Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

She's Back in the Main Coop Again

That's every night since Sunday Aurora must be going soft.

 

[SimpleJenn]

On TV & in movies I'll hear the soft TH pronounced in CLOTHES. It's subtle.

That's the Midwest way to pronounce it

 

[SimpleJenn]

She's Back in the Main Coop Again

That's every night since Sunday Aurora must be going soft.

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Do you need to move her heater?

 

[SimpleJenn]

Mr. Roosterbird is looking pretty snowy

 

[ChicoryBlue]

:I don't know. Their memory is particularly difficult for me. I don't know how I would react to similar little ones.

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Just seeing them it so pulls my heart! Then I tried reframing it, because if I relate to them as they are in this picture, just see them as they are here, I notice they don’t appear sad, or down, or upset. Of course not, though sometimes chickens do seem to be that way, we know they notice loss and change and feel stress. Here they’re doing their thing, being chickens in the moment. Maybe I can be like a chicken and be in the moment with them. Then I remembered your videos when they were even younger & so tiny, in their brooder bin in your office. How great each moment, each day was, for so much of their lives!

 

[micstrachan]

In memoriam

This morning the Chicken Palace lost a brave, and much-loved leader.
In the early hours of this morning Bernadette-the-brave stirred a bit on her roost. She moved a bit awkwardly but settled down and went back to sleep.
And then a few minutes later she suddenly fell off the roost dead.
She was just shy of three years old.
I take comfort that it was quick and that she was snuggled with her friends. I am also glad that she never lost her leadership position in the flock, and that her last days were joyous. I actually thought she was getting over her heath issues. Most of her new feathers had come in, her crop was beginning to be less full in the morning, her appetite was good, and she was enjoying being outside and eating turkey scraps.

Bernadette was an unusual hen and a force of nature. She had a difficult start in life as she lost the use of a leg when she was only 3 weeks old. Even though she was unable to walk she was still very much in command of her brooder buddies.
Her recovery was an uplifting journey that was documented here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/3-week-old-chick-with-a-bad-leg-any-advice-please.1519956/

Bernie eventually grew to be a very tall hen with some rooster-like attributes. She did lay beautiful brown speckled eggs, but very rarely.

She carried herself upright and had a 'special relationship' with Babs. As far as I could see, this was a fully consensual special relationship and once Babs died, Bernie made only a few half hearted attempts with the other hens.

When Pooh was attacked by a hawk, Bernie rushed in and laid into the hawk with her feet and beak. Most of the feathers flying were from the hawk, who was forced to give up its attack.

In recent weeks Bernie has been under the weather. She was molting, lost weight, and was not fully emptying her crop overnight. I took her to a vet who could feel a small mass - possibly a tumor - deep in her abdomen. But she continued to have a real zest for life up until the very end.

Farewell Bernadette. I will miss your funny ways. I am sure Tassels will take over your leadership position, but for now your little flock-mates are in shock and have decided to roost away from your favorite spot.

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Awww… what a wonderful tribute to Bernie. I am sad to hear of her passing, but also I’m glad it went quickly. Honestly, when I read the part about her having a mass, it reminded me of when Ester took a winter molt very very hard. Later that year it turned out she had advanced cancer that had spread all over. I think the cancer was why the molt affected her so much as I suspect was the same in Bernadette. They really do tell us things without outwardly expressing it don’t they? You knew her very well and knew something was up. I know she leaves a hole and I’m so sorry.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm not certain of anything right now.it doesn't help any that it's still dark when I leave for work and mostly dark when I get home. Today was going to be observation day (along side getting things done). However, discovered last night that Sherlock has a broken toenail, so he's going into the vet first thing this morning to make sure nothing is in it. The rest of the day will be up in the air.

I’m in the same situation with having very little time with my birds during the work week this time of year. It’s difficult. Sorry about Sherlock.

 

[micstrachan]

I give Red 1/2 an aspirin every night, have done so for over a yr now, I find it really helps with her mobility, and likley helps with any cardio issues I suspect she has. It’s also been hypothesized that it acts as an anti-inflammatory to help reduce to issues caused by internal laying.

She has tolerated it well, and she has a good appetite still, don’t get in the way of her getting to her grub! Many chickie has had a good hard peck to the head!

Oh, wow. I thought aspirin could not be given long-term. That’s great to hear! The avian vet once told me that aspirin was the original anti-inflammatory and said I could keep using it on the short term.

 

[BY Bob]

Do you need to move her heater?

There is a heater in the main coop but I have not turned it on. I need to do so.

 

[BY Bob]

Just seeing them it so pulls my heart! Then I tried reframing it, because if I relate to them as they are in this picture, just see them as they are here, I notice they don’t appear sad, or down, or upset. Of course not, though sometimes chickens do seem to be that way, we know they notice loss and change and feel stress. Here they’re doing their thing, being chickens in the moment. Maybe I can be like a chicken and be in the moment with them. Then I remembered your videos when they were even younger & so tiny, in their brooder bin in your office. How great each moment, each day was, for so much of their lives!

How sweet that you remember so much.