Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

For the pigeons, otoh, time for a shower!
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It's raining hard although the still photo doesn't capture it.

I was thinking of of you yesterday @biophiliac ; I caught a pigeon in the girl’s run. I think it might have been a juvenile; it kept submitting to me. I took it around the front of the house, then I worried I might have separated it from its parents. A little while later I went around the front again and it was still on the wall where I put it. I went to see if I could pick it up again and it flew across the road and landed on the neighbour’s roof. I figured if it could fly, it wasn’t injured and it could sort itself out. It was pretty cute though!

 

[biophiliac]

I was thinking of of you yesterday @biophiliac ; I caught a pigeon in the girl’s run. I think it might have been a juvenile; it kept submitting to me. I took it around the front of the house, then I worried I might have separated it from its parents. A little while later I went around the front again and it was still on the wall where I put it. I went to see if I could pick it up again and it flew across the road and landed on the neighbour’s roof. I figured if it could fly, it wasn’t injured and it could sort itself out. It was pretty cute though!

You likely saved him from harm. Chickens can be rough on pigeons! And he does sound like a juvenile, just barely out of the nest.

 

[LozzyR]

You likely saved him from harm. Chickens can be rough on pigeons! And he does sound like a juvenile, just barely out of the nest.

It kept flattening itself out on the ground with its wings out. I was a bit worried it might have been injured, but it flew off fine. Wish I had taken a photo!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I bought Chickie and Henny Penny from a battery farm nearby (which has since been shut down because of animal cruelty). I had just lost Emily, one of my two original girls and Lucy seemed lonely. You could buy them for $5.00 each and give them a home, otherwise they were killed at 18 months old. I didn’t know anything about quarantine then so I just put them all in together. It took Lucy about 5 minutes of hanging back before she got in there and started scratching around with them. There was no bullying, no pecking order, just three mates hanging out together. I was a bit shocked at Chickie’s appearance; her severely trimmed beak, one eye in which the pupil remained dilated, plus she was smaller than the other two, but as I got to know her, I discovered how cruisy and laid-back she was, how she stayed relaxed when I picked her up.

When I was painting the tractor after I had lost Penny, I had all the pieces spread out on the trampoline. I also had the pot of varnish up there as Lucy and Chickie had a habit of licking pictures and brightly coloured things and I didn’t want them to do that on something that was covered in chemicals. The two of them had been hanging out with me under the trampoline and every so often I could hear trilling (which I’m pretty sure was Chickie). Anyway, Chickie decided she wanted to know what I was doing so she flapped her wings furiously and got herself up to the edge of the trampoline and perched there. I lifted her back down as I didn’t want her licking stuff. She did this four times in a row! It was very cute and if I hadn’t had stuff covered in varnish, I would have let her hang out with me up top. It’s a nice memory, anyway.

Thank you for sharing Lozzy. It sounds like she had a happy and tranquil life with you.

I admire those who can rescue poor battery hens. I don’t think I have the emotional fortitude to do it

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Well, friends, Queen Bee is back in sick bay. I just don't know what to do with her. Sure wish there was a veterinarian around here.

How old is she ValerieJ? I hope she gets better

 

[LozzyR]

Thank you for sharing Lozzy. It sounds like she had a happy and tranquil life with you.

I admire those who can rescue poor battery hens. I don’t think I have the emotional fortitude to do it

To be honest, I was quite naive when I first got Lucy and Emily. I’ve learnt a lot in the last 2 1/2 years.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Treacle for all his loveliness is a bit slow about this hen business.

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Treacle by name, Treacle by nature.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Oh my goodness. I know all about loss. I lost my only child. It is actually why it's so hard for me to watch her die.

Okay. You are all so kind and trying to be helpful. It's just not helping, so I'm going to just go sit with my sick girl for a while.

Thanks everyone for the hugs!!! I needed that.

Take all the hugs you need Valerie.

I’m sure she appreciates your company

 

[BY Bob]

Phyllis D.

Another profile in the tradition of @MaryJanet

Phyllis is the hen of my wife’s dreams (technically her name is Phyllis D). She has wanted a Polish since she first heard the story of Nardole the Brave. Polish are known to be skittish, flighty, and are generally considered to be not the Brightest Hen in the Coop.

From what I have seen so far, Phyllis is actually quite clever. I have seen her do amazing things to avoid other hens and get her share of treats. I can touch and pick up Phyllis whenever I want and she runs to my legs anytime she see me walking in the yard. I think a lot of the issues people have with Polish is because of that beautiful mop of feathers on her head. Her whole world is down. She cannot see up and therefore is easily spooked.

That mop of feathers on her head does serve one purpose, it does block other hens from seeing “What she’s got there?” It is difficult for other hens to know if she has something worth stealing as they can’t see it!

She has a great wing to body ratio and flies as well as any leghorn I ever had. When spooked she will either speed away, and boy she is fast, or take flight. Hence the flighty and skittish.

I have learned to talk to her when approaching in case she hasn’t seen me yet. Phyllis knows her name and comes when called.

Favorite Hobby: Her favorite hobby is running. She is sprinter without peer. Whenever she gets separated form the rest of the flock, she stops, raises her neck as high as she can, finds the group, and sprints after them. She reminds me of the Road Runner sometimes. I am so glad that I can pick her up because there is no way I would ever catch her.

Favorite Saying: Hey, wait for me!

Rank: She is number 6 in the pecking order (or last)

Named After: Why of course she is named after Phyllis Diller because they have similar hairdos and laughs.

Favorite Recording Artist: The Who (She’s a bit of a bad girl. I think she has her nose pierced under all those feathers)

Favorite Song: “Who are You”, by The Who

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Now I am in floods of tears. I have had two cats die in my arms and one I had the vet euthenize. But then there was Pashmina. A fully indoor cat who was about 18 or maybe 20. Clearly wasting away from old age but with a nice cat life with a warm bed and lots of cuddles. One evening she gets up and goes to the front door and howls to be let out. She had never gone out that door her whole life. After hours of agonizing (I could sense what she had in mind) I let her out and she walked confidently off into the night and was never seen again. For a while I felt guilty at letting her out. But now I feel I did the right thing. She knew it was her time to go. Hope I have half as much dignity when it is my turn.