Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[TOMTE]

Disappeared? I hope you mean left her behind while they went foraging!

YES! Oh gosh, I should have clarified they all went over to the neighbor's house and left her behind while she was in the nest box.

 

[TOMTE]

Speaking of the neighbors, they came over yesterday evening just for a chat. They said they absolutely LOVE seeing the chickens foraging around their yard. That's good because dad and I were worried that they were being destructive over there, but the neighbors are gone so often that we're never sure when we can go over there to talk to them about it!

I gave them 10 eggs (all we had at the time) and got their number so they can text when they need more

 

[ChicoryBlue]

No, insurance won't cover the cost of tree removal. They consider it 'upkeep' to protect your property. As for covering the loss of hte coop...they probably would, but it wouldn't be worth it. Between teh deductable...and the subsequent increased rates for filing a claim (it they didn't drop up - someone we know had a tree fall on their house during this storm. Insurance company has already put them on notice they will not be renewing their policy - just the day after they filed their claim - well unofficially, the agent they spoke with stated that - I assume within the next week they will get said notice in the mail. (their policy was due to renew in Nov.....)

So, I lost 2 girls so far. One was the hatch-mate to my big multi-colored girl that I thought was a roo. She was only about 12 weeks old, and was a sweetie. The other was one of my older Welsummers. She would come looking for me...for treats...but was happy to have me pick her up when I was in the barn ('cause she knew treats were coming!). She wouldn't let me just pick her up in the yard or run, though - ONLY when she knew treats were forthcoming if she obliged.)

I am hoping everyone else is okay...but I feel I need to give it another day or two to be sure......It narrowly missed me when it fell, and I thought for sure it had gotten my geese as they were just rounding the corner of the pen (the corner it fell on) when it fell. At the time I was running up and down the downed tree trying to find them, yelling for my 'Gee-Gees'...with nor response. They must have just RUN at the last second and it missed them....as I found them at the other entrance to the run...standing there watching me (but did they honk once??? NO, and they can be noisy buggers!). I am guessing they were traumatized, hence the quiteness at the time. It was really scary, and with the torrential downpour at the time, it was really hard to see anything. I really, really am lucky it was't worse...if it had fallen slightly more left a number of adults would have been killed. If it had fallen slightly more right, my 5 ducklings and the trio of young pulets (5 weeks?) that are in with them would have been killed.

So much work to do to clean everything up and replace the coops. What with working f/t and being given a 1/2 teaching load - and additional class just days before the semester started...I am really feeling overwhelmed at the moment. Work usually requires 8 weeks notice, but I am going to try to take 1/2 day Wed. so I can take some of the mangled metal to the transfer station to get it out of the way (and work more on disassembling the mangled coop), and maybe Friday off to try to get started on building something. Yesterday, other than weekly cleanouts - most time ws spent cutting limbs and dragging them after my neighbor helped cut the trunk into sections and pull them to the side. (plus, lots of work for my classes)

I probably won't be on much this week.

Oh, and vote for my posts in the caption contest!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Shanai Roo-Tail's shiny feather on a cloudy day

 

[Ponypoor]

Speaking of the neighbors, they came over yesterday evening just for a chat. They said they absolutely LOVE seeing the chickens foraging around their yard. That's good because dad and I were worried that they were being destructive over there, but the neighbors are gone so often that we're never sure when we can go over there to talk to them about it!

I gave them 10 eggs (all we had at the time) and got their number so they can text when they need more

That’s wonderful! Make sure you let them know their names and what treats they can give them.

Nothing like a good neighbour who doesn’t mind having visitors!

 

[Ponypoor]

Shanai Roo-Tail's shiny feather on a cloudy day
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They are all so lovely, just like nice dark cheatnut horses

 

[Sylvester017]

Here are a few pics of our run again. It is about 16’ x 50’. I am planning to add a few stumps for more vertical space.
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It was 1 Sapphire Olive Egger, 1 Blue Laced Wyandotte, and 1 Silkie that I lost young this year.


Oh no! So sorry to hear this.


Oh that is so scary. Fingers crossed everyone is okay.



Not surprising since cyanide comes from bitter almonds. Which I am allergic to, so wouldn’t take much to kill me.


Angel flew really well the first few months. She still flies decently, but I think the huge feathers in her legs and feet mess with her aerodynamics.
But she can run REALLY FAST for such short little legs. She is hard to catch when she doesn’t want to be. Not sure about the cold. She is also only 5 months old.
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I am jealous. My pumpkin vine is huge, but the garden is so overgrown I don’t think any pumpkins managed to grow. Or if they did I can’t find them.

TY for the run pics Pumpkins & any cucurbita fruit gets hidden by the leaves. One year we had a volunteer cantaloupe seed germinate by the chicken sandbox & found only one melon at the end of 10 feet of vine!!! The only good thing about it was it gave the hens some fun to dig!

 

[featherhead007]

I had a doctors appointment this morning, so I let the birds free range a bit while I was gone. A nice neighbor found two of the game birds over the 8 foot fence, in the alley. Her dog chased them back over the fence, to safety. She said they easily flew over the fence, so I’m pretty sure that they were the game bird roosters.
My Orpingtons, don’t fly that well. The Rockettes don’t even think about leaving the yard. That leaves “Blue, CeeCee, Dakota, or Gizmo”??? I wasn’t there so I don’t know who left the compound?

Close call for sure!

 

[featherhead007]

I had a doctors appointment this morning, so I let the birds free range a bit while I was gone. A nice neighbor found two of the game birds over the 8 foot fence, in the alley. Her dog chased them back over the fence, to safety. She said they easily flew over the fence, so I’m pretty sure that they were the game bird roosters.
My Orpingtons, don’t fly that well. The Rockettes don’t even think about leaving the yard. That leaves “Blue, CeeCee, Dakota, or Gizmo”??? I wasn’t there so I don’t know who left the compound?

Close call for sure!

The two were my two game hens, not quite ready for laying just yet. I’d hate to have lost those two.