Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Pony Sunday

Miserable day. Prelude to a miserable winter I bet.

They want in. Soon my lovelies I’ll bring you in.

 

[RoyalChick]

For Pony Sunday this is worth a read.
It is National Geographic and they will ask for an email address. I am guessing if you don’t have a throw-away one that you can make one up.
I tried printing to pdf but the file is too large for BYC.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/bats-at-war-with-rats

 

[Ponypoor]

Aww. I haven't felt so social lately, that's all... I think it's the seasonal depression. So mostly I'm just here quietly reading through threads and stuff. But I'm okay. Thank you for checking up on me, I appreciate it!

My girls are doing well though! Poor things are officially stuck in the run until spring, and they're not happy with me about it. I think if they realized how often the hawks are watching them from the skies and trees lately, they would understand. Or, quite probably, they do know but don't care

I've seen the same big red-tail half a dozen times the past few days, and she's always watching the chooks when I see her. Yesterday I think she got frustrated with me, because she was circling overhead and when she saw me she flew off, came back a minute later, saw I was still there, and screeched 3 times before flying off again.

Have 3 of the girls. Magrat is in the nest box.
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Love your perches, those are great!

Mine are pretty much stuck in the barn now, today it's been squalling all day, and high winds. I made them come in and shut the barn door, they weren't going outside anyways it was too cold and windy and the ground has snow on it now. Poor Betty went out back and the wind almost knocked her over (yes I laughed - poor girl!).

 

[Ponypoor]

Yep... no-lip slipper-type slip-ons are not safe... indoors or outdoors. That's why I use nurse's shoes... they still slip-on but w/a bit of a heel-lip... they don't slide off when walking & waterproof too. Safe for an old lady like me who can't tie shoe laces or pull-on mucks! & the chickens can wipe off their beaks on it all they want

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But slippery as heck on wet tiles - I almost killed myself falling in camp on my last day before heading home. wouldn't you know!

Scared the cleaner to death he was freaking out asking 'didn't you see the slippery when wet sign?'. Well yes but I didn't expect you to spray right in my path as I was walking by in my ultra quiet slippery crocs!!

Not the first time I have slipped with those on, chicken poop I find is really slippery with them - of course chicken poop is slipper with any foot wear! Now if they could harness that as a lubricant.....!

 

[notabitail]

You can, but if your getting a lot of visitors to your video stream then your ISP may shut you down and require you use a commercial service.

My cameras would be extremely difficult to stream as I can’t directly access them through the browser using an IP address.

I use an application to view them.

For instance I just checked everything, wee Petra is snoozing on her personal bed in the feedroom - Jaffarra and Betty have her crate.
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And then I had a panic moment when I realized I forgot to close up the Summer House. That door should not be open like that!
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Check with the aisle camera yep it’s open
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A lot of swearing there - not only a worry for anything getting into the barn, but the monkeys getting up early and getting out in the barn. Reenie’s stall door is open and just her stall guard is in use. The monkeys can get in her stall.
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Thankfully it’s dark here until after 7am so I will be up before then to feed and turn out horses. Also I keep Whiskers’ pen where she sleeps with the silkie babies closed up; they can’t get up and about.

Ok well up with screaming headache the wind is howling outside, I have wee ‘barley Barky creature’ Georgie, my Vet’s dog visiting overnight, so I took him out for a bathroom break. It’s mild but that wind is wild!

Back to sleep for me - hope everyone is have a good night/day.

We have business internet at our house. Has a static IP and everything. Makes it easier to host my website.

 

[Ponypoor]

Well, in young cockerels, I've heard crowing, 2, I think, and seen a wing shuffle from Jax. I saw a chase from Mortimer today...might have caught it on this video. Chia was NOT impressed, and he didn't catch so much as a feather. Tuff has seemed to take over as boss roo for the moment. Cheetah is finishing up his moult, but hanging with the ladies again. Whiskey is mostly staying off alone (Pear near him) as his moult is hitting him hard this year. His head has been a mass of pins for the last week minimum. Still no young'ens crowing on camera.

Release the clowns! (err, I mean hounds...)


I love the white feathers on Mr Spots (Spock)

 

[rural mouse]

I also have a big door and a little door (side by side) and I use the little door to keep some heat in.
I open the people door to go in and do feed and water but close it behind me and leave the little door open so they can come and go.
Also on a day like today I think it significantly reduces the wind blowing inside.
I am even trying to think of ways to reduce the draft through the little door but haven’t come up with anything quite yet.

Depending upon how it's set up vs direction of prevailing winds, a wall/fence like a snow fence just to break up the winds as a stand alone rather than attached to the coop. The hillside and shrubs break up the worst of the wind on that side here.

 

[rural mouse]

Release the clowns! (err, I mean hounds...)


I love the white feathers on Mr Spots (Spock)

Ummm....who's Mr Spock (in the video)? Birds with white in feathers: Primula and Belladonna (head), Daisy, Violet, Hyacinth, Mera, PITA, Tundra, Arabel, Hawthorne, and Jax.

 

[RoyalChick]

Depending upon how it's set up vs direction of prevailing winds, a wall/fence like a snow fence just to break up the winds as a stand alone rather than attached to the coop. The hillside and shrubs break up the worst of the wind on that side here.

Somewhat to my own surprise I did quite a good job on placement vs prevailing winds, direction of the sun etc.
it really is very sheltered even in the run area because the run goes down the hill but only about 20 feet away there is a retaining wall.
But mine are spoiled brats (Princesses remember) so even a little sign of a breeze in where they sleep has me designing improvements. Meanwhile, I think they are probably fine as they are!
I do think I maybe overdid ventilation.
All of BYC was full of ventilation advice. But the space is so large that I would need a lot of chickens before it became an issue. Fortunately that means also that most of the ventilation is 9-10’ up so not causing a breeze at chicken height. But early on before it was fully built there was a blizzard and it was snowing inside! I added baffles which I close off in the winter.
You can see the partially closed baffle at the gable end in this picture.

And sometimes there is just too much snow!

One thing that helps inside the coop part is the South facing glass top door - there is a real passive solar warming effect inside where they sleep.

 

[featherhead007]

Aww. I haven't felt so social lately, that's all... I think it's the seasonal depression. So mostly I'm just here quietly reading through threads and stuff. But I'm okay. Thank you for checking up on me, I appreciate it!

My girls are doing well though! Poor things are officially stuck in the run until spring, and they're not happy with me about it. I think if they realized how often the hawks are watching them from the skies and trees lately, they would understand. Or, quite probably, they do know but don't care

I've seen the same big red-tail half a dozen times the past few days, and she's always watching the chooks when I see her. Yesterday I think she got frustrated with me, because she was circling overhead and when she saw me she flew off, came back a minute later, saw I was still there, and screeched 3 times before flying off again.

Have 3 of the girls. Magrat is in the nest box.
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@TOMTE . You’re always welcome here to unload those caustic feelings. Someone here (probably even me) have felt down or depressed. Chickens always come in handy to cheer us up. Pick one, and call her your “emotional support chicken”.