Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

Actually. Taking 5 minutes to read BY Chickens has helped to break the tension throughout the day. I missed the ladies. We had a good day together today.

Phyllis followed me all day. Everytime I turned around, there she was. Even into the house. I almost closed the door on her a couple of times. She was like that much younger sibling you can't shake on a summer day.

She loves her daddy!

 

[LozzyR]

she was not looking at all well when I brought her in on Tuesday. This is the first long term house chicken situation DH has been ok with. But she is one of my special girls...

Get well soon Hobby!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

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.

I hope things get less frantic for you soon. Chicken time is important for relaxing!

The faces of Fluffy Butt Acres

View attachment 2142931

I never really noticed that Aurora has a beard. What breed/s is she?

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

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

Brilliant photos Ali!

I love that pine cone idea

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

to really depress everyone I could go one further for you with what I did with the baby mice in my chair. My cat must’ve succeeded in catching mama, and after days of plaintive squeaking I finally managed to catch one that crawled out of the chair and cut its sibling out as well. They were slowly starving to death, so I hand fed them some warmed up cow milk, and held them in my hands until they fell asleep. I just couldn’t kill them myself, but there’s no way I can take on nursing two baby mice! The fastes and surest end came by putting them out in a patch of warm sun with an egg. Within minutes they were gone thanks to my ever present Ravens.

Nature is beautiful, but merciless. But it was a kinder end than starvation or my cats would have offered them. I still feel like a murderer.

That's kind of sweet ...in a sad but realistic way. I hate to kill things too, but it's worse to see suffering and not do something about it.

I think you are very brave Kris.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Anyway, you should’ve seen me! I was running around flailing my arms attempting the aerial predator call over and over again. I also threw the ball where the hawk could definitely see the dog. The hawk moved on, I told the girls it was OK, and they resumed their business. Phew!

You'll be earning your rooster diploma in no time micstrachan!

 

[Kris5902]

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.

Get well soon Hobby!

I totally didn’t catch this typo at first

it’s “Hoppy” not Hobby... and thanks for all the well wishes! She is doing better, I don’t know if we will ever make it back to 100% chickening and free ranging, but she is tentatively walking around inside my laundry basket now, so things are looking up! As to the significance of her name... she Hops

Her story, for anyone who doesn’t know it, is that she is one of my “farm coop” rescues and a rehab girl. I think it was early spring of 2019; She “flew down” (read was dropped or tossed down when she struggled at being held) while being handled unsupervised by a 5 and (then) 7 year old pair of kids, breaking/damaging her leg. Not my coop, or my chickens! After I took her in, we did about a month of daily therapy to get her walking again, involving a Chicken sling and lots of supported walking. I also treated her for all the nasty parasites the farm chickens had aggressively. We also had a small egg binding/ thin shelled crushed inside egg issue that was touch and go, just as she was doing better from the leg injury. She made an almost full recovery, but walks with a bit of a limp.

And here’s a nice clip of all my rehab girls getting treats last summer: Hoppy, Croppy, Mrs B, and Missy, with my beautiful Leghorn x CCLegbar Rooster Sammy.

Missy was taken by an barred owl (now also deceased, with prejudice) this winter, I just lost Mrs B (bumblefoot and a prolapse) to reproductive/prolapse issues a few weeks ago. Hoppy and one other “old coop” survivor that lives with Bob are now the oldest chickens on the farm, I *think* she was born in 2016 or 2017. All my other rescues were purchased summer of 2018.

 

[micstrachan]

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

I use Kaytee Exact. I don’t think it’s organic, like their regular feed, but they LOVE it. It’s also easy to get through a syringe.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm constantly amazed by what they can spot. I see similar all the time and my eyesight while not great isn't too bad at long distances. The Muscovy ducks are even more impressive. The strange thing is, the chickens do not seem to worry, or maybe not even recognize the buzzard call here but as soon as they see it the warning call gets given.

Very interesting!

 

[micstrachan]

I totally didn’t catch this typo at first

it’s “Hoppy” not Hobby... and thanks for all the well wishes! She is doing better, I don’t know if we will ever make it back to 100% chickening and free ranging, but she is tentatively walking around inside my laundry basket now, so things are looking up! As to the significance of her name... she Hops

Her story, for anyone who doesn’t know it, is that she is one of my “farm coop” rescues and a rehab girl. I think it was early spring of 2019; She “flew down” (read was dropped or tossed down when she struggled at being held) while being handled unsupervised by a 5 and (then) 7 year old pair of kids, breaking/damaging her leg. Not my coop, or my chickens! After I took her in, we did about a month of daily therapy to get her walking again, involving a Chicken sling and lots of supported walking. I also treated her for all the nasty parasites the farm chickens had aggressively. We also had a small egg binding/ thin shelled crushed inside egg issue that was touch and go, just as she was doing better from the leg injury. She made an almost full recovery, but walks with a bit of a limp.

And here’s a nice clip of all my rehab girls getting treats last summer: Hoppy, Croppy, Mrs B, and Missy, with my beautiful Leghorn x CCLegbar Rooster Sammy.

Missy was taken by an barred owl (now also deceased, with prejudice) this winter, I just lost Mrs B (bumblefoot and a prolapse) to reproductive/prolapse issues a few weeks ago. Hoppy and one other “old coop” survivor that lives with Bob are now the oldest chickens on the farm, I *think* she was born in 2016 or 2017. All my other rescues were purchased summer of 2018.

Aren’t they all so cute! And Sammy looks MASSIVE beside them. He’s gorgeous!