Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

Can you imagine the joy that the woman experienced, when she realized that she didn’t loose her money, identification, her birth certificate was in the wallet too. And that some stranger had the decency to save her so much trouble?
I did it, because I would most certainly want someone to do that for me if it was my circumstance.

I can imagine it.
After all, it must be more joy than the joy my be hens have when they realize they drop their lettuce and I pick it up and give it back.

 

[BeastBaby]

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! My 2023 is almost over and I’m looking forward to a lot of new beginnings for 2024. The end of 2022 saw the roof of my house almost fully completed, and my goal for 2023 was to get moved in. Duck eggs, from my 7 adopted Muscovy, turned out to be more profitable than I expected so I let them go broody and ended up with 31 Ducks. The year was going very well. I adopted another baby goat, Tommy, who was dropped by an eagle right in front of me. Another baby landed at the nearby vineyard a few months later, so Ruth (male) joined the herd as well.

I was Under 25 sheets of plywood away from fully closed in, had borrowed some scaffolding, and had just convinced DH to help me put up one sheet every day until it was done. Immediately after our first successful sheet went up, working together before work, one of the in-laws came up and apparently the story had changed from “there’s no way you can finish the house, just give up” to “you have to stop building and leave because you’re not wanted here”. I continued to try to work things out, but stopped working on the house and started helping some friends build a Cabin out of my second story walls on another property instead. DH started looking for rentals on a different Island he works on. I still didn’t want to leave.

In September another incident happened with some goat hunters, I had a car accident and finally got fully on board with leaving. We secured a Goat/Chicken/Duck friendly rental for December 1st, and I began building a coop on our utility trailer for the Ducks and Chickens. We moved in in early December, and moved my mother in a week or so later. It’s a “800” square foot two story 3 “bedroom” home. The actual usable/non closet square footage is 550 yes I measured it last night. Either way it has heat, running water, and electricity, so I’m happy with that. Most importantly I was ably to bring the 13 ducks, 3 drakes, and 31 of my chickens along with the goats.

I’m not 100% sure what 2024 will bring, but I will be applying at the local grocery store full time. This island has 2 real grocery stores!!!, a small hospital, actual restaurants, and 2 gas stations that don’t charge $3/L CAD for diesel…I will also be running the property’s blueberry farm as a condition of the rental, and Andrew must continue to work at the Abattoir here as well. View attachment 3716147View attachment 3716149View attachment 3716151

Your year sounds like a roller coaster… but the house you’re in looks absolutely adorable! I hope it’s starting to feel like home.
Is the climate where you are mild enough that you could extend the living space outdoors? It can feel better to drink a morning coffee staring off into the wide woods, rather than at a kitchen wall 36 inches from your face.

 

[Ponypoor]

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! My 2023 is almost over and I’m looking forward to a lot of new beginnings for 2024. The end of 2022 saw the roof of my house almost fully completed, and my goal for 2023 was to get moved in. Duck eggs, from my 7 adopted Muscovy, turned out to be more profitable than I expected so I let them go broody and ended up with 31 Ducks. The year was going very well. I adopted another baby goat, Tommy, who was dropped by an eagle right in front of me. Another baby landed at the nearby vineyard a few months later, so Ruth (male) joined the herd as well.

I was Under 25 sheets of plywood away from fully closed in, had borrowed some scaffolding, and had just convinced DH to help me put up one sheet every day until it was done. Immediately after our first successful sheet went up, working together before work, one of the in-laws came up and apparently the story had changed from “there’s no way you can finish the house, just give up” to “you have to stop building and leave because you’re not wanted here”. I continued to try to work things out, but stopped working on the house and started helping some friends build a Cabin out of my second story walls on another property instead. DH started looking for rentals on a different Island he works on. I still didn’t want to leave.

In September another incident happened with some goat hunters, I had a car accident and finally got fully on board with leaving. We secured a Goat/Chicken/Duck friendly rental for December 1st, and I began building a coop on our utility trailer for the Ducks and Chickens. We moved in in early December, and moved my mother in a week or so later. It’s a “800” square foot two story 3 “bedroom” home. The actual usable/non closet square footage is 550 yes I measured it last night. Either way it has heat, running water, and electricity, so I’m happy with that. Most importantly I was ably to bring the 13 ducks, 3 drakes, and 31 of my chickens along with the goats.

I’m not 100% sure what 2024 will bring, but I will be applying at the local grocery store full time. This island has 2 real grocery stores!!!, a small hospital, actual restaurants, and 2 gas stations that don’t charge $3/L CAD for diesel…I will also be running the property’s blueberry farm as a condition of the rental, and Andrew must continue to work at the Abattoir here as well. View attachment 3716147View attachment 3716149View attachment 3716151

Kris! Happy New Years!

I am so happy for you being able to have your wonderful pets with you. And that you have running water again and no drama or stress with those that shall remain nameless.

Also I look forward to hopefully seeing some lovely baby chicks and ducklings this year

 

[Ponypoor]

The mullet is perfect

I need to do another trim on him, esp the left side

 

[Ponypoor]

The property here also has three underfed, dirty, louse ridden chickens… I’m slowly working on that decontamination/integration as well View attachment 3716152View attachment 3716153
I was able to re-home 20 of the youngest and most promising chickens, to a person from a local off grid FB page, before our move. I had to make some very tough decisions regarding my older and special health needs chickens, and many Unfortunately didn’t make the trip with us. Dean, Trouble, Scarface, Chickie Hawk and his ladies, Mr. Marans and his ladies were all too old or required separate housing so I wasn’t able to bring them. Trouble and Scarface, aka little fluff, were able to raise a chick together though. Little Man is clearly Chickie Hawks descendant, and I’m hoping he will work out in the flock. View attachment 3716157
The goats and chickens have a fairly large field, but not much cover from aerial predators, and I believe Stick had an encounter with an eagle, as he has developed a horrible limp and I found a clear feather/predator attack trail of down and “can only belong to Stick” feathers. We are working on Rehabbing that, which has complicated getting out and about.View attachment 3716159View attachment 3716160

Who’s that wee goatlet photo-bombing in the last photo!

Other than the lack of cover it looks like a really lovely place, and that house looks very comfortable. I take it the goats are settling in ok?

 

[Ponypoor]

A new layer! As soon as it got chilly out my girls gave decided to bury their eggs in the wood chips at the back of the coop so I missed this for a couple of days
The top two light tan eggs are Avalons pullet eggs Myth has yet to really get red in the comb yet. They sure do take their time as they are coming up on 8 months old now.

Lovely colour - and yes my pullets were forever also. Well over 30 weeks.

 

[Ponypoor]

Who’s that wee goatlet photo-bombing in the last photo!

Other than the lack of cover it looks like a really lovely place, and that house looks very comfortable. I take it the goats are settling in ok?

@Kris5902

And I am very happy you are able to help the 3 hens - I am sure they think they are in heaven with you caring for them now

 

[Ponypoor]

Your year sounds like a roller coaster… but the house you’re in looks absolutely adorable! I hope it’s starting to feel like home.
Is the climate where you are mild enough that you could extend the living space outdoors? It can feel better to drink a morning coffee staring off into the wide woods, rather than at a kitchen wall 36 inches from your face.

Kris lives in British Columbia, winters are generally mild but rainy. Though last year she got quite a good dumping of snow and cold weather! I bet she will be sitting out when she can watching her flicks and her goats

 

[Kris5902]

Who’s that wee goatlet photo-bombing in the last photo!

Other than the lack of cover it looks like a really lovely place, and that house looks very comfortable. I take it the goats are settling in ok?

The very last photo features little Ruth near the stanchion and Tommy’s horns and forehead… lol. Unfortunately we are pretty much at or beyond housing capacity in the Poultry Apartment… I’m actually considering trying to add another roost somewhere because I’ve got four floor/nest box roosting chickens. So I’m hoping to really, really limit my Broodies this spring. I still have about five consistent want to be mamas… including these two hooligans mama marans and my red mama who both hatched out all boys this year

 

[BeastBaby]

It’s New year’s eve! I hope everyone is planning to have some fun. We’ll have an all-out sushi dinner and dance party with the kids, but champagne/confetti and “midnight” will probably be at 8 or 9pm. Gah.
We’re staying out at my in-laws for the weekend, but I made the drive home to feed the chickens their mash and let them out for an hour. It has been going particularly well for new Easter egger pullet Perry! I’m very surprised with the dynamics.

Photo journal:

Perry is allowed to eat with the mature ladies with relative impunity. Fez (cuckoo marans, #3 in a seven bird pecking order) did peck her back from the bowl once, no chasing though.

Caught a correction! Quincy (2nd in command) pecking Becky (#4) back from the bowl! But happily allowing Perry (#7, on the right hand side) to rub elbows with her.

While free ranging in the yard Perry clearly chose and stuck very close to the flock! Instrumental to this is that bully pullets Whiskey (#5) and Albert (#6) were elsewhere sunning themselves, so didn’t drive her off.