Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ValerieJ]

I asked for proof of life today. This is what I got.

View attachment 2005145

I count 4 so I at least have the same number of hens.

love it!!!!

 

[Shadrach]

I got pointed to this article.
It's very very slow progress but some are at last learning.
https://ouroneacrefarm.com/2014/05/05/creating-chicken-habitat-advice-red-jungle-fowl/

 

[BY Bob]

Winter Returns

And so does BY Bob

 

[RoyalChick]

Winter Returns

And so does BY Bob

That snow is heading my way - due to start in a couple of hours. Brrrr.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Were also getting a cold front, today after the rain is for sure outa here the temp will start dropping and its gonna be our 4th freeze of the year tomorrow night. So ill be getting everyone squared up for that with fresh hay and shavings.

After i feed up though. Im going to get more hatching quail eggs from mr robby today

 

[ValerieJ]

I got pointed to this article.
It's very very slow progress but some are at last learning.
https://ouroneacrefarm.com/2014/05/05/creating-chicken-habitat-advice-red-jungle-fowl/

Great article! Thanks for sharing!

 

[BY Bob]

Lots of Work and a Close Call

So I'm back home in time for the storm. Thank the lord I beat it here.

Despite the fact that it is January, my snowblower was packed away in my shed. I never did the fall shed shuffle and cleaned out all the summer stuff and moved the snowblower to the garage.

Shame on me.

So now I had to do it in the snow.

The shed gathers junk all year long but never more so than in the summer and fall. This is what welcomed me when I opened the door. Somewhere in there is a very large snowblower.

Here it is after I dug it out.

With the blower out, next up was the girls.
They stood in the big run upset over the snow. So I scattered some cracked corn and sunflower seeds and then threw straw over it all to create a boredom buster for them.

After I had them happily scratching away, I checked for eggs, no such luck, and went to refresh the water in the heated dispenser in the coop.

That's when I saw it.

The water in the heated dispenser was frozen solid.

I brought it inside. My wife swears it was liquid last night. I have no means of refuting that so I have to believe her.

First things first, hot water in a standard dispenser to the run. They immediately surrounded it and started chugging.

What was the cause?

I had to diagnose and electrical problem in a driving snow storm.

Fun.

Process of elimination started.

Was there power at the coop? No

Good, it's not the dispenser (they are very expensive)

Was the breaker thrown? No.

Was the GFI tripped? Yes. Problem solved.

None of this is anything i can expect my wife to do. Thankfully I was home.

Now to the question of why the GFI was tripped? That should only happen if there was a big rain storm and water got in the extension cord somehow. The last big rain storm was a week ago. It has been warm so it's possible the power has been off that long.

One flaw of the heated dispenser, no indicator light to tell you it's powered. Of course Hattie might use it as a night light for eating and drinking if there was one.

 

[ValerieJ]

Winter Returns

And so does BY Bob

The snowfall is so pretty!

 

[BY Bob]

The snowfall is so pretty!

It really is. I actually don't mind it at all, if I'm home. I have the equipment to deal with it.

 

[ValerieJ]

Lots of Work and a Close Call

So I'm back home in time for the storm. Thank the lord I beat it here.

Despite the fact that it is January, my snowblower was packed away in my shed. I never did the fall shed shuffle and cleaned out all the summer stuff and moved the snowblower to the garage.

Shame on me.

So now I had to do it in the snow.

The shed gathers junk all year long but never more so than in the summer and fall. This is what welcomed me when I opened the door. Somewhere in there is a very large snowblower.
View attachment 2005343

Here it is after I dug it out.
View attachment 2005344

With the blower out, next up was the girls.
They stood in the big run upset over the snow. So I scattered some cracked corn and sunflower seeds and then threw straw over it all to create a boredom buster for them.

After I had them happily scratching away, I checked for eggs, no such luck, and went to refresh the water in the heated dispenser in the coop.

That's when I saw it.

The water in the heated dispenser was frozen solid.

I brought it inside. My wife swears it was liquid last night. I have no means of refuting that so I have to believe her.

First things first, hot water in a standard dispenser to the run. They immediately surrounded it and started chugging.
View attachment 2005372

What was the cause?

I had to diagnose and electrical problem in a driving snow storm.

Fun.

Process of elimination started.

Was there power at the coop? No

Good, it's not the dispenser (they are very expensive)

Was the breaker thrown? No.

Was the GFI tripped? Yes. Problem solved.

None of this is anything i can expect my wife to do. Thankfully I was home.

Now to the question of why the GFI was tripped? That should only happen if there was a big rain storm and water got in the extension cord somehow. The last big rain storm was a week ago. It has been warm so it's possible the power has been off that long.

One flaw of the heated dispenser, no indicator light to tell you it's powered. Of course Hattie might use it as a night light for eating and drinking if there was one.

For me days like this happen in the driving rain! But, yesterday I had to run out to chickenland before dawn because I heard an alarm call from one of the chickens. When I got there, only Surly was out of bed, and she was standing in the middle of her yard complaining about snow flakes falling on her. Of course, the sky really was falling!!!