Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Yellow under, with black 'dusting'

Not cuckoo marans. Likely barred rock

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Raven and her baby.

 

[RoyalChick]

So I had some chicken drama yesterday evening. 30 minutes after I posted that Baby had accepted the Squirrel chick, she took a good long look at it, and tried to kill it. Thankfully I was there and was able to quickly scoop it up before she hurt it. The distressed cheep of the chick stirred Raven who was sitting on her egg beside Baby and the chicks. I had noticed that Raven was stretching her neck to peek at Baby's chicks whenever she got a chance. Raven was calling to the chick, so I took a chance and stuffed it under her. She settled down, and started talking to it. I sat out on the porch for 4 solid hours, gave her a dish of water and food and she showed it how to eat and drink and then promptly tucked it back under her with her egg. I left the egg and chick under her overnight and checked on them twice in the middle of the night and each time she was cooing to the chick. This morning I removed the egg, and she stayed in the box with the chick for another 2 hours. About a hour ago she got up to leave the box and I helped the chick out of the box and she followed me to the bottom of the step cackling angrily. I gave her the baby and she is doing wonderfully. I've potentially ruined these 2 girls though, Baby will now think she can hatch chicks sitting on air, and Raven will think it only takes a week to get a baby.

Nothing to say. Just

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Is 27 a lot of chicks? It seems like a huge number to me but maybe that's normal for you. What will happen to them all?

Good Question. Yes 27 is a lot, but not as many as last spring when I had 29 hatch. Between my 2 broody hens I've given them 4 chicks as grow outs. As far as incubator hatching goes as far as chickens this will be my only hatching. The other 23 are in the brooder and have been listed already. I will keep them as long as it takes to find homes for them. I have cleaned the incubator and letting it air dry. If as planned my sawdust guy delivers me the Guinea eggs, I will try to incubate those for him, but as soon as they hatch he is going to pick them up.

 

[RoyalChick]

Raven and her baby.

View attachment 3074046

Make that

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

This is baby Squirrel

This is her chick

I was not planning on growing out a 4th chick, but when mom saw the chick in the incubator she grabbed her phone and found that first picture. She and my dad argue me that Squirrel is the prettiest hen I have. My dad calls her Pretty eyes. Mom insisted I see if Baby would take a 4th one which led to the drama last night. I'm happy Raven decided to take it. Now to wait and see if it grows up to be a pretty as it's momma.

 

[RoyalChick]

This is baby Squirrel
View attachment 3074051
This is her chick
View attachment 3074052

I was not planning on growing out a 4th chick, but when mom saw the chick in the incubator she grabbed her phone and found that first picture. She and my dad argue me that Squirrel is the prettiest hen I have. My dad calls her Pretty eyes. Mom insisted I see if Baby would take a 4th one which led to the drama last night. I'm happy Raven decided to take it. Now to wait and see if it grows up to be a pretty as it's momma.
View attachment 3074055View attachment 3074056

Well, let's see now, seems to me it is already doing pretty well in the pretty stakes!

 

[Marie2020]

Sorry to hear about Agatha. I’m holding bad news too. My son’s mother in law has passed away from cancer this morning
Tax. View attachment 3071692

So many people dying. I'm sorry for your son's loss.

 

[Marie2020]

Today has been one of those days that I'm grateful I have the chickens and horses as a distraction. They kept me from fully loosing my temper several times. Grandma's appointment with the neurologist did NOT go the way she wanted it to go and he told her some things she did not want to hear. She started it off by arguing that she almost had a stroke, and he corrected her and told her that she DID have one. He also told her that the full side effects of stroke can take up to 6 months to become apparent. She told him she was going home, he told her it was either stay with us or a nursing home. She has to go back in 3 months for a memory test, she's refusing. To make her happy afterwards we took her to the grocery store, while in there she blew up and said she was not staying any longer. I lost it, and told her to tell me which nursing home to call then. She stopped arguing, but has barely spoken to me or mom the rest of the evening.

You are dealing with an impossible task . I really admire your sticking with her
So many people just walk away at the first hurdle but not you

 

[Marie2020]

Hopefully it will blow over somewhat given a little time, is there any what you can ease her transition by bringing her some of her favourite things from her home? Get her really settled in… sometimes familiar items or Art can help, my grandmother had a big stereo and record player and her favourite chair that we kept with her, she even was able to take her chair to the nursing home when my mom couldn’t care for her any longer. You did well in not completely losing it,

great advice