Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

Merry Christmas Everyone

View attachment 3711932

I love this! What an amazing photograph and the snow falling on the coop is so beautiful.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Fluffy Butt Acres: Chicken News Synopsis 12/13-12/30
Here is last week's synopsis for those who missed it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27384309

It was a relatively quiet week for chicken news (apologies if I missed something) but there was a lot chatter about eggs!

@bgmathteach
Solved the mystery of the non-laying pullets and shared her collection of beautiful eggs https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27390916
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27388606

@Ponypoor
Also shared some beautiful new eggs
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386007
Which has made @RebeccaBoyd ponder the dark side (blue/green eggs) https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386017
And @RoyalChick (oh that's me!) weighed in on egg color because really any excuse to post a picture of Tassels looking stunning! https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386456
And this all started the who laid what saga in Pony's flock (which to be honest I still haven't got straight in my mind)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386752
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27388988

Meanwhile, Pony has been training her chickens on correct military disciplines - I have to say this made me laugh out loud - and I think the egg mystery would be easy to solve if they could all learn to lay in the correct sequence! https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27389385

@rural mouse
Also displayed an amazing egg collection https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27387719

@Sally PB
Shared that little Pippy laid a monster sized egg: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27389435

I know many people were off line spending time with family and others were battling illness, but we all received lovely holiday wishes from @knoturavggrl, @bgmathteach, @Grandma The Chicken, @Ponypoor and their chickens (also from Piglet):

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386553
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386575
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386577
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27386592
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27387312
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27387527
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27387400

@BY Bob gave us what may have been the best Christmas greeting of all ....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27387055
But ultimately he was upstaged on Christmas day by a chicken https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27390089

Apologies if I missed any important Chicken News and best wishes for you all as we hurtle towards a new year.

Awesome thank you so much!

 

[bgmathteach]

It was a wake up call to hubby and me too. Yes, she's 10 years older, but even so. My doc was concerned about my cholesterol at my last physical. I DO NOT want to be on meds, and he agrees, but wants me to work on it. I have been... sort of.

My Cholesteral was a bit high - high enough for the Dr. to want to put me on meds.....especially since I am insulin dependent diabetic. I started taking a teaspoon of Metamucil every evening - in addition to diet changes that were sometimes hot, sometimes cold on (i.e. not as consistent as I should be, diet wise) My next blood draw 3 months later was PERFECT (well, for everything but my HBA1C) So, metamucil is, essentially water solluble fiber (like what is in oatmeal, etc). If you are open to it, and the oatmeal 5X a week isn't enough - I would strongly suggest adding some Metamucil to your diet. Better then meds, for sure. If you are able to get enough fiber in your diet without it, GREAT - but it is really, really hard with our Western Diet of over-processed foods to get enough fiber unless you make EVERYTHING yourself. Honestly, since I went back to f/t (instead of 50%) plus teaching, plus all of my animals - my diet has definitely suffered. I am strongly considering retiring soon...just to save my health because work is a toxic environment - but if I retired now, I would only get approximately 16% based off of a 2/3 annual salary ( 1 yr. f/t, 2 @ 50% averages to a 66% of f/t salary as a base) Works out of about 10% of f/t salary. If I can manage to hold off 2 more years (honestly, it is doubtful given the escalation of health issues due to stress increases this year) then i will get about 28% of a full time salary (partially because increased age factor, partially because 2 more years of service, and, significantly, because average of highest 3 years will all be full-time salaries, so no proration there) I know I can not live on 10%, might be able to on 28% (though health insurance will take a big bite because in retirement, they pay 50%, now they pay 75% because I have been around long enough - newbies they are only paying 60%). Of course, I will keep teaching - but adjunct pay is fairly low - but it is something!

Presently I am putting away 15% of my f/t salary ( which means 26% is taken right off the top, as they take 11% for pension), and I put away 20% of my adjunct pay. But, that only increased (from 3% & 10% respectively) this past year when I went from 1/2 time to f/t. So, IDK what to do. My health - and longevity - but definitely in poverty - or stick it out 2 more years to get enough to actually manage in retirement - but at the rate I am going, maybe not make it - or not make it in a state where I will be able to enjoy retirement and my chickens.

Unfortunately, hubby and I have only lived in our current house 5.5 years - so no way can pay off mortgage before either retirement date - though we have been putting extra towards it - it is still at least 15 years away from paying off the 30 yr. mortgage with the extra payments.

 

[bgmathteach]

Okay, sorry for my long winded - probably TMI previous post. I am just ini a frustrated point at the moment and needed to vent.

Tax:

@Ponypoor :
you need to get bigger pumpkins - so the full-sized chickens can fit inside, too!

 

[featherhead007]

I wonder what kind of trauma Dakota had gone through when she was a little chick . When I found her in the yard, her and her sister were extremely frightened. Arizona was a snuggle chicken but Dakota doesn’t like to be held even today. Everything has to be on her terms. She hates me trying to hold onto her. Sadly, I know now that Arizona and the lovely Rocks-Anne were poisoned on the same day. (I have yet to deal with that person who is responsible)!

 

[notabitail]

Merry Christmas Everyone

View attachment 3711932

Merry Christmas!
Glynda could sneak inside easier with that snow.

 

[Ponypoor]

(Must NOT let hubby see this picture! He wants snow!)

We have some brief and intermittent sunshine today.

Ditto on changing the diet. My neighbor spent 11 days in the hospital after having a heart attack. She is home, and seems to be doing well, but realizes she needs to change some things.

It was a wake up call to hubby and me too. Yes, she's 10 years older, but even so. My doc was concerned about my cholesterol at my last physical. I DO NOT want to be on meds, and he agrees, but wants me to work on it. I have been... sort of.

I'm doubling down on that now. I plan to have oatmeal for breakfast 5x a week, and I've discovered I like chard and collards. I'm only 3 days into the oatmeal regimen, but since I do like it, I think it'll be something I can stick with.

We're also working out on our elliptical again. There was a program at work to encourage people to get more exercise, back when we worked at the same place. That program ended, and nobody else wanted the treadmill and elliptical, so we brought them home. They have been gathering dust in the basement since.

Well, we certainly are not in as good of shape as we were back then! So while hubby may think of it as torture, I think of it as another deposit in my health bank.

I think of my health as my wealth (just try buying it back if you lose it!), and also as MY responsibility. I can't change the hand I was dealt (genes), but I can control how I play my cards.

Tax: Pippy, napping on my lap.
View attachment 3715200

Wise words

I love Pippa

 

[Ponypoor]

My Cholesteral was a bit high - high enough for the Dr. to want to put me on meds.....especially since I am insulin dependent diabetic. I started taking a teaspoon of Metamucil every evening - in addition to diet changes that were sometimes hot, sometimes cold on (i.e. not as consistent as I should be, diet wise) My next blood draw 3 months later was PERFECT (well, for everything but my HBA1C) So, metamucil is, essentially water solluble fiber (like what is in oatmeal, etc). If you are open to it, and the oatmeal 5X a week isn't enough - I would strongly suggest adding some Metamucil to your diet. Better then meds, for sure. If you are able to get enough fiber in your diet without it, GREAT - but it is really, really hard with our Western Diet of over-processed foods to get enough fiber unless you make EVERYTHING yourself. Honestly, since I went back to f/t (instead of 50%) plus teaching, plus all of my animals - my diet has definitely suffered. I am strongly considering retiring soon...just to save my health because work is a toxic environment - but if I retired now, I would only get approximately 16% based off of a 2/3 annual salary ( 1 yr. f/t, 2 @ 50% averages to a 66% of f/t salary as a base) Works out of about 10% of f/t salary. If I can manage to hold off 2 more years (honestly, it is doubtful given the escalation of health issues due to stress increases this year) then i will get about 28% of a full time salary (partially because increased age factor, partially because 2 more years of service, and, significantly, because average of highest 3 years will all be full-time salaries, so no proration there) I know I can not live on 10%, might be able to on 28% (though health insurance will take a big bite because in retirement, they pay 50%, now they pay 75% because I have been around long enough - newbies they are only paying 60%). Of course, I will keep teaching - but adjunct pay is fairly low - but it is something!

Presently I am putting away 15% of my f/t salary ( which means 26% is taken right off the top, as they take 11% for pension), and I put away 20% of my adjunct pay. But, that only increased (from 3% & 10% respectively) this past year when I went from 1/2 time to f/t. So, IDK what to do. My health - and longevity - but definitely in poverty - or stick it out 2 more years to get enough to actually manage in retirement - but at the rate I am going, maybe not make it - or not make it in a state where I will be able to enjoy retirement and my chickens.

Unfortunately, hubby and I have only lived in our current house 5.5 years - so no way can pay off mortgage before either retirement date - though we have been putting extra towards it - it is still at least 15 years away from paying off the 30 yr. mortgage with the extra payments.

I want to give you a big hug, not sure why life has to be so darn hard sometimes.



(Oh and take the Metamucil with orange juice it makes a nice drink )

 

[Ponypoor]

Okay, sorry for my long winded - probably TMI previous post. I am just ini a frustrated point at the moment and needed to vent.

Tax:
View attachment 3715266
@Ponypoor :
you need to get bigger pumpkins - so the full-sized chickens can fit inside, too!
View attachment 3715268

AWESOME

Next year I am going to stockpile a bunch - maybe try growing some.

 

[Ponypoor]

I wonder what kind of trauma Dakota had gone through when she was a little chick . When I found her in the yard, her and her sister were extremely frightened. Arizona was a snuggle chicken but Dakota doesn’t like to be held even today. Everything has to be on her terms. She hates me trying to hold onto her. Sadly, I know now that Arizona and the lovely Rocks-Anne were poisoned on the same day. (I have yet to deal with that person who is responsible)!

Poor wee lass, though have to say half my chooks don’t like being held either and they are pooled rotten.