Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Hens at Full Production

I caught Lady Featherington in the nest box yesterday. Everyone, besides Hattie, is laying again!

Check out that comb and wattles.
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Aster, meanwhile, seems to have picked up one of her mother's bad habits and has started dropping eggs all over the yard.

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Yaaaaaa I have a couple like this!

I honestly don’t know how I haven’t stepped on one yet!

 

[BY Bob]

Awwww.
Is chicken training planned?

No. She will not be permitted loose with the chickens.

 

[Ponypoor]

Although, it rains year round here and there are a lot of cattle around. Don't know breeds, so can't say what they are. Right now one of our neighbors has about 6 or 7 calves, and we are in the middle of winter.

Oh they can survive, and there are breeds like the highland cattle that are wet weather hardy. Same with horses, you will see ponies and the more ‘hairy’ breeds in wet climates.

Of interest, donkeys are not cold hardy at all, I have seen many with missing ears from frost bite. They do not get a winter coat like horses do.

But by and large bovine and equines are Plains and Steppe animals. Humans have bred these to survive wet areas.

Same as our chooks, breeds like Wyandotte and Chantclair have been bred to be hardy in colder climates.

My biggest fear with Mr P, Mr LC and Shirley are those huge wattles and comb.

 

[Marie2020]

Whiskey day

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A very windy fluffy butt

 

[Marie2020]

Oh they can survive, and there are breeds like the highland cattle that are wet weather hardy. Same with horses, you will see ponies and the more ‘hairy’ breeds in wet climates.

Of interest, donkeys are not cold hardy at all, I have seen many with missing ears from frost bite. They do not get a winter coat like horses do.

Poor donkeys. They are seldom even considered.

But by and large bovine and equines are Plains and Steppe animals. Humans have bred these to survive wet areas.

Same as our chooks, breeds like Wyandotte and Chantclair have been bred to be hardy in colder climates.

My biggest fear with Mr P, Mr LC and Shirley are those huge wattles and comb.

I kept my princesses wattles moisturised. It's not really been suggested but she had no issues

 

[Marie2020]

They are already quite the pair!

She has been good with the cats and chickens from day 1. She's just great with animals.

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Send Eve a great big hug. She's my kind of girl.

 

[Ponypoor]

No. She will not be permitted loose with the chickens.

Agreed - unless a dog is 100% of the time with other animals and watched all the time they will not be trustworthy with other animals. This is why farm dogs are raised with the animals they work with (cattle dogs, sheep herding dogs…). Farmers here keep their farm dogs in the barns with their livestock - same as sheep herding dogs, or LPD.

Of course these days one rarely sees livestock dogs around here, most farmers have sold off their livestock and just grow crops. But I remember well dogs coming to greet me whenever I would visit farms, I also remember seeing flocks of chickens everywhere. Most farmers had a flock of chickens, the dogs never seemed to bother those chickens.

What’s changed? Is this progress? Our kids are missing out on a whole wonderful world of playing these days I feel. Used to be farms had dogs and kids and chickens all running amok

 

[rural mouse]

No. She will not be permitted loose with the chickens.

Getting her trained to insta-respond to come/sit/leave it would be wise just incase.

 

[Ponypoor]

Getting her trained to insta-respond to come/sit/leave it would be wise just incase.

Looks like Eve has that already well in hand gosh it’s just wonderful having kids and animals about.

Nothing like sitting on the deck and watching the kids and dogs running around. And this is why I enjoy sitting watching the chooks so much, just like 2 yr old kids

 

[Marie2020]

Now @Ponypoor
Don't go getting any idea's