Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Hah, the great QH debate on red horses. Is it Chestnut or is is Sorrel.

Hahaha oh yes you know that’s a cream coloured rose tinted sorrel right ?? Haha

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 3608664
Red folks, to save headaches when asked Russ is Red.

A lovely red chestnut Have had a few of these redheads! Such a good horse

 

[Ponypoor]

I do like his spots.
How can you tell a miniature horse from a pony? They also have another small one, a dark color, plus two regular big horses (EDIT one is the "red" color like Russ I think). They have two kids, and the girl rides I think. I can ask them next time we talk. Maybe if I get a picture with the regular ones you can compare and tell? He is much bigger than the miniature ponies/horses I've seen boarded at some other neighbor's farm, those reportedly went around to fairs and little kids rode them.

Well miniature horses are just small ponies that were bred to be small, they have a dwarf gene that has been inherited to make them small with shorter legs. They are very prone to heart conditions.

There is also a miniature horse called a Falabella which is spotted (Appaloosa coloured) though they can be solid coloured as Appaloosa colour isn’t a dominant pattern.

I have seen some pretty small Shetland ponies you could call ‘miniature’!

I once sources and picked out a stud and mare for my friend in Nova Scotia, had them shipped to her. Had so much fun when I would visit her driving the mare - I often said when I got old and decrepit I would get a team of minis and drive them

 

[Ponypoor]

I do like his spots.
How can you tell a miniature horse from a pony? They also have another small one, a dark color, plus two regular big horses (EDIT one is the "red" color like Russ I think). They have two kids, and the girl rides I think. I can ask them next time we talk. Maybe if I get a picture with the regular ones you can compare and tell? He is much bigger than the miniature ponies/horses I've seen boarded at some other neighbor's farm, those reportedly went around to fairs and little kids rode them.

The spots are dapples which are usually paired with liver chestnuts I really love dapples

 

[Ponypoor]

Weasels exist in Missouri, but they're quite rare.

As for the roost, that could have gone better. In fact, there wasn't many ways it could have gone worse.

Eenie had secured the area behind the water for their new "nest". View attachment 3608659
The other three were getting ready to puppy pile. View attachment 3608660
I tried to gently lift Eenie...but I somehow managed to get both her AND Uno...who was very vocally distressed to be squished between my hand and her mama. After depositing them on the roost, I quickly nabbed Tres and popped him on the roost. Uno was unhappy. Tres was unhappy. Eenie was unhappy. Manny decided HE was unhappy and hopped up on the roost too.
View attachment 3608666
Eenie eventually hopped off. Manny literally lifted his foot and kicked Uno off. Tres then jumped off...on the back side...directly on top of Meanie, who was NOT having it. There was cackling and flapping and flying and VERY UNHAPPY CHICKENS.

I decided that I'd done enough damage and quietly exited the facility, head bowed in defeat.

Hahahaha

Ya it’s was like that here tonight with the wee babies.

You need to do it in the dark so they can’t see to hop down. I would wait till the others get up on their roost. Do you have one of those head lights? I have one built into my winter toque but you can get them just on straps. That way you don’t have to handle flashlight and chickens.

Don’t worry about them squabbling and squawking they are like kids telling you off just ignore them like I do.

Tonight my babies where not going to sleep on the lower ledge, and they wouldn’t settle so o told them to figure it out on their own.

And Mr P and his harem of my nieces hens got in with the new ladies when Fluffy again darted in - I was so fed up (stiff and exhausted all day today I have no patience), I told them here stay in there meet the new girls maybe you can add them to your harem. So much for a quarantine, that Fluffy is a bad kiddo!

I did note on the cameras that the new ladies stayed away from the big bad boy! But more importantly the niece’s hens pretty much ignored the new girls. No fighting. I figured Raven would beat the crap out of them, but she ignored them! Go figure - chickens…..

 

[Lilion]

Well miniature horses are just small ponies that were bred to be small, they have a dwarf gene that has been inherited to make them small with shorter legs. They are very prone to heart conditions.

There is also a miniature horse called a Falabella which is spotted (Appaloosa coloured) though they can be solid coloured as Appaloosa colour isn’t a dominant pattern.

I have seen some pretty small Shetland ponies you could call ‘miniature’!

I once sources and picked out a stud and mare for my friend in Nova Scotia, had them shipped to her. Had so much fun when I would visit her driving the mare - I often said when I got old and decrepit I would get a team of minis and drive them

Fun fact. In my state, only dogs and miniature horses are recognized as service animals.

Hahahaha

Ya it’s was like that here tonight with the wee babies.

You need to do it in the dark so they can’t see to hop down. I would wait till the others get up on their roost. Do you have one of those head lights? I have one built into my winter toque but you can get them just on straps. That way you don’t have to handle flashlight and chickens.

Don’t worry about them squabbling and squawking they are like kids telling you off just ignore them like I do.

That couldn't have been a better written comedy skit!

Don't worry - it WILL get better. Just keep doing this, and they will eventually get the hint and use the roost regularly.

I feel for you. I had one extremely stressful night when I blocked them out of their brooder. They were throwing themselves at walls and falling from great heights when they failed to get to the rafters. I nearly caved in but stuck with it. The next night was a bit disturbing but much better (I made some tweaks) and now all is well and they have 'their place'.

Same thing happened when I tried to get Brownie and her chicks up off the ground. Chaos pure chaos. I’d lift Brownie up, turn round to get a chick and lift them up and inevitably before I could get them all Brownie hopped back down and the chicks would, of course follow her and it would start all over.
On the third night of this I thought I did it, I had Mama and all the chicks up on the roost and I smugly shut the door and swung my phone light round and down came Brownie followed by the babies who went directly to the tote on the ground. I did the same sad defeated walk back to house. Stubborn chickens!

Glad I'm in good company.
I was wondering if starting them on the large platform, where they can snuggle easily ant direction they want, would be a good idea? Kind of an elevated floor instead of the roost?

 

[knoturavggrl]

Fun fact. In my state, only dogs and miniature horses are recognized as service animals.







Glad I'm in good company.
I was wondering if starting them on the large platform, where they can snuggle easily ant direction they want, would be a good idea? Kind of an elevated floor instead of the roost?

You could try, I had mine in a tipped over plastic tub. This alone didn’t save my chick though perhaps elevated would work. I suspect anything would be better then the floor. They might like that, its worth a try for sure!

 

[rural mouse]

Hah, the great QH debate on red horses. Is it Chestnut or is is Sorrel.

I always thought sorrel was red with red mane and tail (same color as the body). Chestnut was red or reddish brown with darker than body mane and tail. And the horse pics with the chicken looked like some sort of dappled grey with a palomino mane and tail....very unusual markings and not a clue if there's some sort of official term for it.

Liver is brown....like the spaniels in dog breeds. It's also used in horses?! I'm getting confused....again....

Edit: Russ matches my understanding of sorrel.

 

[rural mouse]

Same thing happened when I tried to get Brownie and her chicks up off the ground. Chaos pure chaos. I’d lift Brownie up, turn round to get a chick and lift them up and inevitably before I could get them all Brownie hopped back down and the chicks would, of course follow her and it would start all over.
On the third night of this I thought I did it, I had Mama and all the chicks up on the roost and I smugly shut the door and swung my phone light round and down came Brownie followed by the babies who went directly to the tote on the ground. I did the same sad defeated walk back to house. Stubborn chickens!

Storm is still on the ground. However, the babies were exploring the pallet ladder this evening. I'm expecting them to move on their own soon.both Jeasica and Mama (Storm's mom) were on the roost by now(with babies) Storm isn’t showing any signs of wanting to move off the ground yet. Every broody is different.

 

[rural mouse]

Well miniature horses are just small ponies that were bred to be small, they have a dwarf gene that has been inherited to make them small with shorter legs. They are very prone to heart conditions.

There is also a miniature horse called a Falabella which is spotted (Appaloosa coloured) though they can be solid coloured as Appaloosa colour isn’t a dominant pattern.

I have seen some pretty small Shetland ponies you could call ‘miniature’!

I once sources and picked out a stud and mare for my friend in Nova Scotia, had them shipped to her. Had so much fun when I would visit her driving the mare - I often said when I got old and decrepit I would get a team of minis and drive them

The people I got Sherlock from used to breed and show mini horses. Theirs are NOT dwarf ponies. Ponies are shorter and usually stockier than horses. Their minis truly are HORSES but scaled to about 3-4 feet tall. They have identical lines to a horse: delicate grace on the hoof. Ponies have a sturdy build very different from the mini horse. I didn't know about the differences until I saw them in person. They had a gorgeous palomino stud (pre covid). Don't know if they still are.