Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Good morning from grumpy princess.

She is molting and I'm worried because the temperature is dropping
View attachment 3263823

Awwwww poor little lady, mine have been doing that also .

She looks like she still has enough feathers to protect her, she will be fine. Just make sure she has a dry place to get into - your lovely little covered area is the perfect spot

 

[Ponypoor]

@Ponypoor see? And that was ground to top, not using the steps to flap/climb/jump up....with the loft loaded with lots of insulating, draft stopping, tasty hay....the temptation is real!

Ok I am gonna make sure my gals are not reading this hahahaha

Thankfully the silkies fly like crap so they can’t get up there

 

[RoyalChick]

Ok I am gonna make sure my gals are not reading this hahahaha

Thankfully the silkies fly like crap so they can’t get up there

Do they ever get up on the horses?

 

[Ponypoor]

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 ?

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.


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 !

Hay Answers

My loft is open at the eves (were the roof rests on the walls) and those has air flow up through there along the whole 60’ length of the barn, over the top of the hay. The ridge along the length of the top of the barn allows for the air to escape.

Both ends of the barn have access doors which I normally leave open once it turns warm. I close the west side door if we are getting any thunderstorms so rain doesn’t blow into the loft. Both end of barn doors get closed for the winter once the snow starts falling - usually around first on November.

The bales are small 2 string bales weighing around 50 - 60 pounds (20 - 30kg). I would say the majority of these are around 60 pounds - which by the end of the day end up weighing ‘600 pounds’

I do have pasture here but because two of my girls have founder (laminitis) I can’t put them on grass for grazing, the ponies also get very fat on grass. As a result I have to feed hay year round.

I count about 3 bales a day for all the horses.

There are 4 horses here,
- 2 are Pony-of-the-Americas (Appaloosa coloured), they weigh around 650lbs and are 13.2nd. Sally is 21, and Lulu is 20.
- 1 Arabian who is about 15.1hh and weights about 950lbs. Truly is 20.
- 1 thoroughbred who is about 16hh and about 1000lbs. Reenie is 21.

The ponies get a handful of grain as a treat to get them in the barn twice a day, Sally gets med morning and night for her COPD (heaves/asthma). The other is foundered and sometimes requires anti inflammatory meds.

The ponies get about 2 flakes of hay each at night along with whatever grass they can find in the paddocks. They both are outside at night as Sally’s breathing is better outside.

The Arab mare gets grain and beet pulp twice daily, but she is on a reduced diet as she is now lame and I am suspicious that she has foundered also. Since the treatment is anti inflammatory meds she is now on that also.

She gets 1/3 of a bale of hay at night. That’s About 4 flakes. She is in a stall at night.

Reenie gets grain and beet pulp has no health issues other than some arthritis. She gets about a 1/3 of a bale at night also. She is also in a stall at night.

I throw a whole bale in the bale feeder in the morning for them all to eat during the day.

The paddock they are in has a bit of grass but it’s very much eaten down, it’s just enough to give them something to pick at.

 

[Ponypoor]

Do they ever get up on the horses?

Nope never.

They will hang out with reenie and eat her grain that she spills - but they don’t go into the stalls.

Trulys stall is out of bound to them, I keep her door closed as she is flighty and paces the stall. She’s a twit, I tried to leave her out over night a couple months ago but she paced around so much and fretted that she exhausted herself, wore the toes of the front of her hoofs she was dragging her feet pacing, and lost so much weight!!

The chickens stay clear of her!

 

[rural mouse]

Tomato/strawberry plant bandits strike again

 

[rural mouse]

Chicken breakfast... (pics VERY iffy)

Cheetah and Whiskey both alerted, almost simultaneously, both watching the sky. I hear crows cawing. Look up....(pic after the fact: had to get around the trees)

I've never seen this many in 1 group. Not sure if the pic will some enough to capture, but I counted 35 (that's THIRTY-FIVE) crows. The terms murder of crows or muster of crows gives new meaning. They were heading south, in very loose goose formations with lots of outflyers (outriders). That many together is a serious force of nature to face should they choose.

The boys all watched until it was clear they were not stopping off.

 

[ManueB]

Hay Answers

My loft is open at the eves (were the roof rests on the walls) and those has air flow up through there along the whole 60’ length of the barn, over the top of the hay. The ridge along the length of the top of the barn allows for the air to escape.

Both ends of the barn have access doors which I normally leave open once it turns warm. I close the west side door if we are getting any thunderstorms so rain doesn’t blow into the loft. Both end of barn doors get closed for the winter once the snow starts falling - usually around first on November.

The bales are small 2 string bales weighing around 50 - 60 pounds (20 - 30kg). I would say the majority of these are around 60 pounds - which by the end of the day end up weighing ‘600 pounds’

I do have pasture here but because two of my girls have founder (laminitis) I can’t put them on grass for grazing, the ponies also get very fat on grass. As a result I have to feed hay year round.

I count about 3 bales a day for all the horses.

There are 4 horses here,
- 2 are Pony-of-the-Americas (Appaloosa coloured), they weigh around 650lbs and are 13.2nd. Sally is 21, and Lulu is 20.
- 1 Arabian who is about 15.1hh and weights about 950lbs. Truly is 20.
- 1 thoroughbred who is about 16hh and about 1000lbs. Reenie is 21.

The ponies get a handful of grain as a treat to get them in the barn twice a day, Sally gets med morning and night for her COPD (heaves/asthma). The other is foundered and sometimes requires anti inflammatory meds.

The ponies get about 2 flakes of hay each at night along with whatever grass they can find in the paddocks. They both are outside at night as Sally’s breathing is better outside.

The Arab mare gets grain and beet pulp twice daily, but she is on a reduced diet as she is now lame and I am suspicious that she has foundered also. Since the treatment is anti inflammatory meds she is now on that also.

She gets 1/3 of a bale of hay at night. That’s About 4 flakes. She is in a stall at night.

Reenie gets grain and beet pulp has no health issues other than some arthritis. She gets about a 1/3 of a bale at night also. She is also in a stall at night.

I throw a whole bale in the bale feeder in the morning for them all to eat during the day.

The paddock they are in has a bit of grass but it’s very much eaten down, it’s just enough to give them something to pick at.

Thank you so much for the detailed answer ! We're closing the openings in the old house's barn and I want to make sure we maintain sufficient ventilation. I would prefer having at least two windows that can be opened to create air flow as there is only one access door. We are leaving some of the smaller openings under the roof but closing all the bigger ones.
Do you believe that "spring grass" (not sure if it's the correct way of saying it) caused their founders, or did they have some associated disease ? I would be very upset to get a pony and not be able to leave it on grass at all .

And has Truly's behaviour at night shown any improvement?

 

[RoyalChick]

Chicken breakfast... (pics VERY iffy)View attachment 3263947View attachment 3263948View attachment 3263949View attachment 3263950Cheetah and Whiskey both alerted, almost simultaneously, both watching the sky. I hear crows cawing. Look up....(pic after the fact: had to get around the trees)View attachment 3263951

I've never seen this many in 1 group. Not sure if the pic will some enough to capture, but I counted 35 (that's THIRTY-FIVE) crows. The terms murder of crows or muster of crows gives new meaning. They were heading south, in very loose goose formations with lots of outflyers (outriders). That many together is a serious force of nature to face should they choose.

The boys all watched until it was clear they were not stopping off.

Don’t the crows stay year round?
I have lots of them but they live here. That makes me happy as they mob the hawks relentlessly. The most I have seen at once though is about a dozen.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you so much for the detailed answer ! We're closing the openings in the old house's barn and I want to make sure we maintain sufficient ventilation. I would prefer having at least two windows that can be opened to create air flow as there is only one access door. We are leaving some of the smaller openings under the roof but closing all the bigger ones.
Do you believe that "spring grass" (not sure if it's the correct way of saying it) caused their founders, or did they have some associated disease ? I would be very upset to get a pony and not be able to leave it on grass at all .

And has Truly's behaviour at night shown any improvement?

I had to look up what founder was. Poor horses!