Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Yay!
As long as your marriage survives doing construction together? (Been there, and we're still together 40 years later, still doing projects too.)

I have heard horror stories about remodeling homes causing broken homes!

you should hear me and DH working together, we spend half our time arguing or fighting about things, usually to realize we are essentially saying the same thing in different ways!!! I named the fence we built “the fence of domestic discord” for a reason. Half of the positives of hiring the outside help, completely green and unskilled as she was, was all the time we didn’t waste yelling at each other four small chicken tractor coops, one full house Renovation (almost a complete gut) and yard makeover, a hot tub install, and now our Half completed (heck yeah!!!) house build from the ground up, and the free camper project… and we are still together and haven’t murdered one another. And to hear us work together you would know that for the miracle it is!

 

[Kris5902]

House/Renovation whining Tax: Sammy, not named yet boyo from Rogue Mama, Eleios, and Chunk…

 

[BY Bob]

I need my pain meds, it's too much work to put my gear on to go to the house, 400' is way to far to go in the winter without really really really warm gear...

Oh do I owe more whining tax, darn!
Today's haul
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Penelope
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BlancheView attachment 2989817

Henny Penny photo bombing
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Sophia
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Spectacular!

 

[BY Bob]

Yesterday I took a little house building break, just did a little cleanup and prep for a big window and door day with help tomorow. I had my mom up and her attitude towards the space is much improved. I’m also at 90% precipitation exclusion, so horizontal house wrap is better than nothing for temporary roofing. I then took the goats for a good foraging walk as we are out of hay until I “borrow” some from the farm tonight… and Jimmy was absolutely gorging on cedar branches (it turns out the store that sells hay isn’t open on Mondays when DH did our supply run). I also attempted to climb a tree to get some rose hips for them, that didn’t work out well, but no serious injuries, and Arduinna took a shortcut home straight up the gully bank about 70 feet, dragging Jimmy and I along with her. I also did some trailer coop maintenance and hung out with the birds. It was a restful day.
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Last night and this morning were mostly email writing, and I unloaded a trailer of nasty lumber onto our burn pile… it’s going to be a fun one when next we light that! DH and I are breaking for lunch and then off to finish up the vertical housewrap and do a little more window/door prep for tomorrow’s big day.View attachment 2989881View attachment 2989877

It's a regular goat rodeo at your place!

That last picture is amazing.

 

[BY Bob]

Are there none like that available in the US already? Or on Etsy?

I have done absolutely no research but yours is patented so unless they license someone in the US to build and sell them.......

 

[featherhead007]

you should hear me and DH working together, we spend half our time arguing or fighting about things, usually to realize we are essentially saying the same thing in different ways!!! I named the fence we built “the fence of domestic discord” for a reason. Half of the positives of hiring the outside help, completely green and unskilled as she was, was all the time we didn’t waste yelling at each other four small chicken tractor coops, one full house Renovation (almost a complete gut) and yard makeover, a hot tub install, and now our Half completed (heck yeah!!!) house build from the ground up, and the free camper project… and we are still together and haven’t murdered one another. And to hear us work together you would know that for the miracle it is!

Sure you argue and fight it out. My grandparents did the same, and stayed together until death!

 

[BY Bob]

Has it been that long? My word, that time flew.

Yup. They came here before Coivid did. Crazy right?

 

[BY Bob]

She talked me into it! Rocks-Anne ran across the yard and jumped on my lap. So, of course I brought her inside and opened my private stash of meally worms ! (I’m running really low on them)

I still have a lot of that 10 lb box left. Buy in bulk!

 

[Kris5902]

It's a regular goat rodeo at your place!

That last picture is amazing.

Sometimes I get lucky… and get a decent pic. She’s not named yet either (I don’t name all my hens, just the “special” ones) but I can still tell them all apart for the most part! I have closer relationship s with the Roosters, and mostly let them take care of the ladies. You know how I feel about the really high production breeds (thankfully these beaks were only barely trimmed… but we’re supposed to be intact ). They were part of a point of lay order I brought in for three other people on island, and one didn’t pick up or pay, so I had 9 (7 after the mink attack) high production hybrids added this year.

 

[BY Bob]

I feel so wary about the Cooper's Hawk. This is a good idea and it's a good way to try out aviary netting (get the square-knotted, not diagonal knotted, easier to work with), but I'm afraid it's backup for your presence, buying you time. I don't know but I'm thinking the Cooper's can probably takeoff and fly horizontally from the ground pretty fast, and could follow them into the run. It's so scary. The Cooper's previous attack was when you were out there in the yard with them, so it seems it had no fear of your presence. Like a tiger, it knew when you turned around!

So very true. It is completely unafraid of me. Betty was hanging out in the courtyard alone today and I had to go get her and encourage her over to the test of the tribe. I could not keep track of where she was and watch the other 5. I was too anxious.

So no sign of the hawk and we have been ranging for I think 4 days now.