Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

I used to have a minimum of two mobile phones when I was in the UK. It's very difficult in many lines of work to operate without one.
I've had computers (3 here atm) for a very long time but they weren't connected to the Internet.
I've never owned a TV.
I'm not at all anti technology and I'm quite good with most of it although the so called smart phones would have me guessing.
If the Internet fell to bits I doubt I would miss it much. It would make keeping in touch with my daughters and family more difficult but otherwise the Internet is much like TV; a great idea not reaching anything like it's true potential.

Blockchain will make a big difference in extending the internet's capability. It doesn't have to be used for cryptocurrency - a block could represent anything. So it might even move us back to bartering "I'll give you three dozen eggs for that lumber" kind of thing, with the details of the transaction stored for posterity in a way that can't be altered.

Not sure if that's what you were thinking when you expressed the view that its potential in unfulfilled as yet? It's still quite new and I daresay it will take us a while yet to truly leverage it's potential.

 

[MaryJanet]

Skunk!

The cameras caught something last night, a very large skunk patrolling around the coop. I am not convinced this is my killer. They are usually scavengers.

All the same it's good to know who comes calling in the night. Cheeky skunk.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Tribe 1 on walkabout.
View attachment 2018522

Oh my the little lady in the lower right corner is quite lovely!

 

[BY Bob]

nice pics! I have a new herd coming in March...

That's awesome. What kinds?

 

[MaryJanet]

The Trouble with Beards

I know that occasionally I get soup or whipped cream from a fancy coffee in my mustache. I can usually lick it out with my tongue and wipe with a napkin. Easy clean up.

I have never had a beard but I am reasonably certain that the benefits of Aurora's beard (warm wattles for example) outweigh the downside. But with no hands to help, her beard got her in a sticky situation today.

View attachment 2018447

Yes that is spaghetti hanging from her beard! She walked around like that for quite a while today. Lilly tried to help her but she was afraid Lilly was trying to actually peck her and kept bouncing away.

It remained on her beard for some time. She tried eating it herself, shaking her head, even scratching it with her foot, still the pasta clung to her beard.

Hysterical.

Awww poor Aurora, she's ordinarily pristine!

 

[MaryJanet]

Everytime I Open the Door Now

View attachment 2018465

She's a very sensible chicken.

 

[BY Bob]

[Not nosey at all Shadrack... I am still trying to figure out this site and how to respond, but maybe this will work. Let me know if you get my response. My fenced garden space is 30x30.' So, when I decided to add chickens I felt this was plenty of space for both hobbies... vegetable gardening and Chickens. At the moment, I have just two hens at this site. They are 8 months old now, and one of the girls laid the first egg yesterday! I'm so excited. I moved my other two older girls over to my goat barn when I got the new gals because the old ones ( 6 years) had begun to crack and eat their own eggs. I just heard today that if this happens you can mix one of their eggs in with their food and they will stop this habit. Have you ever heard this? The two I moved to the goat barn seem very happy there, so I just may leave them there.... u

[/QUOTE]

You can try placing ceramic eggs in the nest as well. I few pecks at those trends to discourage egg eating.

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob the only way to trap a skunk is in a covered trap. A skunk can not spray where it cannot see. There are also many easy ways to repel them.

Skunks have very sensitive noses and ears. Placing rags soaked in ammonia and moth balls will move him along. Also the constant sound of music or people talking.

When I lived in Linglestown we had a mom and 5 babies under a shed. Using the above techniques the skunk moved out and was not seen again within 3 days.

If you prefer to hire someone for his removal, I 100% recommend Hillcrest pest and critter control in Halifax.

I was thinking to hire someone to remove it for me. I may go that route.

It is hard to write this but the only damage to Mal was in the neck. There was no damage elsewhere. I know that weasels for sure and raccoons have been known to kill that way. I have not heard of skunks doing that. But I have also not heard of skunks attacking full grown chickens before either.

 

[MaryJanet]

Tribe 1 on walkabout.
View attachment 2018522

"bucket man's got this firewood stacked all wrong. Nowhere for mousies to settle in and grow fat for snacking."

 

[Shadrach]

Oh my the little lady in the lower right corner is quite lovely!

That would be Hurry (Light gray hen?)
She's not quite as good looking as her mother, but she's a fine looking hen.
Here she is with her mother Ruffles.