Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I know you want to be active here, but I really don't think you should sneak. The short term gain of being on will never equal/counter the loss of trust and the strained relationship if you get caught. Trust is easy to lose, and very hard to earn back.

If it was me and my parents in your shoes, and I betrayed their trust - they would never have spent another dime on me on riding lessons. I don't know what they would do if you snuck on here when you weren't supposed to, but the penalty and loss of trust could be far worse than the 'reward' of sneaking. Plus, if you are a person of the caliber I think you are, the guilt is not worth it.

Tax for sneaky talk:
View attachment 3637443


Why oh why??? They have 4 perfectly good roosts - yet 9 must squeeze (nearly every night - sometimes 1 will roost with the rooster - otherwise - yup, 9) on that one roost! It is only 4' long. Yes, there is a slight slope, but it looks steeper in the picture than in reality...there is less than 3" difference in height between the 1st and 3rd roost roost....so only 1 - 1.5" difference at each 'step'.

Because chickens be chickens and they follow The Way.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

?Are you sure it was the genetics that was the experiment in that case?????

My Journeymen tree sitters are a 'genetic experiment' (i.e. all 'mutts')View attachment 3639293
1BRx ?, 1 Cuckoo marans X EE, 2 Cuckoo Marans X WR, and one ?who knows? Given what group the eggs came from, I am perplexed as to who the parents are for that reddish hen!

Do I see Miss Crossbeak in there, lower left?

 

[bgmathteach]

He is super adorable. How can you not keep him?

Thanks, but need to keep the ratios in a suitable proportion so the girls don't get too beat up by over-attention. But, yes, he is pulling my heart strings atm. I'll have time to think about it before I make a final decision.

SO NICE to 'see' you on here. We've been missing you (and the lovely ladies!) I'm quite happy to see Hattie back to her old self physically - and she never was a slouch mentally, either...your last post about her proves she's still got all her faculties/wit still about her!

 

[BY Bob]

Alright. You've now guilt tripped me I wont sneak on here after this if I can help it.

I am shocked at how much hate one tiny guinea can have inside of her! How much hate can something so tiny possibly have to be gone after a hawk attack and then appear at 6PM? Keep I'm mind that when I posted about the attack it had only been a few minutes since she disappeared. My dad and I went out to feed everyone and I saw a tiny white head poking up through the grass near her siblings who were locked up after the attack.
I am mad and relieved at the same time. I am mad because she has been sick so I was hoping that the hawk had killed her quickly. And also because she gave me a heart attack.
I'm happy because well, shes alive and I'll get to see her another day, unless she dies of whatever sickness that she has tonight.
Well, goodnight, and I'll see you guys soon, because I'm going to get my grades up ASAP

This is wonderful news!

 

[BY Bob]

I know. Sorry.
We need to see more of you - it is the only solution to this problem!

Synopsis tax: Pooh hopped up on my knee to look for blueberries
View attachment 3640048

I bet you are never without blueberries again.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks, but need to keep the ratios in a suitable proportion so the girls don't get too beat up by over-attention. But, yes, he is pulling my heart strings atm. I'll have time to think about it before I make a final decision.

SO NICE to 'see' you on here. We've been missing you (and the lovely ladies!) I'm quite happy to see Hattie back to her old self physically - and she never was a slouch mentally, either...your last post about her proves she's still got all her faculties/wit still about her!

I'm over 30 pages behind and trying to catch up during the late night hours. Started out over 40 pages behind. So some small progress.

If she would just not fight so much when I went to dose her I would be thrilled with Hattie. It's a shame she can't figure out the nighttime medicine is why she can run again. Maybe she wouldn't fight so much.

She was even stretching out for tiny tomatoes again!

 

[bgmathteach]

Do I see Miss Crossbeak in there, lower left?

Yes. That was the only way I could catch her - when she roosted at dark.

Unfortunately, I had to process her this weekend. With her growing and my arm not, it was getting harder to feed her and taking longer to stuff the crop...and she was - condition wise= a full grade below her siblings. And that is with me keeping her in these past few weekends to give her a full mid-day feeding, too, before letting her out with her siblings.

I cried myself to sleep Sunday night. I knew this day would come, but I kept trying to ignore that thought mentally - until I just couldn't anymore.

 

[BY Bob]

My barn is full of feathers! Seems everyone is molting hard, Mr P has no tail feathers left. And the ladies are all looking very ragged.

I'm glad they are doing it early instead of waiting for winter to arrive.

 

[BY Bob]

I have been informed that I am now a union establishment.

UFC - TSG, Local 13. (United Federated Chickens, Tree Sitters Guild)

These are their demands:
Apprentices - since they are in training and not actually performing a service, in addition to feed and shelter, one meal worm or sunflower seed per day per apprentice, with an extra one here and there when they have shown exceptional progress. (note, the apprentices are not happy with this!)

The apprentices:
View attachment 3637589

Jouneymen: These are chickens that have earned their tree-sitting status, but are only allowed to 'tree sit' shrubs and/or smaller trees. They are to get 3 meal worms or sunflower seeds per day, with extra(double) for weekend, holiday, and overtime work (double pay!)

The Journeymen:
View attachment 3637590View attachment 3637591

Master Tree Sitters: These are chickens that have both full-status as tree sitters, and seniority! 6 mealworms or sunflower seeds per day, double on weekends and holidays and for overtime.

The "Masters":
View attachment 3637593View attachment 3637595View attachment 3637598
View attachment 3637596View attachment 3637597

My response and then counter:
1) There are sufficient numbers of you that you can rotate shifts - there is no need for overtime except in dire emergency situations.
2) Weekend rates are never 'double' pay in services/industries where 7 day work weeks are involved!
3) At that rate of recompense, you will all be too fat to get into the tree to tree sit and will hence be unemployed.

Apprentice pay: agreed to your demands.
Journeyman pay: 2 meal worms or sunflower seeds per Journeyman per day. No overtime. Holiday or weekend shifts get a shift stipend of 1 extra meal worm or sunflower seed per journeyman per day.
Masters pay:
3 mealworms or sunflower seeds per Master per day. Holiday or weekend shifts get a shift stipend of 1 extra meal worm or sunflower seed per Master per day.

Lets hope they accept my counter offer. Otherwise, they may leave and try to unionize YOUR flock! They know I'm on FBA

Excellent!

 

[BY Bob]

Last time being on here unless it’s another emergency. And this time my mom knows that I’m on my phone.

Madame Pearl came back last night after hiding for six hours. I put her in the coop and gave everyone food.
Today I went out there and she was laying down in a corner. She is always very energetic when I try to grab her, doing whatever she can to get away from me.
I grabbed her with ease and brought her into the house. I have her some Corid, but I don’t think that she is going to make it.
I convinced my mom to let me put her back out into her coop so that her flock is with her when her time comes. Yesterday there were no tears when she disappeared, and so I have vowed to try to not cry today.
I just feel bad because she was among my first birds, and she was Eclipse’s mother. Luckily her son is well so I will still have some of her with me when she passes. I will have some of Eclipse with me too in her brother.
I am hoping that she will pull through, but I doubt it. I wish that the hawk did take her, because then I wouldn’t need to be fretting over her suffering.
This isn’t a tribute, but I’m sure that there will be one soon. The problem is, she is very stubborn. She has a broken toe and she hardly even limps. Her toe is bent up and when I just felt it a few minutes ago, I couldn’t feel a bone where it bent up.

I’m sure that I’ll be one here soon telling you that she is dead. I’ll only be on here with my mom’s permission unless I’m in dire need of advice.
I’m not going to bother making an emergency thread. I know that she will pass.
Have a good day everyone. If it’s her time to go, I respect that. I want her to go if it’s her time. I’m sad, but not sad. She won’t have the threat of being killed each and every day and she will be in peace when she passes.