Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Yes - I have stopped feeding wild birds for the last few years. It hasn't seemed to reduce their numbers actually.

Bees and birds are good for our environment. Yes. There are downsides but we need our wildlife and they mostly could do without us. IMO

 

[Ponypoor]

He’s got a point!

Yep he always has some sort of angle.

 

[notabitail]

Yep he always has some sort of angle.

In this case it wasn't a right angle though.

 

[Ponypoor]

The cold & snow makes me wonder how 1800's farmers kept their livestock & poultry from dying in the freezing climates?

Cattle and horses, they are plains animals so cold dry or hot dry weather is no issue.

I am sure plenty of chickens died from the cold weather, I bet they were locked away for long stretches of time to keep the hen houses warm. And likely they were housed with cattle and horses in barns - they would be warm this way.

I shall be presenting a rant in my next comments on winter so hang onto your hats people - I am gonna start some whining….

 

[Ponypoor]

Let the weather whining begin….

I am so done with winter, my fingers are very sore, over the last week they have been repeatedly frost nipped while doing chores, my toes are also aching from being frost nipped. My lips are chapped and sore from being frost nipped.

Tonight I was very worried about poor Red so she is in the feedroom for the night. The horses are all grumpy, the younger chooks refuse to roost in the Hen House, Shirley included - he is not a light weight to haul off the stall wall.

If they would go in the hen house to roost it would warm up faster in there.

And it just won’t stop snowing. I detest snow, I detest cold. Last winter’s balmy weather completely spoiled me. How anyone can like winter is way beyond me. Those people likely don’t have to do chores, shovel their driveway, clean off their vehicle, drive in it… snow - it’s not pretty or fun, it’s miserable and causes a lot of extra work.

Tonight I pitched them all where ever they landed in the hen houses, the only one I made sure was ok was Mrs LC she is just too small to be pushed off a roost in the dark. I think she is huddled behind Shirley…. Time to go trudge through 6” of snow and do chores I guess. Yes it’s still snowing…

Darn door sitters……

 

[Sylvester017]

Cattle and horses, they are plains animals so cold dry or hot dry weather is no issue.

I am sure plenty of chickens died from the cold weather, I bet they were locked away for long stretches of time to keep the hen houses warm. And likely they were housed with cattle and horses in barns - they would be warm this way.

I shall be presenting a rant in my next comments on winter so hang onto your hats people - I am gonna start some whining….

Good! That way our 55mph Santa Ana Winds won't seem so bad! Ugh! Debris EVERYWHERE! I hope its done before I check into the hospital tomorrow!

 

[Ponypoor]

I have a book of mid 19th Century farm building designs. Many of them have diagrams showing how to keep chicken and other livestock housing warm.
I will dig it up and share some pages. Some are quite ingenious and I wish I had found the book before building the Chicken Palace.

Livestock below, hay above - we call it poor man’s insulation. I make sure to leave a bottom layer of hay on the loft floor for the winter.

Also small windows, and doors. Windows and doors on the south side of the barn, old barns are dark dim places, but full of cattle they would be very warm. Dreary life in the winter for people and livestock long ago.

 

[Sylvester017]

Some eye candy from the black-tailed red polish guy. View attachment 4022750
I'm not sure if he ships eggs or chicks. This is his second rooster, the other one does not have a big white crest.

Wowee!!

 

[Ponypoor]

We KNOW Mother Nature is menopausal....including "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!!" (aimed at weather services around the world).

View attachment 4022575Havoc being Havoc

Mother Nature and I are in the midst of having some words…. She’s winning.

Gosh I love that photo hahahaha

 

[Sylvester017]

Let the weather whining begin….

I am so done with winter, my fingers are very sore, over the last week they have been repeatedly frost nipped while doing chores, my toes are also aching from being frost nipped. My lips are chapped and sore from being frost nipped.
I detest cold. Last winter’s balmy weather completely spoiled me. How anyone can like winter is way beyond me. Those people likely don’t have to do chores, shovel their driveway, clean off their vehicle, drive in it… snow - it’s not pretty or fun, it’s miserable and causes a lot of extra work.

Sounds like a good case for heated socks & gloves! Can you believe they're battery-powered & some come w/a remote?! Wonder how long they last at those prices? Better than losing phalanges though!