Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Well, just to help you out with the list, here's some pics of the steps

Wider shot from the bottom
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Close up of the body of the steps (local rock used as pavers)
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Close up of the join

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The rubber strips help with the slipping and it's set where it gets some good sun in the morning. As long as the stone gets some sunlight, they melt off faster than the beds around them. Shoveling on the other hand is a challenge as the surface is on the rough side.

Love them!

 

[micstrachan]

Response to the meme: turkeys CAN fly (wild ones, domestic ones cannot), very well in fact. Ben Franklin campaigned for them to be the national bird cause they're so smart too.

Yep. Once a juvenile turkey visited my birds. They were my first four little pullets, and the turkey (poult?) visited outside their run (which was just chicken wire and stakes at that point… no cover, no posts). The pullets and turkey seemed to be talking to each other. Then suddenly the turkey flew up to the roof of the coop, which is probably at least 12 feet tall. The pullets frantically ran into the coop!

 

[micstrachan]

Now Butter has me worried with her fast hard molt. She stopped eating everything in sight and this afternoon during the warmest part of the day she was found in the winterized coop shivering. She's now inside and will stay inside the majority of the next few days as its cold. It's supposed to be in the teens tonight and even though we weatherproofed the coop I fear she would freeze to death. Once inside by the heater and after she warmed up a bit she did decide to eat some wet cat food and layer pellets. I felt so bad picking her up and carrying her inside though as she feels like a porcupine with all the pin feathers and I know from the protests that even though I was as gentle as I could be it was very uncomfortable for her.

Do you have a pic of how bad Butter’s molt is at this time?

 

[rural mouse]

Where was Phyllis exactly then? Bob doesn't say!

Not sure. Sydney, either. The mental image though....

 

[rural mouse]

The wild ones are the only kind we have around here. They are very cool. They like the mountainside meadows and forests for foraging, it's an easy takeoff from the ridgeline into the wind and down over the hillside when they're disturbed. They will even trot a ways along a woodland path to get there if they think there's time without flying (long necks up, looking back to check). They roost in the tallest maple and oak trees along the ridgeline. We once discovered something in a protected meadow making sounds like coyote pups but it was turkeys all gathered with several leaping and flapping at each other. We observed from a distance hidden in a shrubby treeline and turned back to let them be.

That's an awesome story and memory! And fascinating to watch.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Sylvie

Being way far behind again, I have been catching up since it’s 3:30 am and I can’t sleep.
I just read about Sylvia and Legertha, and I am devastated. I have been watching them grow up with great interest, and I just love them. And to learn that Legertha is gone now is just too sad.
It’s just not fair!
After the struggle with the mail order chicks, and everything you went through to finally get these two. And built them the Cluckle Hut.
I am so sad for you and Mrs. BY Bob, and Sylvie, too.

 

[MaryJanet]

Being way far behind again, I have been catching up since it’s 3:30 am and I can’t sleep.
I just read about Sylvia and Legertha, and I am devastated. I have been watching them grow up with great interest, and I just love them. And to learn that Legertha is gone now is just too sad.
It’s just not fair!
After the struggle with the mail order chicks, and everything you went through to finally get these two. And built them the Cluckle Hut.
I am so sad for you and Mrs. BY Bob, and Sylvie, too.

It is a nasty shock.

 

[Marie2020]

They both were troopers. Sansa only fussed when the doctor started handling her. Lilly was very good the whole time. She just got mad when Sansa started fussing. I was very proud of them both.

So you should be. They are well brought up young ladies

 

[Shadrach]

She does look in a sorry place poor thing. Which one is that?

She doesn't have a name yet. She's oneof the now seven hens that will either peck at my feet to get picked up or jump on to my lap of their own accord.

 

[Marie2020]

Monday Mug Shot. Sad Isn't it.
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She looks so sad