Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Job well done

I hear you on the ‘heavy heart’, I have lost so many horses and pets over they yrs. I dread the time when I need to deal with Truly, she is doing well so I take each day as they come.

But I also laugh at her antics and those of the chooks too. We have to take good with the bad when we have our pets - or anything really.

Please post photos of the fluffy butts when you have completed them

I will definitely share.

 

[BY Bob]

Her royal majestic queenship, scratching in the bedding? I would think that she has servants to do that kind of laborious work!

She loves it. She would not permit any others to touch her straw. Stay away servants.

 

[BY Bob]

Aster digs just like a leghorn doesn’t she? Powerful legs there!

I agree. She also flies like one. She took off from the deck yesterday and flew to the magnolia tree. She was 5 feet in the air most of the way. It was very impressive.

 

[BY Bob]

What a labor of love that was.
I am glad you had some helpers!
Also happy Hattie will get a nice cozy heat panel.

Of course the last 2 nights Hattie has been sleeping in the main coop. The heater is on and no one is using it.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hellooo everyone!... I've probably missed a lot, I check in about once a day but I think the seasonal depression is hitting or something. I don't feel as social.

Everything is going well with my chickens though! Sybil has laid a total of 11 eggs. Nice, thick shells on em! The 4 we've cracked open have had such beautiful orange yolks. Once we have a dozen, dad is going to make omelettes with them! Just 4 more... 4 or 5 more days. Mmm...

Here's a video from a couple days ago. It was cold that day with the wind chill, but they clearly weren't bothered

Here are some pictures from a walk I took the other day. Spoiler because there's a lot of pics.

Spoiler: Lots of nature pictures

View attachment 4003607View attachment 4003608View attachment 4003609View attachment 4003610View attachment 4003611View attachment 4003612View attachment 4003613View attachment 4003614View attachment 4003615View attachment 4003616View attachment 4003617View attachment 4003618View attachment 4003619View attachment 4003620View attachment 4003622View attachment 4003623View attachment 4003624View attachment 4003625View attachment 4003626View attachment 4003627View attachment 4003628View attachment 4003629View attachment 4003630

Very pretty pictures. Neat place!

Are those red berries cranberries or something else? We planted cranberry bushes in front of our house and this year they finally got berries and kind of look like that. Supposedly the birds and deer like them, but the deer won't come here due to the dogs.

 

[Debbie292d]

Good news ~ my PCP after my ekg signed the OK to the Ortho Dr for my arm surgery scheduled on Jan 8. Just lab tests & Xrays to go. Can't wait to hold my Tribbles in both arms!
View attachment 4003932View attachment 4003936
View attachment 4003938

That is great news! Excited for you!

 

[Marie2020]

Super Busy Sunday

I got a reprieve with the weather yesterday and had an opportunity to correct my poor behavior and get the coop complex ready for winter. It was 57 F (14C) and I took advantage of it.

It started with a deep clean of all coops.

Cluckle Hut
Let's start with the Cluckle Hut as other adjustments were needed.

All cleaned out

Nest box
View attachment 4003528

Coop
View attachment 4003529View attachment 4003530

You can see the heating panel in the photos above facing down the roost. It was there to keep Betty and Phyllis warnm in the winter. There is no reason for it to be up there any longer so I moved it down to nest box so Hattie can curl up next to it on cold winter nights.

View attachment 4003532

View attachment 4003531
This necessitated a re-routing of the wire which I am not entirely happy with but which should work for now. You can see it going behind the lower roost in the pictures above and behind the food and water dishes below.

The nest box with the heater panel along the wall and deep straw.

View attachment 4003538

The coop all strawed back up.
View attachment 4003545View attachment 4003544


Main Coop
I then cleaned out the Main Coop.

Nest boxes
View attachment 4003534

Main Area
View attachment 4003533

I then re-strawed the nest boxes
View attachment 4003537

And piled the straw in the main coop, awaiting my helper. I have gone 2-3 inches deep with the straw so the can nest up and stay warm in the winter.

Spoiler: Help Arrives

I wound up with a nice even spread of straw. Aurora is super reliable when it comes to spreading straw. Watch at the end when she realizes she is on camera.

A nice even spread
View attachment 4003539

Then it was time to get the shower curtains up to protect the run and porch from snow and wind. I also had to repair this damage from the wind storm last week.
View attachment 4003541

Porch, side door, and lower section done. Aurora inspecting my work.
View attachment 4003540

Side of the run complete.
View attachment 4003542

Wind damaged section repaired
View attachment 4003543

Sealed up to protect them all from the worst.

I decided to put straw on the porch as well as it is now waterproof with the shower curtain on. Aster and Lady F were enjoying scratching around until some one arrived and drove them off.

Those no Longer with Us
I then decided to deal with the bum silhouettes and their place in the run. I re-organized the ones already there and took down Phyllis and Glynda and with my heart feeling heavy put them up in the run with all the others that have left us.

View attachment 4003547

View attachment 4003548

View attachment 4003546

I need to make Aster a silhouette along with one for Sylvie and Legertha. It is wrong that they are not represented. I just have never been able to bring myself to make them one simply to put into the run. It's just so sad.

A lot of the silhouettes in the run need to be repainted but they remain as they were when everyone passed. I want them to look nice though. I suppose I will repaint them one by one this winter.

That was a full day. However with the bad weather today, I believe they appreciated the updated digs.

My goodness that wind did some damage.
We've had some storms over here too

It hits us hard losing our animals . My home seems so empty now. It's really strange.

I don't need to tell you to keep loving what you have Bob. Your family and other little fluffy butt's

 

[Marie2020]

Hellooo everyone!... I've probably missed a lot, I check in about once a day but I think the seasonal depression is hitting or something. I don't feel as social.

Everything is going well with my chickens though! Sybil has laid a total of 11 eggs. Nice, thick shells on em! The 4 we've cracked open have had such beautiful orange yolks. Once we have a dozen, dad is going to make omelettes with them! Just 4 more... 4 or 5 more days. Mmm...

Here's a video from a couple days ago. It was cold that day with the wind chill, but they clearly weren't bothered

Here are some pictures from a walk I took the other day. Spoiler because there's a lot of pics.

Spoiler: Lots of nature pictures

View attachment 4003607View attachment 4003608View attachment 4003609View attachment 4003610View attachment 4003611View attachment 4003612View attachment 4003613View attachment 4003614View attachment 4003615View attachment 4003616View attachment 4003617View attachment 4003618View attachment 4003619View attachment 4003620View attachment 4003622View attachment 4003623View attachment 4003624View attachment 4003625View attachment 4003626View attachment 4003627View attachment 4003628View attachment 4003629View attachment 4003630

Wow. Beautiful pictures, but I really don't fancy being outside in that snow

Thank you for sharing that gorgeous scenery

 

[featherhead007]

She loves it. She would not permit any others to touch her straw. Stay away servants.

Well then, I only hope that it’s the best straw available. Hopefully from the south of France

 

[Marie2020]

Alligator is delicious, python is good, slightly fishy and gamey.
Kangaroo and emu are nice, and I can't remember what other animals I've eaten.

I hate to admit I've ate kangaroo meat and i feel really bad about eating a Skippy.

Ii was a really tender meat though