Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

My sister's first husband and father of my oldest nephew had open heart surgery today. Positive thoughts and prayers please. He was a good friend of mine long before he married Cara. He is currently in ICU but came through the surgery good.

How is your friend/ex-brother-in-law doing today? Hoping he is doing well, though I'm sure in pain (even if they keep him very well medicated). Here's to a good recovery and a healthy heart in the future.

 

[Ponypoor]

How do you waterproof the horse blankets?

I wash them first to get dust and mud off the outer shell, then I use the stuff you can put on tents. I get the brush on stuff not the spray.

There are lots of those products out there, you can also use it to waterproof winter jackets.

Edit: of course this is weather dependent - hard to get to blankets to dry if it raining!

 

[Ponypoor]

DANGER DANGER RUN HIDE…


Just had some excitement here with a hawk - I was doing stalls and heard the crows kicking up a ruckus so I ran out and it was flying away - but were was everyone? They had been down in the paddock with the horses.

I ran down the paddock and didn’t see them
I started calling for them and whiskers came creeping out of the long grass and golden rod in the alleyway between the paddocks, then Misty, then I enticed Sophia out… but where were Blanche and Buttercup and Mr P - more frantic now I started running the fence calling them, oh there is Mr P, but he was all tangled and stuck in the golden rod and couldn’t get out, I hopped the fence and started breaking the stocks, but he started panicking and screaming, which brought Blanche and Buttercup running, ok good found those two..
The more I tried to get MrP out the more he panicked so I pretty much just pushed him through the goldenrod stalks till he was able to get through the fence!

They all beat a hasty retreat to the barn then, I did a head count. 13 ok good! I slammed the back door to the barn and told them no more running amok!

But one thing, I was happy to see that they knew to hide in the brush! Of course that’s were the foxes lurk! Oh me nerves! Who knew chickens could be so much stress !

 

[Ponypoor]

I am rethinking not handling Mr P more. If I need to handle him I need him to be compliant and not kick up a fuss. Going to start desensitizing him today. He needs to learn I am not going to hurt him.

 

[bgmathteach]

Cool - question - the rebar is to stabilize it in setup? Or to move it?

My original idea was each 8x7 roof section with purlins could be unscrewed from the rafters and lifted off as a frame. I figured out the weight and thought it was doable, about 35-40 lbs. But that was with everything being 2x2’s. Then the run halves, each 6x6, would be moved as usual, except with the single 2x2 posts and 2x2 rafters included, the posts being zip-tied to the metal tubes of the wire frame. It all flexes, and I’ve been moving it prior to this, but it is hard on the cage, stressing it some. I had decided to make only one more seasonal move with it. But 2x2’s are toothpicks for snow load. However I envisioned the metal tubes as adding compression support, the wire mesh adds sideways support and some (not really) triangular bracing along with the ceiling panels, and they held quite a bit of snow these last two winters. DH was not impressed. Yes he is an angel though!

The rebar did 2 things...slide through eye bolts of both panels to hold them together, and helped to stabilize...particularly kept the roof in place when I put it on after the sides were up. These are terrible sketches, but this is what it looked like... (note,everything folded up so it was 5.5' long, 3' high, and 6 2X3's wide...great for storing) I've thought about making a bigger one,and putting it on a frame - same dimensions as pen will be) Using someting like this along the sides, and this at the corners with a pin with cotter pin to hold in place. Make moving it around easier, as base frame would have wheels, but sides/top would fold up, and when removed from base, base would be fairly flat (maybe 8" deep,at most, depth of tires) Since I would only use in warmer months (not winter) 2X2 or 2X3 will be enough for framing of pen panels, but I would use 2X4 for base it would rest on for pulling/moving.

But, alas, that isn't to be right now, as I need to build another coop before winter!

Ooops, EDITED to add terrible sketches!

Note, I decided on those dimensions as I made it out of 8' length wood (2.5 + 5.5 = 8'), and 8X8 would have been too big for what I wanted at the time.)

 

[ValarieF]

I am rethinking not handling Mr P more. If I need to handle him I need him to be compliant and not kick up a fuss. Going to start desensitizing him today. He needs to learn I am not going to hurt him.

I am so glad they are all ok!

 

[Marie2020]

How do you waterproof the horse blankets?

I heard bee wax is good

 

[Marie2020]

I have a poorly friend so making them my ginger tea recipe.

 

[Marie2020]

I ate a lot of sardines and egg today and what I left mum made me eat. I'm stuffed full to the wattles

 

[Marie2020]

There's a real struggle going on with uploading pictures today I haven't got a clue why