Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

That was very strange. I've never seen that. I'm glad it came out intact!

You and me both!

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 3781866
Sunny took a brief nap on my lap today.

Wonderful!

 

[Marie2020]

They were up there daily for hours for the lambs ! And the horse See you and his mini donkey friend are also stabled there.
I think they always managed to go up with vehicles, but judging by the number that stayed there for a few days it's possible they had to hike down.

Marie, have you tried doing an advanced search using Amber as keyword, and your name in the box "posted by" ? I think you will find some pictures in the results.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/se...er_than]=2021-12-04&c[users]=Marie2020&o=date
View attachment 3782325

I'm way to tired to get my head around this right now but a huge big thank you . That's so kind

 

[Marie2020]

That was very strange. I've never seen that. I'm glad it came out intact!

What on earth happened there

 

[Marie2020]

I've tried posting pictures 3 times and they wouldn't upload and still won't.

Princess just didn't want to go to bed today. She was out until almost 7 o'clock
Picture upload failed a 4th time. She had a great time in the garden. Running away every time I tried to get her inside

Good night everyone. I'm to tired to mess around with failing uploads

 

[BY Bob]

Oh no! Someone stole half of Calypso’s beard. Only her left side has been plucked.
I can’t figure how that happened.
I haven’t seen anyone do that to her. She roosts between Tassels and Pooh usually. Tassels’ beard is intact.
I did see a lot of tiny black feathers in the nest where she lays her egg. Could someone have thrown her out of the nest box by pulling on her beard?
Poor Calypso. She looks a bit naked.


I don’t see any wounds. Should I do anything? And if so, what?!

View attachment 3781871View attachment 3781872View attachment 3781873

That's just crazy! Chickens.

 

[BY Bob]

Mini mugs:
View attachment 3781868
My little Erminette OE chick- I’m thinking her name may be Mina? Subject to change, as personality becomes apparent.

View attachment 3781870
An OE chick I likely won’t keep if Mina is a pullet. So far we’re calling her Bananas.

View attachment 3781874
Big boy Coach next to Bananas.

View attachment 3781875
Coach and one of the other marans chicks.

Adorable!

 

[BY Bob]

Popcorn is very often keeping Diane in line, but most of the time Diane runs away, she doesn't "submit". She's in an incorrigible phase, at least I hope it's a phase. Not that it doesn't happen - I've seen it once, she might have been taken by surprise, but I looked over to see her squatted and very still, and Popcorn just standing over her, not pecking. Today they were both near me and Diane pecked my hand and Popcorn pecked her right away. Diane moved off.

While Glynda squats, Lady Featherington just scampers away.

 

[BY Bob]

I wouldn’t have cracked it open, but I would have performed an exorcism on it!

Don't you mean "eggsorcism" ?

 

[BY Bob]

Hello FBA ! It's the beginning of a very rainy day here. I hope you will forgive me for taking the opportunity to post a long delayed Pony Sunday post even though it's Tuesday. I'll make sure to post a few chickens pictures in there.

First, I wanted to comment on the soft egg issue and the link to calcium and nutrition. In December we took one of the younger hens, Kara, to the vet for a number of issues (I wrongly feared ascites) amongst which laying problems and soft shell eggs. The vet's recommendation, per usual, was to switch back to layer feed only and a calcium and vitamin D3 supplement in the water. The point I wanted to share, is that he said to do this for a month : he considered this was the required length to see if the problem actually came from nutrition or not.
In her case it did nothing to help, so I went back to my usual way of feeding.

We call Kara the witch, because she is such a bully !
View attachment 3782162
Kara from a different angle.
View attachment 3782164

Pony Sunday on Tuesday anecdote : at the beginning of March we had two snow storms on consecutive weekends. This coincided with lambing for our village's young couple of shepherds. It was the first year that the lambing took place in their new hoop shelter in the mountain. Because the mobile phone network was down for two weeks, the town couldn't get to the society that usually clears the mountain road, so getting up there was quite a feat, and in fact they had two of their SUV stuck by the shelter for a few days, only the old tractor from the 1960's made it down ! But everything went fine, their power generator held up, and they had around 150 lambs born between the 25 February and the 10 march. I managed to run up during the first storm (though I really regretted it as I had a bit of a fright coming down) and they took me in to show me the babies. I was amazed at how warm it was inside the hoop under the snow, with just the animal heat (and how strong it smelled ) ! Now all the snow is gone, and in another two weeks they will take the lambs out to graze.

The hoop shelter under the snow.
View attachment 3782155
Can you spy the pony in the snow ? Hint : it's a canine.
View attachment 3782166

Spoiler

View attachment 3782153
This is Carlos, an Anatolian / Pyrenneese mix LGD. This dog belongs to another shepherd down the valley and no human can touch or catch him. In late summer the herds mix on the furthest mountain pasture and when they sorted the sheeps out, Carlos followed this herd instead of his. He stayed all winter in the mountain with the rams, was there when the ewes came back from the plain, and now he is part of their LGD's but still no one can catch him. I think he may be better off here, as he is getting properly fed and both humans and dogs are much less mean.

Some of the lambs now
View attachment 3782156

And some chicken tax :
11 out of 16 in a picture, I rarely get more
View attachment 3782158
And a twofer from a few days ago as it's pouring now. Annette and Laure
View attachment 3782169
Have a nice day everyone!

Such a great story and wonderful pictures. Thanks so much for stopping by to share it and the great pictures.