Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

She immediately took food and then water... I was juggling the chicken, a hungry cow, and had a goat running between my feet... in complete shock that I flipped the feed pan to lure the cow and a chicken blinked at me. I just scooped her up and immediately offered food then thought WATER!!! It’s been raining so heavily lately I think she was able to get some water... I can’t see her having survived otherwise.

Agree. What a little survivor!!!

 

[Scrambles83]

I am planning to have a talk with Blanche tomorrow. I need to explain to her that she is going to have to step up her social media presence from now on.
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Oh my, look at her plump, red comb! So beautiful

 

[featherhead007]

Can’t sleep anymore tonight. I can’t wait fir the shipment of chicks to show in town today. I will be increasing my family with new chicks. Gezz, seems like I’m an expectant father, waiting for his babies to be born.
Yes I have everything ready for them . Brooder box, heat source, water, chick feed. And a lifetime of love waiting for them in my country paradise!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Yes that she was. @Aussie-Chookmum do please share more photos of her so we can all celebrate her life. Whenever you feel ready.

But it was Tsuki. Everyone's favorite hen here on BYC. I'm actually crying as I type this.. I'm so sorry. Awww, TSUKI!

Thank you everyone for you kind thoughts and support.

The worst part was the suddenness. There was no time to get used to the idea that I may lose her. She was just suddenly really unwell.

Here she is being uniquely herself. Repelling all boarders from the coop (Except for Deana).

On a related note, Hubby tells me that it was very quiet in the coop when he let everyone out this morning.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I awoke early in hopes of talking to the Aussees! Oh well!

It was 3.27am my time when you posted this Alex. I think you may have gotten up a bit too early!
I find I have to ask Google to find out what time it is for my overseas friends.

 

[featherhead007]

It was 3.27am my time when you posted this Alex. I think you may have gotten up a bit too early!
I find I have to ask Google to find out what time it is for my overseas friends.

How do I say this, without hurt feelings ?
Ah, shut up!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Hibitane 4% but it needs rinsed off. The chlorhexadine sponges they give you for surgery are a no rinse product. Had a bigger emergency come up though... I just found my missing chicken! Does anyone remember how long it’s been? I’m about to cook her up some eggs and get her some Gatorade

Wow! It seems like she may have been gone long enough to hatch some eggs. Though I think it may have only been for a week or two.

You found her? Wow. That is great. Where was she? Is she OK?

Just what I was going to say.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

As a last ditch effort to find him a home I found another local facebook group. Its mainly for dogs and cats, but occasionally farm animals are posted. Within 10 minutes of posting him, had someone ask if i could hold him to the weekend when they got back in town and they would take him. He lives very close to me, but is a truck driver and on the road and will not be back until Friday evening. Depending on what time he gets back he may pick him up Friday but if not for sure Saturday morning. He's also going to look at the Marans chicks I hatched out over the weekend and probably take them as well. I'm really hoping this works out as I really do not want to have to put him down if it can be avoided, especially since he's the last Toothless son and is growing up to look just like his daddy. I could have rehomed him already, but the only other person who's been willing to take him is my brother's coworker. My brother warned me not to let her have him, all the time buying chickens and goats, but can't afford to feed them, and they have no shelter and the chickens are coyote food. As much as I need him gone, he deserves better then that.

A home for Crybaby.

Your brother's co-worker.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Ok, does anyone remember how long it’s been since I lost her? My god, I cannot feel worse right now... she has been trapped under a feed pan this entire time. If it wasn’t for all the rain I’m sure she would be dead. I flipped it over to lure a cow out of the chicken field... and found her she’s filthy and wet but alive. She’s lost a lot of weight, and muscle tone. She feels like a CX. I’ve put her into a meat tractor for now while I cook and cook her egg

I'm glad you found her in time. I can just imagine how bad that must feel. It's amazing that you keep track of all your charges as well as you do Kris. Have another hug.

If it helps at all, a similar thing happened to a friend of mine and she only had 4 hens. One disappeared and she thought a quoll had got her. Then a week or so later she was moving some large terracotta pots in the garden when a beak popped from underneath one to grab some grass. The hen survived but my friend felt dreadful.

 

[RoyalChick]

View attachment 2515249
I am naming her Lucky. Poor Baby... she ate a little bit and drank, but didn’t gorge herself which seems good. The dingleberry from hell is how I would describe her back end. I clipped one growing in feather that bled a bit in cutting it off. She didn’t really seem to mind. She was also unable to preen her back end at all, and the lice were completely Out of control. I rarely bother with gloves, as I’m usually half covered in poop, and have just accepted this as my natural state; I broke out the nitrile gloves for this one. She’s too weak to really evade me yet which helped a lot. I powdered her with some of my precious remaining Carbaryl powder I found hidden in my cargo trailer. Her tail is a little cockeyed now.View attachment 2515248
Here is what she was under... with Zip Tie (of course) modeling in it.
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Our current theory is that she was trying to stand on the edge and drink and managed to flip it over on herself. US Size 10 men’s boot also for size reference. I still feel incredibly stupid. I’ve been walking past her for days. Arduinna was jumping on it. She is going to get a lot of treats, I’m sure. She’s sleeping in the chicken trailer, confined to a tall dog crate for now. I didn’t want her getting pushed around too much at Roosting.
Edit to add: or spread any surviving lice. I was ok with the thought of her having been taken by a predator, but the level of guilt I’m feeling right now... I don’t have the words to express it. That this happened under my nose.

Oh Kris. I can only imagine. But don’t be too hard on yourself. How could you possibly imagine?
I use those bowls. Many people do. Mine stand on the edge all the time. It is a complete fluke that it flipped right on her. In fact I am still not quite believing that.
Nurse her back to health - she may need electrolytes in water for a few days as her gut absorption may be off because of the stress - and then spoil her rotten for the rest of her life.
Huge HUGS (for some reason my emojis have gone on holiday).