Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Please keep us updated

My new residence may be Heathrow. I am running from gate to gate without much luck so far.

ETA: there is a sorry lack of chickens at Heathrow

 

[Marie2020]

My new residence may be Heathrow. I am running from gate to gate without much luck so far.

That's awful
I suppose there is no one there to direct you.

ETA: there is a sorry lack of chickens at Heathrow

That made me laugh. But yes our chickens can be far more organised

 

[RoyalChick]

That's awful
I suppose there is no one there to direct you.

That made me laugh. But yes our chickens can be far more organised

I found a plane to take me. Thanks to security pulling some guy off and so there was a spare seat!

Meanwhile, back at the Chicken Palace, Pooh is heading to lay an egg. She is the only one using the nest boxes these days!

 

[janiedoe]

Good morning. I'm dropping in to say hello and see how you are all doing.
@BY Bob how are you? Again, I am so sorry that you lost Phyllis. She brought a lot of joy and laughter to BYC.

I lost my 9yo Lucy Langshan this summer to a predator while we were in the back yard.
Lucy was the best mother hen.
It took my joy away for a few weeks, but my spirits are better now, though I still feel guilty for not keeping her safe.
Lucy

I stepped in a hole a few weeks ago. I heard my back popping but life went on, as we had a lot of company that weekend. By Tuesday I couldn't walk and was in a lot of pain. Turns out that all my L discs are bad to extremely bad so now I have to take better care of my back and be more careful in general.
Anyway, while I was laid up, one of my little girls managed to hide eggs. There were two dud eggs, so this baby is alone with just mama. Not ideal.

I had said no more babies because I have Mereks in my flock now and do not want the baby chicks to suffer or die. I'll do my best to keep this one healthy with extra nutrition.

And for educational purposes, I'll tell you all how I ended up with Mereks. A year ago, for my birthday, my daughter asked if she could buy me some bantam pullets ( for my frizzle cochin boy) from a breeder. I checked out the breeder. She had a NPIP certificate. My daughter brought me 3 beautiful little pullets. One is a silkie mix, one a cochin, the other a silkie cochin mix satin. They look and act perfectly healthy to this day, but a couple of months after they arrived, I let them brood. I started loosing young chicks from 6 weeks to 6 months old. I lost almost half of the chicks who hatched last year. Turns out the NPIP does not include testing for Mereks or Avian Leukosis, two of the most devastating poultry illnesses.
The moral of this story is do not bring adult chickens into your flock. Quarantine is not always effective because they may have an illness that doesn't show.

 

[BY Bob]

Here's ya culprit. Found it.
View attachment 3905946
Explains where she has been these past couple of days... and those eyebags.

Well played.

 

[BY Bob]

So yesterday, Monday, Rosie claimed she was sick to her stomach. I will not lie I thought she was faking it. She had stayed up all night and to me it was convenient that she was suddenly sick when I asked her to mow the grass. She has pulled that stunt a time or two this summer. I can now say, she was not lying. About 1 this afternoon I was taking a break after washing dishes when the room started spinning and I barely made it to the bathroom. Yup she had a stomach virus darn her. 3 zofran and 10 hours of pure misery later I can finally sit up and the room not spin. My sugar has spiked to the 260 range which is also contributing to the nauseas feeling but thankfully it did not go higher resulting in a er trip. After years of a stomach virus sending me to the ICU in DKA, we have found Zofran to be the wonder drug. If I take one as soon as it hits, and every 4 hours as needed my sugar while it will climb has not went to the stupid 500 levels. Rosie was over it this morning so thankfully this seems to be a 24 hour bug. Rosie did bring in the chicks for me and collected eggs and put everyone up for the night. There was no way I could drag myself out to the coop and stay standing. I fully believe we both picked this up at the horseshow Saturday.

Please feel better soon.

 

[BY Bob]

It’s grim out there people, it’s like a sauna. It’s so humid it’s just miser, I bet the mosquitoes will be pure devils for the poor horses today. Lots of bug spray today.

I split everyone up at dark last night and looks like they stayed put.
View attachment 3906102

The wee youngest babies and silkies roosted on the old spool and a beam I have in their pen.
View attachment 3906103

And Lulu is having a snooze.
View attachment 3906104

It’s so humid out there - it’s going to be a miserable day here for the animals.
View attachment 3906105

97% humidity?’ Ugh….

That's just awful. Kind of matches here. We are at 84% humidity.

Tax
Not a Meat Bird

 

[Ponypoor]

That's just awful. Kind of matches here. We are at 84% humidity.

Tax
Not a Meat Bird
View attachment 3906340

Nope definitely not! Such wild colouring

 

[Ponypoor]

Starting the long journey home.
Someone is in the nest box. Maybe two.

View attachment 3906110

I can run down there and give them a talking to if you like

 

[Ponypoor]

Thanks Marie. Not off to a great start. Just missed the flight because of an accident closing the tunnel into Heathrow.

Oh crap!

Gosh that sucks