Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BeastBaby]

I tried to get a ton of chick pics for you all, but man it is mayhem in the brooder! They’re two weeks old and fluttering all over the place.

It’s all “We’re scared of that sound so huddle, dash for a drink of water, hop on the perch, quick there’s oats, oh man new shavings -dig! Scared of a shadow, hop on the perch, dash for mama heat pad, run I see treats! Ooh shavings to dig in!”
It’s very ADHD.

Many blurry photos like this.

Three olive eggers coming over to see what’s on offer. My attentions have been paying off- Mina the ermine OE has become braver and loves to check out my hand now. I do feel bad handling them though, they look like pin cushions with all the feathers coming in.

The two marans want very little to do with me. They go into full distress calls when I try to pick them up, which then becomes contagious and upsets the OE. Oie.

They were ready for more room so I brought the mini coop down from the big girl’s run and set it up alongside the chick’s crate. Mama heater moved into the coop, so they sleep in there now.

 

[LhickenChicken]

I know! I thought of you the minute I figured it out.
And look at how magnificent she is!
View attachment 3791277View attachment 3791278View attachment 3791279

If Aurora ever went broody, she'd look like that!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

My broody is so nice, sorry y'all have angry ones!
View attachment 3791218
Gramma M (dad's mom) is going home today so most of the family is arranging when they can be with her. She will need 24 hour help for a few days at least, and someone to keep grampa from freaking out over her doing anything.
It's super sloppy sleet outside so that's no fun for her getting home.

I picked up 2 bags of Kalmbach full plume, the last two they had. Hubby griped because it was a couple dollars more, but he still bought it kiddo also got to pet a duckling, some sort of fuzzy leg bantam, and a jersey giant chick yesterday. She also wanted to use her Easter money to buy chickies.
I told her next year, then we can go to a farm and get a pompom chicken just for her. The current plan is to add two next year depending on how much the girls slow down on laying.

My bag of Kalmbach Full Plume was a bargain at $18.99 for 50lbs, compared to the Nutrena (various kinds) at $23.99 for 40 lbs. I am hoping the lower price doesn't reflect lower quality. The hens like it, transitioning is not a problem at all.

The big bag posed a problem for me though! I have not been working out like I used to, plus I have injured my knee and was favoring it, and I could not get the bag into my car. I can carry 50 lbs, but it was a matter of physics and my lack of upper body strength. A fellow had come out with it from the warehouse and I asked him to put it in the top bin of my cart, thinking that would be better than lifting from near the ground. When I got to the car I could not get a good grip on it with gloved hands and lift it from that height up and over the cart's sides. I couldn't get my hands under it either, it filled up the top cart bin. So I was trying to raise from waist height what I could grab by another 6-8 inches to get it over the edge, and was succeeding with lifting it only 2-3 inches at best.

I thought about tipping the cart onto the car's loading bed.

I disrobed my purse, jacket and gloves and was preparing to get all World Wrestling with it when a nice young lady came over and offered to help. Did she struggle at all? No. Did she get her hands under it? No. She grabbed near the top and lifted it high, hands above her head, whisking it right up and outta there in one move. Wow! She must do that with feed bags or hay bales every day.

I thanked her profusely. While I felt very old and feeble and have vowed to increase my strength, the kindness of this stranger was so heartwarming and uplifting! Thank you, strangers!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I tried to get a ton of chick pics for you all, but man it is mayhem in the brooder! They’re two weeks old and fluttering all over the place.

It’s all “We’re scared of that sound so huddle, dash for a drink of water, hop on the perch, quick there’s oats, oh man new shavings -dig! Scared of a shadow, hop on the perch, dash for mama heat pad, run I see treats! Ooh shavings to dig in!”
It’s very ADHD.

View attachment 3791754
Many blurry photos like this.

View attachment 3791780

View attachment 3791756
Three olive eggers coming over to see what’s on offer. My attentions have been paying off- Mina the ermine OE has become braver and loves to check out my hand now. I do feel bad handling them though, they look like pin cushions with all the feathers coming in.

The two marans want very little to do with me. They go into full distress calls when I try to pick them up, which then becomes contagious and upsets the OE. Oie.

View attachment 3791758
They were ready for more room so I brought the mini coop down from the big girl’s run and set it up alongside the chick’s crate. Mama heater moved into the coop, so they sleep in there now.
View attachment 3791777

Did you retrofit that crate? The "windows" are impressive and the whole setup looks really great!

 

[Ponypoor]

Some family issues have been going on.

My grandfather (Dads dad) hasn’t been doing so hot for a while now. He lives in Tampa. Dad’s brother has been the one dealing with most of it. Dad and my uncle don’t have a good relationship. They don’t talk and they haven’t seen each other for years. Like, last time they saw each other, I wasn’t even born- although I’m not sure how long ago it was.
Dad was talking about how good of a job Uncle E. has been doing, but Uncle thought the was talking bad about him. So, of course because it’s the logical thing to do, he cut my dad and grandfather off and left all of the stuff to my dad. This happened yesterday, so today dad drove four hours down to Tampa. He will be getting back on Saturday.
Sunday he needs to fly to Vegas for some work stuff. He got elected NATCA area rep so he needs to go to training. He will be gone for a week.
I have no idea what the heck is wrong with my uncle though. Last spring my family was in Tampa and he was too. He drove past my grandfathers house, saw my dad’s car, and drove away, calling my grandpa. My grandpa had his phone on speaker, and my uncle started saying all this stuff about how he has no interest in seeing my dad or any of us. I’ve never met him, so I honestly don’t care, but it still hurt me because my dad had to hear it.

Well, I need to go. I’ll be on later.

You do not have to worry about adults, just enjoy being a kid, soon enough you will be an adult and you will understand what I mean.

You cannot worry about your dad and his brother. They need to figure it out themselves or not.

 

[RoyalChick]

My bag of Kalmbach Full Plume was a bargain at $18.99 for 50lbs, compared to the Nutrena (various kinds) at $23.99 for 40 lbs. I am hoping the lower price doesn't reflect lower quality. The hens like it, transitioning is not a problem at all.

The big bag posed a problem for me though! I have not been working out like I used to, plus I have injured my knee and was favoring it, and I could not get the bag into my car. I can carry 50 lbs, but it was a matter of physics and my lack of upper body strength. A fellow had come out with it from the warehouse and I asked him to put it in the top bin of my cart, thinking that would be better than lifting from near the ground. When I got to the car I could not get a good grip on it with gloved hands and lift it from that height up and over the cart's sides. I couldn't get my hands under it either, it filled up the top cart bin. So I was trying to raise from waist height what I could grab by another 6-8 inches to get it over the edge, and was succeeding with lifting it only 2-3 inches at best.

I thought about tipping the cart onto the car's loading bed.

I disrobed my purse, jacket and gloves and was preparing to get all World Wrestling with it when a nice young lady came over and offered to help. Did she struggle at all? No. Did she get her hands under it? No. She grabbed near the top and lifted it high, hands above her head, whisking it right up and outta there in one move. Wow! She must do that with feed bags or hay bales every day.

I thanked her profusely. While I felt very old and feeble and have vowed to increase my strength, the kindness of this stranger was so heartwarming and uplifting! Thank you, strangers!

Great you got some help.
After I had some back issues a few months ago (all better now) the physical therapist I went to said I have to stop lifting the 50lb feed bags.
Easier said than done.
I have mine delivered by Chewy and then I manhandle the bag into the kitchen without really lifting it.
Then I scoop it into containers which I store either in the chicken Palace or in the kitchen.
It makes me feel old too, but not as old as I would feel if I was unable to walk because of my back!
Long way of saying - take care of yourself and don’t do anything dumb.
No shame in asking for help.

 

[RoyalChick]

You do not have to worry about adults, just enjoy being a kid, soon enough you will be an adult and you will understand what I mean.

You cannot worry about your dad and his brother. They need to figure it out themselves or not.

Wise words.

 

[BeastBaby]

Did you retrofit that crate? The "windows" are impressive and the whole setup looks really great!

Thanks! I didn’t need to retrofit it luckily, although I have jaggedly cut into many plastic containers. I figured out around my second set of chicks that I could use the top of one of these crates just as well as the bottom- but it had the advantage of windows!

 

[Ponypoor]

My bag of Kalmbach Full Plume was a bargain at $18.99 for 50lbs, compared to the Nutrena (various kinds) at $23.99 for 40 lbs. I am hoping the lower price doesn't reflect lower quality. The hens like it, transitioning is not a problem at all.

The big bag posed a problem for me though! I have not been working out like I used to, plus I have injured my knee and was favoring it, and I could not get the bag into my car. I can carry 50 lbs, but it was a matter of physics and my lack of upper body strength. A fellow had come out with it from the warehouse and I asked him to put it in the top bin of my cart, thinking that would be better than lifting from near the ground. When I got to the car I could not get a good grip on it with gloved hands and lift it from that height up and over the cart's sides. I couldn't get my hands under it either, it filled up the top cart bin. So I was trying to raise from waist height what I could grab by another 6-8 inches to get it over the edge, and was succeeding with lifting it only 2-3 inches at best.

I thought about tipping the cart onto the car's loading bed.

I disrobed my purse, jacket and gloves and was preparing to get all World Wrestling with it when a nice young lady came over and offered to help. Did she struggle at all? No. Did she get her hands under it? No. She grabbed near the top and lifted it high, hands above her head, whisking it right up and outta there in one move. Wow! She must do that with feed bags or hay bales every day.

I thanked her profusely. While I felt very old and feeble and have vowed to increase my strength, the kindness of this stranger was so heartwarming and uplifting! Thank you, strangers!

I was going to give that a heart but I had to laugh as I am that feeble old crazy horse lady now - I have the kids at Peavey Mart put the feed in my truck for me

I figure I have to unload all 8 bags of feed at home - I don’t want to load them all in the truck too!!!

I hope your knee is ok soon.

 

[BeastBaby]

My bag of Kalmbach Full Plume was a bargain at $18.99 for 50lbs, compared to the Nutrena (various kinds) at $23.99 for 40 lbs. I am hoping the lower price doesn't reflect lower quality. The hens like it, transitioning is not a problem at all.

The big bag posed a problem for me though! I have not been working out like I used to, plus I have injured my knee and was favoring it, and I could not get the bag into my car. I can carry 50 lbs, but it was a matter of physics and my lack of upper body strength. A fellow had come out with it from the warehouse and I asked him to put it in the top bin of my cart, thinking that would be better than lifting from near the ground. When I got to the car I could not get a good grip on it with gloved hands and lift it from that height up and over the cart's sides. I couldn't get my hands under it either, it filled up the top cart bin. So I was trying to raise from waist height what I could grab by another 6-8 inches to get it over the edge, and was succeeding with lifting it only 2-3 inches at best.

I thought about tipping the cart onto the car's loading bed.

I disrobed my purse, jacket and gloves and was preparing to get all World Wrestling with it when a nice young lady came over and offered to help. Did she struggle at all? No. Did she get her hands under it? No. She grabbed near the top and lifted it high, hands above her head, whisking it right up and outta there in one move. Wow! She must do that with feed bags or hay bales every day.

I thanked her profusely. While I felt very old and feeble and have vowed to increase my strength, the kindness of this stranger was so heartwarming and uplifting! Thank you, strangers!

Oh my gosh “World Wrestling”

I’m glad you found help! And heartwarming it was a strong woman instead of a dude.

What is your plan for the bag at home? Use a scoop to fill small buckets? Perhaps increasingly large buckets as you get stronger?