Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Chick Fix

I wanted to make a food call video for @RoyalChick so mealy worms did the job.

THANK YOU!!! I just love these sounds.

 

[micstrachan]

Who speaks chicken?
What is going on here? It is not a squeaky door hinge on the Chicken Palace it is Diana. A moment before she saw something out of the window and craned her neck towards it and sort of 'shouted'. I was right there and couldn't see a thing. Then she started this noise and was very alert for quite a while. The other two Princesses didn't seem that bothered by it all. And 10 minutes later everyone was fixing their feathers for the night. Would love to know what this sound means.

I would not be surprised if they were wary right now because last night the outside coop cam picked up these lovelies.

And tonight another one (or is this a possum?)

But all these are after dark and it was still light and I was right there looking out of the same window as the Princesses. Very puzzling.

I’m way behind, so I’m sure there’s a discussion on this and I’ll catch up on it. But mine make that sound as a warning car. I think specifically it’s the aerial predator call. Sometimes it’s a little more trill than that. when I see an aerial predator I attempt the same call, and now they usually listen and take a cover.

 

[BY Bob]

Another Way Back Journey

Mr. Peabody, set the way back machine for July 8 to 11, 2017. It was 3 years ago that we built the big coop. Here are some photos.

This is the old coop with the connector to the big run removed. That is Patsy under the nest box and Lilly just poking out from behind the bush.

In this shot you can see down the old coop. You've got Lilly in the foreground and Patsy and Daisy, the greatest hen ever, dustbathing on the rotted floor of the old run extension.

This is my Dad cutting the hole in the back wall for the nest box entrance. You can see the front wall lying on the ground in the background.

Here are the front and back walls assembled.

This is a shot of the assembled coop looking down the front with the window in and all the walls on.

Here is Mrs BY Bob painting the front and side the next day.

This is a shot of the porch area before I constructed the removable porch top and finished the connector to the big run. You can see Daisy and company swinging by for an inspection.

Just after it was painted and the paint had dried, and before I could complete the run connector and porch, a thunderstorm came through. The coop survived its first test and we got the rainbow seal of approval.

That's for coming along on this this short trip in the way back machine. Mr. Peabody, please set the way back machine to take us back home.

 

[micstrachan]

Some Good Shots of my Big Girls

I think these came out nice.
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Beautiful! I remember seeing these before. Of course I’ve missed batches of posts here and there in between, so I’m not exactly sure where to start. Did it comment before? Anyway, they’re gorgeous!

 

[BY Bob]

Hi folks. I’m 34 pages behind again and will try to catch up this weekend! In the mean time, I know this group will not judge my extreme dorkiness I’m about to share. A little background:
I think you all know that my flock got too fat. So for several months I’ve been rationing feed. Instead of leaving one or two giant feeders out I only have a bunch of little feeders scattered throughout the run. This ensures all the girls can eat at the same time, but it also means I have to fill them every morning. I actually enjoy this routine.
Lately, Bridgey follows me around the whole time I’m filling the feeders calling for me. Sometimes she’ll peck at my pajamas or bathrobe or whatever I’m wearing. She follows me around until I’m done. Then I either pick her up, or I just sit down and she hops into my lap, and we have a morning cuddle. She would like to do this every single day. I started singing to her while we sit together. Do you know the song bicycle built for two? Well, use that tune and here are the words:

Bridgey’s Song

Bridgey, Bridgey, you’re the bird for me.
I love Bridgey, who cuddles happily.
You were my special little girl,
When you came into this world.
Now you’re the boss
Of the rest of the flock,
And you’re sitting on my knee.

Bridgey, Bridgey, delighted when I get home.
You know that means that soon it’s time to roam.
You learned to come when called,
When you were very small.
Now you call me,
So cute to see,
‘Til you’re sitting on my knee.

Bridgey, Bridgey, you’re the Alpha hen.
I love Bridgey, do you remember when?
We had your favorite sister,
Oh how I deeply miss her.
But I have you and you have me,
And you’re sitting on my knee.

Just fabulous! I just love it. Very clever. Thanks for sharing.

 

[micstrachan]

Fat Bird went to see Gloria the vet this evening. I took a while but eventually having checked ears and nasal passages with an endoscope and not found anything that would cause such swelling around the eye and although the ear mites were evident they were few and most were dead from the treatment I had given Fat Bird. Gloria cleaned out the ear.
Despite have a good illuminated magnifying glass initially Gloria couldn't see anything in the eye. It was only when Fat Bird blinked that a tiny piece of something momentarily showed itself and then disappeared pretty much invisible to the naked eye.
After numbing the eye and a bit of very careful digging Gloria manged to remove a piece of debris about the size of a thumbnail cutting. This piece of debris had worked it's way right under the eyeball. There was no way I would have even seen it let alone got it out. It looked like it may have been a piece of straw.
The transformation in the state of Fat Birds eye was very obvious after just a few minutes.
A thorough clean and a drop of antibiotic eye ointment and Fat Birds eye was back to almost normal.
Gloria thinks the cuts around the eye may have been self inflicted as Fat Bird scratched around the eye. Three days of ointment treatment morning and night and hopefully that's Fat Bird sorted.
Needless to say Fat Bird was not impressed with any of it. Once home she ate supper and wandered off to join the others who had gone to roost.

Oh yeah, the cost for this, 18 Euros plus whatever the eye ointment costs when I pick it up in the morning.
.

YAY for Fat Bird!

 

[TopazMaster91]

That is outstanding! I'm so glad that it worked out for everyone.

Now we are going to need photos!

A bit late but better later than never,
This pic is from Snowy's first day of life, before we stuck it behind our broody, Yuki .

Snowy is feathering out quickly,
and has white wing feathers and a little stubby white tail now!

 

[micstrachan]

Ahem... I was Hattie's biggest fan first!

Well, I’m her biggest fan now.

 

[micstrachan]

Some of the promised funny photos as promised...

I am allowed to work from home two days a week during the pandemic and on sunny days, the back garden is my office. Naturally this means I am accompanied by four feathered assistants.

Charlie seems to be particularly ambitious and wants to get more involved as you will see from the picture below
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However, she clearly thinks very little of all the work I am doing and has expressed her opinion in the clearest way possible!
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Here she is getting in with the more important stuff, digging to Oz and dust bathing
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So helpful! Is she a Welsummer?

 

[micstrachan]

I had the worst kind of surprise when I got home last night. I found Sunny dead in the chicken run. He had been perfectly fine in the morning. It looks like he just fell over dead. Anna was sad, he was one of the classroom chicks. but she understandsView attachment 2222158 that these things happen.

So long Sunny, fly high!

Aww... I’m so sorry to hear this.