Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Well, she has covid plus a double ear infection. As long as the fever breaks for good by Friday she can go back Monday. If she spikes a fever over the weekend it is 48 hours after the fever breaks with no Tylenol or Motrin used.

Awww. Hope she gets well soon.

 

[RoyalChick]

An old youtube documentary from year 2000 ~ humorous most is sweet (outside of the outdated hatchery or egg farm sections) but mostly farm folk stories.

Thanks for sharing that.

 

[notabitail]

Well, she has covid plus a double ear infection. As long as the fever breaks for good by Friday she can go back Monday. If she spikes a fever over the weekend it is 48 hours after the fever breaks with no Tylenol or Motrin used.

I hope she gets well soon.

 

[notabitail]

I hurt my back again.......

Sigh.

Tax coming shortly.

 

[featherhead007]

I hurt my back again.......

Sigh.

Tax coming shortly.

Sorry to hear that your back. I understand that completely.

 

[Sylvester017]

Boxer type dog with cropped tail in my opinion

Yes. And I never get unknown dogs.
I have one neighbor who breeds labs and another who has three Old English Sheepdogs. Both have electric fences.
The sheepdogs sometimes come over but are unmistakable given their size and that the three of them are very roll poly together.
The labs are very well controlled and never leave their homes.
Once, maybe five years ago I had a strange dog come. It was clearly elderly and confused. It was followed by a very apologetic guy who said his dog wandered off and he had been trailing after her to bring her home.
If it is a new neighbor with a new dog, I want to figure out who, to warn them about my chickens and ask that they keep it under control.
The wildlife preserve people (NJ Fish & Wildlife) will also not be happy about a dog on the loose.

My vote goes to Boxer or Boxer mix. A heavier Mastiff's gait would be a little less bouncy/lively? & yeah, is there an owner out there who doesn't have a clue it's loose? or worse yet, an abandoned dog?

 

[Sylvester017]

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Um... Hello?

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You're not a chipmunk!

I love opossums, they're so cute. And softer than they look. Their little hands are adorable! Dad and I let this little beastie go down the road yesterday. Just stay away from my chickens, please!

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The first of the shelters for around the yard is... not quite done but done enough to put out there! Piled branches up around it for now, until dad and I are able to finish it. We built it with some of the scrap wood we have lying around, and I had a lot of fun with it! Excited to finish it and build more!

Great shelter builds!!!
For our small backyard we just recycled used resin dog houses. We rescued one dog house from someone's trash day, got another from Goodwill Thrift Store, & friends donated a couple old pet houses. Ever since getting chickens 14 yrs ago all our thoughts are how to improve the flock's environment. Every year we're adding or completing chicken comfort projects teehee!

Is that possum male or female? It may return if a "she" & left kits behind somewhere?

 

[Sylvester017]

That sounds amazing! I might want to try something like that at some point There are tons of invasive autumn olive bushes here that we're slowly working on culling, those are the branches I used to cover the shelter. The branches are super pliable when young so it would probably be pretty easy to weave them together, but they also have thorns so I don't like handling them more than necessary.

Maybe I could do something like that with lilacs. It would be really pretty, smell amazing, and be great shelter for the chickens once it's grown big enough! Orrrr common ninebark because it's native here, so better for native birds and bugs

Sounds like fun & pretty to look at! Any non-toxic (chicken safe) flower-blooming tree/plant for bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds would be useful for pollinators as well as provide shade & shelter for the chickens.

A reference website re toxic plants to chickens
https://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

 

[Sylvester017]

I am still just starting but it is beginning to form an arch and there are several more shoots I can tie together to expand the covered area.
I didn’t plant anything, so I was constrained by finding two that grew close to each other.
I use the long ties you sometimes get around produce in the supermarket to tie the shoots together. The shoots don’t die when they are tied, but a new leader takes over.
Eventually I will prune off any lower branches that obstruct the cave.
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Beautiful project!

Reminds me ~ I used super market produce ties the kind w/ paper wrapped over wire but I had no idea the wire inside the paper was so thin that after the paper fell off in the rain, the thin wires rusted & my ties all fell apart teehee! Lesson learned ~ we went to the store & bought a cut-to-size roll of plastic-coated thicker wire ~ 5 yrs later those ties are still holding.

 

[RoyalChick]

Beautiful project!

Reminds me ~ I used super market produce ties the kind w/ paper wrapped over wire but I had no idea the wire inside the paper was so thin that after the paper fell off in the rain, the thin wires rusted & my ties all fell apart teehee! Lesson learned ~ we went to the store & bought a cut-to-size roll of plastic-coated thicker wire ~ 5 yrs later those ties are still holding.

Yes. And once you lose the paper the wire is so tiny it is impossible to find it if you need to!
I have more coated wire, but I like to reuse stuff when I can.
My butterfly bush has done this naturally by replanting itself all over the place. It creates a wonderful cave for the ladies.

Today I tried for ages to get a 2-fer photo. Not a chance! So we have Three 2-fers. Two black, two white, and two brown. Also two boots.