Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

One word, personality.

Yep, that's a strong factor that only we chicken owners understand

 

[Sylvester017]

I had to work yesterday. First time I have been out of my holler since the flood. Oh it was heartbreaking to see the aftermath. I am not one of the many that like to go "sightseeing" of the damage. I stay home out of the way. It hurts to see people having to throw everything away from their homes if they still have them though. It really hits just how close we came this time around.

I would have thought the diner would have been slow yesterday, I was wrong. It was a active hub of people checking in on us and each other. One of the regulars who I have already developed a fondness for is a sweet old man. He comes in daily for his salad and pot of coffee. He reminds me of how grandma used to be. He just likes to sit around and talk to everyone and anyone. I got a bear hug from him when I rounded the corner. He knows where I live and was afraid for me and my family.

Really the diner was business as usual yesterday until about 3 when a family came in. You could immediately see they were exhausted and in the midst of clean up. Talking to the mom I found out water got up 2 feet inside their house and they lost just about everything. They just wanted a hot meal and a good strong cup of coffee before they went back to cleaning. I cannot do much but their meal was on me. I also had brought in a couple dozen eggs as Betty told me to bring them to work and sell them there as there was interest in fresh eggs among the customers. I sent 2 dozen home with them. It was the smallest of gestures, all I could do but, it meant the world to the mom.

The diner is going to be closed today, there is already 3 inches of snow on the ground. I needed to clean mine and Rosie's closets out anyway. I'm going to gather some things up and when I go back to work stop off at one of the relief places and donate it. They are good clothes, they either just do not fit anymore or we never wear them. It is also time to get rid of some blankets and quilts that are overrunning my closet. Not my homemade ones from grandma, but I have countless fuzzy blankets that were Christmas presents over the years. It is time for me to stop hoarding them and pass them on.

Cheers to you! We need people like you here

 

[CCsGarden]

Friends, we are packed up and waiting and watching. It has not rained for a few hours thankfully. Next round of storms is supposed to hit in about a hour. Even if it does not rain one more drop we are in trouble, the backwater is rising. We cannot get out of the holler, have not been able to all afternoon. Our plan is if we have to go, we go up on the hill to where the cabin is and will be staying in the cars. Dad will saddle Dirt and pony Russ up there as well. My chickens, all I can do for them is to box up the silkies and bring them with me, the others that can fly they will have to fend for themselves. They have the hillside they can go to for saftey in the trees. I have no choice. Our whole subdivision is about to be underwater and all our neighbors are joining us on the hill. The barn and concession stand at the ring....Water is level with the concession porch and ready to break into the barn. I'm praying for the best, but we are all ready to run. If we run, I will not be able to get on probably for several days.

Picture time.

I took these just as it was breaking daylight. We moved the horses a hour later as the water rose to the edge of their stalls. Thankfully that is where it stopped in my yard. The barn flooded, the gazebo in the horse ring as you can see if flipped over and the concession water rose to the window. Tomorrow I will go see just how bad it got inside the concession, I am afraid to look honestly. The ring is still flooded so when it recedes the ring fencing may be totally shot. Around midnight we had a drunk try to drive through the water to get home. He is so lucky. One of my neighbor's waded the water to get him to safety. Another poor soul was not so fortunate. A gentleman in a blue pick-up tried to drive through and his truck got stuck. He stepped out and went under. They have yet to find him. Do not know who he is as they finally moved the truck this afternoon to hope to get some identification on him to know who they are looking for. 8 hours after the rain stopped it dropped 30 degrees and we woke up to snow this morning. It has since melted off but still very cold. We have a snowstorm coming tomorrow night into Wednesday with several inches expected. Thank god we have power and heat back but so many do not have homes anymore. They are saying this is as bad as the 1984 flooding. School is closed indefinitely. One of the high schools completely flooded. It was being used as a emergency shelter. They had to evacuate it to Rosie's high school. Right now there are over 100 people there. I thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers. Please, please keep them coming many places are still flooded and it will be weeks not days before the exact extent of the damage is known.

After I took these photo's I packed my camera up and loaded my last bag into the car.
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Praying for you and everyone over there! How are your chickens?

 

[featherhead007]

Both front - it’s a chronic thing with her.

But she’s been upright in the stall today, and standing square.

She had a couple visitors earlier - Sue and another chook. Silly birds! I am surprised they aren’t in there roosting on her butt!

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Up and on all 4 legs.

I’m up on all four legs too. Where the additional two came from is anyone’s guess

 

[Sylvester017]

Let Me Out! I Need to Lay an Egg!

Sydney was frantically pacing the perimeter of the complex today trying to find a way out in order to lay her egg in Hattie House.

or so I thought....

Was I really fooled into releasing them?

Nope. She was just willing to wait to see if I brought treats first.

Chickens are just too darn Cute!

And....
Resourceful
Smart
Assertive
Aware
Cuddly
Sweet
Personality+
Versatile
Beautiful
Trainable
Conversationalists

& feel free to add more

 

[TOMTE]

Chickens are just too darn Cute!

And....
Resourceful
Smart
Assertive
Aware
Cuddly
Sweet
Personality+
Versatile
Beautiful
Trainable
Conversationalists

& feel free to add more

Better than TV
Sensitive
Unique
Full of surprises
Intelligent
Great companions
Funny

 

[featherhead007]

Chickens are just too darn Cute!

And....
Resourceful
Smart
Assertive
Aware
Cuddly
Sweet
Personality+
Versatile
Beautiful
Trainable
Conversationalists

& feel free to add more

I have a very long list of what they are NOT!

Better than TV
Sensitive
Unique
Full of surprises
Intelligent
Great companions
Funny

you forgot
Warm
Sweet
Smell nice
Purr like kittens
Won’t embezzle your checking account!

 

[BY Bob]

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5 eggs 2 days in a row

Congrats!

 

[Sylvester017]

I agree I love my feed store girls. Though I'd prefer genetically healthier stock in the future. But I'm happy with what I can get!

Don't worry yourself over feed store or hatchery birds vs. private breeder birds. I used to think that way until I remembered what my Mom used to say. Chicks in an identical breed hatch can all inherit different genes.

I'm not so sure to blame feed store or hatchery chicks being less hardy. We got 3 Dom chicks from our local feed store ~ 2 died early before 3 yrs while one is surviving today over 7 yrs. Why? Environment like heatstroke that took her sisters? Reproductive issues where one hen lays too many eggs while another lays less? Who knows? From the same private Silkie breeder we got one chick that had internal abnormalities & died at 3 months while we still have 2 more Silkies from the same breeder that are almost 5 yrs old. Just never know how hardy any one bird is going to be from a very same source!
Suzu & Ginny

My farm Mom from 1930's to 1950's always said we had to expect the unexpected w/ poultry & that chicks could turn out very healthy or some could be delicate from the start ~ & all her poultry were private farm-raised not hatchery or feed store birds ~ ducks, geese, & chickens ~ yet she could never guarantee all her poultry would inherit hardy genes any more than a feed store can.

I think some breeds have shown longer lifespans than other breeds but that all could depend on whether they are worn out laying too many eggs or not or like White Leghorns that seem to have a natural immunity to West Nile virus. That's just me sayin'... I suppose others have different views but I have nothing against store or hatchery birds other than them being handled too commercially than I would.

I would've been MORE than happy to get our Silkies from the local feed store but bantams are sold only straight-run unsexed so we HAD TO find a breeder that DNA-sexed for females. We aren't zoned for cockerels/roos

Be happy & have fun w/ birds you get from wherever for as long as they are w/you. You will be a great owner

 

[BY Bob]

Had a CT scan today on my abdomen, had to drink 3 bottles of nasty stuff and walk for 45 minutes. Still feeling very sick from the drink I had to have.
1 week until tonsils come out. And also 1 week until my tiny peepycheepies hatch.
Here are the babies at bedtime last night. Red likes to perch on hands. Squatch likes to rub under your hand like a cat. Yeti is already doing wing-assisted leaps. Blue is reserved but she does play with the others!
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