Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Far from it, they were chatting away enjoying digging in the mud and their treats.
They have lost 3 of their friends since new year, 2 this past month it's been heart breaking for them and I have cried buckets.

I'm comforted knowing they are getting on. Except when little Tina grabs the food out of princesses beak then there's a real commotion.

I'm very glad that they have each other. You have been on a tough run lately. I hope things hold steady for you for a while.

 

[BY Bob]

Aww my little Ezzie. Those were the days. The days when I just KNEW mom was wrong and Ezzie was a pullet. Fast forward almost 5 months and I had to eat my words. Ezzie is all boy and crowing every morning now. He just went on a 15 minute crowing spree earlier. Was even crowing back at me if I encouraged it. I run in to grab my camera, he shuts up. I tried for 10 minutes to entice just 1 more crow out of him so I could video it, nothing. He's forgotten how little devil. I've been inside for a few minutes and he is back at it.
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Someone is camera shy.

 

[micstrachan]

So warning for a long post, including a lot of pictures to make it less tedious! And thank you again Bybob for hosting it.

Good bye to Vanille

She was our little alpha hen, sassy with us and a pain in the other hen's butt. We got her with our five other hens from a battery in January 2020, aged only three months as all others rescues had already been given out. Although she had trouble laying from the start she was a brave fighter, full of joy and will to live. She had many passions : drinking running water, eating snow and hail, escaping from the chicken zone to explore the garden, helping out my partner with whatever he was doing, perching on human shoulders, and most of all, eating cherries.

Because we had to care a lot for her due to her health issues she was our only hen that enjoyed cuddles, falling asleep on our knees or gently pecking our bellies.
We called her The Hen's Trade union because she knew how to ask loudly for whatever she wanted until she got it.

She was 33 months and I know she enjoyed her life here very much.

I have very few picture as a pullet. Here she is climbing the ladder.
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Enjoying the garden, 10 June 2020
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Eating hail! May 2021.
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One of so many warm bath to help an egg come out. August 2021
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Found some grapes! She was very sick at the time and we were letting her wander in the garden to make her want to live. September 2021.
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Hard molt just after recovery
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Then she ate a snake to celebrate her new feathers, November 2021
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Love the snow for the last time, February 2022
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I think I dropped something, mars 2022
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And I thought this was my lunch , may 2022.
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My partner was her whole world.
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Good bye beautiful Vanille
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Finally a short clip with her beloved cherry tree.

What an absolutely beautiful tribute. She had a wonderful life with you. Rest in peace, sweet Vanille.

 

[micstrachan]

A heartfelt thank you again so much to all those who have expressed their sympathy for Vanille's passing.

I hope at least I will be able to cope better! I was expecting the first chicken death to be hard... but I still feel I'm overreacting!
I have very few human friends and since I live in such a remote place I don't see them often, so I guess the chickens have become my close friends.Have I become that crazy old bat who cares only about her pets ?
It was also the first time I held a living creature to it's end. I won't forget the last minute when she woke, the look she had.

Oh, how touching. I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[BY Bob]

My little flexi in her last couple of hours of her life. It's just doesn't seem right without her
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[BY Bob]

It's really good we have each other to share. I sort of had too step away for a while losing her was just unbearable.

I've done that as well.

Sometimes you just need to be alone with your feelings.

 

[BY Bob]

My beautiful little mama bird. Trying to eat more corn than princess

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Flexi Agatha and Amber gone but never forgotten

Beautiful.

 

[BY Bob]

Fluffy Butt Friday

Finally able to put my feet up and check all my BYC friends online. Today at work I consoled a young lady who is a robotics programmer having issues with the ‘good ol boys club’, I caught her bawling her eyes out in the bathroom. I know well the project manager with whom she is having issue, only differences is I can tell him to you know what, after all I am pushing 60 and I worked in a man’s world a very long time, poor young lady less than a year! What are they gonna do ? Fire me? Likely not!

So we went and sat in the Big Blue Truck I gave her some advice on ‘look at your job as a stepping stone’ not where you will end up. We laughed over the fact I was missing a meeting with my HR mngr and a vendor (sweet!).

And then we went back inside because sitting in the Big Blue Truck when it’s 80F outside is very hot!!! All this got me thinking about how privileged I was growing up, I had a father who encouraged my sister and I to do everything and not to be limited by supposed gender based jobs! Imagine back in the 70s and early 80s one’s father telling his daughter learn all about computers they are they way of the future! Smart man my dad

Now some fluffy butt tax

Broody butt
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Fluffy McNugget Butt
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Henny Penny butt
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Excellent job by you. Easy to encourage her. Now can you somehow report this manager and get them corrected?

 

[BY Bob]

Divergence tax

More fluffy butts

Rose and DorothyView attachment 3196305

Hey creep what are you looking it!? You looking at our butts?

Lovely bums they are!

 

[micstrachan]

My little flexi in her last couple of hours of her life. It's just doesn't seem right without her
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Aww, sweet Flexi.