Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I’m so sad to say that Charlie is dead. I came home this evening and hubby told me he found her dead on the ground. She would have been three in November. Her voice sounded a little different for a day or so and I noticed today I could hear her breathing (through her nostrils, she wasn’t panting). Otherwise she didn’t seem any different. She laid an egg today and squatted for me. We buried her with a sliver of cheese to pay the ferryman and a blueberry for her to snack on for the journey.

I honestly don’t know if I can do this anymore. It’s been nearly a year since we lost Lucy, which it the longest we’ve gone without a death. I’m struggling to do the maintenance required and the meds are making it difficult to care about stuff. I’ll see how I feel in a few days.

As it’s still Monday, I’d like to honour Charlie with Monday Mugshots. RIP my big beautiful bully.

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Oh My Gosh! This is clearly shocking. I'm so sorry you are going through this.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes. I have a 2x3 brooder box built inside the coop part of the Chicken Palace. Can be used for chicks or to isolate (of course not if something contagious is suspected).
I put Elizabeth in there for her last hours so she was surrounded by happy chicken friends and not pecked at.
Here is Minnie looking the picture of misery waiting for the vet. She did eat some sunflower seeds in the carrier but she also produced pure clear liquid instead of anything like real poop in her box over night.
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Stay strong Minnie!

 

[BY Bob]

Well, fall came on quickly! we had a little rain last night! Glorious rain! When my kids were little, often fleece Halloween costumes were WAY too warm. Unless we get another heat wave, which is highly unlikely, not this year!
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I’ll be keeping an eye on my molters. It’s Roxy taking it the hardest this yead; she put herself to bed pretty early last night, but I brought her baby bird formula and chopped beef liver and let her eat as much as she wanted before I shared with everyone else, who werre having a last little run about since they had been hiding from wind all day.

Yikes! I thought dropping from 84°F to 63°F was a big drop. That is what we have here. You have topped us.

 

[BY Bob]

Monday Mugs. Three of my four originals. Rusty, M and Bagheera.
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Bridge was there, too, but behind them.
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At first thought Bridge was headless!

 

[BY Bob]

Looks like Butters is having what's called a hard molt? This is from yesterday. Her chest on either side of the middle has bare patches not really covered when she raises her head. Under her back cover feathers is bare, and the wrists of her wings are bare when she shows them. She shakes and ruffles and preens; numerous fluff and cover feathers just explode out.

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She isn't eating pellets or mash balls now, or the wonderful sardines and rice mix that Hazel ate and Popcorn covered her beak in, but she eats some scratch & corn and mealworms, which Hazel didn't like. Going to see about worms and eggs. I suspect whatever she was eating before she's off just because it was before!

Temperatures we're dropping yesterday with wind, low 40's F, and I winterized the under-coop area and coop run so there's a totally wind-free area, and added wind-breaks to the big run. She and Hazel roosted very early yesterday. Temps got to 39F (3.9 Celsius) last night.

Geeze. Another winner in the dramatic temperature drop club.

 

[micstrachan]

Looks like Butters is having what's called a hard molt? This is from yesterday. Her chest on either side of the middle has bare patches not really covered when she raises her head. Under her back cover feathers is bare, and the wrists of her wings are bare when she shows them. She shakes and ruffles and preens; numerous fluff and cover feathers just explode out.

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She isn't eating pellets or mash balls now, or the wonderful sardines and rice mix that Hazel ate and Popcorn covered her beak in, but she eats some scratch & corn and mealworms, which Hazel didn't like. Going to see about worms and eggs. I suspect whatever she was eating before she's off just because it was before!

Temperatures we're dropping yesterday with wind, low 40's F, and I winterized the under-coop area and coop run so there's a totally wind-free area, and added wind-breaks to the big run. She and Hazel roosted very early yesterday. Temps got to 39F (3.9 Celsius) last night.

Yes, if she has big bare patches, I’d call it a hard molt.

 

[Marie2020]

Monday Mugs

From windy FBA

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Wow. She uses the same feather dressers as me

 

[RoyalChick]

Can you be more specific, there was nothing at all in the poo? No bits of anything? Hazel had very watered-down poo.

No bits of anything. Until last night and overnight when there were little bits of stuff.

 

[micstrachan]

Monday Mugs

From windy FBA

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Love it!!!

 

[rural mouse]

Mugs
Cheetah

Jessica (Rabbit)

Pear

She was wondering what I was doing. With 2 pullet eggs over the weekend, we've had lots of escort calls and other assorted babble. Cheetah is still learning, so I responded to one last week, encouraging the fussy lady to come into the coop. She didn't lay that day, but Pear came over to see what was going on too....or maybe provide her own escort services. So far, no one has laid where Cheetah told them too. All have been in boxes, 1 same box as Pear. The next couple of months will be eggciting, and right as they get sorted (I hope) Storm is due to start (unless she waits for spring).