Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I am on a work trip this week. Will also be away next week. I miss my chickens! I will have just a short time to see them this weekend before my next trip. I am fortunate enough to work mostly remote, but work trips really suck for the lack of chicken time. The occasional pic is not enough!

I have barn cams so I can keep an eye on everyone, and scream at them when I see them being bad. Of course they ignore the disembodied voice now. Brats all of them!

This is Hen House A (HH-A) all the older ladies roost in here and they let the boys in also.

But all the younger hens have to go and roost in Hen House B (HH-B).

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes. That. Though I think she has people around her who could help.
The daytime grabbing sounds like a fox - but the other day I saw a large coyote watching me and that was the middle of the afternoon so still could be coyote.
I confess I really do not like coyotes. I swear he licked his lips looking at me!

Coyotes here in the east are actually a wolf hybrid, coyotes were not indigenous to the east, they are plains animals, but when the forests were cut down coyotes moved in and interbred with the local wolf population.

Coyotes here are way bigger than the ones out west, and look different. More wolf like, but they don’t hunt like wolves do. And unlike wolves they are not afraid of people. Super smart and cunning, highly adaptable. Makes them a hard predator to fight.

Sheep farmers here use electric fencing to keep them out, it’s about the only thing that works with them.

They generally don’t go after larger livestock like cattle and horses but will go for calves and foals.

Sheep goats chickens cats small dogs, those are all hunted.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hi everyone.

My boss covered for me today so I could get some last minute things done before I have surgery next week. 8 days away. I'm looking forward to it and terrified of it at the same time. Word has got out to my regulars, who are mostly older. Their new favorite past time and topic of conversation is telling me their experiences with rotator cuff surgery. It is worse then going down the rabbit hole of a google search. One of my favorites looked me in the eye and told me she would rather give birth unmedicated 5 times in a row then have that surgery again. She's also had hip and knee surgery to boot. Hahaha.....help. I managed to get my pre-op bloodwork in, stocked up on some new icepacks which will apparently be my best friends for the next few weeks and got the shirts the nurse told me to get. She told me to go buy a pack of t-shirts 2 sizes too big for me because for the first week or so I will no be allowed to put my arm through the affected sides shirt sleeve. I also picked up a couple new pairs of pajama bottoms so I can live in them the first 2 weeks.

Now for a chicken update. We had a incident a week and a half ago that has stripped my chickens of any free range time for the foreseeable future. Dad and Rosie were out front finishing up mowing the lawn about 4. They heard a commotion and ran out back and something had gotten Goose. It has now hit in broad daylight and at night. The first week was rough, they were not happy but have settled into coop life. Rosie has employed lots of treats inside the coop and has even hung up a cabbage for them which they are devouring. Poor Homer was orphaned though and he was not ready to leave his momma. Rosie has taken him under her wing for me and he buddied up with the silkie chicks. I combined the silkies with their parents Sunday and I put Homer in with them. It went great. No picking on them and both Davy and Barbosa immediately took to calling them over to show them the food. Heaven forbid you make one of the chicks panic by trying to pet them. Barbosa is on you, do NOT touch those babies. Last night when I did my nightly check he had them all on the roost and he was in the middle of them. I hate that they are no longer allowed to free range, but, now I'm thinking fox. No one has seen anything come into the yard so it is a complete mystery.

Not to worry Rebecca I have had people tell me that the shoulder surgery was less painful than their knee replacement. I think it depends on the individual person.

You are so used to doing all those heavy chores and all your body is trained to handle aches and pains. I bet you will do fine. I am betting though, that you won’t be texting anytime soon after. Please ask Rosie to update us and let us know you’re ok

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh well then I only have a few chickens!!!

I have none, time for more I guess!

 

[RoyalChick]

Coyotes here in the east are actually a wolf hybrid, coyotes were not indigenous to the east, they are plains animals, but when the forests were cut down coyotes moved in and interbred with the local wolf population.

Coyotes here are way bigger than the ones out west, and look different. More wolf like, but they don’t hunt like wolves do. And unlike wolves they are not afraid of people. Super smart and cunning, highly adaptable. Makes them a hard predator to fight.

Sheep farmers here use electric fencing to keep them out, it’s about the only thing that works with them.

They generally don’t go after larger livestock like cattle and horses but will go for calves and foals.

Sheep goats chickens cats small dogs, those are all hunted.

I need to look this up and maybe ask the guys at NJ Wildlife.
This coyote was huge.
I spotted what I thought was a young deer over by the tree line and stopped to see if I could get a picture for Pony Sunday and then thought it isn’t moving like a deer and realized what it was.
Don’t think I have ever seen one that big.
It was definitely unnerving.

 

[bgmathteach]

Hi everyone.

My boss covered for me today so I could get some last minute things done before I have surgery next week. 8 days away. I'm looking forward to it and terrified of it at the same time. Word has got out to my regulars, who are mostly older. Their new favorite past time and topic of conversation is telling me their experiences with rotator cuff surgery. It is worse then going down the rabbit hole of a google search. One of my favorites looked me in the eye and told me she would rather give birth unmedicated 5 times in a row then have that surgery again. She's also had hip and knee surgery to boot. Hahaha.....help. I managed to get my pre-op bloodwork in, stocked up on some new icepacks which will apparently be my best friends for the next few weeks and got the shirts the nurse told me to get. She told me to go buy a pack of t-shirts 2 sizes too big for me because for the first week or so I will no be allowed to put my arm through the affected sides shirt sleeve. I also picked up a couple new pairs of pajama bottoms so I can live in them the first 2 weeks.

Now for a chicken update. We had a incident a week and a half ago that has stripped my chickens of any free range time for the foreseeable future. Dad and Rosie were out front finishing up mowing the lawn about 4. They heard a commotion and ran out back and something had gotten Goose. It has now hit in broad daylight and at night. The first week was rough, they were not happy but have settled into coop life. Rosie has employed lots of treats inside the coop and has even hung up a cabbage for them which they are devouring. Poor Homer was orphaned though and he was not ready to leave his momma. Rosie has taken him under her wing for me and he buddied up with the silkie chicks. I combined the silkies with their parents Sunday and I put Homer in with them. It went great. No picking on them and both Davy and Barbosa immediately took to calling them over to show them the food. Heaven forbid you make one of the chicks panic by trying to pet them. Barbosa is on you, do NOT touch those babies. Last night when I did my nightly check he had them all on the roost and he was in the middle of them. I hate that they are no longer allowed to free range, but, now I'm thinking fox. No one has seen anything come into the yard so it is a complete mystery.

Oh, Rebecca, I am so sorry to hear this! Poor Homer (and, of course, you), having lost momma Goose!

Best wishes for the surgery! And for the heart to heal, as well.

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob

Look what I found

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1721601833

Oh you must. Just 3 eggs .......

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Not to worry Rebecca I have had people tell me that the shoulder surgery was less painful than their knee replacement. I think it depends on the individual person.

You are so used to doing all those heavy chores and all your body is trained to handle aches and pains. I bet you will do fine. I am betting though, that you won’t be texting anytime soon after. Please ask Rosie to update us and let us know you’re ok

@RebeccaBoyd I want you to feel and be prepared for whatever pain you experience, so I wrote my tips, but I am not expecting that you will have unbearable pain that cannot be dealt with. The above is my experience with friends - had a musician friend do it on each shoulder in separate operations, he did not report great unbearable pain for either. He had good outcomes with both. One shoulder great and one slightly less good, but both improved from the pain and immobility he had had before. He was moving band equipment in due time. He was religious about the therapy, commit to it!

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh you must. Just 3 eggs .......

Cheeper by the dozen I hear

Maybe next broody I have. Or I can always throw a dozen in the incubator my niece has left here hahaha.

Anyways I have contacted the person and will see maybe later on getting some.

Very eggciting to think of getting them!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I need to look this up and maybe ask the guys at NJ Wildlife.
This coyote was huge.
I spotted what I thought was a young deer over by the tree line and stopped to see if I could get a picture for Pony Sunday and then thought it isn’t moving like a deer and realized what it was.
Don’t think I have ever seen one that big.
It was definitely unnerving.

We have seen coyotes big and small here. One almost as small as a fox, and once one was as big, and resembled, a large German Shepherd, very wolf-like.