The Front Porch Swing

[LeslieDJoyce]

Here are a couple photos of Ruffles, our bantam buff Cochin rooster, looking for a place to roost the other night.

 

[Blooie]

Here are a couple photos of Ruffles, our bantam buff Cochin rooster, looking for a place to roost the other night.

So don't keep us in suspense...did he find one?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

So don't keep us in suspense...did he find one?

Yes. He often disappears on the roost. Then we find him tucked under another bird.

 

[Triple Willow]

I'll tell it....scoot off that there bucket, Blooie, it's my turn to tell a yarn.  One night as I walking through my house I noticed my outdoors cat, who used to  visit indoors of an evening, was all fuzzed up, back arched and staring at the front storm door like there was a ghost on the porch.  Well...me being me, I says "What you lookin' at, Spike?" and swung open that door...

......and in walked a possum.  He just waddled right through the door so quick I didn't have a chance to stop him and he looked up at me as if to say, "Thanks, lady...now..where's the vittles?". 

He then walked over to the table and sat underneath it like he was some kinda housecat.  I got the broom and tried to sweep him out of there.  He refused to budge, hissed at me and gritted his teeth at me.  The cat just continued to stare and bug out.  Once again I try to sweep the possum from under the table and once again he hisses and refuses to be rolled outta there. 

I'm thinking, "I'll fix you, buster!  I'm bringing in the hounds of Baskerville to paint yer little red wagon!" and I went outside to fetch the two dogs.  I bring them into the house and they gallop into the kitchen and into the living room, right past the cat and the possum who sits under the table.  They are just bouncing around and happy to be invited in for a TV night.  I call them back into the kitchen and tell them, "There is a possum under the table....possum!  Look at the possum!" and I point dramatically at the possum.

****Now, here I must add that these dogs are stone cold killers of possum on a normal day when they find one strolling onto the premises...but apparently this isn't a normal day and they feel the possum "belongs" to me because it's in the house.  Anything that belongs to the pack leader is off limits.****

They look at where I am pointing, run over and sniff at the possum, run to the cat and sniff the cat, run back to the sink and look at me as if to say, "Ugly new cat.  Cool.  Now...where's the vittles?"   I point at the possum once again and say, "Git the possum!!" and they look in that direction, look back at me, tails wagging and tongues lolling...waiting for the treat.  Whatever treat, any treat...all they know is when they get treats in the house they have to be eaten in the kitchen and not on the carpet in the living room.  Sigh. 

I immediately rescinded their "Dog Cards" and put them back outside.  Hounds of Baskerville?  More like poodles on parade.  I put the cat outside...he's no help either.  He is just staring at the "ugly kitty" and waiting to see what the woman will do about it.  I suspect he and this possum are old enemies as someone has been stealing the cat food off my front porch for some nights now. 

One of the boys was due to come home in a few minutes so I thought...hmmmm...I'll get a man to get Earl out from under the table!  Right then my oldest son comes home and he's carrying some take out food in one hand, greets me cheerfully, says he's "starving" which he clearly is not...he's the size of a bull moose, but that's neither here nor there....  

I'm surprised he hasn't noticed the large, stinking, white "cat" under the table...I shouldn't have been...men notice so few things when food is present.  He quickly sits down at the table and starts to eat before I can warn him about Earl, the unwanted house guest. 

I tell him slowly and succinctly, "There     is      a   possum     under    that      table!".  

He pauses briefly, mouth full... "What?".

I grit my teeth in my best imitation of Earl and speak through them as I repeat, "There    is     a     possum     under    that    table.   He came in a little bit ago and I can't get him out, so I need you to get him out of there for me."   

He pauses in his food inhalation, looks under the table and says, "Huh!  That's a possum."  

Ya think?  

I says, "Well!  Git him outta there!"  while inside I'm quietly steaming as I have had it up to the gills with Earl's bad manners, his ingratiating grin and his big ugly teeth, not to mention his smell.  Did you all know possums stink like something crawled up inside them and just before it died it just had strength enough left to fart?   Well..they do. 

My son continues to eat... lifts up one cheek and rips off a huge fart.... "THAT'LL get him outta there!".... and goes back to snarfing down a burger and fries.    I'm suddenly feeling very much like picking up the possum and placing it on his fries. 

I prop open the front door and wait....fuming over the combined fumes of wimpy man and ugly possum... and the ineffectual cats, dogs and menfolk in my life...then I  demand HIS "Man Card", stride over to the table, hold my breath, bend down and take Earl by the tail and march to the door.  I give him a big swinging toss off the porch and as he strolls away he looks back as if to say, "So much for southern hospitality! Hmmmph!  Watch yer cat food, lady....I'll be back!". 

So I named him Earl because Earl has gotta die!  I caught him by the tail a few years later..same possum (had the end of his tail missing)...and tossed him off the porch again.  Maybe his tail is missing because it's been worn off by folks tossing Earl to the curb?   Seems like I never have a gun handy when Earl comes to visit. 

Now, every time we see a possum dead on the road we yell, "Look!!  It's Earl's granny or nephew or uncle or some such..." because Earl never dies.    That's my possum story and that's how I know they can be caught easily by the tail and carried in that manner, without risk to life and limb...wash yer hands good after..... 

Bee, that is soooo funny! hahahahaha That is like something that would happen around my house. You are so right, those things STANK!! They smell like week old roadkill in August! Blahhh!!!

 

[perchie.girl]

Here are a couple photos of Ruffles, our bantam buff Cochin rooster, looking for a place to roost the other night.

I love how your roosts have no uprights blocking cleaning or raking the floor. AND your food and water is in another space. Kind of like bedroom and dining room.

deb

 

[wyoDreamer]

This site will help you determine if you have red maple trees or not. It has really good color pictures of the leaves for comparison.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/06-109.htm

Personally, I wouldn't cut all the maples down, you may be able to solve the problem through management.
The major threat is from wilted or partially dried maple leaves. So, if a branch is damaged or broken off and the leaves wilt, remove it from the horses reach. Maybe set up a "safe pasture" where all the red maples are removed so in the fall you can pasture them in an area where they can't get to the falling leaves. Mow the areas where the leaves accumulate to chop them up and migrate them to the soil level where the horses won't be able to eat them.
Plant alternative trees in the areas with the red maples, so when the new trees get big enough to provide shade, you can remove the red maples.

Good luck

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I love how your roosts have no uprights blocking cleaning or raking the floor.  AND your food and water is in another space.  Kind of like bedroom and dining room.

deb

Yeah ... getting the posts out of the way was one of the first fixes we did to the coop. Major improvement!

We have 4 rows of roosts in that room which is the middle 1/3 of the coop length ... two roosts running down each long side of the room. The roosts hang from the ceilings and are braced against the end walls so there is a little flex but no swing.

The birds tend to roost mostly in the corners so the rows usually look pretty empty. The day I took the photo the birds were mostly on the two roosts on the right wall because I was playing with the Freedom Mutts who have chosen a spot under the roosts at the top end of the left side of the room for their night nest (silly birds! We have lots of nicer corners, but they like being with the whole gang). We call this room the dormitory.

The room down below is the cafeteria where we put the fermented feed troughs and there are a couple water founts down there and grit and calcium feeders ... it's the room closest to the door to the run.

I took these photos while sitting in the doorway to the upper room ... that's where most of the nesting boxes are and where we feed the babies most of the time.

I like having separate areas in the coop. I think it helps keep the peace with a flock this size.

I need to go in there and remove the cobwebs. It's starting to look creepy!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

This site will help you determine if you have red maple trees or not.  It has really good color pictures of the leaves for comparison.
      http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/06-109.htm

Personally, I wouldn't cut all the maples down, you may be able to solve the problem through management.
The major threat is from wilted or partially dried maple leaves.  So, if a branch is damaged or broken off and the leaves wilt, remove it from the horses reach.  Maybe set up a "safe pasture" where all the red maples are removed so in the fall you can pasture them in an area where they can't get to the falling leaves.  Mow the areas where the leaves accumulate to chop them up and migrate them to the soil level where the horses won't be able to eat them.
Plant alternative trees in the areas with the red maples, so when the new trees get big enough to provide shade, you can remove the red maples.

Good luck

Yeah, that's what we do with the fallen maple leaves. We mow them. We're mowing and harrowing all autumn anyway because it's good for spring grass.

 

[MistyMountain]

This site will help you determine if you have red maple trees or not. It has really good color pictures of the leaves for comparison.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/06-109.htm

Personally, I wouldn't cut all the maples down, you may be able to solve the problem through management.
The major threat is from wilted or partially dried maple leaves. So, if a branch is damaged or broken off and the leaves wilt, remove it from the horses reach. Maybe set up a "safe pasture" where all the red maples are removed so in the fall you can pasture them in an area where they can't get to the falling leaves. Mow the areas where the leaves accumulate to chop them up and migrate them to the soil level where the horses won't be able to eat them.
Plant alternative trees in the areas with the red maples, so when the new trees get big enough to provide shade, you can remove the red maples.

Good luck

Thank you for the link--- I have determined that the biggest tree, near the house is in fact a red maple. The remaining trees are sugar maples. It is definitely something we need think on. At least 3 of the maples are a bit annoying-- in a line right up the middle of the area. There are many many other trees there. A couple pine (which will be going soon, we are not a fan of pines) a number of sycamores, two magnolia, some dogwoods, a crepe myrtle, a few cedars, a bradford pear and two more I have not identified. It really looks like a park when you look down there. It may put more work and money on us, but our best bet really may be to put him up back and let him graze what is there and supplement with hay for what he does not forage. All this has just really pushed us a bit to get moving, expected but not expected so soon.

First order of business expected to be complete tomorrow---- 18 four week old chicks OUT of my laundry room and into their "little school house" coop. all we lack is the batten between the boards, hardware on the doors, and a little blackjack on the floor!!

 

[Beekissed]

I love how your roosts have no uprights blocking cleaning or raking the floor. AND your food and water is in another space. Kind of like bedroom and dining room.

deb

I always have roosts with no supports from the floor also...those are a pain. I love the vast room LJ has for her flock....love the light and the space in that huge thing.

I'm adding another hoop to my hoop coop soon and that new hoop will be the "bedroom" and the front of the coop will be the laying parlor and feeding area...I'm tired of my cramped little coop..