Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

I feel like the line between scaring hawks and scaring chickens is almost non-existent.

Unless you are scaring hawks with your dog, who is friends with the chickens.

 

[MaryJanet]

Holy fluff! What beauties!

They seem to like occupying the back porch and I love it too because I can hear them talking while I work and it warms my heart

 

[micstrachan]

They seem to like occupying the back porch and I love it too because I can hear them talking while I work and it warms my heart

How lovely!

 

[LozzyR]

I saw the same article and it relieved me of worrying about sleep. Now I just get up for a while and nod of again without too much bother.

I find if I’ve fully woken up in the middle of the night, it can take some time to get back to sleep and then I’m shattered in the morning.

 

[Scrambles83]

So this afternoon I collected Snows egg (a nice 70 gm) and put it on a chair outside while I cleaned the coop.
I nearly got inside then remembered I had left it on the chair and went out to get it but it was gone
In the past this would have had me stumped but I know my family too well…

May I present exhibit A, a pretty unassuming pile of dirt and stones, right?

And what was under them…

Scrambles (the dog) had gently lifted it off the chair and buried it all without breaking it

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So this afternoon I collected Snows egg (a nice 70 gm) and put it on a chair outside while I cleaned the coop.
I nearly got inside then remembered I had left it on the chair and went out to get it but it was gone
In the past this would have had me stumped but I know my family too well…

May I present exhibit A, a pretty unassuming pile of dirt and stones, right?
View attachment 2894964
And what was under them…
View attachment 2894965

Scrambles (the dog) had gently lifted it off the chair and buried it all without breaking it

My goodness! That is…wow.

 

[Scrambles83]

Minnie update
Sorry for long post - really just therapy for me.
Even though she is a damaged breed (no, @Shadrach I am not going to let that go any time soon ), I am not giving up on Minnie.
At @BY Bob's suggestion I am trying starter grower feed - she seemed only so-so interested but at least she ate some yesterday.
She is way more interested in finely diced cabbage. Everything smells of cabbage - her poo (now more-or-less reliably solid) smells of cabbage, the Chicken Palace smells of cabbage (do chickens fart at night? I think she is gassing up the place!), my kitchen smells of cabbage, I assume I smell of cabbage.
I rather like cabbage but I may not be able to face eating it myself for some time after this.
Anyway, this morning at 6am when I went in to take Minnie off the roost for her private breakfast of starter/grower food with cabbage and meal worms, she was already up and about in the dark. And, shockingly, was nibbling on regular commercial feed.
She was joined by the rest of the tribe and they do run her off the food a bit but she was getting in there. I have observed that they are communal eaters and prefer to eat together so I decided not to put her in the hospital ward but let them all chow down on her breakfast. She of course didn't get the lion share, but I can do another plate at lunch for them.
Minnie is still very keen on Gatorade which probably isn't healthy, but on the other hand provides fast calories (dextrose) so I think I will keep letting her have it until she puts on some weight.
Her comb is still pale and shriveled - seems to go up and down a bit during the day, but hasn't been wonderful since I first got worried about her.
Her behavior is normal and energetic.
And her feather growth is interesting - she is developing a grey striped patch in the middle of her red chest and a thick wad of black feathers at the base of her rump. I don't know if those are future tail feathers or something else.
You can see all of that in the pics and short video below.

View attachment 2893851View attachment 2893852View attachment 2893853View attachment 2893854

Great, go Minnie!!

 

[fuentemoon]

They seem to like occupying the back porch and I love it too because I can hear them talking while I work and it warms my heart

Mine like to sit under the roses, which means they are under my front window, the couch is just on the other side of the wall. I love listening to them chatting.

 

[fuentemoon]

Another deterrent idea, once when watching an animal behavior show I saw them use a motion sensor trigger spray bottle to keep away stray cats. I once thought of creating a similar system with sprinklers to deter deer.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

All my girls are molting like crazy. No eggies for us!
One girl has been kicked off the roosts by her flock mates. She sleeps here now.