Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

I am feeling like trash right now. Lhicken is there suffering and I can't do anything for her. I feel like GARBAGE

She pooped out egg membrane this morning, ate some mash, and drank water. But now she is so weak she can't even stand. Every time I put her on her feet, she just plops down. < that emoji describes exactly how I am feeling right now. Or more like this:

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I have a very sad update on Eli.
As I expected, Eli died overnight. Actually very early this morning.
I have a preliminary necropsy report that her cause of death was a very large intestinal tumor that more or less completely blocked her intestines.
The chap said it was an unusually large tumor and that while it could possibly be Marek's, it was unusually large for a Marek's disease tumor.
Of course there is nothing 'usual' about such a young chicken - still technically a pullet - to have a big tumor regardless of the cause, so I agreed to have tissue sent to a university lab for testing. I will know more in a few weeks.

Eli and I spent a truly remarkable day together yesterday. I will post more about it when I stop sobbing.
I am sure when I post it will be very emotional and you will all accuse me of both anthropomorphizing and sentimentality.
She was a special little chicken and I miss her already.

I’m sorry, RC. You gave her as good a life as she could have had, foraging, flying high, being a mom to the little ones, living fully. We will not forget her!

 

[Ponypoor]

There comes a time in all chickies lives when they need to start roosting with the grups.

As such I put in a lower roosting shelf for the tweens and the school chicks, who all seem to want to roost together anyways.

So now everyone as of tonight will be tucked away inside the Hen House.

Next challenge is to get the ladies to stop wanting to lay eggs in that animal crate. There are no less than 6 available nest boxes they can lay in.

 

[notabitail]

There comes a time in all chickies lives when they need to start roosting with the grups.

As such I put in a lower roosting shelf for the tweens and the school chicks, who all seem to want to roost together anyways.

So now everyone as of tonight will be tucked away inside the Hen House.

View attachment 3540587

Next challenge is to get the ladies to stop wanting to lay eggs in that animal crate. There are no less than 6 available nest boxes they can lay in.

At least yours are not trying to lay eggs behind a computer!

 

[RoyalChick]

I am feeling like trash right now. Lhicken is there suffering and I can't do anything for her. I feel like GARBAGE

She pooped out egg membrane this morning, ate some mash, and drank water. But now she is so weak she can't even stand. Every time I put her on her feet, she just plops down. < that emoji describes exactly how I am feeling right now. Or more like this:

Oh no - she sounds in a bad way. I am so sorry. I don't have experience of this situation but I do know it is nothing you did wrong.

 

[RoyalChick]

There comes a time in all chickies lives when they need to start roosting with the grups.

As such I put in a lower roosting shelf for the tweens and the school chicks, who all seem to want to roost together anyways.

So now everyone as of tonight will be tucked away inside the Hen House.

View attachment 3540587

Next challenge is to get the ladies to stop wanting to lay eggs in that animal crate. There are no less than 6 available nest boxes they can lay in.

With Eli no longer around to teach them I think it is time the Pentagonists were encouraged to roost. It is ridiculous having five chickens their size all piled into a cardboard cat food tray!
I already removed the brooder plate it was sitting on so it is lower (I turned the plate off weeks ago of course) but that didn't phase them.
Maybe I will give them another couple of nights so I don't feel like I am throwing the little orphans out onto the streets!

 

[notabitail]

With Eli no longer around to teach them I think it is time the Pentagonists were encouraged to roost. It is ridiculous having five chickens their size all piled into a cardboard cat food tray!
I already removed the brooder plate it was sitting on so it is lower (I turned the plate off weeks ago of course) but that didn't phase them.
Maybe I will give them another couple of nights so I don't feel like I am throwing the little orphans out onto the streets!

Move the box into the big coop. Then show them the roost every night.
I have not intergrated the chicks yet, but that might work for teaching them to roost.
The rafters may be a better idea.

 

[Ponypoor]

Today turned out to be a bad day for me. All I asked my front tenant to is wire up the trash trailer and connect the truck to the trailer. Both the wiring and the hookup were done totally wrong. The wiring fell apart, the trailer came off the ball and tipped my helper to the ground.
The tenant said he knew what was needed and he could do the job. (Obviously he was wrong!) I thank God no one was injured.
And No Chooks were injured in the process. I’m done with that situation for now. I’m too tired to take the truck to the dump.
. Saving a duckling from the hungry cat
.buried the hole the neighbors chooks dug up.
. Cutting trees (so many more to still cut)
. Re-wiring the trailer lights
. Connecting the trailer to the truck correctly.
. Cleaning the yard, mowing the yard where the trailer was.
. Taking down the chook fence and replacing it when I moved out the trailer
. Cleaned out the poop in the coop.
. Hung up a cabbage for the birds.
Even stopped and said a prayer and a goodbye to little Eli
Now it’s time to recuperate.

Well that just sucks ! It isn't hard to wire up lights on a trailer or hook it up to the hitch. Even I can do that and I am just a mere woman!

But I hear you on the chores needing doing; I was going to mow the grass, but it's almost supper time and I don't want to spend a couple hrs going in circles. Not when I can spend it with my wee chickaroos! Who are making a right royal mess out there.

OK you put your feet up, relax on a lawn chair and watch chickens being busy

 

[notabitail]

Sometimes, Josey will jump on my lap. It is heartwarming until I realize she just uses my lap to launch to her desired spot in my room.
Last night she kicked the lid to a jar on a floor. She then proceeded to look down with her eyes bugging out at the lid she kicked off my desk.

 

[Ponypoor]

With Eli no longer around to teach them I think it is time the Pentagonists were encouraged to roost. It is ridiculous having five chickens their size all piled into a cardboard cat food tray!
I already removed the brooder plate it was sitting on so it is lower (I turned the plate off weeks ago of course) but that didn't phase them.
Maybe I will give them another couple of nights so I don't feel like I am throwing the little orphans out onto the streets!

I got fed up last night when I went to put everyone to bed at 8pm and the Tweens and the School Chicks were all huddled together on TOP of the crate they have been in since being born. 13 chickies all snuggled up together hahaha - I felt like a heel waking them and splitting them up to their individual roosts.

So today I put in a lower roosting shelf and that is where they will roost. Safe and sound in the hen house with all the other crazy chooks.

And I am seriously thinking of giving Sophia more babies - I must be cracked!

EDIT - actually on half ways serious. I have till Friday Noon to make a decision, so I have a few days to mull it over.