Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Many. Humans underestimate other creatures every day.

Point of fact, humans underestimate other humans every day!

 

[WhoDatChick]

I’ll have my children do it as well. Perhaps they can spread the word.

That would be wonderful! Thank you so much!!

 

[Shadrach]

I guess you have had some serious rain. How long are you usually cut if for? I am assuming this has happened before of course.

I love the pictures of the chicks out and about. I'm sure they were driving Bracket nuts all stuck in the house like that.

Now this is a phrase of my mother's. I've never heard another soul say it. Here goes.

Those chicks needed to "go outside and blow the stink off".

My brother and I were laughing about this phrase the other day. We were exceptionally stinkier after a day outside!

It's nothing compared to the fires in Australia Bob, but it's local so it has to be dealt with.
Yup, it has happened before' 2004 was bad and 1982 as well. That's as far back as we have proper records for. I expect it's been happening for ages.
First trip out this afternoon. One track open. We're lucky here in that there are still local people here on the farms and they just get on with it. None of the posh imports were out last night or today.

 

[Shadrach]

I think Sandy's reproductive problems are slowly worsening. I had intended to book her op last week but let it go because she had been doing so well. I'll call them this week to book her in.

That's a sad thing to be dealing with.

 

[Shadrach]

I have the best news to share tonight! The great cockerel shuffle of 2020 is finally sorted out!

Every morning I go out and pull Pippi out of Mad's run and give him his own. He has a coop, food, and water and all is peaceful for the day. If I leave them together, Mad attacks him over and over again. But, at the end of the day, every day, Pippi wont go into his coop, he wants to be with Mad. So, I open the gate and the squabbles begin again. He tries to go in and Mad sits at the door and attacks him.

When this happens, Pippi will go back and look at his little coop and look in, then run over to Mad's coop and try again. This process repeats for about 20 minutes until finally he makes it in. There is a little grumping, but It's dark and they are tired, so they settle down.

Today, instead of moving Pippi, I moved Mad to the other run. My thought was, at the end of the day, Pippi would go in first and I would open the gate for Mad. When I went out tonight to open the gate, Mad had already put himself to bed in Pippi's coop. Pippi was in Mad's coop, and all was happy in chickenland!!!

Not only that, the two pullets who have been staying in a small coop with Lucy, preparing them for integration, had put themselves to bed with Lucy all on their own for the first time!

Woot!

 

[WhoDatChick]

I read this article in my Backyard Poultry magazine and found it very interesting.. especially since so many people let their chickens raise ducks and/or other species and vice versa ... thought yall might like it as well..
Okay, I am trying to post the pics but.. is this system still figuring out kinks or is this the new format..!? Because loading multiple pics is a nightmare ... and the emojis!!

 

[MaryJanet]

That's a sad thing to be dealing with.

It's a tough call because 5-6 days a week, she shows no sign of discomfort, not even dilated pupils (I'm so grateful for her yellow eyes - makes it much easier to observe her pupils). Then one day a week, she goes quiet, her pupils dilate, and the tips of her comb darken.

This morning she's flapped her wings, scratched in the dirt, preened, she's eaten some proper breakfast, and now she's picking at weeds. Her comb is a lovely healthy red colour.

It's hard to know what to do.

 

[WhoDatChick]

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach, I love, love, love this article. And I’m pleased to report, even though I do break the small flock rule with a total of 37, my land is more diverse than just the lawn. The birds love the horse paddocks, especially so beginning in the late summer when all the vegetation is at it’s densest.

On a side note, even though our land borders timberland, I don’t encourage, nor do I want, my birds finding out about that luscious undergrowth. That is where all the bad things live and where my security dogs cannot patrol. (I don’t know how I’ll stop them if they ever do find it!)

Anyway, I am definitely bookmarking this article. It always makes for a good day to find something we can read and reread that reassures us we are doing something right for our birds.

Thanks again, Shad!

Would you like some more?
I found the article particularly encouraging.

 

[MaryJanet]

Point of fact, humans underestimate other humans every day!

So true!