Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

At 6:30 pm it was getting quite dark. Mrs. BY Bob yells to me, something is up with Phyllis. I come out and Phyllis greats me at the back door. I think she wants meal worms but no she wants me to follow her. She leads me out to the coop which I find like this!

I always check that the girls are in bed ok. I went out at dusk last night and River is walking up the garden to greet me. I was surprised to see her, I thought it was dark enough that she would be in bed. So I call her back down to the run and I see what the problem is; both auto doors have shut! She got locked out! I changed the timer so it was an hour later, grabbed her and put her to bed. I got those doors because they have a light lux sensor, but the minimum darkness for opening is too light, so I haven't bothered with that setting.

 

[Kris5902]

It does indeed sound like a tough day. I hope you are giving yourself a little time today.

Just let me say this, Lavender Orpingtons, Yes!

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I have to say I may have been inspired by your girls... at first I was concentrating on egg colour variety, now I’m considering temperament a bit more... plus the personally! But like @Ribh I’m somewhat takenby the more “independent” personalities (trying time put it in a PC way, thought flighty and crazy may also apply)

 

[Ribh]

I have to say I may have been inspired by your girls... at first I was concentrating on egg colour variety, now I’m considering temperament a bit more... plus the personally! But like @Ribh I’m somewhat takenby the more “independent” personalities (trying time put it in a PC way, thought flighty and crazy may also apply)

I must say I don't mind a bird with a busload of personality even though every one
i own like that is crazier than a bed bug. I am finding them harder to get though. Most people seem to prefer more easily managed girls.

 

[Kris5902]

Slingshot. I have one. It's mainly for stray dogs but I've scared Goshawks off with it before.

The farm child here has one... and is going as an assassin for Halloween (couldn’t remember the assassin but “you know those people who kill people” took me 4 guesses to get it ninja?, soldier? Politician?...

Sounds like here. They miss them because they don't care. I have a chart hanging in the main house kitchen which shows who should be in each coop in case something happens and I'm not there to close them up at dusk. I came back late one evening quite a few years ago and they had missed an entire coop and gone out leaving a note saying they couldn't find some chickens.

1 “missing” out of 128 isn’t awful... but still I could have given better head counts, but they literally missed the “most importantly get Roostie and his 8 brown girls up safe” as they are closest to the tree line and most vulnerable IMO. Good held p is hard to find. I miss our last WWOOFER. Brieuc was great.... his English not so much but he was kind, diligent, and with his help my mom managed last time NP. The 8 year old... less reliable

 

[Ribh]

The farm child here has one... and is going as an assassin for Halloween (couldn’t remember the assassin but “you know those people who kill people” took me 4 guesses to get it ninja?, soldier? Politician?...


1 “missing” out of 128 isn’t awful... but still I could have given better head counts, but they literally missed the “most importantly get Roostie and his 8 brown girls up safe” as they are closest to the tree line and most vulnerable IMO. Good held p is hard to find. I miss our last WWOOFER. Brieuc was great.... his English not so much but he was kind, diligent, and with his help my mom managed last time NP. The 8 year old... less reliable

Well...she's 8. She should improve with time & maturity. Your mum's more of a concern...

 

[Kris5902]

I will be so pleased when you finally move into your own house. I can cope with most things but no proper loo is a complete bummer! Been there, done that...

And I hate leaving anyone else in charge of my girls. They like chatting to me when I close up for the night.

I would have been checking on getting in regardless of what the roosting update was... not a lack of trust necessarily, but for my own peace of mind....

I am happy to say after 9 hrs, 3 RV toilet extractions, way too many spiders, and just one vomiting session: I have one jury rigged toilet install with a bunch of random odds and end. I now have a working manual flush gravity toilet!!!! Yes, I need to fill the water manually, but that’s good for water conservation. It’s not leaking, there isn’t any smell, and it’s only 25 years older than I am! Don’t ask how long I massaged the not one, not two, but three wax rings to make this happen....

Done Is better than perfect, and “temporary” solutions oft end up being permanent... but if I need to use the facilities tonight, I won’t have to dig myself a hole. Thank goodness!

 

[Kris5902]

Well...she's 8. She should improve with time & maturity. Your mum's more of a concern...

She is in her late 60’s and her mother (my gran) suffered quite a bit of dementia. I’m seeing some warning signs, but we will work through that as well. It’s a little challenging for me because DH doesn’t see all of it. He didn’t really meet her when she was more “normal”. I have to say though, for all I whine about the farm tenant using her for free child care, I think it helps them both (my mom and the kiddo... the more or less deadbeat mom I don’t really care about)

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Fall Phyllis

I mentioned that I got some Phyllis shots the other day. Here is our little super model posing with the mums.

Let's play name the pose again.

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I don't know about naming any one pose, but that series of photos makes me think she is a judge at a flower show inspecting your "mums".

She doesn't look very impressed.....

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Same here with my Black Copper Marans Rooster... his pinky toes look odd, and several times I have thought he had a bumble or cyst, but it turned out to be a feather. And the feathers raise the scales on a way that causes SLM flashbacks! Chickie Hawk has feathered feet too, sort of. His girls don’t though and they Pluck his feet bare! Just the feet... and he lets them???

Every one's a critic!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Sounds like here. They miss them because they don't care. I have a chart hanging in the main house kitchen which shows who should be in each coop in case something happens and I'm not there to close them up at dusk. I came back late one evening quite a few years ago and they had missed an entire coop and gone out leaving a note saying they couldn't find some chickens.

At least they left you a note I suppose.