Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

AI will be the death of us all.

Computer death tax
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A 2fer from the past.

AI should have a limit.

 

[Ribh]

@BY Bob : Just for you; Portia showing off her fluffy pantaloons...

And because you love her so, the notorious Ha'penny.

 

[notabitail]

@BY Bob : Just for you; Portia showing off her fluffy pantaloons...
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And because you love her so, the notorious Ha'penny.

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Hey, Portia isn't a chooks, it's a feather duster!

 

[ManueB]

Many people do it in a pressure cooker. I admit I just do mine on the stove. I wonder what the cost is - it is boiled at a very low setting but indeed for a very long time.

I would say our energy costs here (both propane - gas - and electric) is likely way less expensive than in Europe. We (Canada and US) are energy rich and even though we like to gripe about the cost, from everything I see the cost is much less here.

I use a crock pot (essentially a ceramic pot with and imbedded electric coil. It is extremely energy efficient and cooks at a lower level.

Broth generated by my chickens are SO FLAVORFUL. Much better than if I made broth/soup from a store bought chicken carcass!

But, to your other point, yes, for good or bad, energy costs are a lot cheaper in the US. We have far fewer 'petrol taxes', so the cost represents the cost of acquiring the petrol (or electricity generated by coal or oil or whatever generates it), versus Europe where taxes on petrol makes it cost closer to what it REALLY costs - including environmental damage and/or cost of converting to more Earth friendly alternative energies.

Tax: Chicken Soup:
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I make my bone broth in an Instant Pot. 2 hours, and it's done. Hubby hates the smell, so I only do it when he's not here. If I did it on the woodstove, I think he'd throw it out and deal with the consequences.

I have no idea how much power my Instant Pot takes to make a batch of broth.

Thanks for the explanations and sorry for being off topic. It's something I have been wondering about ever since I have beginning to read posts on US Instagram accounts and BYC mentioning bone broth, and I always felt too stupid to ask . I didn't know exactly what a crock pot or instant pot is, but i’m pretty sure that is just my ignorance of modern kitchen appliances and not that we don't have them here !

Spoiler: Off topic on energy

We are actually also rich in electricity in France because we are the only country in Europe that produces and relies heavily on nuclear (and that is something I personally really don't agree with, but it's a very divisive question). However the energy market is a European one and prices are regulated on the EU level, electricity and gas are indexed on one another. Each country has it's own margin on the level of tax applied. There has been a lot of discounts in France, and our energy price is strongly regulated, but the price has still risen a lot since the war in Ukraine, though probably less than in other countries. And we all have those digital counters for electricity which show you on an app how much you spend throughout every hour of the day, so at least for people using apps on cellphones, it's hard to ignore.

Off topic tax and some wattles for Wednesday : Gaston in better days this summer. Now he is molting he seems slightly tired, and doesn't look good. It's funny also, he was really smitten with the leghorns when they just got here but now he couldn't care less about them. I think he pays more attention to the latest hens arrived ( the four pullets from the may hatch) and he actually prefers the bigger hens now he has a large number to pick from in his yard, Nougat the ex-batt, Kara and Lilly the cross Marans.

 

[RoyalChick]

Very clever! I do recall now. So the nestbox stuff gets kicked around and does look like it wedges between the neighbor bins. I’ve just noticed, your picture is from the back of the nestbox. Is it a repurposed cabinet? And your access is from the Servant’s side, from the storage area that Eli once found herself in?

Exactly. It is an old kitchen wall cabinet. The door side is in the servant’s quarters and is how I access eggs. The back has holes cut through so the ladies can come in from the coop side.
There are 6 sets of bowls. I initially I cut five holes but I hung three of them back as they seemed to want more privacy. I may replace with curtains.
The top left space is covered by the brooder box. That is where Eli went broody and so the babies were all around her just separated by a thin wall if cabinet wood. I noticed her responding to their peep peeps long before they ever saw each other.

Here is the cabinet from the chicken side.

 

[RoyalChick]

It's adapting to your misspellings. You know, even though you spelled it right, your wrong and you're phones right and nose the write words for every sentence.

Very clever.

 

[RoyalChick]

@BY Bob : Just for you; Portia showing off her fluffy pantaloons...
View attachment 3662092

And because you love her so, the notorious Ha'penny.

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Spectacular! So good to see you here @Ribh

 

[bgmathteach]

@BY Bob : Just for you; Portia showing off her fluffy pantaloons...
View attachment 3662092

And because you love her so, the notorious Ha'penny.

View attachment 3662093​

Thank you for these - it has been so long since I have seen any of your or @MaryJanet 's chooks

They are so lovely!

Is Ha'Penny a Seabright, or part Seabright? She has similar coloring to one, but the tail doesn't seem upright enough....????

 

[bgmathteach]

Thanks for the explanations and sorry for being off topic. It's something I have been wondering about ever since I have beginning to read posts on US Instagram accounts and BYC mentioning bone broth, and I always felt too stupid to ask . I didn't know exactly what a crock pot or instant pot is, but i’m pretty sure that is just my ignorance of modern kitchen appliances and not that we don't have them here !

Spoiler: Off topic on energy

We are actually also rich in electricity in France because we are the only country in Europe that produces and relies heavily on nuclear (and that is something I personally really don't agree with, but it's a very divisive question). However the energy market is a European one and prices are regulated on the EU level, electricity and gas are indexed on one another. Each country has it's own margin on the level of tax applied. There has been a lot of discounts in France, and our energy price is strongly regulated, but the price has still risen a lot since the war in Ukraine, though probably less than in other countries. And we all have those digital counters for electricity which show you on an app how much you spend throughout every hour of the day, so at least for people using apps on cellphones, it's hard to ignore.

Off topic tax and some wattles for Wednesday : Gaston in better days this summer. Now he is molting he seems slightly tired, and doesn't look good. It's funny also, he was really smitten with the leghorns when they just got here but now he couldn't care less about them. I think he pays more attention to the latest hens arrived ( the four pullets from the may hatch) and he actually prefers the bigger hens now he has a large number to pick from in his yard, Nougat the ex-batt, Kara and Lilly the cross Marans.
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Gaston is so handsome! It is kind of nice he has a choice. Hopefully his chosen girls feel the same about him! I was so sad when he wasn't getting any hens. Then when Theo was out of luck. I'm so glad, too, that Theo now has his sweetie pie back. I think everyone is happier when they have a 'partner' Good to have a Roo looking out for you, and a Roo has much more confidence when he has a willing lady that he not only gets to mate, but also gets to look out for and 'take care of' (by tidbitting and escorting, etc.)

Crock Pot info

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fluffy-butt-friday-contest-2.1601428/
Come join! Nobody has yet, so we kind of are fluffy butt less