Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

More pictures I tookView attachment 3918005View attachment 3918006View attachment 3918008View attachment 3918009View attachment 3918011

Those are amazing!

 

[Marie2020]

Everybody’s still here, doing pretty well. All chickens alive and apparently healthy. Caught a northern fowl mites infestation very early, nipped it in the bud with two permethrin spray applications on the birds, a thorough coop spray wash & application and an under-coop litter clean out & application. I got mites on me twice when I handled Anna, and no one else. Never saw any in all my examinations anywhere except on me. I even suspected wooden deck boards at one point. Can they live there? Anyway, no recurrence yet. Did you know that you can dustbathe right after a mite spraying / massage that has you soaked to the skin, appear very muddy from all that kicking and rolling around in the dirt while wet, yet within hours look pristine again? Only chickens can do this. It is like a trip to the salon. I tried and it doesn’t work on humans! A shower for me, thank you.

I’m busy, but the editing/proofreading task is on a break, I finished the pass of my older sister’s latest mystery book, so while my project manager other sister gets the previous book out for printing I am free to roam FBA. My author sister is at a great point health-wise; her stem-the-tide last ditch chemo has been working! She’ll be on it until it doesn’t work anymore, hopefully at least several more months. Her quality of life is way better now too, that’s what counts.

The heat and humidity - sometimes 96% humidity! - is the biggest news chicken-wise. I think the heat is harder on the Buff Orpingtons than the Buckeyes. Maybe the BO’s are fluffier, the Buckeyes feathers look tighter, even their thighs don’t have the intense thick fluff the BO’s have. And they are older, less active. The frame size makes a difference. Popcorn, quite a big gal, was wing spreading along with the BO’s.

They were able to hang out in shade and lie on cool earth during the hottest parts of the day. I dampened the run litter and the dust bath, and generously sprayed the uncovered yard parts of the run with a cold-water hose. I have shade tarps strategically placed, they let some breeze through but block direct sun. They did fine except when confined in the coop at night. So I installed fans, and I tried ice bags too. The fans are very effective. Three rechargeable fans. Two small fans clipped and pointing out the upper vents helping to push the air out the back. Then a bigger fan underneath.

To assist their wing-spreading strategy I placed this 8” fan pointing up through the modified and predator-hardened poop tray (I cut a large hole and zip tied hardware cloth onto it. Also placed a mosquito netting on it except for the hottest nights). It gently blew on low usually; a few nights I had it on medium. I looked at them from under there, up through the roost bars, and found they positioned themselves right over the gentle breeze, so that was reassuring. Also a nice fluffy butt view for me, seeing their tootsies curled around the bars and their fluffy pantaloon feathers wafting in the breeze. Interestingly never got any poop on the fan, the hardware cloth caught it, and they seemed to have their chests over the fan mostly.

The second thing I did was open the back coop door during the day, to help it cool down before their evening roost and for when they were in there laying their eggs during the day. Recall there’s aviary netting over this whole area, plus a rain tarp high above the coop that blocks some view, so I felt it was secure enough, and I hung dark mosquito screening across it for any biting bugs and a flap of cloth over the top half too. So that let the coop air equal the evening air before roosting time.

Here's Anna, she is a really sweet hen, talkative, and very calm to handle - recall she was terribly sick at 7-8 weeks, which may account for that. She likes standing on my leg and getting pet. She tells me all the news then.
Plus she's got quite a jaunty comb!
View attachment 3918073

What is the title of your sisters book?

She must be an incredibly positive lady, writing while going through such a huge medical challenge. I wish her every success with her treatment and this book.

 

[Marie2020]

This is a offense in my book. You need to take this quote to each school board member. The principal needs to answer for this.

It is their job, J O B , to see to your child's education and success. They should not be discouraging excellence but encouraging it and feeding the desire with whatever assistance they can provide. They have the absolute wrong attitude for someone in that position of power.

Angry Tax
View attachment 3918117

There should be an excellent emoji.
Well said Bob!

 

[BY Bob]

In Albis died.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Our sincerest condolences on your loss.

 

[Marie2020]

Bringing formal complaints about school administrators to the inner circles of school boards, PTAs, sometimes even local city councils who are prone to dismiss complainants, excuse complaints as misdirected and that parents need to go to different agencies to pursue resolution (the old run-around ~ not our job excuse!).

This type of problem needs outside media attention if there are any honest ones w/guts left to report on it? If nothing more it would inform other parents about the problem w/school administrators~ provided it is not done slanderously.

I would have recorded or cell phone video'd the principal's meeting. So many crooked people in positions of authority & govt these days!

I'm so proud of everyone's respect here.

Just over a month ago my grandson, he is 10, is mentally challenged, got bullied and beaten at school.
He was covered in bruises. This bullying has been happening for some time and the teachers were aware but choose too allow it to continue

All the teachers advised when the both parents went to the school, pointing out the bruises after visits too their doctors, is... "he really should change his friends".

I was stunned . How these people are permitted to be near children', let alone be responsible and even teach them absolutely terrifies me.

 

[Marie2020]

Poorly princess tax

 

[BY Bob]

Twofer, a butterbird and Ric Flair
View attachment 3918043
Tricksy is so precious
View attachment 3918044
Hubby says he sees red wattles.
View attachment 3918045

I uh...fell through a deck today and really messed my knee up. Of course, it's the one that's already been giving me problems.
View attachment 3918047
The offending board. It's at my parent's house so thankfully dad will get it fixed right up ASAP. Hubby made me put a knee brace on and now that I'm done with chores for a while I will rest it up on the beanbag.

Gosh. I hope it feels better soon.

 

[Marie2020]

BYC double posted me!?

It's happening ever such a lot to me. I thought it was only me.
I hope you don't mind, I'm going to report this and include you as well.

I'm so relieved I thought this was my phone.

 

[BY Bob]

Everybody’s still here, doing pretty well. All chickens alive and apparently healthy. Caught a northern fowl mites infestation very early, nipped it in the bud with two permethrin spray applications on the birds, a thorough coop spray wash & application and an under-coop litter clean out & application. I got mites on me twice when I handled Anna, and no one else. Never saw any in all my examinations anywhere except on me. I even suspected wooden deck boards at one point. Can they live there? Anyway, no recurrence yet. Did you know that you can dustbathe right after a mite spraying / massage that has you soaked to the skin, appear very muddy from all that kicking and rolling around in the dirt while wet, yet within hours look pristine again? Only chickens can do this. It is like a trip to the salon. I tried and it doesn’t work on humans! A shower for me, thank you.

I’m busy, but the editing/proofreading task is on a break, I finished the pass of my older sister’s latest mystery book, so while my project manager other sister gets the previous book out for printing I am free to roam FBA. My author sister is at a great point health-wise; her stem-the-tide last ditch chemo has been working! She’ll be on it until it doesn’t work anymore, hopefully at least several more months. Her quality of life is way better now too, that’s what counts.

The heat and humidity - sometimes 96% humidity! - is the biggest news chicken-wise. I think the heat is harder on the Buff Orpingtons than the Buckeyes. Maybe the BO’s are fluffier, the Buckeyes feathers look tighter, even their thighs don’t have the intense thick fluff the BO’s have. And they are older, less active. The frame size makes a difference. Popcorn, quite a big gal, was wing spreading along with the BO’s.

They were able to hang out in shade and lie on cool earth during the hottest parts of the day. I dampened the run litter and the dust bath, and generously sprayed the uncovered yard parts of the run with a cold-water hose. I have shade tarps strategically placed, they let some breeze through but block direct sun. They did fine except when confined in the coop at night. So I installed fans, and I tried ice bags too. The fans are very effective. Three rechargeable fans. Two small fans clipped and pointing out the upper vents helping to push the air out the back. Then a bigger fan underneath.

To assist their wing-spreading strategy I placed this 8” fan pointing up through the modified and predator-hardened poop tray (I cut a large hole and zip tied hardware cloth onto it. Also placed a mosquito netting on it except for the hottest nights). It gently blew on low usually; a few nights I had it on medium. I looked at them from under there, up through the roost bars, and found they positioned themselves right over the gentle breeze, so that was reassuring. Also a nice fluffy butt view for me, seeing their tootsies curled around the bars and their fluffy pantaloon feathers wafting in the breeze. Interestingly never got any poop on the fan, the hardware cloth caught it, and they seemed to have their chests over the fan mostly.

The second thing I did was open the back coop door during the day, to help it cool down before their evening roost and for when they were in there laying their eggs during the day. Recall there’s aviary netting over this whole area, plus a rain tarp high above the coop that blocks some view, so I felt it was secure enough, and I hung dark mosquito screening across it for any biting bugs and a flap of cloth over the top half too. So that let the coop air equal the evening air before roosting time.

Here's Anna, she is a really sweet hen, talkative, and very calm to handle - recall she was terribly sick at 7-8 weeks, which may account for that. She likes standing on my leg and getting pet. She tells me all the news then.
Plus she's got quite a jaunty comb!
View attachment 3918073

So great to catch on what has happened. I'm glad the chooks and you are doing well.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I too had fans blowing full tilt in the barn. Poor silkies had some issues at first with my high velocity fan for the barn aisle

Picturing that! They need a special light-weight lane in that aisle!

What is the title of your sisters book?

She must be an incredibly positive lady, writing while going through such a huge medical challenge. I wish her every success with her treatment and this book.

She is an incredible woman, this is true! Thanks.
There are four books in “The Kate Rossi mysteries” series, three are available now, the fourth is in progress. The first is “The Silenced”.
The gang tonight, Popcorn is in the nest box next to them. A plane just went very low overhead and they started looking around just as this was taken.