Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Can't fix stupid.... Around here most farmers have sold off their cattle and now just do cash crops like corn and soybeans - which of course is used to make ethanol.

There has been a niche market for horse hay and those selling it learn fast that we horse people want good hay. I was paying $70/round bale (5'x4.4') Timothy first cut. Normally we get 3 cuts in an alfalfa crop. Last year most only got 1 cut it was so wet....

The person I get my round bales from has already warned me of increase in price due to fuel costs. I am trying to get my two grass paddocks cut so I can at least get some small squares. I have no choice but to buy hay, but I feel my gals are goimg to be on the lean side - which is actually a good thing for Sally and Lulu as they were both extremely overweight. I have spent the winter getting weight off them right now they look awesome and I have been keeping a real close eye on Lu for signs of founder, so far she has been good.

Yay for heathy weight ponies for Sunday! Last year many farmers in our area got two or three cuts in, the year before that one of the guys on Saltspring got 5 cuts… it just wouldn’t stop growing! He was selling square bales at $7 just to get them gone and stored. The weather this year is so crazy I don’t know what is going to happen here.

for “you can’t fix Stupid” it’s one of my absolute favourite phrases; where “stupid” means not a lack of intelligence or education, so much as an unwillingness (not an incapablity) to learn/understand something. Now just a disclaimer if you’re working in Retail… saying this out loud is probably good for a write up if a manager hears it, unless the poor customer who has been standing in line behind said “stupid” laughs so hard that that your manager is shamed into admitting it was appropriate to the situation.

 

[Kris5902]

Wow one has to be so careful - and they move so fast!

I have come to the conclusion that most anything they eat in small quantities is likely not going to hurt them, as long as it not ongoing. Of course there are those things that are toxic in small quantities that freak me out.

Tell me about it! DH and his bloody heart meds… and a House goat that is lightening quick and eats anything and everything a lot of the relocation to the barn was for her own protection. There is no vinyl wallpaper in there!

 

[featherhead007]

Yay for heathy weight ponies for Sunday! Last year many farmers in our area got two or three cuts in, the year before that one of the guys on Saltspring got 5 cuts… it just wouldn’t stop growing! He was selling square bales at $7 just to get them gone and stored. The weather this year is so crazy I don’t know what is going to happen here.

for “you can’t fix Stupid” it’s one of my absolute favourite phrases; where “stupid” means not a lack of intelligence or education, so much as an unwillingness (not an incapablity) to learn/understand something. Now just a disclaimer if you’re working in Retail… saying this out loud is probably good for a write up if a manager hears it, unless the poor customer who has been standing in line behind said “stupid” laughs so hard that that your manager is shamed into admitting it was appropriate to the situation.

But I really don’t like people who’s IQ is in the negative numbers!

 

[Kris5902]

I tried to find some pictures that show both the setting, and picking the hay.
We don't have that much, the land is steep, and it's been fun doing it the old way...when we are many.
When there's only the two of us we do it one patch of land at at time when the weather allows it and the grass is right.
View attachment 3108662

View attachment 3108658



View attachment 3108659
View attachment 3108660
View attachment 3108661

This is absolutely stunning, do you know when the terraces were cut in? I LOVE that old stone soon to be pony barn! I hope you’re able to fully restore its functionality safely and without too much troubles from whatever you have for a local building/zoning department. It’s beautiful!!!

 

[featherhead007]

I would be happy to see some pictures of her.
Meanwhile I fell in love with my own little black chick. Her name is Bella.

View attachment 3103971

I’m quite fond of Black Chicks myself!

 

[Kris5902]

Well actually it was quite dangerous and cold wet hard work back then...

Now there is so much automation with nets, boats are safer... And yet still boats flip and people die

I wonder where the superstitions about women on the boats being bad luck comes from? Both Haying and Fishing are hard work, and any sort of growing anything. Do you remember the series “Random Passage” from years ago on I think it was CBC? I forget the whole relationship but the woman who wrote the book it was based off of was my Papa’s Niece. He was born on Cape Island in the early 1920’s.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes his nose and lips scream give me smooches. I am just now starting to do that, It has taken us over 3 years to get over the terrible biting habit he came to us with. I still will never fully trust him not to bite though. If I could make a few rules that everyone had to follow at a boarding barn I would have 2.

1. No one under the age of 18 be allowed to handle or play with yearling stallions or any yearling really. 2 teenage girls just about ruined him when they taught him some very bad habits that were cute as a baby. At 15 hands and 1000lbs, those behaviors are flat out dangerous now. Thankfully he no longer rears or paws at you, but it took some time to break.

2. Unless you are the owner, no one who visits a public boarding barn shall be allowed to feed treats to the horses. The people who ran that barn actually sold peppermints to visitors to hand feed to the horses. That is how Dirt got his biting habit.

No one gets treats here (cat, horse, chicken) unless they do something good or some sort of trick/behaviour. Miss kitty sits up and begs, Truly shakes hands, bows thank-you, and poses, the chickens jump up on a bale, or ledge or come when I call.

Otherwise no treats. Food is for good behaviour. Not because they are standing there looking cute.

 

[Kris5902]

Ok I need to post this ASAP and then finish my catchup and coffee! Hopefully Eve is still around (and yes I language checked this before posting to YouTube, so it should be ok!)

 

[Ponypoor]

I’m quite fond of Black Chicks myself!

 

[Ponypoor]

Ok I need to post this ASAP and then finish my catchup and coffee! Hopefully Eve is still around (and yes I language checked this before posting to YouTube, so it should be ok!)

Awwwww I Luvs goats