Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

The Sentinel at Work

I got some wonderful shots of Hattie on guard yesterday. She seems so regal to me when she watches while the others play. Her new feathers are very pretty as well.
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Hattie!

 

[micstrachan]

Yes, right until they decide to roll in mud... or add a couple pounds of forest dirt into their feathers to shake out in you face, or (not really an exclusive white leghorn trick I suppose, as Dean is only 1/4 leghorn but pretty white), there’s the ever popular “scratch myself with the underside of this greasy truck” maneuver... now that one takes a lot to get off!

OMG, Kris! I can’t stop laughing! The visual of feather dirt getting shaken in one’s face... so true!

 

[micstrachan]

It is funny you should say that. I was just thinking about it. I have only once tried live meal worms - I used them to tame the Little Princesses. At the start they were terrified of me but soon I had them not only eating out of my hand but perching on my shoulder - all due to live meal worms!
I read that they are easy to keep - but to breed they presumably have to go through the beetle stage as well no?

Yep.

 

[micstrachan]

A profound, complete and (almost) completely un-coerced, apology
I have been instructed on pain of death (a threat I take seriously) by all the Princesses in The Chicken Palace to make it clear to all citizens, whether human or fowl, that I was completely inaccurate and inappropriate in suggesting that the Princesses are without brains.
"You think we want to stand here in the wet you idiot? The rain makes the worms come up for air. If you would just do your job and go out and dig up worms and serve them to us in our cozy Palace we wouldn't be out here sopping wet."
I am personally skeptical about that last point but in deference to the orders I received I am posting this apology note:
Dear Princesses
I am fully aware that you are the smartest (and prettiest) of chickens and I am truly sorry for suggesting otherwise.
Your humble servant,
RC

The nerve! RC, freshly dug worms is indeed their right. You have some serious sucking up to do.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

No brains
I don't subscribe to the theory that chickens are in general without brains. However, I am beginning to think I may indeed have a flock of brainless chickens.
It is cold. It is raining. It is miserable out.
My chickens have a spacious, draft free Chicken Palace with food, fresh water and many perches, roosts and tree stumps to jump up and down from. They have not one, but two covered runs including en-suite dustbathing, a long ladder, a perch with a view, and food and fresh water stations throughout.
They also have two open runs with a small muddy river (stream really) flows down the middle of one, and until I install gutters the drip line of the roof goes into each of the open runs.
They have all this. And what do they do?
They stand with their feet in the muddy stream, under the drip line in the open run. They are sopping wet and yelling at me.
My chickens are literally too stupid to come in out of the rain!

You'd better hope that they don't look up to see where the water is coming from and drown!


But seriously, they are lovely girls . They must have a good reason for standing in the rain....surely...

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

The Eye of Phyllis

All this hurricane talk on the news has me think eye of the storm metaphors for Phyllis' molt. It appears that Phyllis' molt has reached her head and has inadvertently improved her eyesight. I can see her eyes for the first time since she arrived. I do think it would help her greatly if those feathers never grew back. I wonder if other Polish owners trim them? I am very scared to put anything pointy near her eyes. She is always surprised and jerks a lot. I would hate to damage her sight while trying to improve it.

Check out how easy it is to see her eye.
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She's beautiful Bob, but she has lost her mysterious allure now.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Lol! It used to film a lot just down the street from me, and Andrew’s Uncle worked on it in the first 4 seasons or so. We finished watching all the episodes except for the last season in 2019... I got DH and my mom hooked on it. What was the best though, was on our 2018 Seattle trip to hear Temple Grandin speak on Autism and her experiences in the livestock industry, we took the Train home to Vancouver and ran into Misha Collins traveling with his son. A very nice person, humble and not at all standoffish.

I’ve had lots of celebrity interactions working at the West Vancouver Whole Foods, and have to say that although some can be complete jerks, most of the time if you just treat them like normal people they are nice enough. One of my ex co-workers has recently been posting to her Facebook best/worst celebrity interaction stories from her time there as well, some are just hilarious.

My youngest would be so envious of you!

Castiel was one of their favourite characters. They were a big fan until another of their favourite characters was killed off.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I'm still madly trying to catch up on the three threads, but I had to share this story with you that my colleague shared with me today. She said that she was in her backyard the other day and could see her neighbour, two doors down. This neighbour was in her backyard, cuddling a hen the same way my colleague was cuddling her puppy! She said she had to share it with me.

Aww. That's so sweet.

Perhaps we could all star training our chickens!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Four-egg day!

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It's so exciting when this happens!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

A profound, complete and (almost) completely un-coerced, apology
I have been instructed on pain of death (a threat I take seriously) by all the Princesses in The Chicken Palace to make it clear to all citizens, whether human or fowl, that I was completely inaccurate and inappropriate in suggesting that the Princesses are without brains.
"You think we want to stand here in the wet you idiot? The rain makes the worms come up for air. If you would just do your job and go out and dig up worms and serve them to us in our cozy Palace we wouldn't be out here sopping wet."
I am personally skeptical about that last point but in deference to the orders I received I am posting this apology note:
Dear Princesses
I am fully aware that you are the smartest (and prettiest) of chickens and I am truly sorry for suggesting otherwise.
Your humble servant,
RC

See? There was method in their madness! How could you have doubted them?