Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

@RoyalChick @ChicoryBlue

Cockerel idiocy story time.

Opened coop shortly after daylight. All spread out. Finished putting feed in coop, stepped out and closed big door. Only hens around the door. All roos/cockerels had spread out across the yard.

Jane came running towards me, Tundra in hot pursuit. View attachment 4262590Her feet went out from under her while trying to turn sharp at my feet. View attachment 4262595 He went by. She picked her self up and went the opposite direction. He about faced and went after her. She dodged around Primula and he turned to go after Cardhu instead. View attachment 4262589Cardhu squawks and started to bolt...when Daisy came up in response to the squawk and went for Tundra (feet, wings, and beak going).View attachment 4262587 He decided discretion was the better part of mating and left Cardhu alone. He then sauntered around me and grabbed Maizie who squawks and crouched.View attachment 4262586 He then managed to half stand on Maizie...backwards.... for all of half a second. Rose came up and goosed him, none to gently. View attachment 4262592He gave up...for the moment. And took a short run at Storm, who also ran. View attachment 4262588That's about the time Mortimer arrived in response to the squawks.View attachment 4262593 And Tundra went off in search of easier mating options.

1. Not every hen will run.

2. Roos will rescue their favorite 2-4. The others can also be rescued, but will have to squawk repeatedly/get nearer the roos first.

3. Not every hen will defend others.

4. Tundra is the most hormonal at the moment.....


Went back out for fresh photos to embed.

Got this too

And this

Sorry for not editing pics 1st.

1) glad I am not a mouse!

2) Mr P heard him and replied back

 

[Ponypoor]

I think some of it could be that they didn't get walnut bits yesterday like they had been getting, since that is Hazel's favorite and I give her some (and everybody else) after her eye treatments. He was swiping my leg and arm, asking for something. The pellets laid out were not good enough maybe!

Oh yes, that’s it, he would have been disappointed With not getting any treats!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Happy Pony Sunday!!
Halga the Nigerian dwarf goat says hi. She broke her leg over the summer so now she hobbles around on three legs. She’s a happy girl though, and she uses her leg that she broke to help her run.
Surprisingly, I don’t like goats. I always loved them before we got three, but I don’t care for them anymore. I still like them but they are far from my favorite animal. Horses, dogs, and chickens are better.

Heres a timber rattlesnake that Dad killed in the chicken coop. He was probably around 5ft long.

And here’s a gorgeous garter snake that was in the hay storage part of my goat pen, next to my free range chickens.

 

[rural mouse]

You’re supposed to eat turkey on thanksgiving
(Just saying)

He's still out and about

 

[Sylvester017]

I think he just wants a hooman hen to follow around! Especially if she’s the treat giver.
Example: Dakota is now an indoor house chicken. She won’t go outside for any reason.

I don't blame her... who in their old age wants to get jumped outside by a bunch of waiting randy roosters?

 

[Sylvester017]

I have plans to build another coop. I just need more plywood and roofing materials.

Buy up supplies now before our Calif fogs/storms hit... too many hardware stores keep their lumber/etc outdoors to get mildewed.

 

[Sylvester017]

Happy Pony Sunday!!
Halga the Nigerian dwarf goat says hi. She broke her leg over the summer so now she hobbles around on three legs. She’s a happy girl though, and she uses her leg that she broke to help her run.
Surprisingly, I don’t like goats. I always loved them before we got three, but I don’t care for them anymore. I still like them but they are far from my favorite animal. Horses, dogs, and chickens are better.
View attachment 4262664

Heres a timber rattlesnake that Dad killed in the chicken coop. He was probably around 5ft long.View attachment 4262665
And here’s a gorgeous garter snake that was in the hay storage part of my goat pen, next to my free range chickens.View attachment 4262666

Goats & sheep were not my Mom's farm favorites either. They have a function for eating up weeds but Cotton Patch geese & chickens are fairly good at that if the flocks are big enough plus you get eggs from poultry ~ but goats just eat the laundry off your clotheslines or all your garden plants or flowers!

Ducks were short-lived on the farm too cuz they really need a pond to fluorish. My folks sold the horse & cow. The horse did not serve a function for pulling the plow after Pop bought the surplus WW2 Caterpiller tractor and the cow gave so much milk my Mom got tired of milking her 2x/day. Boy, did she make great cheese from the milk/cream though!

My Pop's WW2 Caterpiller & plow ~ c. 1951

Even our farmhouse was a rebuilt surplus military building moved by truck in sections. We had the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base and the San Diego Navy port near us in those old days 1940-1950's. Lots of retired military personnel families were our neighbors.

My only old pic of the farmhouse

 

[Ponypoor]

Better than months of mud. I'm not asking for feet of the stuff but it's a welcome relief when we do get the odd day or two of snow. A bit more would be nice.

I've had to be really careful about letting the chicks out, even with mum, because there's been slippy thin mud and pools of standing water everywhere that would probably kill them if they fell in. I'd be far less worried about letting them out in snow.

Snow has its own dangers: frost bite hypothermia…. Extremes of any weather are challenging.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well unless I win the lottery more of a longing. Land/housing there is very expensive. Jobs few and far between. Unless one works in mining etc.

And I would need at least a few acres for chooks and horses.

Lots of land on a confined island sounds pricey... but what a dream

When I bought my current decrepit cottage in 1985 it was supposed to be only for a year or two... been stuck here over 40 yrs now! Remodeling the old money pit hasn't improved living much. At least our zone allows us to keep up to 5 hens/no roo's

Can't even see the house behind the overgrown date palm! c.1986

40 yrs later

 

[Sylvester017]

Good idea.
Like this one?
View attachment 4262542

Nobody likes to go around the corner because they seem to prefer being squished.
There is a small gap between the two so that someone who does decide to sleep around the corner can’t get pooped on all night.
I could go find a longer branch so the two roosts touch in the corner but I am not sure falling off is worse than being pooped on.
Cookie actually managed to stay roosted all night - clever girl!

Our hens avoided corner roosts too... they preferred one long perch.