Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Bunny Spotted

There seem to be 3 bunnies left. I watched they playing in my yard yesterday and catch this little one just now coming out of the woodpile. They were chasing each other allover my and my neighbors yard yesterday. There was too much crossing the street for me but they were having a blast jumping over each other. It was very distracting while I was on all my calls.

 

[BY Bob]

My seven year old son named the girls after the Velociraptors in Jurassic World!
Delta - who is the alpha - Light Sussex
Echo - second hen, - Marans hybrid
Blue - third hen - Blue Rhode/Bluebell
Charlie - fourth hen - Heritage Skyline

I forgot that. I love their names. So well suited!

 

[BY Bob]

Well, I was going to post this over on my own thread but since you asked...

Hoppy is doing much better, though I think I may need to look up Those chicken diaper sewing patterns at the rate she is soiling the chicken towels. We are fairly certain she had a stroke of some sort now. She is still having vision problems, mostly depth perception and near her head. And she is quite wobbly when she tries to move about. Great news is she is standing up on her own (mostly when she wants food or to poop) and starting to attempt to walk.

Wow, I never considered that as a possibility. I glad she is showing signs of recovery. I hope that she can come back to be able to "chicken" about again. Poor girl.

 

[BY Bob]

I managed to finally get a pic of the Cobra Chickens! Of course dad spotted me through the window and was already moving the littles out... they still don’t trust me one bit. View attachment 2143610
This morning at 4:30 am (false dawn) there was the dreaded full alarm call, so out I rushed in my Jammies in the drizzling rain, armed with the trusty nerf gun, and prepared to scare off the owl or whatever else had upset my babies... and I couldn’t spot anything. Sammy and crew all quieted down, and I was left standing in the rain, underdressed and trying desperately to locate the source of the “danger”. Then I spotted Daddy goose’s head peering at me from just down the road they are becoming bolder where the leftover chicken feed is concerned at least!

That is sincerely inconsiderate. I might have shot at him anyway. It's not like he is friendly. He can go eat wild food.

 

[micstrachan]

Well, I was going to post this over on my own thread but since you asked...

Hoppy is doing much better, though I think I may need to look up Those chicken diaper sewing patterns at the rate she is soiling the chicken towels. We are fairly certain she had a stroke of some sort now. She is still having vision problems, mostly depth perception and near her head. And she is quite wobbly when she tries to move about. Great news is she is standing up on her own (mostly when she wants food or to poop) and starting to attempt to walk.

Awww, sweet Hobby. I didn’t know she was having issues. She actually looks pretty good to me! Clearly not totally well, but not at death’s door, either.

 

[Shadrach]

This is my Heritage Skyline, Charlie, who allegedly could lay blue eggs (but let’s not talk about that )

View attachment 2143151

She has a habit of going broody, in the ‘growling-pancake’ way, rather than a ‘shrieking beach ball’ way. It got so bad this time, we bought a cage of shame and sent her off to broody-jail. She snapped out of it really quickly.

View attachment 2143153

As @Shadrach was saying a while ago, she goes into the full on trance on the nest, we can stroke her, get our hands right under her and she won’t move. Neil picked her up and put her on my lap and she stayed put. She is in no way a lap chicken; if anything she is the flightiest of my flock

View attachment 2143163

That broody trance is really interesting. I would love to know exactly what switches off and what still functions. Something happens to their legs, this is quite apparent.
I find once their legs are fully extended they wake up. I nake the poor hens walk, just to make sure they're awake.

 

[Shadrach]

This is my alpha hen, Delta, first of her name, Queen of the coop, ruler of the high roosts, dispenser of harsh justice and all round meanie.

she is investigating a new diversion I made for them, I wired a load of pine cones to an upturned wooden hanging basket. I’ve been scattering feed and corn amongst all the pine cones to make them work harder for their treatsView attachment 2143256

She doesn't look impressed.

 

[LozzyR]

Um...no. But it’s just a sip. That was the only time, except Bridge sampled red wine once. Is that bad?

I’m not sure, but given what it can do to humans, imagine what it can do to chickens!

 

[Shadrach]

That’s exactly what I do! Sardines during molt! They love it. I also offer baby bird formula to those hit the hardest.

I had a look at the bird formula you mentioned earlier. There are a few varieties. Which one do you use?

 

[Ribh]

That broody trance is really interesting. I would love to know exactly what switches off and what still functions. Something happens to their legs, this is quite apparent.
I find once their legs are fully extended they wake up. I nake the poor hens walk, just to make sure they're awake.

Yep, I make mine get moving too. This staring @ nothing is not safe.