Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Flexi in her last days

Gone but never ever forgotten. She became a great mama hen and comforted Agatha so much ❤


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She was a wonderful lady.

 

[BY Bob]

The loving two Agatha and flexi
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Wonderful memories.

 

[ManueB]

Glad everyone is OK and no chickens got washed away!
Do you collect any of the water at all to use during drought?
Just curious. I have been wishing I collected more (only some of my gutters go to collection) as it has been almost a month with no rain and my barrels are empty!

We intended to get three 10000 liters tanks but yesterday made us rethink this. We're probably going to get only one tank and pull a pipe to the garden and another to the old irrigation canal, which isn't in use anymore, but we know will have to be used again someday.
We haven't been collecting water up to now, as our village has a lot of water with two streams coming down the mountains. But another year of drought like this would be difficult even for us.

I'm also thinking about collecting the water from our shower and sink but this would be more complicated.

We've been having rain from ten days now, but before that I can count on one and a half hand the number of days with rain or snow since the end of October! Scary times.

 

[BY Bob]

We had a really bad thunderstorm storm yesterday at the end of the afternoon ; hail, horrible wind, lightning and pouring rain for an hour. Power's been out since and just back on (it's midday) and so did internet + cell phone access.
Turns out we have a problem since we've redone the old houses and added gutters to their rooves. All the water from the three gutters comes pouring down the same path in front of our house and we quickly had a huge torrent running down the slope carrying leaves and mud and small stones.
I was pretty upset with the teens. Gaston is more scared of the other chickens than of getting struck by lightning ! He just wouldn't go inside the coop to seek shelter so the four teens stayed huddled under a wood stack where they weren't really protected from the hail and wind. They only went to roost really late when we forced them to, the storm had ended but there was still a lot of water running.

We're still very lucky as the only damage is on our vegetables and fruits in the garden and like I always say, I'm grateful we're not making a living from our garden. There has been terrible storms in all our region and even some deaths in Corsica from trees falling. The damages are huge and it feels like this is the new normal.

Sounds like that was a scary one for certain. I'm glad no one was hurt and there was no significant damage. Severe storms are nothing to be trifle with.

 

[bgmathteach]

We had a really bad thunderstorm storm yesterday at the end of the afternoon ; hail, horrible wind, lightning and pouring rain for an hour. Power's been out since and just back on (it's midday) and so did internet + cell phone access.
Turns out we have a problem since we've redone the old houses and added gutters to their rooves. All the water from the three gutters comes pouring down the same path in front of our house and we quickly had a huge torrent running down the slope carrying leaves and mud and small stones.
I was pretty upset with the teens. Gaston is more scared of the other chickens than of getting struck by lightning ! He just wouldn't go inside the coop to seek shelter so the four teens stayed huddled under a wood stack where they weren't really protected from the hail and wind. They only went to roost really late when we forced them to, the storm had ended but there was still a lot of water running.

We're still very lucky as the only damage is on our vegetables and fruits in the garden and like I always say, I'm grateful we're not making a living from our garden. There has been terrible storms in all our region and even some deaths in Corsica from trees falling. The damages are huge and it feels like this is the new normal.

That sounds like a terrible storm, and frightening to have chickens out in nasty hail! I'm so glad all are safe at your place. Hope that the wash-out can be repaired. I know you live on a hillside, but are you able to create a small pond/cistern that can hold water for dry times that your gutters fill first?

 

[BY Bob]

It's Friday

Roosted Fluffy Butts

 

[Marie2020]

When she is grown up, not before. Right now she drinks sparkling apple cider.

If we're talking about Guci that little lady will only expect champagne

 

[BY Bob]

If we're talking about Guci that little lady will only expect champagne

I could see that.

 

[Marie2020]

Fluffy butt Friday

 

[BY Bob]

Fluffy butt Friday
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Beautiful!