Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

I received a call from home. Seems that my little scheme worked. I’m headed back home to testify, and get my chooks back home where they belong.
(I cannot go into any other details)
The birds are all safe and healthy though.

I can't wait for an update

 

[Marie2020]

I slept all afternoon after going to goodwill and looking around, found some clothes a blanket for the chicks and a coffee mug, came home and passed out lol. Sucks haveing health issues.

 

[Marie2020]

Sounds like she is already on her way out of being broody, if she is coming out on her own- Dorothy did that a couple days then she was completely off the nest.

Could be that she is indeed coming out of her broodiness. These gals are going to drive us nuts - aren’t they ??

What do you mean driving us nuts

 

[ManueB]

I've been holding this quote in limbo for some time. Sorry.

They are now 18 weeks old.



Yes. Mine usually separate themselves from the others. The main indication Betty was molting was not even feathers on the ground but rather her withdrawing from everyone else. Then I noticed feathers coming in. She is molting very slowly.,

Thank you for remembering! I did well to ask, because I wrongly thought they were older! In fact they are only two weeks and a half older than Chipie's clucks. But they look more "adults" and bigger, though it's hard to tell exact size on pictures !

Did you figure out how Gucci got trapped out ? I'm wondering if it would be any use to set lockdown a bit later ?

A few you forgot lol.
Lavender. Rosie really wants these, but I've distracted her with silkies for the time being.
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Blue Copper
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Birchen
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Splash
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White
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Like Ponypoor I need to win the lottery as well. Everyone will know it when it happens. Suddenly there will be a couple of every variety of Marans out there right now in my front yard. Even those that will have to be smuggled out of Australia.

They are all gorgeous! I hope I didn't sound too judgemental regarding the Marans. I really have no right to be, knowing so little about chicken breeds, and having a flock made up of hybrid ex-batts and backyard mutts!
I also love diversity and the idea of new crosses. To my eyes it's partly a semantic question - I would find it more suitable if those were given a new name ! But also, I do believe it's an important goal to preserve the genetic characteristics of old breeds. Sometimes adaptations are made to suit demands that are not necessarily good choices in that regard. I'm thinking of @BY Bob's remark regarding american leghorns. Also, thinking of the equestrian world : in France we have had a tendency to turn all pony breeds into sport ponies - Welsh and Connemara ponies all look pretty much like little jumping machines now and even heavier breeds like halflingers or our local coarser breeds like camargues and pottoks are transformed to enter jumping or dressage shows. I think it's too bad, and that it's important to find a balance between trying new crosses and improvement, and preserving old breeds ! Anyway, I really hope you can find a way to obtain your dream Marans without moving as far as Australia .

In regard to your broodies I wonder if there isn't some kind of phenomenon with the hen's hormones like with young girls that will all have their periods together when they are housed together.

All done, packed to the roof top….

500 rather large heavy square bales of really nice hay packed away for the geegees and we made the hay elevator fit too hahaha.


In the beginning, it was a big void… occupied by the dreaded hay elevator, and about 150 of last years bales.
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I even put the horse trailer to use - I was able to put 50 bales in it! Load…. Unload…. Hard work! But my cousin and her husband helped
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Then it started to fill up, 300 bales is a lot of hay! But I wheezed and struggled and my cousin her husband and I (and eventually my niece) did 300…. Filling up nicely!
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Today we completed the job with an additional 200. Packed it in, and dragged the dreaded hay elevator back up for storage for the winter.
Done for another year

The east side of the barn where my access hatch is located.
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The west side of the barn and the dreaded hay elevator, without which non of this would be possible! Had to haul out my ladder to access this side.
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Truly hoping I will throw down some hay for her… hold the ladder Tru! I am coming down…
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Wonderful job, but hard work, and thank you for all the pictures! I have hay questions, sorry they may not be of general interest . Are your bales 15 or 30 kilos ? Do you feed hay year round and if so is this due to your horses old age, or other reasons ? How much hay do you count for a horse ? And last how much ventilation do you have in the barn ? Thank you so much for your help !

 

[ManueB]

Hay tax : I think we are allowed goats for pony Sunday ?

We saw many families of these guys ( I think they are ibex in English?) during our mountains trek, they were reintroduced in the early 90s in our mountain chain. They have been protected and are now thriving, the wolves don't seem to predate them!

And days of staring I think Piou-pious tail is coming in! I would like to rectify that she is not sweet, however. She may be small but she is feral. She never comes near us, so two nights ago I tried to give her some treats in her nest before locking the coop - she screamed and BIT ME .

 

[Marie2020]

Tina laid an egg and I've darn well cracked it. They had a egg this morning already so I will give them this as well

 

[Marie2020]

Good morning from grumpy princess.

She is molting and I'm worried because the temperature is dropping

 

[rural mouse]

Good morning from grumpy princess.

She is molting and I'm worried because the temperature is dropping
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Better to do it now than in another month or 2

 

[ValarieF]

I 7:26 am and chickens are all awake and fed. didn't get to hear the neighborhood roosters this morning, I love those guys. It was 57 degrees when I woke up at 6 am. It's almost 7:30 it's 58 degrees.....brrrrrrr
I like daylight hours to play with the chooks and chicks all day and build them stuff or modify their areas for the better.

 

[Ponypoor]

(Cough cough Jessica) and again in April....resulting in either Lark or Indigo...

Glad others are enjoying my ‘fun’ with broodies