Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

I hate those tomato bugs ! They destroy my garden!

We net our tomato plants & it keeps the moths from reaching the vines to lay their eggs/larvae. Tomatoes are self pollinating & don't need bees or butterflies to cross-pollinate so small hole netting like bridal veil netting keeps the tomato moths out! Keeps the chickens out of the plants too!

Tomato Moth ~ pretty big so tiny tulle netting will keep it out of a tomato plant!

Trial & error we learned not to plant tomatoes too close ~ there are 6 plants in this 4'x8' garden bed & really comfortably should have only 4 plants.

Front garden bed 6 tomato plants overcrowded

Season's ending ~ the birds can play in the garden beds

 

[BY Bob]

Sorry for your empty nest syndrome. They have to live out there now. You raised them right.
And yes, I heard the chatter and purring. So sweet!

I know. They are good chicks too. Never really gave me any problems other than climbing up on my head.

 

[Sylvester017]

And Then They Were on Their Own

So the cheeping started a little after 8 pm tonight. They started calling for me to come get them for bed.

So I went out and talked them through the roosting process. Several times they walked over to me and waited for me to pick them up. Each time I rubbed their chests and told them they were big girls and were ready to sleep outside. They went back to searching and then finally settled on the big roost.

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After they roosted they them started chatting about their exciting day.

Listening to them chat and purr made me feel better about it all. I am going to miss them dearly even though they are just across the yard.

It's cute there's two of them to cuddle. Whenever we got juveniles or chicks we made sure to have at least 2 but later found if one doesn't survive there'd be only one left~ so we started acquiring them by 3's so if we lost one there would still be a couple left to toodle w/ each other.
BFTP ~ 3 Dominiques

3 Silkies

 

[RoyalChick]

And Then They Were on Their Own

So the cheeping started a little after 8 pm tonight. They started calling for me to come get them for bed.

So I went out and talked them through the roosting process. Several times they walked over to me and waited for me to pick them up. Each time I rubbed their chests and told them they were big girls and were ready to sleep outside. They went back to searching and then finally settled on the big roost.

View attachment 4114674

After they roosted they them started chatting about their exciting day.

Listening to them chat and purr made me feel better about it all. I am going to miss them dearly even though they are just across the yard.

 

[Sylvester017]

Awww

Awwwww kids were dressed so cute back then! These days they are just not as well dressed.

In the 1930's even the homeless men wore suits & hats & women wore heels & hats standing in the bread lines!

Our bread line

 

[Ponypoor]

We net our tomato plants & it keeps the moths from reaching the vines to lay their eggs/larvae. Tomatoes are self pollinating & don't need bees or butterflies to cross-pollinate so small hole netting like bridal veil netting keeps the tomato moths out! Keeps the chickens out of the plants too!

Tomato Moth ~ pretty big so tiny tulle netting will keep it out of a tomato plant!

Trial & error we learned not to plant tomatoes too close ~ there are 6 plants in this 4'x8' garden bed & really comfortably should have only 4 plants.
View attachment 4114658
View attachment 4114645

Front garden bed 6 tomato plants overcrowded
View attachment 4114669

Season's ending ~ the birds can play in the garden beds
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It’s amazing how big most tomato plants get - I would plant 2 on either side of the barn door and they would fill the spots.

It’s hard to keep bigger chooks that know how to fly well out of areas they should not be in! To day Sir Surely hopped the fencing into the neighbours yard - I had to go and try to get him back, took some doing but I finally got him home. Brat!

He and Mr P got into it and Mr LC joined in, the two of them ganged up on Mr P and really have him as beating - I tried to stop them but they were chasing him. Poor Mr P ran into the barn and went and hid in a nest box.

I hauled his butt out, checked him over and gave him some Tylenol. He is now locked away forever. He will no longer be able to run with the flock. Even Mr LC fights with him. I wish I could rehome Shirley. Just checked the camera and Mr P is roosting.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

My silkie eggs have officially went into lockdown. They are due to hatch Wednesday evening. It would not shock me one bit to come home from work tomorrow to find one already hatched or in the process of it. The test eggs my co-worker got started hatching early on day 19.

I am beyond thrilled with the fertility I am seeing. I set 25 eggs, 22 went into lockdown. There were 2 clears and one that looks to have made it almost halfway through. I also take back what I said about retiring old reliable earlier. She gave me fits but even with the hiccups and mistake on my part that first 24 hours 22 have made it this far.

Now I enter the most stressful time of the whole process. Hatching is not for the faint of heart. Things can happen beyond my control and I could loose every single one of them. I could also loose them anytime after they hatch those first few days.

I'm not thinking like that though. Positive thoughts sent towards those little nuggets. I have almost everything set up and ready for them. The brooder is cleaned and all I need to do is fill it with bedding. I will do that tomorrow evening. I'm stocked up on chick starter. All that is really left to do is wait. Black, blue, partridge I do not care, come on little ones I'm ready to meet you.