Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Tax
The original four ladies off on an adventure.

 

[BY Bob]

Just waiting for it to resolve can be 8 weeks if ever. But I am doing the dreaded maneuver and I am getting a lot better. Just staring straight up at the sky is one of the more challenging positions along with putting a sock on my left foot. But we have already established the latter is not worth bothering with.

Very true.

SET YOUR FEET FREE FROM THE TYRANNY OF SOCKS!

LET MY PIGGIES GO!

Chicken Tax

 

[micstrachan]

While I don't have any experience in hen only chicken keeping the oldest at the top of the hierachy is what I've seen in the tribes and with my uncles free rangers and with my sisters hen only flock.
I think it's probably the same for most.

Thanks. How about the way they interact with different levels within the hierarchy? The part I find most interesting is that they are more tough on those directly benesth them than they are on those a few steps lower. Perhaps because those right under them could potentially dethrone them?

 

[micstrachan]

I'll try to explain then.
For some reason; we could examine the reasons at a later date, if one writes a post that contains much more than a sentence, let alone a few paragraphs, it has become the done thing it seems to apologise for writing something that may require more than half a seconds worth of concentration on the part of the reader.
Part of the problem, as you mention, is people are using mobile phones which are not suitable for writing more than a bit of predictive text style posts and responses. This imo greatly diminshes the power and joy of communictaion.
There are a number of posters who are notorious for this. What's more, these posters are in general on threads that have nothing to do with chickens; essentially their posts are just noise, but it's noise that gets clicked and liked.
I won't point you to the threads or posters.
I'm rather fond of language and I like to read posts with relevant and informmative content, especiially if it's a well reasoned response that contests a post I've made.
Some of this is due to people, as you point out, rushing about trying to do too many things in a limited time. I'm a bit old school with the view that if one is going to bother at all, concentrate on the task at hand and try to make a good job of it.
The answer for me is probably not to go and read these threads and put the worst offenders on ignore.
So, your posts for example with your lovely videos and your descriptions of what you observe in your flock I enjoy reading.
I would rather just click the like button than respond in print to every post.
For someone like By Bob, or any other thread host things are not that simple. To keep the thread alive thread hosts are more or less obliged to respond. It's part of whhat makes a thread popular and it's one of the reasons I don't host my own thread.
So, my original post to Bob was a bit of a dig at, a) modern technoology in particular the mobile phone which I detest, b) a bit of a dig at some of the "leading lights" on BYC who I doubt could write a full paragraph if their life depended on it, c) a further dig at the number of posters who arrive on BYC demanding instant attention and solution to their problems who don't seem to realise that those here with the knowledge and willingness to help are not called Siri or Google annd have other things to do in their lives other than answer their questions whch can usually be answered by using the search function on the site and reading (oh my how awful is this!) a few paragraphs.

Very clear explanation. Thank you! I do appreciate that you stick to thoughtful posts and will try to do more of the same. This thread has become so popular, it is difficult for me to always do so, but I do enjoy real, chicken related conversation.

 

[micstrachan]

2 were here when we bought the place, 2 we moved from the old place. first summer here, put tomatoes in them. deer came along and didnt just eat the green tomatoes, they ate the whole plant: chewed off about an inch above the dirt! This year, had bachelor buttons in them (reseeded from last year). Deer left those alone, but the chickens have been nibbling the seed heads. Had Roman chamomile in them 2 we moved. Those keep reseeding and spreading (good), and the deer sample but don't eat every bit of those. Geraniums in them have to be fenced off or get eaten, but snapdragons are left alone. im learning....through trial and error. fencing worked to keep the deer off the geraniums last year, so going to have to try that again with the tomatoes next summer. Maybe I'll finally get a crop...especially with all the chicken fertilizer and aeration work done over the winter.

Edit: how many tomato plants per tub?

Mine did much better with just one per tub, though I did double up a couple. I had to put up a deer fence around mine.

 

[featherhead007]

Very clear explanation. Thank you! I do appreciate that you stick to thoughtful posts and will try to do more of the same. This thread has become so popular, it is difficult for me to always do so, but I do enjoy real, chicken related conversation.

That’s why comedian relief is important (Can’t take life too seriously)

 

[micstrachan]

I am largely in agreement with you. I think we are fortunate (not lucky as I think a lot has to do with our host) to have folk on this thread willing to both write and read.
I am a massive fan of @micstrachan's lovely videos which enable me to learn not only from what she knows but also expand the number of chickens I get to observe closely. I have learned a lot about body language from those for example. Several others here also post long but lovely and information rich posts. And then of course there is you, and Bob and several others who have real experience and are generous in sharing it with us.
All that said, I think there is plenty of room for some light hearted chit chat that tends to be shorter.
It is the same as conversation in real life - sometimes you chit chat, sometimes you joke around and sometimes (maybe too rarely) you have serious conversation.
And just like in real life I often feel hesitant to post a long post (she says halfway through writing something to rival War and Peace!), because I feel like maybe I am imposing on the reader's time.
What I think we may under-estimate is @BY Bob's role in all this. He is very much our host and sets a tone that is important. I therefore do think it is great that he responds to almost every post even if it is just short - just like acknowledging a house guest and making them feel welcome. He also encourages us to stay mainly on chickens (tax, FBF, MSM etc.) and pushes us to observe and be fact based.
All in all I think Bob has created something special here and I am incredibly grateful for everyone in this thread.
And now I owe some serious chicken tax but it is bucketing down outside so I will go to the archive.

Well said. Thank you, @BY Bob, for hosting this thread. And thank you to everyone else for your varying participation/contributions. As I’ve said before, this is my home on BYC.

 

[featherhead007]

… I can contribute a 1$ dollar. (now where is the bill changer on this device?) or do you accept credit cards?

.
(That’s what I tell to all the telemarketers)

 

[bgmathteach]

That one still hurts a lot. I surprised myself by picking a photo of her.

I'm not surprised, I know you still miss her...subconscious selection, I suspect. (My Rosie has been gone a year now,,,and I still get weepy at times!)
Was for the pic. These are for you.

 

[bgmathteach]

Is that the same person, who owns a pipe stretcher?

No, no, no, it is the guy that owns the SHELF stretcher.