Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

Run update:
Critical updates are completed. When my husband comes home from his next trip he will finish more improvements but the problem area is at least dealt with completely.

Today I let them out while supervised, no pictures today because I wanted watch them closely. Their behavior is quite different right now. They follow Oreo quite closely and he calls for them to follow as he moves around the yard, this didn’t happen much before. Oreo is still aggressive with me and my husband but not with my kids thankfully. Today he was challenging my husband a lot and I think it’s because he doesn’t typically spend a great deal of time around them as it mainly my hobby. He made a few half hearted runs a me but stopped short of attacking me. The girls seem to be paying more attention to their surroundings in general.

If anyone has any advice on how to proceed with Oreo I’d be grateful. Space, time, and treats is my current tactic. If there is anything else I could be doing I am all ears. I don’t want this to become the norm if at all possible and I really do like him as do my girls.

 

[BY Bob]

Run update:
Critical updates are completed. When my husband comes home from his next trip he will finish more improvements but the problem area is at least dealt with completely.

Today I let them out while supervised, no pictures today because I wanted watch them closely. Their behavior is quite different right now. They follow Oreo quite closely and he calls for them to follow as he moves around the yard, this didn’t happen much before. Oreo is still aggressive with me and my husband but not with my kids thankfully. Today he was challenging my husband a lot and I think it’s because he doesn’t typically spend a great deal of time around them as it mainly my hobby. He made a few half hearted runs a me but stopped short of attacking me. The girls seem to be paying more attention to their surroundings in general.

If anyone has any advice on how to proceed with Oreo I’d be grateful. Space, time, and treats is my current tactic. If there is anything else I could be doing I am all ears. I don’t want this to become the norm if at all possible and I really do like him as do my girls.

Give him treats to give to his ladies, Bread world good. Don't go around him to the girls directly. Work through him first. After he gives the girls the treats then he will let you do so. Make him the star.

 

[Kris5902]

We are sad and I am working to improve the run against erosion in the future so this doesn’t happen again. This makes me feel as if her loss serves some purpose and will protect the rest of the flock better in the long run. It also made it crystal clear that I will not be doing any unsupervised free ranging here at Butler Hollow Coop. Sadly this is not safe for them here.

Glynda is looking absolutely gorgeous she seems to be filling out some and that fan of tail feathers she has are really beautiful.

Free ranging always comes with risks. Today I had to finally give up and just take the goats for their walk. Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 eagles. 5!!! All sitting in the trees surrounding the chicken yard. I’m not sure what they were planning on eating, they didn’t take any chickens, but they made me mighty uncomfortable. I fully respect every person that doesn’t free range as much as those that do. It takes just as much if not more effort and dedication to ensure a safe coop and run as it does to free range

 

[TX Chick Noob]

I really need to get away.

Really

You could make a road trip to Texas. I have a feeling I will be beyond stir crazy in a few weeks. This is even worse than when I had a fractured neck and arm at the same time. At least I could get out of my chair and walk around then.

Me too… Hmmmm. Now I’m really going to go have to get tax photos; if it’s not pouring rain tomorrow I promise some poultry photography Bob!

Are you just running one 12v battery? What sort/group deep cycle? LiFePo4, lead acid, or AGM? What year RV? I’m in a ‘97 and a lot of the systems have failed as it’s not meant for Full Time, it’s apparently “old”, and we are fully off grid. Inverters do have a small consistent drain when connected, even not under load, so I installed a marine physical disconnect switch on ours to prevent draining the battery (all aftermarket with the age of or RV). The RV came with two 6v golf cart batteries in series, which I replaced with 4 in series/parallel to increase the Amp hours for our “off grid lifestyle” (see how I made that sound fancy and pleasant?). When I replaced them again and added 400 watts Solar I went with 4 12v group 27’s in parallel because of cost and availability. 12volt battery system maintenance is a pain, especially with charging. Temperature can be an issue, especially with Lithium Batteries, which have a battery management system and are usually connected to a temperature monitor as the cannot charge below freezing without damaging the battery.

Ours is a 2018. It has a single Marine/RV deep cycle battery, which we just upgraded to an AGM. Turned out our inverter/charger is ok. It is on the same breaker as the electric water heater, which he had turned off along with several other breakers to minimize power usage so the generator would quit tripping its internal breaker. We finally got that replacement breaker and DH got it installed. I have also discovered that they make RV surge protectors you can put on the incoming electric cord to protect the wiring on the RV. Researching them now to get a good one. I want one that protect from slightly high/low voltage as well as surges.

Here is our RV

Tax

 

[Kris5902]

There is a whole language with their tails that I don’t understand.
They fan and they shake from side to side. I am sure both mean something.

And the “Water chickens” have a whole different tail language too! Turns out Muscovy females can be quite aggressive to each other, and it is spring time-ish so… I had to look this up when Ghost was attempting to mount Sassy and Casper was chasing Fancy and trying to rip out her tail feathers… the Drakes don’t seem to care at all. But Dean and Sammy took exception to this. Yes, my Roosters also now have the duty of breaking up duck fights. It was interesting the first time Dean went to break it up he started stopped confused “not chickens?” Then started up again “no fighting”, looks over at me for reassurance. “Good boy Dean, you tell them!” And he breaks it up. I swear I do t think I could keep all the chickens I do if it wasn’t for my exceptional Rooster Team!

 

[TX Chick Noob]

I am miserable today. The pain isn’t too bad, usually only about a 2-3. But now that the nerve block is completely worn off I can feel the inside of my splint more, every little wrinkle or bump in the padding/bandages/etc. And I have some numb areas in my toes that make it feel like there is string wrapped around them. And I just can’t find a comfortable position. One thing or another aches no matter where I try to put my leg.

[/whining]

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Happy Mugs Monday from......
The queen who has finally found a private and quite place to sleep.

Goose being her beautiful self.

And last but definitely not least my curious Wasabi

 

[Kris5902]

Run update:
Critical updates are completed. When my husband comes home from his next trip he will finish more improvements but the problem area is at least dealt with completely.

Today I let them out while supervised, no pictures today because I wanted watch them closely. Their behavior is quite different right now. They follow Oreo quite closely and he calls for them to follow as he moves around the yard, this didn’t happen much before. Oreo is still aggressive with me and my husband but not with my kids thankfully. Today he was challenging my husband a lot and I think it’s because he doesn’t typically spend a great deal of time around them as it mainly my hobby. He made a few half hearted runs a me but stopped short of attacking me. The girls seem to be paying more attention to their surroundings in general.

If anyone has any advice on how to proceed with Oreo I’d be grateful. Space, time, and treats is my current tactic. If there is anything else I could be doing I am all ears. I don’t want this to become the norm if at all possible and I really do like him as do my girls.

How old is Oreo? I’ve found many boys go through some sort of idiot stage early into their rooster careers. Even my Best Boy Sammy went through a phase where he would try me. He thought I was trying to steal his girls or something. With him I would go out with treats, meal worms, and all his girls would run to me, he was getting aggressive to me so I stood my ground and then hand fed the worms to him and him alone, one at a time and gave none to the girls. So, I give him the worm, he gives them the worm, he maintained His ladies, and I was the “good thing” that gave him the special treats to give to his girls. It took me a little over a month to get him settled. He is The One Rooster I trust with everyone, including small children who could hand feed him safely, if it wasn’t for all the vicious biting hens. He trained All the other Roosters in my free range flock of 54 hens and 6 roosters aged 8 months (Squeak) to Sammy who is going on 5 years old this year). Having a Mature and grounded Rooster makes the next cockerels in the flock grow up with an entirely different attitude.

To me it sounds like you have a similar situation happening with Oreo. He’s growing into being The Rooster, and you might be a threat or competition for HIS hens. That said, some boys can’t be “fixed”. Hawk got a good several flogs in today on DH when he opened him up in the morning yes he’s feeling Much better! Nothing like watching a grown man that handles large livestock flee a 5lb rooster first thing in the morning.

 

[Kris5902]

You could make a road trip to Texas. I have a feeling I will be beyond stir crazy in a few weeks. This is even worse than when I had a fractured neck and arm at the same time. At least I could get out of my chair and walk around then.


Ours is a 2018. It has a single Marine/RV deep cycle battery, which we just upgraded to an AGM. Turned out our inverter/charger is ok. It is on the same breaker as the electric water heater, which he had turned off along with several other breakers to minimize power usage so the generator would quit tripping its internal breaker. We finally got that replacement breaker and DH got it installed. I have also discovered that they make RV surge protectors you can put on the incoming electric cord to protect the wiring on the RV. Researching them now to get a good one. I want one that protect from slightly high/low voltage as well as surges.

Here is our RV
View attachment 3397109

Tax
View attachment 3397116
View attachment 3397119

That is a beautiful RV… and so NEW!!! And Shiny… a single Deep Cycle isn’t really enough for that size rig for any boondocking that’s for sure. She’s meant to be hooked up. That’s a lot newer than I’m accustomed, to but things that could be draining the 12 volt in there could be plentiful, I’m sure. Our propane furnace was a huge draw on the batteries, we never ran the water heater off the electric either, just not enough juice off grid. That single battery is probably good for some limited water pump use, sparking up the fridge if it’s running on propane, and your lights (which I’m thinking are all LED with that new an RV). If your fridge is a 3 way propane/shore power AC/12volt, and it’s running on electric off the 12v that could also be an issue. Of course if the breaker for the charger is off, then you’re not going to be charging up that deep cycle from the generator, and that would explain it. We have been off grid for so long Batteries are just a normal thing for me now… oh how I miss electricity and running water…

Can I use Pony pics for tax on Pony Sundays?

 

[ValarieF]

Orange juice and other fluids.
Tylenol and lots of rest.
You can kick it!

Took Nyquil and went to bed early. Its 230 am and all the chicks are asleep. I put a little blanket in the brooder so they could cuddle on it.