Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[HappyClucker7]

Reassurance needed.
You all know I am sensitive to molting pictures. And that is partly because this is my first molting season.
Maggie is hit badly (nowhere near as badly as Alive was) and I worry.
I am 90% sure this is normal and it is her pin feathers growing but I took a picture of poor Maggie’s not-very-fluffy-butt (sorry Maggie) just to get reassurance from you all - my chicken@-ey friends.
This is normal right?
View attachment 2379580

Yep! Totally normal.

 

[BY Bob]

This love affair explains all of her problems in the roost.

She has a Long-Distance Love Interest: She gets special Love Letters from BLU.

She has access to high-tech BeakBook / BeakTime sessions with him.

It looks like she drinks coffee or tea also, something forbidden to chickens, but not this chicken!

As is also apparent now, she has a High-Fashion Photographer at her disposal, because her head shots are gorgeous. She posts regularly and her social media following is blowing up!

Then she flaunts those beautiful head feathers as she sashays all over the yard, singing Marlene Dietrich's "Falling In Love Again, Can't Help It", possibly in another language since she's a Polish chicken, well-traveled and very worldly.

Though she may be very nice actually, it sounds to all who hear as if she's just bragging about everything.

No wonder everyone at Fluffy Butt Acres is jealous! Denying her a roosting spot is their only Power Play in this situation.

Well played! I can't stop laughing.

Little do you know. She just had another fashion shoot this afternoon. I was going to post it tomorrow.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yep! Totally normal.

Thank you!

 

[BY Bob]

It seems Rocks-Anne is still a snuggle chicken View attachment 2379549

Sydney says Hi Rocks-Anne

 

[BY Bob]

I don't know if anyone has suggested it yet (see below), but this cockerel could be named Emile!

We had storms go through here Oct 7th, and from the 8th to the 17th our internet was really sketchy to zilch. Now I am sooo far behind with this thread. How could you guys put on 93 PAGES in a week??? Gaahhhhhh

We are so sorry we wrote so much. I would suggest not trying to catch up all at once. Read back as you keep up is what I wind up doing on others when I fall behind.

 

[BY Bob]

Wow. It definitely seems complicated! Why do you think it calmed down Bob? Because you intervened that night?

I think it might be so. I am loath to take credit for their behavior as they are independent beings. It has been very calm since them. About a week now.

 

[BY Bob]

Reassurance needed.
You all know I am sensitive to molting pictures. And that is partly because this is my first molting season.
Maggie is hit badly (nowhere near as badly as Alice was) and I worry.
I am 90% sure this is normal and it is her pin feathers growing but I took a picture of poor Maggie’s not-very-fluffy-butt (sorry Maggie) just to get reassurance from you all - my chicken@-ey friends.
This is normal right?
View attachment 2379580

Looks like pin feathers to me. Anyone see anything I'm not seeing?

 

[CluckerFamily]

Reassurance needed.
You all know I am sensitive to molting pictures. And that is partly because this is my first molting season.
Maggie is hit badly (nowhere near as badly as Alice was) and I worry.
I am 90% sure this is normal and it is her pin feathers growing but I took a picture of poor Maggie’s not-very-fluffy-butt (sorry Maggie) just to get reassurance from you all - my chicken@-ey friends.
This is normal right?
View attachment 2379580

It's normal.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

But still, The nightmares, feelings of guilt and sorrow, still remain!

Hugs to you. We don' know each other, but it pained me to hear that you seem to think you can't help anymore, that that is what you feel you've learned from your chicken breaking her leg. I think you probably feel the helplessness that we all feel when there is nothing more to be done for our animals (and our people loved ones too). It is a helplessness that defies logic, and our brains turn to guilt, we second-guess, we go over everything again and again, we subconsciously feel there must be a reason we feel so bad, that we did something bad, or did it badly. But it didn't appear that way to me.

When we can usually do so much for our companion animals, it is naturally very hard to accept when we cannot do more than help them pass on and not prolong their suffering. It takes lots of time to process that helplessness emotionally. Sometimes however the time to act is pressing, because the animal is suffering all the while. So often we must act before we are "ready". That is pretty traumatic, on top of the distress of the original accident.

But I think you were quite heroic in helping her. You did not fail her. You quickly gathered information and help from your friends and knowledgeable people, and carefully weighed the options, and made the decision you pretty much had to make. All within the same day, as I recall. It was a very big deal. Don't listen to anyone who tries to minimize the experience. Your pain of loss is real, the trauma of the event is real, and hopefully you will adjust to it over time.

You are likely experiencing some PTSD actually, most people do IMO. The guilt and nightmares are you processing the whole experience. Be kind to yourself. Look into things that help with PTSD and try them. I'll say again: know that you did not fail her, quite the opposite.

Let your pain be a reflection of the love you feel for her. Then honor her, and let that love shine on as you continue to care for the ones still here.

 

[featherhead007]

Hugs to you. We don' know each other, but it pained me to hear that you seem to think you can't help anymore, that that is what you feel you've learned from your chicken breaking her leg. I think you probably feel the helplessness that we all feel when there is nothing more to be done for our animals (and our people loved ones too). It is a helplessness that defies logic, and our brains turn to guilt, we second-guess, we go over everything again and again, we subconsciously feel there must be a reason we feel so bad, that we did something bad, or did it badly. But it didn't appear that way to me.

When we can usually do so much for our companion animals, it is naturally very hard to accept when we cannot do more than help them pass on and not prolong their suffering. It takes lots of time to process that helplessness emotionally. Sometimes however the time to act is pressing, because the animal is suffering all the while. So often we must act before we are "ready". That is pretty traumatic, on top of the distress of the original accident.

But I think you were quite heroic in helping her. You did not fail her. You quickly gathered information and help from your friends and knowledgeable people, and carefully weighed the options, and made the decision you pretty much had to make. All within the same day, as I recall. It was a very big deal. Don't listen to anyone who tries to minimize the experience. Your pain of loss is real, the trauma of the event is real, and hopefully you will adjust to it over time.

You are likely experiencing some PTSD actually, most people do IMO. The guilt and nightmares are you processing the whole experience. Be kind to yourself. Look into things that help with PTSD and try them. I'll say again: know that you did not fail her, quite the opposite.

Let your pain be a reflection of the love you feel for her. The honor her, and let that love shine on as you continue to care for the ones still here.

Thank you