

Hmm. That is sobering. I fear with the Chicken Palace I am committed to a ground coop. But I am optimistic that I can exclude them.