Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

That is so wonderful. She is such a great mum. They will be better for listening to her. Freedom will come soon enough.

It is interesting to note how the other hens allow the littles to eat from their bowl. This does not happen at my place. But I have never had my alpha hen hatch and raise young.

My experience says that when mama stops, they have to back off. But! They know manners and wait their turn and get a turn with the feed. There's a lot less corrective pecks and virtually no "intent to kill the interloper" hunts/pursuits.

 

[rural mouse]

Today was rough. Part of it was my fault. Time got away from me this morning and I did not take my medicine until I got in the car to leave. Normally it's had about a hour and half to work, this morning only 20 minutes. Totally my fault and lesson learned.

They started me out with the stretches this morning. My therapist commented after about a minute my muscles were tight this morning. I was thinking to myself no kidding as it felt like everything was being ripped apart. I tried to relax and let her stretch me all the while having to hold my breath. 2/3rds of the way through them my shoulder popped, loudly. Instant relief there and my muscles loosened up tremendously after that. Once that was over the real work began.

Every exercise weight was added. Either with a 5lb weight in my hand or a 5lb weight strapped around my wrist. 8 new ones added as well and about halfway through them I was sweating and everything on fire.

I was originally told these sessions would be a hour long, HAH! They have always been a hour and a half. Today, today my appointment was at 9:30. I did not walk out of that building until 11:30. The first 15 minute's was the stretching and the last 15 minutes was with the tense unit on my shoulder and Ice.

Some of those exercises look so simple and easy when they demonstrate them to you, yet they can make me want to break down and cry 2 or 3 repetitions in and everything is at least 20 repetitions now. I've cursed like a sailor in my head during the sessions, and out loud here at the house while doing the "homework". I have not cried during the sessions either. Tears have been shed in the car on the way home though after just about every session. I will not give my terrorists the pleasure of letting them see me cry.

keep the weight handy. Even doing just 1 every minute while out with the birds will help...and your mental therapy will be right there with you

 

[rural mouse]

Oh my!
Hang in there.

Your writing style is very evocative - I was almost there in the car home with you and I swear I heard your shoulder pop!

PT torture tax: Tassels standing on the treadle so the kids can eat from the rat proof feeder. As they have grown she has become more tolerant of them having commercial feed in the afternoons.
View attachment 4215766

Treadle feeders and mama hens are a new one for me. She may hang on to them until they can access it themselves...or they'll figure out how to weight it together and take turns eating....

 

[rural mouse]

Stopped at the feed store last night. They had chicks. They NEVER get chicks in after early May. They had EE. When FIL was picking up babies, he mentioned wanting more of those. I called with the idea of doing something similar (raising babies here, split later). Not now. Ok, fair. They have a list posted for next week too (same breeds).

Baby update.

When he got home Tues, discovered he couldn't get the kennel into the coop. He ended up turning them loose (maybe just opened the kennel and let them figure it out in daylight). They're going in and out of the coop/run on their own. Hanging out in a group near the coop, staying near it for now.

Sounds like they're getting the lay of the land and are at least tolerated by the adults. Currently they're eating separately, but foraging where they all like. Adults are leaving them alone and they're sleeping in the coop.

 

[bgmathteach]

Oh my!
Hang in there.

Your writing style is very evocative - I was almost there in the car home with you and I swear I heard your shoulder pop!

PT torture tax: Tassels standing on the treadle so the kids can eat from the rat proof feeder. As they have grown she has become more tolerant of them having commercial feed in the afternoons.
View attachment 4215766

Good mom holding the feeder open for them!!!! I love watching a dedicated mom - it is absolutely AMAZING what they do for their chicks and what they teach them!!!

(Now, if I could only channel Dr. Do Little and understand what all that chick chatter is about!!
Well, on second thought, maybe I don't want to know:
Hey, you are too close, get away from me; Mom! Cookie is touching me! ; Hey, why did you run away and leave me alone? (while siblings are only 3' away, not 3"); Mommy where are you? Mommy, get away, I'm a big girl now, you don't need to hover! Yikes, Mom, help - mean Auntie is coming! Wow, look what I found....hey, it is mine, leave it! Geronimo...come quick, look what Chippy has!

. Maybe if I had that ability, I would be begging for it to be turned off???????

 

[rural mouse]

Had a noisy moment last night. Went to see...Cheetah was the source. He's moulting and the trees were blocking line of sight. The rest were standing around undisturbed and everyone was in the coop later.

When I stepped out on the deck, the rush towards me happened. DH came out with me and said he's been tossing them his banana peels from down below when he steps out of his cave. They rush him down there too.

It also looks like Cheetah has taken over raising the chicks. He was in the middle of the chick pile on top of the nest boxes.

 

[bgmathteach]

Today was rough. Part of it was my fault. Time got away from me this morning and I did not take my medicine until I got in the car to leave. Normally it's had about a hour and half to work, this morning only 20 minutes. Totally my fault and lesson learned.

They started me out with the stretches this morning. My therapist commented after about a minute my muscles were tight this morning. I was thinking to myself no kidding as it felt like everything was being ripped apart. I tried to relax and let her stretch me all the while having to hold my breath. 2/3rds of the way through them my shoulder popped, loudly. Instant relief there and my muscles loosened up tremendously after that. Once that was over the real work began.

Every exercise weight was added. Either with a 5lb weight in my hand or a 5lb weight strapped around my wrist. 8 new ones added as well and about halfway through them I was sweating and everything on fire.

I was originally told these sessions would be a hour long, HAH! They have always been a hour and a half. Today, today my appointment was at 9:30. I did not walk out of that building until 11:30. The first 15 minute's was the stretching and the last 15 minutes was with the tense unit on my shoulder and Ice.

Some of those exercises look so simple and easy when they demonstrate them to you, yet they can make me want to break down and cry 2 or 3 repetitions in and everything is at least 20 repetitions now. I've cursed like a sailor in my head during the sessions, and out loud here at the house while doing the "homework". I have not cried during the sessions either. Tears have been shed in the car on the way home though after just about every session. I will not give my terrorists the pleasure of letting them see me cry.

I know this doesn't make it any better now, but, hang in there - it will all be worth it! Just think of how horrible birth is - yet the pain soon fades to a distant memory, and I am sure you would have gone through that willingly knowing how wonderful it is having Rosie - if you had to do it all over again - KNOWING what the pain would be like. You've got this...and, 6 months from now you will be like "it was torture, but so worth it, I am relatively pain free now compared to before the surgery!"

 

[drstratton]

Today was rough. Part of it was my fault. Time got away from me this morning and I did not take my medicine until I got in the car to leave. Normally it's had about a hour and half to work, this morning only 20 minutes. Totally my fault and lesson learned.

They started me out with the stretches this morning. My therapist commented after about a minute my muscles were tight this morning. I was thinking to myself no kidding as it felt like everything was being ripped apart. I tried to relax and let her stretch me all the while having to hold my breath. 2/3rds of the way through them my shoulder popped, loudly. Instant relief there and my muscles loosened up tremendously after that. Once that was over the real work began.

Every exercise weight was added. Either with a 5lb weight in my hand or a 5lb weight strapped around my wrist. 8 new ones added as well and about halfway through them I was sweating and everything on fire.

I was originally told these sessions would be a hour long, HAH! They have always been a hour and a half. Today, today my appointment was at 9:30. I did not walk out of that building until 11:30. The first 15 minute's was the stretching and the last 15 minutes was with the tense unit on my shoulder and Ice.

Some of those exercises look so simple and easy when they demonstrate them to you, yet they can make me want to break down and cry 2 or 3 repetitions in and everything is at least 20 repetitions now. I've cursed like a sailor in my head during the sessions, and out loud here at the house while doing the "homework". I have not cried during the sessions either. Tears have been shed in the car on the way home though after just about every session. I will not give my terrorists the pleasure of letting them see me cry.

PT is so hard, but necessary to get your life back. Hang in there, it will get better.

 

[Ponypoor]

I’m glad it’s not just mine molting. All three of my agriculture teachers are coming out to my place on Tuesday, and I was planning on being so embarrassed about why my chooks look like they’ve had all their feathers ripped out by foxes and hawks. Now I can defend their hideous state since I am certain that it is molting and that there likely isn’t major picking or lice going around my flocks (although I will pay closer attention and make sure to treat anyone with lice.)

Mom is actually the one who told me that I should talk to Dad about getting back on here. She said I’ve matured since he forced me to get off, (I am still not sure the reason. I’m pretty sure it is because I did a necropsy on a pullet that dropped dead after we went to D.C. and then he called me a psychopath…) and that she would have no problem with me getting back on, it’s just him that might.

Well I could make a case that many people do not want to know where their food comes from. My sister and Aunt refuse to eat my eggs saying they know where those eggs come from and don't feel comfortable eating them. I counter that with the case that the eggs they purchase in the store are laid by young pullets that are shoved 4 to a cage, never set foot on soil, and are killed at a year and a half when they go through their first moult and stop laying eggs.

They are just machines to the farm, like a tractor. And I guess that is why they don't want to eat eggs from my hens. They feel like they are eating a part of them. Not seeing or being aware of those factory hens makes them 'feel better' for what ever reason.

Which bring me back to my point of people not wanting to know where their food comes from, and doing a necropsy of a dead animal is too close to actually harming the animal. Even though it is dead the act of cutting into the animal makes a person uncomfortable.

At any rate, maybe you can make a case to your Dad that you want to further your knowledge on poultry, who knows maybe you want to make a career in animal husbandry in the future. It's big business here big Ag, ensuring the proper housing, feeding and care for livestock - lots of jobs for animal husbandry specialists. Big dairy, egg and pork here.

 

[BY Bob]

Today was rough. Part of it was my fault. Time got away from me this morning and I did not take my medicine until I got in the car to leave. Normally it's had about a hour and half to work, this morning only 20 minutes. Totally my fault and lesson learned.

They started me out with the stretches this morning. My therapist commented after about a minute my muscles were tight this morning. I was thinking to myself no kidding as it felt like everything was being ripped apart. I tried to relax and let her stretch me all the while having to hold my breath. 2/3rds of the way through them my shoulder popped, loudly. Instant relief there and my muscles loosened up tremendously after that. Once that was over the real work began.

Every exercise weight was added. Either with a 5lb weight in my hand or a 5lb weight strapped around my wrist. 8 new ones added as well and about halfway through them I was sweating and everything on fire.

I was originally told these sessions would be a hour long, HAH! They have always been a hour and a half. Today, today my appointment was at 9:30. I did not walk out of that building until 11:30. The first 15 minute's was the stretching and the last 15 minutes was with the tense unit on my shoulder and Ice.

Some of those exercises look so simple and easy when they demonstrate them to you, yet they can make me want to break down and cry 2 or 3 repetitions in and everything is at least 20 repetitions now. I've cursed like a sailor in my head during the sessions, and out loud here at the house while doing the "homework". I have not cried during the sessions either. Tears have been shed in the car on the way home though after just about every session. I will not give my terrorists the pleasure of letting them see me cry.