Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

Louise, our loved Buff Orpington hen died on her own last week. She slept the last two nights in a nest box. The day before she died, she stayed in the nest until 1:30 pm, then got up and had a bite to eat and a sip of water and later had some scratch with the flock.

A few days before she died, she was still slowly walking through tall grass, stopping to peck every now and then and didn't seem to be in distress. I could tell by the way she looked at me, that we both knew she would not have long.

My husband and I went back and forth on what was the best thing to do. Was she suffering? Would we cause more suffering if we botched trying to euthanize her? She had a swollen abdomen and walked slowly, but didn't seem to struggle to breathe, so we just made sure she was not being harassed by any of the other birds and gave her special foods on her own so she didn't have to join the scrum. She died overnight in her nest box last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had installed a camera so that I could keep an eye on her from work and I ended up with a bunch of still shots of each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

I have questioned whether we did the right thing letting her pass on her own. I hope so.

 

[Marie2020]

Help! I did a thing!View attachment 3595739
He needs a name! We're stumped. Shadow is too common.

Bernard, meaning brave and strong as a bear

He is cute

 

[LhickenChicken]

View attachment 3595888
Mr.Pusscat is all fine and dandy. He's completely recovered from that nasty tick

Aww he looks so fluffy!

 

[LhickenChicken]

Louise, our loved Buff Orpington hen died on her own last week. She slept the last two nights in a nest box. The day before she died, she stayed in the nest until 1:30 pm, then got up and had a bite to eat and a sip of water and later had some scratch with the flock.

A few days before she died, she was still slowly walking through tall grass, stopping to peck every now and then and didn't seem to be in distress. I could tell by the way she looked at me, that we both knew she would not have long.

My husband and I went back and forth on what was the best thing to do. Was she suffering? Would we cause more suffering if we botched trying to euthanize her? She had a swollen abdomen and walked slowly, but didn't seem to struggle to breathe, so we just made sure she was not being harassed by any of the other birds and gave her special foods on her own so she didn't have to join the scrum. She died overnight in her nest box last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had installed a camera so that I could keep an eye on her from work and I ended up with a bunch of still shots of each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

I have questioned whether we did the right thing letting her pass on her own. I hope so.

I'm sorry. Chickens aren't always sunshine and daisies, and I learned that the hard way.

 

[lightm]

I really struggle with getting 2fers.

Here are Piglet and Pooh panting in the heat.
View attachment 3596027

Turns out there was a photobomber
View attachment 3596028

For now I will have to use this one and hope I get another for Thirsty Thursday. I love the double ripples!
View attachment 3596029

Happy 2fer Tuesday everyone.

Yep, love the double ripples.

 

[lightm]

People I am tired. I am tired of being the nice person and having it come back to bite me in the rear. I am tired of stray animals and the idiots who think it is ok to dump them in a neighborhood hoping someone takes them in. I am tired of idiot dog owners letting their animals run loose with no care in the world. I am tired of dogs in general, I really do not even want to look at my own 2 and it was not their fault and they are innocent. I can understand foxes, coyotes bobcats ect. predating on chickens even though I do not like it. They are doing it to survive. Dogs are downright murderers and do it for fun and sport. A stray or lost dog not sure which, and frankly I do not care showed up day before yesterday. Bleeding heart neighbors fed it and let their kids play with it so it did not move on. For the 1000th time from these people when any animal showed up I heard "oh, it has to be someones, we have to find it's owners." I wish I knew who its owners are, we would not be having nice words at the moment. It tried to come in my yard once and I sent CeeCee after it. She actually ran it out of the neighborhood only to be called back by kids. I am cooking dinner last night when all he** broke loose. The chickens were starting to put themselves to roost when it charged around the house and attacked. I was outside fast, not fast enough. It was not hungry this was fun and sport for that menace. I lost one of my black girls and when it met it's maker it had Chiquita in its mouth. There was another pile of brown feathers in the middle of the yard and I could not locate Momma Hen last night once things calmed down. I am tired of being nice. No longer will something be allowed to step foot in my yard while bleeding hearts try to find a owner. The SSS method will now be strictly followed I do not care who knows it.

Oh no no no no.

I'm so sorry!!! This is awful. My condolences to you and hope momma hen will be found.

 

[lightm]

She’s sleepy. Thinking I’ll not euthanize her at this point. She is not having difficulty breathing, or breathing quickly.
New information maybe - I just got her from the coop, she had moved to the doorway. She has shown interest in grit every day. Just now she went over to the grit, but then stood there pooping, only she kept trying. I didn’t see anything drop, so I looked, and there was a two inch pinky size poop hanging out. So I got a paper towel and was going to clean her up. I pulled on it and she bokked and I drew out an almost eight inch size thing, the poop was there but then narrowed to a long fibrous weedy thing that I was very tough. I tried to break it in two and couldn’t. So she has a problem with her gizzard maybe, or what?

She perked up quite a bit after that, and wanted to go out with the others and forage. She just ate two whole blueberries.

I might continue with the baby bird formula and also continue to see how she does. Thoughts?

I'm so glad that you were able to help her!

I think it's important to monitor her poop. Is it possible that you bring her inside for 24 hours for monitoring? This way she also won't have access to long grass or straws during that time.

If she seems pooping normal, then maybe back to freeding? Unless she is already eating on her own. If not, then there could be crop or gizzard problems. You also want to feel her crop first thing in the morning.

 

[featherhead007]

My chooks are weird!
Especially little Dakota. She screams at me to let her inside the house. Everyone else is satisfied with being outside under the porch and patio.
But not Dakota, I hope the neighbors don’t think I’m killing her. She screams like a toddler in a grocery store. Then when she is inside, she won’t come close enough to pet her, but she perches on my leg and takes a nap crazy animal

 

[BY Bob]

And not their kids, either, who clearly liked the dog and now will grieve.

I forgot them. So sad. Everyone loses.

 

[Ponypoor]

I still have not located Momma hen but Chiquita is gone. I am still shaking from anger from last night. Everyone of my neighbors witnessed this so maybe they will stop feeding and baiting in strays. I will not post them but I also have pictures of the bodies if someone were to report what I did. I was in my legal right to shoot it in my yard. Frankly I would love for it to be some ones and it get back to them. I would like to meet them.

Lot of f-bombs on my end Rebecca, I would have drug that mangy old dog over to the neighbour and told them ‘here, you created this problem, you deal with the body’.

Oh I am too furious to be sad at the moment.

Oh and I would also tell your neighbour they OWE you the price of replacing a highly valuable broody hen and any of the others. They created this problem they need to be held accountable.

Personally I have no problems with killing strays, I too have had issues with dogs chasing and attacking my horses. Any stray or running at large dog here gets picked up by the bylaw officer. My neighbours know I will do this and NOT tell them. The dog will end up being euthanized if an owner doesn’t go to the SPCA to id their animal.

Too many times I have dealt with people telling me that ‘my horse made the dog attack me while out riding’, or ‘my horses were a temptation’, WTH is that?!

I am so paranoid with the chickens, I just don’t leave them with all the dogs and predators here (which are also canines come to think of it).