Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

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 !
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Congratulations! New layers are always a cause for celebration!

 

[micstrachan]

Can you have them were you are? No restrictions?

No restrictions and now we are owners! But I’m not set up for more than one rooster and currently I only have 8 hens. I wouldn’t want too many more with the current set up, as we’re only on 2/3 of an acre, the coop is only about 55 sq. ft. Including the sun room or 40 without, and the run is only 260 sq. ft. We have so many predators, they only get to free range when I’m available to supervise with the dog. It might be more of a someday-in-retirement when we can move somewhere less expensive thing. When we can have a larger acreage with livestock guardian dogs. So it may never happen. We’ll see.

 

[BY Bob]

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.
View attachment 3340779
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.
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Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Those are some nice ponies for today.

 

[BY Bob]

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.

I think you meant to say beautiful chicken.

 

[BY Bob]

He really is stunning! The start contrast between his super saturated black and the cream is very striking

I agree.

 

[BY Bob]

Bridges to make one worry

I would not want to be driving a big transport, or dump truck over these bridges!

And this one also!

Those side rails are only about 12" high - so if you are going too fast you could pop over top really easy!

That's truly frightening. Very scary.

 

[BY Bob]

Hopefully this link works. Here is an update.

She looks good!

 

[RoyalChick]

I think I may have seen this before in my flock, but don’t recall for sure. I personally wouldn’t worry about it and I am a big worrier.

Not worrying; interested.

 

[Ponypoor]

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

Oh congratulations- thank you for your contribution Lea!

 

[Ponypoor]

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.
View attachment 3340779
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.
View attachment 3340780
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Awwwww dogs and kids - they have too much fun!