Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[TOMTE]

Plz be careful in slippy slidey conditions plz....
maybe take a walking stick for balance?

I'm careful! I have yaktrax for icy conditions Plus my boots have good traction. A good layer of packed snow with a thinner layer of new snow is perfect for walking around here

Heheh I love winter...

As a plus, the run is (almost) winterized!

It's nice in there and all, but they miss free ranging.

Maybe her eyes are turning green because she's jealous that I get to go outside?

They're all dealing with it, in any case!

 

[Ponypoor]

Happy Solstice!

It’s all uphill from here

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I didn’t flatten the mud down the other night to make it smooth on the places the horses and I walk, and it froze into ruts like cement - ankle breakers. I could use a bit of snow to fill the tuts in.

The chooks have given up wanting to go outside, I put my new heater up but they aren’t using it so far. Of course the baldies are in with Mr P hahaha. May need to get them out in the main gang.

We have a few boards down in front of the stalls to make feeding, watering and cleaning not treacherous. I cannot say the same for the rest of the yard. A week of steady soaking rain and it is mud and standing water everywhere. Dad is back to riding Dirt once again and they do not mind if it gets colder. The boys have drilltec on their shoes so they can be ridden in all but the worst conditions.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It’s all uphill from here

I give it a week, maybe sooner and I will have more then 1 hen laying. Combs are reddening up and Goose allowed Randy to breed her the other day. Now at some point I am going to need Judy to stop laying eggs. I thank her for getting me through the dry spell, but she really needs to stop. She started laying last year around the start of November. She has not stopped and is still a 5 egg a week hen. Judy you are a Barred Rock not a production breed so stop laying for a few weeks please. At this point I am ready for her to go broody to give me a broody hen to fight with. If she is broody she is at least not laying for a few weeks.

 

[featherhead007]

All I want for Christmas is to have my hens shut up!!! The roosters I don’t mind, but those spoiled hens are making me crazy

 

[rural mouse]

I worry about any of you that fall or slip or slide. Put down stepping stones or boardwalk or something on your most used pathway or wear rubber cleated soles ~ we're never too young or prideful to admit we need to do what's safe. In the slippery rain for myself I used to use two quad canes outdoors to keep my balance. We don't get snow so I also have the luxury of using a wheeled walker outdoors. When out & about I notice younger & younger adults using quads or rolling walkers for convenience & stability. The chickens are accustomed to my equipt bless them

View attachment 4011352
View attachment 4011354
View attachment 4011356

Stones are slippery when wet/icy. I have rubber edges on the wooden frame of the stone garden stairs. It doesn't help much...especially when covered in snow...and makes it more difficult to clear the snow off. With snow and ice, it's better to move slower and be ready to catch yourself.

 

[Ponypoor]

Weights

Pepper-Larry is 5.63lb

Mr LC is 2.15lb heavier than I thought.

But Shirley only weighs in at 8.26lbs! I would have thought for sure he was at least 10lbs!

 

[Ponypoor]

We have a few boards down in front of the stalls to make feeding, watering and cleaning not treacherous. I cannot say the same for the rest of the yard. A week of steady soaking rain and it is mud and standing water everywhere. Dad is back to riding Dirt once again and they do not mind if it gets colder. The boys have drilltec on their shoes so they can be ridden in all but the worst conditions.

I am a wimp. I don’t ride at all when it gets below 20c brrrr! I used to use screw in corks on the horses shoes, annoying to clean out the holes to screw the corks into, but too dangerous to have them running in he paddocks with the others, a kick with corks in is bad news.

This up and down temps are nuts, the chooks are grumpy and so are the horses. I never know what to wear, layers are the key to staying somewhat warm.

As for slippery, it’s not slippery, but that will change going into Christmas when it’s expected to rain… then freeze. If it’s slippery outside the horses stay in. But haven’t had those conditions for many years.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Congrats on the new home Rosario!

 

[Ponypoor]

I give it a week, maybe sooner and I will have more then 1 hen laying. Combs are reddening up and Goose allowed Randy to breed her the other day. Now at some point I am going to need Judy to stop laying eggs. I thank her for getting me through the dry spell, but she really needs to stop. She started laying last year around the start of November. She has not stopped and is still a 5 egg a week hen. Judy you are a Barred Rock not a production breed so stop laying for a few weeks please. At this point I am ready for her to go broody to give me a broody hen to fight with. If she is broody she is at least not laying for a few weeks.

I cannot stop Georgie from being broody. She just won’t quit. And now it’s cold she doesn’t want to come off the nest box for sure!

I haul her off morning and night, she fills up on food and marches back to her nest, at night she nests with Red in Hen House B, she has no issue with being plopped into any old nest box. And everyone wants to give her an egg - brat!
She went broody when Poppet started - what’s that now 6 weeks? What is it with them all this year?!

I swear if I could get chicks I would give her 2 just to get her off that nest!

I told her just wait if you go broody this summer you’re getting 2 light Brahma - and that will look funny! They will be bigger than her by 3 weeks old hahaha.