Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

Mine wouldn't wouldn't even go near it. It wouldn't open anyway

Yeah, that was a problem getting the tension setting to work right.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I want to thank each and every one of you all who wished me a Happy Birthday. I celebrated it simply just how I like too. No big fuss, small cake and with family. Tonight I get my card game with my brother as he had to work this morning. We are competitive, Phase 10 is nothing, card night it is Phase 30 and you need a few hours. Raven is currently giving me the best birthday gift even if she is 11 hours too late. The Bubba x Corona egg is pipped and should be out in about 2 hours. Nothing yet from the Bubba x Holly egg but it is still very early. They should not be hatching until Tuesday. Fall is here. 52 out right now, I was freezing having coffee with the chickens for a hour this morning. It was mid 90s last week. The littles were allowed out while I was outside. The chilly weather sparked zoomies from the silkie chicks. Silkie zoomies are hysterical. They go crazy, think emu zoomies but with tiny puff balls. Julio, he is going to be a good boy. Trixie was outside and he does not like her. He stalked her and chased her. Randy behaved himself this morning with the chicks. I had some leftover cornbread that I fed to everyone while they were out. The littles got their share and the adults did not chase them. Randy called 2 of the silkies over to him and fed them. Julio is going to need some manners instilled in him soon from the adults. He still likes to run up to them and chest bump. He will have his butt handed to him if he tries that with Raven or the orp Siri. I dread when it happens but I will let it play out. I have too for his sake.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yay! Pony Sunday!

My new 'pen' for the goslings. They are big enough now that they are not in danger from Birds of Prey...so an open top-pen is okay. 16' cattle panels make up their pen (faced with dog exercise panels so a fox or what not can't climb through.)
View attachment 3938915View attachment 3938916
This makes it soooo much easier as their coop & pen don't have to be moved every day. They seem to like the additional space - first thing they did was run around the perimeter flapping their wings and honking up a storm!

And - our rogue squash plant that has overtaken our compost pile: (and yes, it is 1 plant!)
View attachment 3938918View attachment 3938919View attachment 3938920The compost pile is about 20-24' long and about 6-7' wide (at the base) - and it has completely overtaken it.View attachment 3938921
And, as I suspected from the white flowers - it is a gourd - seems to be one of the 'birdhouse gourd' plants.

Good news is that I picked 2 'young-ish' gourds that were still quite tender - split them open, and the chooks devoured them! I kept the neck of one to try - was like eating zuchinni.



And, I missed 'Fluffy Butt Friday':
View attachment 3938924
a chickie buttView attachment 3938925
and early stages of moulting butt. She has lost her longer tail feathers. Photo bomber to the left is in heavy moult right now.

Great photos! I was tickled at your gourd plant ~ the squash/cucurbis(?spelling) families go wild if not the bush varieties. Lucky you got some gourds from your rogue vine. We never got anything from our rogue cantaloupe vine ~ but then we never allowed it to grow to a potential 24 feet !!!

Feeding your chickens more gourd probably means they'll deposit more rogue seeds around the ground ~ who knew they were such accomplished gardeners?!

 

[Ponypoor]

I 'believe' (see what I did there?) that @BY Bob was referring to the use of calamine lotion on chickens.

Yep I was half asleep and my legs bothering me. That’s my excuse anyways

Needed my tea…. And breakfast.

 

[Sylvester017]

Pony Sunday:

Found more of mom's old photos ~ must've been a gentle horse to allow her to sit sidesaddle like that or just plain ignorant!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Happy Pony Sunday everyone.
I present Raven's guard horse.

Smart hen. Her nest is right beside Dirt's stall. Dirt takes his duties very seriously. I was having to smack his nose away trying to take this picture.

 

[bgmathteach]

Pony Sunday:

Found more of mom's old photos ~ must've been a gentle horse to allow her to sit sidesaddle like that or just plain ignorant!
View attachment 3939032

Back then, women ALWAYS rode side-saddle - since they wore dresses, they had to. (My grandmother - to her dying day - refused to put on slacks - had to be a dress (preferred) or skirt). And my mom played basketball in HS. They were forced to wear short skirts (think like tennis skirts) to play Basketball, as women weren't allowed to wear pants/shorts in school. I find it ironic that they had to wear SHORT skirts to play - but were sent home from school if their skirts were too short to hit a chair when kneeling on it!!

Old-tymie dress code Tax:

goslings went from this (1-2 days old):

To this in just a couple of weeks: (Had to find a bigger box to put them in while I cleaned out their brooder!)

And, true tax:

Members of my local tree sitters guild:

The boy in the center is, I'm pretty sure, daddy to Georgie's genetic offspring. Still not sure about the chipmunk chick (mom would have most likely been a Welsummer, but daddy could have been any one of 4 boys. I am now questioning if the chipmunk chick is a girl as I first thought, or a boy. They are only 4.5 weeks old, and the comb is starting to pink up. No real waddles yet - but that may not mean much, depending on daddy. I'll have to try to get a recent pick of her/him to show the comb - it has only been in the last few days it has started to show and pinken. (is that really be a word????)

 

[featherhead007]

Off topic but I have to admit this mistake.
Last night late, it was dark in my kitchen. I had a plate of tortillas with cheese, and while opening the microwave door, I hit the plate against the door. The safety glass shattered into thousands of pieces.
Weird listening to it crack. Started out slow but progressed slowly until it was all shattered.
Oh what fun, having to replace a $345 microwave oven. My options are limited in a small town like mine.

 

[featherhead007]

Off topic but I have to admit this mistake.
Last night late, it was dark in my kitchen. I had a plate of tortillas with cheese, and while opening the microwave door, I hit the plate against the door. The safety glass shattered into thousands of pieces.
Weird listening to it crack. Started out slow but progressed slowly until it was all shattered.
Oh what fun, having to replace a $345 microwave oven. My options are limited in a small town like mine.

Taxes for the off topic destruction of my microwave oven rant:

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Raven is a momma again. The first chick successfully hatched about a hour ago. It is still partially wet so when it is fully dry and fluffed up I will take a photo. Raven is a old pro at this and trusts me. Without so much as a growl she allowed me to reach under her and pull the chick out while still wet. With Marans you can tell a lot from their appearance if you can see them before they fluff up. I saw a flat non-existent comb and while still big compared to some breeds little slender feet and legs. Feathered legs though coming from the clean legged Corona. I do believe Lilly has a baby sister. After I gave the chick back to Raven I then pulled the Holly egg out. Nothing happening yet but I maybe heard some scratching inside the shell. Not entirely sure as I had Owly scratching around the hay stack.