Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Aussie-Chookmum]

My nerves are shot and I can’t promise a happy ending
(Sorry for the long post but I need support from my Chickeny friends)

It all started at about 6am with 3 hungry chicks.

Then, just before 9am the first little chick ventures out of the nest for the first time but thinks better of it.

Half an hour later he is still not sure but his siblings are more adventurous

Soon they are all out of the nest and what follows is many hours of complete mayhem. The babies can’t actually fly for real so they face-plant into walls and crash land in all sorts of strange places and are screaming for their mother:

• One gets stuck on the chimney breast
• One lands in a bucket of water (twice) and I have to fish him out each time and try and dry him off (so cute with his downy head tufts)
• Mom returns and goes frantic.

Eventually she gets two of them back up to the nest – it takes a few tries for each to get up there.

But one little chick is different. She really knows how to fly. And she flies out of the garage and high up into a tree.

But while she got an A for flight school she definitely got an F in navigation, and she won’t go back to the garage. Mom has been trying to persuade her but she is up high and just bleating for Mom but not following. I am sitting outside under the tree in case she crashes to earth and I can bring her back to the nest.
But now it is dark and it will be cold tonight so I am not optimistic she will survive the night.

At least she got to soar. But I am very sad nonetheless….View attachment 2140673View attachment 2140678View attachment 2140679

Update
5:45am. Feeling slightly guilty (@Shadrach 's admonition ringing in my ears) I head out to where Tweety Bird was last night (yes I made the mistake of naming him/her!). Well, what d'ya know but there is Tweety Bird on a branch receiving food delivery from Mom who cannot get to the other chicks until I get up and open the garage doors.
Mom still frantically trying to get Tweety Bird to follow her back to the garage and this time Tweety Bird really tries but is cold or weak and falls to the ground at my feet.
Even though I basically agree with @Shadrach, I decide that empathy for a fellow being doesn't make me a bad person and I scoop up Tweety Bird (excuse my rough hands).View attachment 2141115
I am able to put Tweety Bird up on the shelf where the nest is and s/he climbs right in and is immediately followed by Mom with some juicy food delivery.
I don't know whether Tweety Bird will survive the shock of the night out in the cold, or being manhandled by me, but I am at peace with trying to help.
Enjoy breakfast Tweety Bird!

No wonder you were a nervous wreck RC. I would be too!

I'm glad Tweety survived the night and you got them back in the nest. You did your bit, it's up to the parents now.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I suspect the answer is ‘yes’, but for those of you who have had chooks go through a hard moult, do they not seem themselves? It’s cold and wet this morning and Charlie seems off her game.

I didn't notice much behaviour change in Alice during her last hard moult except her shivering with cold and she seemed to be a bit off her food. That's when I broke out the yogurt and fish.

 

[Ali James]

Happy Friday!

i present a double dip present, Hattie as a pullet and all grown up. This is especially for you, @Ali James
View attachment 2141179

Aww thanks Bob! Beautiful bird x

 

[RoyalChick]

Happy Friday! Geez, I thought we’d never get here! I will catch up on the thread this weekend, but have two things to share. First, I saved a woodpecker out of our Jacuzzi today. It’s an old Jacuzzi that is not functioning and has all kinds of larvae growing in it, so I think maybe that woodpecker was going for something in there. Anyway, it was weak and shivering, so I warmed it up in my hands and in the sun over warm rocks and eventually it went on its way. it feels good to save a life! And here’s the other thing. I’ve been letting the grass around the new chicken bath grow long so that they use it more, feeling more protected. I was sitting on a rock right beside some of them bathing and got lucky enough To capture this cute video.

So glad the woodpecker survived and I love that video - such delicate pecks!

 

[RoyalChick]

Also, who doesn’t love some good dust bathing footage! Here are Ruby, Cashew and Minnie:

And here is Little Mill. Notice the green and purple sheen on her black spots.

Oh I love chicken bathing videos. They look so happy, I kinda want to jump in there with them!

 

[BY Bob]

Ok, this is yet another example where I can’t find Bob’s original post. And I always try to pick uo where I left off. How do I keep missing these? And... YES! Super cute!

If someone could write up details of what's happening we could try tagging the folks who run the site for some help. Maybe listing specific post numbers and your browser would help them. I don't like that this is happening to you.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes, I think she’s ok.

That is good news I know you will let us know if anything changes. I've been quite worried. especially so since I could not help you.

 

[BY Bob]

Everyone, sorry I've been absent recently. Work got crazy again and I have been falling asleep on the couch while on BY Chickens. Not much time spent with the ladies this past week so not a lot of stories about their shenanigans. I expect next week will be worse. Hopefully I can get some time in with them this weekend.

 

[BY Bob]

The faces of Fluffy Butt Acres

 

[RoyalChick]

Everyone, sorry I've been absent recently. Work got crazy again and I have been falling asleep on the couch while on BY Chickens. Not much time spent with the ladies this past week so not a lot of stories about their shenanigans. I expect next week will be worse. Hopefully I can get some time in with them this weekend.

Sorry to hear that Bob, I know how it goes. Get some balance back soon.