Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Not sure what I'm thinking. Puzzle pieces have to get put together to create the picture. Will ponder some more. Maybe more questions will come to mind or others will ask something that will spark more ideas. Currently.....she's a puzzle.


Edit: I'm going to have to do a fluff inspection here to see if any have similarities.

I think a fluff inspection with photos would be helpful. And if not helpful, at least fun!

 

[featherhead007]

Let me just say last nights hot flash was a blessing in disguise. I threw open the window and left it open. Thanks to that I was able to capture this this morning without him even knowing.

Twig says Rise and Shine.

And Twiggy! He’s got some good lungs on him! Nice Cocorico!

 

[ManueB]

@ManueB There's been an article on British(?) houses and how they may not be ready to deal with the changing climate, did that prompt your question?

What a beautiful sheen on Theo's tail!

Our house is well insulated, we built with six-inch walls before it was in the regulations to do so, but I love the light and we also have a lot of (Low-E) windows, probably too many, there's not a lot of wall space! We heat with wood but with electric backup. Wood isn't too expensive in the rural area I live, and we buy green and DH stacks it which saves money. DH always asks for oak whenever possible and dries it for two years. If / when we get too decrepit to deal with wood the plan is to convert the stove to gas or buy a new one. Wood is now about US$750/year and our electric is maybe US$150/month, which includes the whole house (two radiant towel warmers upped it a lot but we love love love them. They heat the bathrooms to boot)

I love to sleep in the cold, as long as I have good blankets so I can adjust my warmth. It's best anywhere between 50F (10C) and 60F (15.6C). Windows open whenever possible. But I'm conditioned to it, I spent most of my youth sleeping in a large drafty uninsulated cabin in the woods from late Spring to late Fall, even during light snow, with just a stone fireplace open on two sides that really didn't do much. At best the house when all closed up in the daytime was ten degrees F warmer than the outside on a sunny day, if you really kept stoking the fireplace. Plus we went camping on occasion. There wasn't much difference except the "bed" was not as comfortable and there was dew (no tents). So I get almost claustrophobic in a too-warm sleeping situation.

I spend a lot of time outside if I can, and use different clothes for different temperatures, especially wind conditions. It's critical to be in layers as @RoyalChick said, especially to avoid any chilling from sweat when active. So when going inside and outside throughout the day, the routine is basically just stripping down or layering up. A lot of northern US households have traditionally had "winter wear" and "summer wear" and storage cabinets or cedar chests for storing different clothes. We just stuff everything in our working closets, as many things are used during the cooler summer days too anyway.

I'm not in the extreme cold like @Ponypoor now though. Wool and/or quilted cotton layers over a soft inner layer, then a hooded layer. Balaclavas for head and face, and/or headbands, sometimes caps. Eye protection most days. A hooded windbreaker if it's windy. Insulated gloves or wool mittens. I have a pair of Tough Duck leather mitten covers I love. Soft wool socks, in one or two layers, inside insulated boots. Different boots for different activities.

Made me think of an extreme picture to put in here - Here's me years ago near the very top of Whiteface Mountain in New York USA (above Lake Placid) on the icy path above the weather station, just before we turned back because it was getting too stupid dangerous to be hiking it in telemark ski boots without crampons. We had skied six miles up on the beautiful Veteran's Memorial Highway. The rock you can see is covered with glazed ice, the only place to get a grip was on the snow. It was a beautiful day and an incredible descent down the Highway on skis too! We have done this several times since then but never made it up that path again mostly because the conditions have never been as good. Snowing like crazy, howling strong wind, freezing fog making the path a giant icefall (yes, @Kris5902!).
View attachment 3340578

Weather tax. The Buckeye babies from 2020View attachment 3340580

Thanks for taking the time to share ! Living in a cabin must have been a wonderful if somewhat tough experience. And what an incredible view and ski this must have been !
I've seen articles about england and the heat / cold , but to keep it real I was more centered on our own situation. We've moved in this old house that has no insulation and gone from Nice climate to alpine Mediterranean. People lived here for a hundred years with no insulation, but it didn't go below 15 f at the time...can't help wonder how people dealt with those kind of living conditions with much lowers temps !

I was also raised in a pretty cold house, my parents believed it wasn't healthy to heat too much (they still believe that, and everyone is cold at their place). But once I got used to warmer temps in living spaces it isn't so easy to go back. Sleeping is different.
I'm used to layering for sports- I used to do ski mountaineering and long distance mountain trail running. But all my thermal sportwears don't keep me warm enough if I stay in cold temperatures without moving watching chicken TV .
And btw I think the amounts you and Ponypoor mention for electricity or heating are rather reasonable -it doesn't make sense to compare as salaries are different but they amount to the average amount for a small french house that is not located in a cold region. We're very lucky to heat only with wood that cost us just the time to make it.

Depends on the “cold”. Dry cold is easier to cope with (even if I still believe it should be avoided at all costs) but what we get where I am now is a wet cold and very different. I’ve done -20C dry cold and was fine with a decent wool jacket, hat gloves scarf… anything colder and you start to run into bigger issues and usually need down or high quality synthetics. Cotton absorbs your moisture and can freeze you. We were also in a 1950’s park model trailer at the time, so the insulation was , single pane louvered glass windows, missing some storm glass to seal them, even missing one of the panes! We had a woodstove and that was the biggest difference, but wood was cheap and easy to come by for the area. I did buy some good winter hiking boots, Sorells, that were good to -30 and waterproof, because I can’t stand cold feet! My mother and Uncle lived up around where Pony is working… I couldn’t.

Where I am now down in jackets is near useless, it’s either too warm or gets wet and loses all insulation value. Wool is really best, but we rarely see -5C or colder for extended periods. It’s just the Damp cold that will get into your bones, and make you ache. As to insulation, modern homes here use a lot, R28-30 usually minimum, and I’ve heard of up to R40. 6” exterior framing and batt insulation. Often they are also sealed up really tightly which can cause mold and rot issues in our wet climate. Spray foam is getting really popula. I may eventually add an additional 1-2” of rigid foam board to the interior as well, to prevent thermal bridging on some exterior walls with a lot of studpacks (groups of studs 4-6, used to support beams for the structure). Mostly right now in the RV it’s bundle up, keep the heat on, and always wear socks and slippers. My feet haven’t touched the floor in months, even in socks, and I just layer heavily.

Don't take it badly, but I'm so sorry for you- maybe even more than for Ponypoor! Damp cold is the worse ! Even when I lived in Nice and it never got below 35/3 in the worse cases, it felt so much colder. You can fight the cold but you can't fight humidity. Wet cold feet are the worse !
I hope this doesn't take a bill on your health- and also once you live in the house it will be much more confortable and you will appreciate it so much more because of having been through all this ?

Not dramatically. She has quite a fluffy butt now but these hairs have been there for ages and see pretty stable.
I hadn’t noticed that they had little feathery ends before, but that may be more that I didn’t look close enough rather than it is a new thing.
What are you thinking? Maybe they are the advanced party on some extravagant fluff? That would be nice!

I have not seen anything like it before and have no clue what it could be. I'm sure it's not a deteriorated feather- some of my hens have that and it looks nothing like it. It doesn't look worrying, rather cute !
***
I have another new layer today, the last of the three, bigger Léa ! But you know what ? She's the biggest, she's the last to lay, and ....she lays a bantam sized egg! My partner is not happy ! I couldn't care less , I love the smaller eggs !

 

[featherhead007]

RoostersView attachment 3340732View attachment 3340736View attachment 3340739View attachment 3340743

Stunning!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Thanks for taking the time to share ! Living in a cabin must have been a wonderful if somewhat tough experience. And what an incredible view and ski this must have been !
I've seen articles about england and the heat / cold , but to keep it real I was more centered on our own situation. We've moved in this old house that has no insulation and gone from Nice climate to alpine Mediterranean. People lived here for a hundred years with no insulation, but it didn't go below 15 f at the time...can't help wonder how people dealt with those kind of living conditions with much lowers temps !

I was also raised in a pretty cold house, my parents believed it wasn't healthy to heat too much (they still believe that, and everyone is cold at their place). But once I got used to warmer temps in living spaces it isn't so easy to go back. Sleeping is different.
I'm used to layering for sports- I used to do ski mountaineering and long distance mountain trail running. But all my thermal sportwears don't keep me warm enough if I stay in cold temperatures without moving watching chicken TV .
And btw I think the amounts you and Ponypoor mention for electricity or heating are rather reasonable -it doesn't make sense to compare as salaries are different but they amount to the average amount for a small french house that is not located in a cold region. We're very lucky to heat only with wood that cost us just the time to make it.

Don't take it badly, but I'm so sorry for you- maybe even more than for Ponypoor! Damp cold is the worse ! Even when I lived in Nice and it never got below 35/3 in the worse cases, it felt so much colder. You can fight the cold but you can't fight humidity. Wet cold feet are the worse !
I hope this doesn't take a bill on your health- and also once you live in the house it will be much more confortable and you will appreciate it so much more because of having been through all this ?

I have not seen anything like it before and have no clue what it could be. I'm sure it's not a deteriorated feather- some of my hens have that and it looks nothing like it. It doesn't look worrying, rather cute !
***
I have another new layer today, the last of the three, bigger Léa ! But you know what ? She's the biggest, she's the last to lay, and ....she lays a bantam sized egg! My partner is not happy ! I couldn't care less , I love the smaller eggs !
View attachment 3340768

Give her a couple weeks and her eggs will come up to size. It took one of my new Buff orps a little over 2 months for her eggs to reach jumbo size.

 

[knoturavggrl]

I have no pony’s to share but we do have two dogs.
Rose: Pitbull mix: No, her tongue sticking out isn’t a lucky shot she does it allll the time always has lol. She is an escape artist, does not like strange dogs, but is sweet with all people. We saved her from the shelter when she was about 6 months old.

Tango: Red Doberman Pincher - my dream dog, got him from a breeder. He is smarter then any dog has a right to be and is seriously the best with the kids.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

[featherhead007]

I think a fluff inspection with photos would be helpful. And if not helpful, at least fun!

The thing about inspections, is that sometimes we don’t like what we see!

 

[knoturavggrl]

RoostersView attachment 3340732View attachment 3340736View attachment 3340739View attachment 3340743

What gorgeous Roosters!! My favorite though is the one in the second picture with pup!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

RoostersView attachment 3340732View attachment 3340736View attachment 3340739View attachment 3340743

You have some lovely boys. I love hens, but the boys have a special place in my heart.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks for taking the time to share ! Living in a cabin must have been a wonderful if somewhat tough experience. And what an incredible view and ski this must have been !
I've seen articles about england and the heat / cold , but to keep it real I was more centered on our own situation. We've moved in this old house that has no insulation and gone from Nice climate to alpine Mediterranean. People lived here for a hundred years with no insulation, but it didn't go below 15 f at the time...can't help wonder how people dealt with those kind of living conditions with much lowers temps !

I was also raised in a pretty cold house, my parents believed it wasn't healthy to heat too much (they still believe that, and everyone is cold at their place). But once I got used to warmer temps in living spaces it isn't so easy to go back. Sleeping is different.
I'm used to layering for sports- I used to do ski mountaineering and long distance mountain trail running. But all my thermal sportwears don't keep me warm enough if I stay in cold temperatures without moving watching chicken TV .
And btw I think the amounts you and Ponypoor mention for electricity or heating are rather reasonable -it doesn't make sense to compare as salaries are different but they amount to the average amount for a small french house that is not located in a cold region. We're very lucky to heat only with wood that cost us just the time to make it.

Don't take it badly, but I'm so sorry for you- maybe even more than for Ponypoor! Damp cold is the worse ! Even when I lived in Nice and it never got below 35/3 in the worse cases, it felt so much colder. You can fight the cold but you can't fight humidity. Wet cold feet are the worse !
I hope this doesn't take a bill on your health- and also once you live in the house it will be much more confortable and you will appreciate it so much more because of having been through all this ?

I have not seen anything like it before and have no clue what it could be. I'm sure it's not a deteriorated feather- some of my hens have that and it looks nothing like it. It doesn't look worrying, rather cute !
***
I have another new layer today, the last of the three, bigger Léa ! But you know what ? She's the biggest, she's the last to lay, and ....she lays a bantam sized egg! My partner is not happy ! I couldn't care less , I love the smaller eggs !
View attachment 3340768

Congratulations to you and Léa!
TOTALLY agree with you on damp - I was in UK the last week where it is warmer than here but totally damp and I could never get warm. Back home here I am outside happily in a long sleeved T-shirt at around freezing!
I agree also on Bernadette - they look cute, and they are not worn out feathers - more like new ones that grew too fast, a bit like her legs!! These 'hairs' aree very fine so when there is a breeze they wave around (which doesn't seem to bother her at all).
Strange chicken.