Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Kitten break!!

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My friend is fostering a litter of kitten. I went over to play with them and they are so tiny!!

Kittens! They are so adorable!

 

[LozzyR]

Hi guys, I’m 50 pages behind and probably going to be absent for a while. I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know I’m quite a mess right now. It’s been really rough balancing everything here, and then Arduinna went for a little walkabout to top it off; when I was really struggling against weather, general living conditions, chores, and DH was away working this Saturday. She still hasn’t come back, but is no longer crying to us from the cliffs above our home. Please keep us in your prayers for her safety and that she comes back home. She’s way too spoiled to be an outside goat.

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She wasn’t wearing her harness when she wandered off, because we were at home, so no worries on getting it caught on something, but also no clear “that’s the pet goat” indicators if she approaches a stranger. I figured she was just doing a little browsing in the yard. Was fighting with getting a chicken out of the barn. I Just blocked out my phone number because the thread is so public and busy here lately... nothing personal. You’re mostly all pretty much my chicken family here

I’ve been told by other previous goat adoptive parents that it’s breeding season (but she just got off the bottle herself!) and she may return in a week or two, pregnant. My fingers are (sort of) crossed for that outcome. I’m barely functioning without her here, and she is one of the few things really keeping me going through all this.

A somewhat humorous aside: Also I put a missing pet ad on one (private) Local FB group (see my pics?) then shared it to that “other” original public group I’ve mentioned before, where it was deleted with no reason given to me (it turns out you can’t share from private to public group as only members of the private group can see the post... but being so internet savvy I didn’t know that). So my little missing goat sparked another round of high school drama like internet wars on social media. FFS, I wasn’t being elitist just the one group is “safer” and moderated and the other has devolved into a cesspool of nastiness lately... as evidenced by the really nasty public admin announcement of “anything shared from that group to here will be deleted nah-nah... type initial response” which was my only clue, (while distraughtly crying after a full day searching, rock climbing, and walking in alternating rain and heat waves) as to why it was deleted. So now the “there’s another private group, are they saying mean things there” issue is fracturing the community spirit almost as much as the vaccine vs anti-vaxer debates. Further evidence why I need my emotional support goat back so badly!

I may not be back on for a while, so I will thank you all for the kind words, thoughts, prayers and otherwise I know you will all say in advance. @BlueBaby as well (hope that works and you get this message, I just can’t concentrate to forward this privately)

I’m so sorry Kris. I’m just under 200 pages behind so I’m really hoping I’ll find a ‘happy ending’ post for you and Arduinna. Look after yourself, you’ll find no mean posts here.

 

[BY Bob]

I think Bob might've used the word ground to stand in for soil. I recall the main point of Shad's discussion was that hens can make a hen-sized hollow in soil to sit comfier on their nests and better manage a clutch of eggs than they can on a hard flat floor, even if it has nesting material on top.

I'll try to find the article he wrote.

Edit: found it (that was easier than expected!)

Right you are. Soil would have been a better word. All that time spent pondering it and I was inarticulate in my words. Thanks MJ

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks, yes, am aware of the potential for parasite infections, but I'm not sure there's anything I can do about preventing it if I let them peck at the ground, except keep their forage area moving. Unless I keep them in a sterile environment, and even that would be hard to maintain, there is no way they aren't going to encounter a slug. We are on a hillside where there are spring seeps here and there, forest and field on all sides....bugs of all kinds abound.

That reminds me that two days ago while sitting with them someone I don't remember who started running in circles, I realized she was after a fly that was buzzing her, I could see it - either a small deerfly or housefly, it was fast - it took off in a straight line and she chased it, then it doubled back and she ran in a circle again and then bit the air. Fly taken care of.

Here they chase those small white moths. There has been many a merry chase trying to run those down, Great fun!

 

[BY Bob]

I've read this, good article! I put extra chopped hemp in the nestbox area because of it, aiming for 5 or more inches deep. The hemp grabs together well when it compacts, when stood on and when pushed around and laid on, and so stays in the shape they form it into and it's not slippery to stand on. Hopefully they're okay with it.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[BY Bob]

Getting ready for an even hotter heat wave expecting 95 tomorrow and over 100 on Sunday. This is August weather not June! Just put treat blocks in the freezer for the girls. Homemade popsicles for the humans go in next.

Looks like the heat arrives here on Sunday. Time to start prepping.

 

[BY Bob]

Jinx! Sort of
Let's all go to Bob's!

You are all welcome! Pool water is a brisk 77°F (25°C)

 

[LozzyR]

My friends... I don’t know what to say. I almost can’t believe it. She went missing 4pm Saturday, I have been balling my eyes out and looking very dangerously high and low for her. Not logging in here, not knowing how to let you all know she was missing. Praying for her to come back. Scanning the sky for vultures and yelling myself hoarse calling for her. I have been walking out to the beach two or three times daily. Last night was my first night sleeping alone since January, with DH in town and the cats all huffy. I was considering emulating Alex and bringing in Sammy for snuggles.

After my post here (thinking it may be days or weeks, if she ever comes back, and hadn’t fallen off the cliff or gotten lost on the other side of the mountains) I made some spaghetti, cried some more and was talking to myself, swearing if she would just come home I would cook her spaghetti just for her, and I headed out again to look for her with just a few hours until dark. She is home! Stuffed, belching, limping slightly, and now snoring on her pillow. Thank you all for the love and thoughts. I am believing that you all brought her back to me! (And she better not be knocked up! Of course we will love her just as much if she is... but I don’t want to have to build too big a barn!)

 

[BY Bob]

Don't they! And the light colour will show slime better than then dark colours would - easier to know when a deep clean is called for.

How often do you deep clean yours? I'm thinking about getting them for summer usage. They would be more attractive scattered around the yard. You just have to bring them into the house before it freezes or they will crumble.

 

[BY Bob]

LOL! Why do they do that? One morning while Ruby was having private free range meal tine, I turned my back and the fricken DOG ate all her millet, kale and dry meal worms. Really??? I was not too pleased.

Dogs