Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

I'm a little late but, here is a double fluffy butt photo, courtesy of Marble and Maisie!

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Thank you, Marble and Maisie!

 

[micstrachan]

River is being very vocal today, she’s still at it even as I type this! Tegan throws a peck her way every so often to tell her to shut it.

Haha, Tegan!

Some of mine get chatty like that pre-egg laying. I call it “talking about eggs.” And I’m not referring to the egg song.

 

[BY Bob]

I love the name!

Thank you. Tell us about your flock?

 

[BY Bob]

I don’t think it’s really “correctable”, but I’m doing what I can to make it easier for her to eat. With her age and breeding I’m not going to do anything more than try to make her as comfortable and happy as I can. She didn’t freak out nearly as much coming into the big coop for breakfast today. Sat in her little plastic tote and watched me cook her eggs with curiosity. One little “OMG CAT!!!” Moment, but otherwise calm and happy. At least the lice and mites are mostly gone. I don’t know that I’ll ever have her lice free because her beak makes preening almost impossible, and probably isn’t helping her molt any either. If she had more feathers in I would dust her with that nice powder I can’t get here anymore that works amazingly.
View attachment 2375412
I took off a significant amount, but it was all the translucent beak material, and it was cracked from her aggressively pecking for feed. I came a little closer to the white area than I would have liked on the straight section as well.
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edit to add: the yellow is her breakfast!

O gosh. Poor thing. That's just awful what they did to her. Barbaric. They should suffer for inflicting that upon her. Horrible people and practice. You are doing a wonderful thing helping her!

 

[chickenn00b11]

Thank you. Tell us about your flock?

I currently have 0 chickens, but hopefully I can get some in the coming months.

 

[BY Bob]

Went to shut Tribe 1 in for the night and found them perched around the outside of the coop. The pop door was shut!
It is just about possible that one of the sheep knocked it and it feel down the slots but I very much doubt it. That means someone shut it. I haven't asked yet and it will take me a while to be calm enough to be able to hold my temper.
The problem is, Tap is missing. I found all the others but not her. I had hoped she might have got into the hay storage section of the sheep shed but she wasn't there. I've looked everywhere I can think she might go. I do hope she makes it through the night. It's one thing having a tribe, or even two or three out for the night. The more sensible pick decent roost spots. Tap isn't very old and doesn't have the experience. The rest stuck close to Cillin and Treacle and naturally, even if I had missed them at dusk, I would have discovered the problem later when I check on them.

This type of thing is one of those largely unreported consequences of the Covid virus. People who should be safely shut in offices playing with bits of paper and their computers decide they will do stuff around the place. There have been lots of accidents in the area from exactly this. People have decided to things themselves because the suddentdly have the time rather than let or pay the people who usually do these things for them. Three chainsaw accidents this year on this mountain alone. We've had two donkey injuries here that required vet care because the people here can't remember to shut gates, turn on electric fences, check water supply and even worse, decide to take the animals out on excursions.
It's not just a problem here. I was talking about this subject with a couple of other people with small holdings here who have family members who usually work in Barcelona or similar.
I just hope Tap has found somewhere safe.

I will pray for her tonight. I just wish I could do more.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm a little late but, here is a double fluffy butt photo, courtesy of Marble and Maisie!

View attachment 2375705

Awesome! Beautiful butts.

 

[Kris5902]

Went to shut Tribe 1 in for the night and found them perched around the outside of the coop. The pop door was shut!
It is just about possible that one of the sheep knocked it and it feel down the slots but I very much doubt it. That means someone shut it. I haven't asked yet and it will take me a while to be calm enough to be able to hold my temper.
The problem is, Tap is missing. I found all the others but not her. I had hoped she might have got into the hay storage section of the sheep shed but she wasn't there. I've looked everywhere I can think she might go. I do hope she makes it through the night. It's one thing having a tribe, or even two or three out for the night. The more sensible pick decent roost spots. Tap isn't very old and doesn't have the experience. The rest stuck close to Cillin and Treacle and naturally, even if I had missed them at dusk, I would have discovered the problem later when I check on them.

This type of thing is one of those largely unreported consequences of the Covid virus. People who should be safely shut in offices playing with bits of paper and their computers decide they will do stuff around the place. There have been lots of accidents in the area from exactly this. People have decided to things themselves because the suddentdly have the time rather than let or pay the people who usually do these things for them. Three chainsaw accidents this year on this mountain alone. We've had two donkey injuries here that required vet care because the people here can't remember to shut gates, turn on electric fences, check water supply and even worse, decide to take the animals out on excursions.
It's not just a problem here. I was talking about this subject with a couple of other people with small holdings here who have family members who usually work in Barcelona or similar.
I just hope Tap has found somewhere safe.

I pray she is safely up for the night

I feel your pain... Cousin in law has been making her presence known here as well, and Sister in law- so helpful and knowledgeable, and totally not citiots like me. NO you don’t grab a bird by their wings FFS! I have also had to watch for the small human (who has been asking for me) closing the doors when his mother deigns to allow a visit, friends and their messsy divorces and custody battles may the kids also come out unscathed.

now I have an inkling in what was being mentioned when I was tagged over on @Ribh thread in mention of family drama and you

Today was a long day and I came in after dark to a coon 20’ from my hospital tractor (open) but all chickens are accounted for and now safely tucked in, but a harrowing moment as I was closing up the doors and saw that gleaming eye in the woods. keep the meddling hands OUT.i have had several small showdowns of late here but am really stressing the MY chickens factor. They may have taken the cows away, but the chickens are Wholly mine from eggs to flocks, and I will stand up for them.

 

[Kris5902]

Hahaha!!!! BICYCLES! I’m sorry, but that’s too funny!

drives him crazy... scary strange thing, worse than bad big bird, must alarm, attack and alarm some more... yup my chickens are a little crazy

 

[Shadrach]

I pray she is safely up for the night

I feel your pain... Cousin in law has been making her presence known here as well, and Sister in law- so helpful and knowledgeable, and totally not citiots like me. NO you don’t grab a bird by their wings FFS! I have also had to watch for the small human (who has been asking for me) closing the doors when his mother deigns to allow a visit, friends and their messsy divorces and custody battles may the kids also come out unscathed.

now I have an inkling in what was being mentioned when I was tagged over on @Ribh thread in mention of family drama and you

Today was a long day and I came in after dark to a coon 20’ from my hospital tractor (open) but all chickens are accounted for and now safely tucked in, but a harrowing moment as I was closing up the doors and saw that gleaming eye in the woods. keep the meddling hands OUT.i have had several small showdowns of late here but am really stressing the MY chickens factor. They may have taken the cows away, but the chickens are Wholly mine from eggs to flocks, and I will stand up for them.

Young Tap survived her night out. Shortly after dawn she was calling for Treacle and Cillin from where she had perched in a tree. She hadn't gone far and it was unlucky that I didn't spot her last night.
The family drama, it's relentless tbh. Covid has just made it worse and most days I just do what needs doing and ignore the rampant stupidity from the others in the main house.
One of them will be leaving after Christmas which will improve things slightly.