Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Some if the added challenge is the terrain. Rough mountains, pine trees, lots killed by pine beetles, and regulations preventing roads getting into the roughest parts to remove most of the dead wood. Even a lightning strike can and will start fires under those conditions and with all the fuel available, get too big/too strong to do anything about before anyone knows its there.

Montana, for instance, has a total area of 147,040 sq mi (380,800 km2). For reference, the British Isles, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland), and over six thousand smaller islands. (From Wikipedia) have a TOTAL area of 315,159 km2 (121,684 sq mi). That's 25,000 sq mi (60,000+ km²) more land than the British Isles, at least 1/3rd of which is rough mountain blanketed in evergreen forest.

British Isles population 71,891,524 (2019)
Montana population 1,122,867(2022)

That's a population density of 7.09/sq mi (2.73/km2) vs 216/km2 (559/sq mi) for the Isles. That's a lot or turf to cover. Add in how rough the terrain is, the sparseness of roads to access, and how dry it is....lighning is just as likely as human cause for fires in the back country (inaccessible).

This is the season for thunderstorms. ANY storm coming through now carries a high chance of lining with it....and lasts until mid Sept/frost, whichever happens first.

That is just Montana. The entirety of the Rocky Mountains is like that. Alberta (due north, half Rockies) is also burning....again....in the back country. Area there: 661,849 km2 (255,541 sq mi)
Population: 4,368,370. Population density: 6.82/km2 (17.7/sq mi).


Any way you look at it, wildfires, compounded by dead forest (and not being able to clean it out for whatever the reason) make for big problems. On the plus side, many of the coniferous evergreens don't open the cones unless toasted by fire. Trees die and species don't regrow unless the area has been torched by fire first. It's devastating in the midst of it, but is cleansing, and renewing in the aftermath. They went through that with the fires of 1988 that burnt so much of Yellowstone National Park. Afterwards, they had tree species growing that hadn't been seen in the Park in 30 years.

Rant over.

TaxView attachment 3900985

Actually, this should probably have several pics
View attachment 3900986View attachment 3900987

Yes this is correct, many coniferous species require fire to open the seeds. The summer the the big fires in Fort McMurray did so much damage, that winter was very mild, if we had 4” of champs on the ground that was it. There were hardly any days under -10C.

The fires started just after I headed home from being on a project all winter.

The next September I once again headed back there and was gobsmacked at the amount of forest burnt - it was equally terrifying and awe-inspiring.

But the most amazing thing was the Poplar saplings that literally sprang up that summer they were already 4’ high! Burning the forest opened the land to sunlight allowing saplings to burst forth. Over time they will die off and be replaced by black spruce and hemlock. It’s a cycle that has happened for millions of years.

The problem now is that it’s happening more often and lasting longer. And it’s drier, and hotter.

Did you know that fire can smolder for years underground in the muskeg? Many fires start that way here in Canada, and lightning and human started also.

Hot topic tax

I don’t know if she is singing or drinking

Baby Betty

 

[Ponypoor]

Some if the added challenge is the terrain. Rough mountains, pine trees, lots killed by pine beetles, and regulations preventing roads getting into the roughest parts to remove most of the dead wood. Even a lightning strike can and will start fires under those conditions and with all the fuel available, get too big/too strong to do anything about before anyone knows its there.

Montana, for instance, has a total area of 147,040 sq mi (380,800 km2). For reference, the British Isles, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland), and over six thousand smaller islands. (From Wikipedia) have a TOTAL area of 315,159 km2 (121,684 sq mi). That's 25,000 sq mi (60,000+ km²) more land than the British Isles, at least 1/3rd of which is rough mountain blanketed in evergreen forest.

British Isles population 71,891,524 (2019)
Montana population 1,122,867(2022)

That's a population density of 7.09/sq mi (2.73/km2) vs 216/km2 (559/sq mi) for the Isles. That's a lot or turf to cover. Add in how rough the terrain is, the sparseness of roads to access, and how dry it is....lighning is just as likely as human cause for fires in the back country (inaccessible).

This is the season for thunderstorms. ANY storm coming through now carries a high chance of lining with it....and lasts until mid Sept/frost, whichever happens first.

That is just Montana. The entirety of the Rocky Mountains is like that. Alberta (due north, half Rockies) is also burning....again....in the back country. Area there: 661,849 km2 (255,541 sq mi)
Population: 4,368,370. Population density: 6.82/km2 (17.7/sq mi).


Any way you look at it, wildfires, compounded by dead forest (and not being able to clean it out for whatever the reason) make for big problems. On the plus side, many of the coniferous evergreens don't open the cones unless toasted by fire. Trees die and species don't regrow unless the area has been torched by fire first. It's devastating in the midst of it, but is cleansing, and renewing in the aftermath. They went through that with the fires of 1988 that burnt so much of Yellowstone National Park. Afterwards, they had tree species growing that hadn't been seen in the Park in 30 years.

Rant over.

TaxView attachment 3900985

Actually, this should probably have several pics
View attachment 3900986View attachment 3900987

 

[Ponypoor]

Adele is either going to be a amazing rooster one day or a amazing momma. I have noticed for the last few days whenever I refill the feeder, give them a treat or even offer up worms Adele goes to it first. Then the first few bites instead of eating drops it in front of the other chicks to let them have it. I have no sound clues other then chick peeps to determine if there is tid-bitting involved. After Adele has alerted the other chicks to the food then she joins the mob and stuffs herself and no longer shares. None of the other chicks do this, including Reba who I think is actually Barbosa. It is a free for all for the silkies. I also notice that all the silkies try to snuggle up under poor Adele who is bigger but she seems to love it when they go to sleep. Either way these are traits I am loving to see so early in a chick.

My Buff Orp pullets are like that, the little bantams will snuggle under their wings, they are training them to be broody, that’s what I think hahahaha

 

[Ponypoor]

There's one near the state capital that's 15000+ acres. Looks like it's 95% contained. Doesn't mean it's out even if 100% contained. An ember can still float on the wind and stay alive to start one several miles away.

It’s bad this year, so hot and dry out west, I worry about the people and livestock. So stressful for people.

Need more water out there…

Water water water here

 

[Ponypoor]

Might be Onyx's son.
View attachment 3901142
R.I.P Onyx. I miss you so much.

Such a beauty So sad for your loss.

 

[Ponypoor]

Southwest Airlines? Fly coach

Ugh livestock section? No never! Fly business class

Lookey what I found scrolling through photos Bert and Betty (hiding under a wing).

 

[Ponypoor]

I was given panacur to get rid of the worms in my flock of 20. It's a white liquid that I give orally for three days. It's what my vet uses. What a challenge. First day I had more on the chickens than in them. Maybe today I will do better.

Were you able to contact your veterinarian about the Panacur ?

I know all about giving liquid meds to chooks! Fun times

 

[Marie2020]

Yes this is correct, many coniferous species require fire to open the seeds. The summer the the big fires in Fort McMurray did so much damage, that winter was very mild, if we had 4” of champs on the ground that was it. There were hardly any days under -10C.

The fires started just after I headed home from being on a project all winter.

The next September I once again headed back there and was gobsmacked at the amount of forest burnt - it was equally terrifying and awe-inspiring.

But the most amazing thing was the Poplar saplings that literally sprang up that summer they were already 4’ high! Burning the forest opened the land to sunlight allowing saplings to burst forth. Over time they will die off and be replaced by black spruce and hemlock. It’s a cycle that has happened for millions of years.

The problem now is that it’s happening more often and lasting longer. And it’s drier, and hotter.

Did you know that fire can smolder for years underground in the muskeg? Many fires start that way here in Canada, and lightning and human started also.

Hot topic tax

I don’t know if she is singing or drinking

Baby Betty
View attachment 3901239

That was really informative. Thanks Kelly.

Betty is way to pretty. She's a doll

 

[Ponypoor]

Most of the fires closest to me were lightning strikes. I read yesterday that oregon has more fires burning than CA, WA, and Idaho combined. Most are "small" but some are in the 1000s of acre range and one area has so many small ones that it is almost like one massive fire.
Babies have grown so much!
View attachment 3900799
View attachment 3900800
Dashing all about like tiny flighty adults.

Wow they sure have!

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm so sorry to hear about the fires! It can be scary! Once there was a fire right down the hill from us and I could not sleep for some nights they were going to have us leave our home!

Beautiful chickens!

How I your hen? I didn’t see anything so must be missing any updates.