Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Not good to push it, with Covid, whether short- or long-haul. I also had to give a "wow" to what I understood to be your office policy - you can, or have to, go back at Day 11 even if you are still testing positive? That astounds me. Is that the latest, that one is not infectious even with a positive test, at Day 11?

5 days here for quarantine, and don't have to retest after initial test.

My coworker has been sick since weekend, not covid but Flu!!!! Seems it's made a huge resurgence here at the moment.

Human flu, avian flu.... I am staying away from people and I am keeping my chickens away from birds wherever I can!!!!!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

In good, but painful news, Dotty has experienced the electric fence.
It was distressing to watch. She was trying to eat the bottom horizontal wire (which is not live) and her comb touched the next wire up (which is live). That is exactly how it is supposed to work I guess.
She shot 3’ in the air vertically and ran off shrieking and leaping in the air like the whole ground was zapping her (which it wasn’t).
Now I have to hope:
- she is smart enough not to do that again
- she realizes that she should not touch any part of the fence, it isn't just that specific spot she needs to avoid
- she has sufficient community spirit to teach the others so they don’t all need to learn by experience
- the foxes have the same reaction

Tax - my ladies out exploring the wilderness.

View attachment 3102394

It may depend on who else was there when it happened, otherwise all they know is Dotty had a bad experience. It is painful, I'm sorry. Maybe she can tell the others? I believe Hazel and Peanut both got zapped (Peanut twice) and Popcorn and Butters somehow learned from them to avoid it when they could.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Grandma's got her walker with her, and now she's got even more reason to have it!

The only reason she had it with her is because she had just finished with physical therapy which leaves her tired. She thought she outsmarted us yesterday. She had to go have bloodwork done and we needed to stop in at wal-mart. We told her her therapy appointment was between 1:30 and 2 so we could not be out all day. We get to wal-mart for just a few things at 12:30, she gets in the power cart and disappears. By the time we track her down, wait in line for the checkout that has a worker as she refused the faster self checkout and get home it is 2:15. She gets inside and sits down and claims she guessed she missed her therapy appointment so she was taking a nap. Mom smugly told her nope she was just in time, they were showing up at 3.

 

[featherhead007]

I will never understand these chickens!
Xzit wanted my attention, so I brought her inside. All she wanted to do, is explore her surroundings. (She hopped all around the house) I Gave her some meally worms and then she started “Squawk squawk squawk”! I was done with that, and took her back out to the yard.

 

[rural mouse]

So today I went back to the in-laws. all 3 of the 5 toed chicks have a crest knob. I don't think it will be as big as Thing's, but they will be crested. At least 1 of them is showing the oversized nostrils that go with the V comb too. Another looks like might be golden laced wyandootte, which surprised me as Jess went broody about the time i started collecting eggs for this. Out of 27 eggs, 17 pipped with 2 not making it out of the shell and a 3rd not making it more than a couple of days. 14 hatchlings when battling freezing temps to bring eggs in while still warm, collecting eggs for a week (of the 18 I collected, 10 (I think) made it).

I came home with 2 more. The black is the only other black there except the crested crew, and hatched from a brown egg, making it a giant x (from the smallest hens there: we're wondering if the hatchery mixed them up and they're not giants). The chocolate one we have no idea on, but is suspect will develop the flame face that Rebecca loves so much. The black, while there, proved to be a feisty one, trying to take chunks out of any fingers in there. Here, not so much: jumped off the rock, right into the middle of the light trio, then went for a dust bath. The chocolate is proving much shyer, but the light trio isn't letting her. The outside duo are proving mama is doing a good job, figuring out how to get up there when a jump from the ground isn't enough.

 

[rural mouse]

I will never understand these chickens!
Xzit wanted my attention, so I brought her inside. All she wanted to do, is explore her surroundings. (She hopped all around the house) I Gave her some meally worms and then she started “Squawk squawk squawk”! I was done with that, and took her back out to the yard.

Sounds like she's looking for a good nest site and you were her chosen escort.

 

[featherhead007]

The only reason she had it with her is because she had just finished with physical therapy which leaves her tired. She thought she outsmarted us yesterday. She had to go have bloodwork done and we needed to stop in at wal-mart. We told her her therapy appointment was between 1:30 and 2 so we could not be out all day. We get to wal-mart for just a few things at 12:30, she gets in the power cart and disappears. By the time we track her down, wait in line for the checkout that has a worker as she refused the faster self checkout and get home it is 2:15. She gets inside and sits down and claims she guessed she missed her therapy appointment so she was taking a nap. Mom smugly told her nope she was just in time, they were showing up at 3.

Plans and schemes (you are getting good at it as it seems!)

 

[Ponypoor]

In good, but painful news, Dotty has experienced the electric fence.
It was distressing to watch. She was trying to eat the bottom horizontal wire (which is not live) and her comb touched the next wire up (which is live). That is exactly how it is supposed to work I guess.
She shot 3’ in the air vertically and ran off shrieking and leaping in the air like the whole ground was zapping her (which it wasn’t).
Now I have to hope:
- she is smart enough not to do that again
- she realizes that she should not touch any part of the fence, it isn't just that specific spot she needs to avoid
- she has sufficient community spirit to teach the others so they don’t all need to learn by experience
- the foxes have the same reaction

Tax - my ladies out exploring the wilderness.

View attachment 3102394

I am sorry for laughing but I have extensive experience hot wire fencing with horses cattle sheep and goats. (Me also...)

Baby goats are hilarious when they try to eat the electric fence!!! And boy can they scream murder!!

I can only imagine what your hen did - the visual you painted was very vivid! I am sure she will get one more lifter off it before learning, I am sure foxes will also figure it out!

 

[featherhead007]

Sounds like she's looking for a good nest site and you were her chosen escort.

She shouldn’t have come to me. I’m not her rooster.

 

[rural mouse]

She shouldn’t have come to me. I’m not her rooster.

Junior roo.