Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

I have netting. I need to do a perimeter check tomorrow.
I also have single wires that I could connect on the coop itself. I haven’t been connecting those as I have the netting but I sure would like to teach those critters to keep their distance. I will just have to remember to unhook those wires when I let the chickens out so they can jump up in the lids of the pasture runs which they like to do.

Yes, leaves and all can take the zap out. Any way a raccoon can drop down in (ninja northern drop bears)?

 

[featherhead007]

Agree with @bgmathteach this is not healthy for anyone involved. I agree with others who say she might improve a lot - health-wise and behaviorally - in a nursing home. I doubt that she will never speak to you again. If it is close enough by, you can visit often enough to keep tabs on her care and supplement her care if you're worried about that. You can bring meals. But I have never heard of a month's visit as a "try out". Better would be to look into a daycare situation first. That may be one of the respite options available to you that @RoyalChick refers to.

Once they get their hands on a resident, nursing homes are loathe to let them go, they count on the dollars filling that bed brings, and I'm guessing it's a big administrative cost to get a residence started. Our experience was they'll find any number of reasons to keep someone there. You have to be fit as a fiddle to get out.

In my family, once my sisters and I were faced with a medical "rock and a hard place" with Mom and we saw she hated it there and wasn't thriving, we felt if she was going to just keep declining and die, it would be better for her in her own home. Maybe she would stabilize, probably not. We had arranged for caregivers to watch her and keep her company 24/7 and we arranged for all the equipment too - hospital bed, etc., plus we could arrange hospice medical care as soon as she was home.

Still, we still had a heck of a time getting her out. We wound up having to do it "against doctor's orders." I think it's because the home can't risk any adverse event after discharge, or they get badly dinged by Medicare. That meant we broke her outta there - er, transported her -from start to finish- ourselves, no hospital-provided transport, and no private one was available. My BIL and his two good friends provided lifting power up her stairs. I swear it takes a village!

I should say "against their doctor's orders." That's another thing: at least in New York State, once you go into a nursing home you become completely their responsibility. This means you lose all your regular doctors, all the PA's and all the nurses who knew you. We live in a rural area and it's not like she suddenly was on another planet. Her familiar medical team was in the same town about three blocks away! We could not ask for any of them to see her. You come under the care of one doctor whom you do not choose, one or two nurses and a bunch of CNA's, all of whom are overworked and none of whom have ever seen you before. All you bring with you is what can be input into pre-defined categories on a medical record.

No doubt I have ranted on this topic before? We need chicks!
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For the chicks
For the advice

 

[featherhead007]

This house is so lonely tonight. It’s just me. All the chooks are in the coop. That’s where they decided to stay tonight. I did try to bring some inside, but they squawked at me. So here I am on byc.

 

[BY Bob]

I love Hattie, as you know!

She is a special lady.

 

[BY Bob]

Brrrr Chilly!

I am a big chicken hahaha - I lasted about 5 min out there it’s -22C very calm no wind, and a lovely moon!

Next time I want to regal all of you with photos I will put on proper winter clothes! Tuque, insulated coveralls, and ice cleates on my boots!

The moon is still lovely, starting to get light it’s 9am.

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Those are truly splendid.

 

[BY Bob]

She acted up the days leading up to and on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving morning demanded to be taken to her house and left to die. My brother stepped in and she settled down for a few days. She is starting up again as Christmas is getting close. She has boycotted us the last several holidays. Last night she said she was going to a nursing home. I wish I had that on video as I would be making those phone calls myself. She needs one. Here is the thing though, we me and mom finally do snap and put her in one, she will never speak to either of us again. As much as I am ready for her to go, I am not ready for that.

Have you considered enrolling her in adult day services at a nearby senior living community? They work much like daycare for children. You drop her off in the morning and they have activities and social events for her all day and then you pick her back up in the afternoon. You can also do 1/2 days. So you are not putting her in a nursing home but you both get a break. There is a lot of government help to pay for these programs.

Senior living tax.

 

[BY Bob]

You should upload that to the caption contest. I already know a perfect caption.

"It's 24 F! Run inside!"
*notices he's outside*
"My butt is freezing. I should head inside too.

Also, the first photo of the Sussex chicken looking down, I really want that chicken. They look pretty. Everyone's chickens are so pretty, especially Bob's leghorns, so clean and prim and proper. My leghorns are dirty, smelly and Parmesan is really aggressive. They may look clean in the photo but trust me, in real life, they are permanently dirty. So dirty that due to confusion on who is who, I had to change Parmesan's name to Toasted Marshmallow and Mozzarella to Finnegan. But, going forward, I'll just keep their names as is. Cheese isn't that bad, especially when you pair it in certain meals containing chicken, like with chicken parmesan.

I think they are beautiful.

 

[BY Bob]

Could be. Or raccoon or fox.

That is concerning.

 

[BY Bob]

On top of crumble apple and cabbage this morning they had raw egg later a bit of cow's liver then in the afternoon they got 1 each of their favourite corn on the cob.

I found dried mealworm with shrimp today so they had that as well. Full crops and a warm coop so I think they are contented tonight
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Wow! That is a good day for a chicken. Nicely done.

 

[BY Bob]

I can't get over how clean princess still is.
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She sparkles!