Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

A small update, if anyone would like an additional deterrent to goat adoption. Lice. I’m debating treating her with the ivermectin or hitting her with the cat flea meds. I was checking out her horn growth and noticed nits? No... started checking her over and yep... goat lice. Shudder

 

[BY Bob]

A small update, if anyone would like an additional deterrent to goat adoption. Lice. I’m debating treating her with the ivermectin or hitting her with the cat flea meds. I was checking out her horn growth and noticed nits? No... started checking her over and yep... goat lice. Shudder

Wild animal = bugs

 

[BY Bob]

Our generation remembers Phyllis Diller I think. At least that inspired our Phyllis Pickles. We love your Phyllis!

Ours is named after her as well. A real trail blazer! I hope to see more of yours!

 

[micstrachan]

A small update, if anyone would like an additional deterrent to goat adoption. Lice. I’m debating treating her with the ivermectin or hitting her with the cat flea meds. I was checking out her horn growth and noticed nits? No... started checking her over and yep... goat lice. Shudder

What a nightmare! If it’s safe, I vote for Ivermectin. Which reminds me... no idea where mine is. LOL.

 

[micstrachan]

I haven't the time right now to read ahead, but I think we are debating two different things, the colloquial language / common language / cultural use of certain terms, versus the scientific use of terms, whose language is pretty universal in the scientific world. So in lots of ways both or all sides of this debate are correct in my view, within their own realms of reference.

We know crows also arrange themselves in family groupings, and when they roost together after a breeding pair has raised their young to where the young crows can fly and that family joins the larger group, that huge grouping is at least one extended family. I think people in different cultures name the different groupings of animals different things according to their traditions and culture. I don't know if a "murder" of crows is a term from the science world or colloquial world. I would call a bunch of crows together a flock, but I don't mean it in the famer's "kept fowl" sense. That's a cultural term I think, and you would have to know the cultural use to understand how it is meant. So when applying to a Spanish agricultural organization for a permit you need to know their language and how they use the terms.

In this sense, the common distinction of humans from other animals is cultural. It has religious origins in my view.

The scientific naming for Aves members - and whether a creature is considered a member - is debated and agreed upon through the ornithological societies and other relevant organizations. Whatever they work out becomes generally accepted science until new evidence proves otherwise. Genetic research had made huge changes in the scientific, ornithological world in species distinctions and naming.

I have pictures for my tax! Please taxman go easy!

Ok, I know this post is from several days ago, but I love it!

Girl, we need to chat. I think we have a similar way of thinking!

 

[micstrachan]

Cillin is sick. He had a mild case of bumble foot a few months ago which Gloria treated. He's got another one now and it's infected. His pad is terribly swollen.
He's at the vets 6.30pm tomorrow.
It's amjor problem if he's sick. He ran away from Treacle this evening. Yesterday Treacle didn't challenge him. I think Gloria will have to operate and that means Cillin will have to be confined for a while and Treacle will be the boss. When Cillin returns there will be problems. Not at all happy about this.
Cillin has been as good as gold. I managed to get him out of the bamboo. It took a while. He's in with me for the night and has put up with lots of handling and inspections.
I know I post a lot of pictures of Treacle but Cillin has a place very deep in my heart.
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Shad, I am very far behind, but hope when I catch up I learn Cillin is doing well. How do you pronounce his name?

 

[micstrachan]

Chicken taxes
Compare:
This is Lil' Queenie on Dec 19th:
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This is Queenie on Jan 11th.
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Better focus here, I could not get the phone to focus on the chicken, not the person!
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About 23 days difference. Did she just grow fast, or was the safer living & less stress, good plenty real chicken feed the cause? Like her growth was on hold, or do they just transform that quickly?

Queenie is looking amazing! I think all of the above.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Mel arrived on her own again this morning as I was cleaning Cillins foot. I had the pad ready made and it didn’t take long before Cillin was fit for action. Here he is guarding Mel as she decides whether or not she’s ready to lay an egg.
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For the past couple of days I’ve carried Cillin out of the house when I’ve know Treacle isn’t near the bamboo clump and set Cillin down there. The rest of the day has been up to him.

Today when Mel decided she wasn’t quite ready to lay an egg she headed out the door, but stopped outside and waited for Cillin. Cillin was a bit reluctant but Mel called him a couple of times and eventually I watched them walk down the path away from the house together.

Treacle arrived at the house shortly after, on his own. Cillin had set up near Notch again and most of Tribe 1’s hens came down from the sheep field and joined him.

A while later Treacle came out to the bamboo; I was working in the car port, but wouldn’t go near Cillin and Notch.

The whole tribe except Treacle who was keeping his distance from Notch moved into the car port led by Fudge and Fat Bird on a mission to check if Bucket Boy had any treats. Treacle attacked Cillin then and drove him away.

Then Tap started demanding that Treacle goes nest site checking with her. This means either Treacle has to go alone with her which means Cillin will rejoin the hens or he has to move all the hens somewhere where Cillin wont risk going while Treacle is within strike range. Treacle tried to move all the hens. Fat Bird and Fudge in particular went having any of it and when Treacle got a bit too bossy they went off to my house.

Before Treacle and Tap can head off nest site hunting Moon did something I’ve seen her do a few times now and that is move out of Treacle’s sight and give an escort call. She does this it seems to pull him away from the rest of the hens. Treacle is stuck now. Does he go with Tap, go and collect Moon, or try and move them all to my house. Treacle went with the Tap option. Moon came to join Fat Bird and Fudge at my house in disgust and the rest sort of half heartedly followed Treacle and Tap up the track to the sheep field. Needless to say as soon as Cillin sees Treacle move off he folllows Fat Bird, Fudge and Moon into my house. Of course there is food there and Cillin gets them to eat. Treacle still does a major “this is my food and you can have some when I say” performance which just pisses everyone off and he ends up eating while the others wander off.

Of course the hens in the house are pleased to be left alone to eat and Cillin joins in.

I go up to the sheep field to make sure the straggling hens get to safety and on their way to roost. Treacle has already gone into the coop with Tap. This is a terrible mistake. He has three hens outside close to the coop but exposed and three more unaccounted for.
Mel realises the danger up in the sheep field and makes a dash for the coop, but Hurry and Tackle don’t. I have to herd Hurry and Tackle in.

When I get back to my house Cillin, Fat Bird, Fudge and Moon are together outside under the blackthorn bush.

At late dusk Fat Bird starts to head towards the side bank that leads up to the coop and Fudge follows and much to my surprise, Cillin herds Moon out and they all go up together. Cillin took them all the way to the coop ramp, watched them go in and headed back to my house and got in the nest box.

Well done Cillin. Cillin can move all the hens from place to place and I don’t think Treacle is going to be able to do this. Moving seven hens is not a trivial matter. It’s just one of the reasons three hens per rooster is a good number; it’s manageable. If one hen wants to go to lay then getting two hens to a safe place is a lot quicker and easier than moving six.

Thank you for writing this, you tell this really well and I could picture what was going on. You are way more than Bucket Boy, you are the pinch-hitting Rooster! This was a fascinating read. I feel I got a great idea of the dynamics at play that you observe every day. Anytime you feel like writing more, please do!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

How is it that I am just realizing now that you also have a special Phyllis?

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Agree - I don't remember seeing pics of her before!

 

[Scrambles83]

Also, who doesn’t love some good dust bathing footage! Here are Ruby, Cashew and Minnie:

And here is Little Mill. Notice the green and purple sheen on her black spots.

Beautiful, so relaxing to watch them dust bath!
What breed is little Mill? Speckled Sussex?