Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

WOW, A feather carpet!

At the risk of starting something again, isn’t it more of a rug than a carpet?

 

[RoyalChick]

Or is that a feathered rug?

There I go again, not reading ahead!

 

[micstrachan]

Because I worked in the public school system I had a wonderful opportunity to compare any time we attended homeschool activity days & the thing that really stuck out to me was how well the homeschoolers listened. They actually followed instructions! I remember an art activity day we attended. I was a little freaked out when I saw what they were going to do with the kids because I knew what would have happened in a regular classroom & it would have been ghastly! Nope. 30 homeschool kids between 8~10 who'd never set eyes on each other before & They listened. They behaved. They followed instructions. They produced beautiful work.

Also, because I was working in the local school I obtained permission for YD to sit in on her grade level class occasionally ~ mostly for novelty's sake. She never learnt anything. One reason we began homeschooling was because the child was reading before she even began school & that's a recipe for disaster if anything was!!! This particular day when I went to pick her up she seemed a little off ~ not playing or socialising [& this is a child who thought the world was her showcase!] I got her home & she promptly took herself to bed & slept & slept. When I was finally able to talk to her about her morning she said: Oh mummy, they were naughty & noisy! I checked with the teacher & it had been a particularly disastrous morning but my child never wanted to go back. I refused to have her state tested any more after I busted her applying all her spelling rules in new & novel ways! As a boredom buster I got it but they thought the child needed remedial help! I am so over what they have done to our education system!

And here's the chicken pic as per the new rules.

View attachment 2411910​

Who is the GIGANTIC red chicken?

 

[micstrachan]

Other species intelligence is something I'm very interested in. I don't think humans are very smart and I'm looking for another species to take over.

My daughter talks about how unintelligent humans are on a regular basis. I'm beginning to think you two are twins. I mean, what is time? It doesn't really exist, according to my daughter. I guess that means you could be twins after all.

 

[micstrachan]

RC vs Wildlife (apologies for this long post - I have been obsessed for days and need to share!)

In good news, I think I am winning on the raccoon front. These two videos from two nights earlier this week. No visits since.

I rather like that it is deterrent rather than damaging - I was a bit disturbed at the thought that I might be injuring them - but seems like it is a nasty experience rather than dangerous.

The mice and rats are more complicated.
First up is an example of a rat digging down to the seam in the hardware cloth - where the vertical wall of hardware cloth meets the horizontal skirt to prevent digging predators. You can see that to fix any gaps in the seams I have to work deep down, sort of under the 'foundation' - so I spent Saturday lying on my belly trying to patch gaps.

This morning's trap inspection reveals 3 traps licked clean of peanut butter but not sprung, and one trap successfully sprung.
Rodents 3: RC 1
I am going to try the scratch on peanut butter trick tonight.

And because we recycle, here is Diana dealing with the body of the mouse just as dawn is breaking. RIP mouse, I am sorry, but you had to go, and you are now being recycled into eggs.

And finally, I realize this is a long post with only one chicken so here is a gratuitous chicken picture from yesterday.View attachment 2411965

Just wow! The raccoon vidoes are amazing. The rat video... no so much! I have a hardware cloth skirt, but know they still dig under.

Now tell me about the electric fence. What part, exactly, is electrified? I'l like to keep raccoons (and deer, mountain lions, fox, coyote, etc.) out entirely, if possible.

 

[Ribh]

Who is the GIGANTIC red chicken?

I've no idea. This was some random backyard flock I spotted while out walking the grandies. The rest of the flock were bantams which made her look humongous!

 

[Grammy60]

Have a great Monday everyone

 

[LozzyR]

“Nope, I will not get off, even if you sit on me!”

 

[BY Bob]

Mine scatter their own crumbles and then eat them off the ground.

Of course they do.

 

[BY Bob]

There I go again, not reading ahead!

Great minds, great minds.