Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Well Behaved Ladies

If you have had children, you know that there are those times when you just can't stand them anymore. You've had enough. I reached that point with the flock last night. I was actually debating whether to give them all away and start over or close up the whole chicken operation and permanently shut down Fluffy Butt Acres.

Aurora started on Sydney last night, then she went to Phyllis. I'm not going to go into all the details. First I tried to scoop up Phyllis and put her on the new roost. She did not want to be scooped up, I didn't get her just right and flapping and squawking ensued and I let go. I then tried to get my hands on Aurora to try and put a stop to it and the slippery little thing was just too quick for me. I started to get frustrated, realized that, and gave up. Phyllis roosted in the run, so I figured to wait until dark to move her, then somehow she was on the roost in the run. Then when it was almost picture black out, Mrs BY Bob sees her on the porch. Why was she on the porch! Then she was standing in the coop door. I couldn't have that. I'm sure she would move when the door started down but then I wasn't sure. So I shooed her into the coop and manually closed the door. I didn't care where she slept, she was in the coop.

When I checked later, what did I find? Phyllis on the roost in her usual spot. How did she do that in the dark?!

So I sat and stewed last night. I thought about which hens I still had a relationship with of sorts. It was a short list.

Lilly remains ever Lilly. Mysterious, a hen to be appreciated from afar. Unlike Patsy who was someday going to jump in my lap, if we only had more time, that was a one time deal with Lilly. She doesn't even squat for me anymore.

Hattie is back to avoiding me. I can't get close to her anymore.

Aurora will take food from me but outside of picking her off of a roost, I don't think I will ever touch her again.

Sydney is now treating me like I have the plague. She won't even eat from my hand anymore. I have no idea what I did there.

I just tortured Phyllis trying to scoop her up. I was sure she would avoid me after that.

So that left Sansa. God Bless Sansa. She is the only hen that squats for me. She pecks my leg and talks to me. She has jumped in my lap. Not in a long time but she has. Look, she just came to see me as I was writing this.
View attachment 2406316

Then I read about Mhari and I thought, why am I doing this? Why all the work. When they are going to ignore me, behave badly, and then drop dead.

I was in a bleak mood.

So I woke up this morning and thought, I am not going to worry about the roosting any more. They can do what they want. Went out at 7:30, released them to free range, fed them and said "Have a good day Ladies" and went back into the house to have coffee and breakfast without them.

What i did not realize is that I left the side gate open last night. The perimeter fence was wide open by the apple trees. That is where they ran when I opened the coop. The apple trees. They love it there right now. But I, forgetting the gate was open, thought nothing of it.

About 9:30, it was beautiful outside. So I went out, but I did not go to the magnolia tree, where I would have seen the open gate, I went to the patio where the sun was shining.

I sat down on the patio and no one came to see me, not even to get food. About 10 minutes later, I heard a chicken on the deck behind me. I did not turn to look. A few minutes later this face popped up on the end table next to me.
View attachment 2406382

We visited for quite a while and then she left. That was a positive, she wasn't angry with me. About 15 minutes later, Sansa showed up. She was looking for food and I gave some to her. Maybe 5 minutes later, everyone showed up. We had a nice visit and they settled down under the Rose of Sharon bush.

I still had not realized that the gate was open.

Mrs BY Bob it's at work today and I needed to run something to her. So I left them under the Rose of Sharon and headed out to run stuff to her.

I was gone over an hour.

When I returned I finally saw the open gate.
View attachment 2406432

Well, no chickens in the side yard, maybe they are long gone. I entered by the gate and closed it. No chickens to be seen anywhere.

There was one chance, maybe they had not left the Rose of Sharon bush. I walked over and there they were, all 6, together, no fighting.

My good girls had stayed in the yard and nothing bad had happened. In fact, much like children who know when they have pushed it too far. They have been little angels all day.

I suppose I will keep them a while longer.

From the heart I think Bob.
I can't think of the number of times I've felt similar.
The adjustment I made was to stop thinking that I could be responsible for them. It doesn't mean I don't care, but in the end, they live here much as I do. I take my life risks and face hazards much as they do. I'll always help them out when things go wrong, but in the end they are just as capable of making their own life decisions as I am.
I find I intefere in their lives less and less as each generation arrives.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Well Behaved Ladies

If you have had children, you know that there are those times when you just can't stand them anymore. You've had enough. I reached that point with the flock last night. I was actually debating whether to give them all away and start over or close up the whole chicken operation and permanently shut down Fluffy Butt Acres.

Aurora started on Sydney last night, then she went to Phyllis. I'm not going to go into all the details. First I tried to scoop up Phyllis and put her on the new roost. She did not want to be scooped up, I didn't get her just right and flapping and squawking ensued and I let go. I then tried to get my hands on Aurora to try and put a stop to it and the slippery little thing was just too quick for me. I started to get frustrated, realized that, and gave up. Phyllis roosted in the run, so I figured to wait until dark to move her, then somehow she was on the roost in the run. Then when it was almost picture black out, Mrs BY Bob sees her on the porch. Why was she on the porch! Then she was standing in the coop door. I couldn't have that. I'm sure she would move when the door started down but then I wasn't sure. So I shooed her into the coop and manually closed the door. I didn't care where she slept, she was in the coop.

When I checked later, what did I find? Phyllis on the roost in her usual spot. How did she do that in the dark?!

So I sat and stewed last night. I thought about which hens I still had a relationship with of sorts. It was a short list.

Lilly remains ever Lilly. Mysterious, a hen to be appreciated from afar. Unlike Patsy who was someday going to jump in my lap, if we only had more time, that was a one time deal with Lilly. She doesn't even squat for me anymore.

Hattie is back to avoiding me. I can't get close to her anymore.

Aurora will take food from me but outside of picking her off of a roost, I don't think I will ever touch her again.

Sydney is now treating me like I have the plague. She won't even eat from my hand anymore. I have no idea what I did there.

I just tortured Phyllis trying to scoop her up. I was sure she would avoid me after that.

So that left Sansa. God Bless Sansa. She is the only hen that squats for me. She pecks my leg and talks to me. She has jumped in my lap. Not in a long time but she has. Look, she just came to see me as I was writing this.
View attachment 2406316

Then I read about Mhari and I thought, why am I doing this? Why all the work. When they are going to ignore me, behave badly, and then drop dead.

I was in a bleak mood.

So I woke up this morning and thought, I am not going to worry about the roosting any more. They can do what they want. Went out at 7:30, released them to free range, fed them and said "Have a good day Ladies" and went back into the house to have coffee and breakfast without them.

What i did not realize is that I left the side gate open last night. The perimeter fence was wide open by the apple trees. That is where they ran when I opened the coop. The apple trees. They love it there right now. But I, forgetting the gate was open, thought nothing of it.

About 9:30, it was beautiful outside. So I went out, but I did not go to the magnolia tree, where I would have seen the open gate, I went to the patio where the sun was shining.

I sat down on the patio and no one came to see me, not even to get food. About 10 minutes later, I heard a chicken on the deck behind me. I did not turn to look. A few minutes later this face popped up on the end table next to me.
View attachment 2406382

We visited for quite a while and then she left. That was a positive, she wasn't angry with me. About 15 minutes later, Sansa showed up. She was looking for food and I gave some to her. Maybe 5 minutes later, everyone showed up. We had a nice visit and they settled down under the Rose of Sharon bush.

I still had not realized that the gate was open.

Mrs BY Bob it's at work today and I needed to run something to her. So I left them under the Rose of Sharon and headed out to run stuff to her.

I was gone over an hour.

When I returned I finally saw the open gate.
View attachment 2406432

Well, no chickens in the side yard, maybe they are long gone. I entered by the gate and closed it. No chickens to be seen anywhere.

There was one chance, maybe they had not left the Rose of Sharon bush. I walked over and there they were, all 6, together, no fighting.

My good girls had stayed in the yard and nothing bad had happened. In fact, much like children who know when they have pushed it too far. They have been little angels all day.

I suppose I will keep them a while longer.

Oh Bob, you have been having a rough time of it. My heart was in my boots until I got to the end of your account. I'm so glad nothing bad happened.

 

[Shadrach]

Of course, KFC wants you to EAT the heroic chicken!

Yeah, I would have liked it a lot better if it hadn't been KFC.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It's the way of the chicken.

Sounds like some form of Far East martial art philosophy.

 

[Shadrach]

That is true. But not that one. That is not an eating chicken.

Well, they couldn't show you how the chickens they use are kept could they. They might lose customers.

 

[Shadrach]

Picture of the Week

I had said I wasn't going to enter anymore. However, I'm going to enter once more. This really feels like my best chance to win. Doesn't this just scream autumn?
View attachment 2406683

That's a good picture.

 

[BY Bob]

From the heart I think Bob.
I can't think of the number of times I've felt similar.
The adjustment I made was to stop thinking that I could be responsible for them. It doesn't mean I don't care, but in the end, they live here much as I do. I take my life risks and face hazards much as they do. I'll always help them out when things go wrong, but in the end they are just as capable of making their own life decisions as I am.
I find I intefere in their lives less and less as each generation arrives.

Thanks Shad. I need to be less frustrated with them. They are being themselves. They are not trying to drive me nuts. It has nothing to do with me.

 

[BY Bob]

Well, they couldn't show you how the chickens they use are kept could they. They might lose customers.

I'm not so sure. I worry about humans and our propensity to not care about from where our food comes.

 

[BY Bob]

That's a good picture.

Thanks!

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Well Behaved Ladies

If you have had children, you know that there are those times when you just can't stand them anymore. You've had enough. I reached that point with the flock last night. I was actually debating whether to give them all away and start over or close up the whole chicken operation and permanently shut down Fluffy Butt Acres.

Aurora started on Sydney last night, then she went to Phyllis. I'm not going to go into all the details. First I tried to scoop up Phyllis and put her on the new roost. She did not want to be scooped up, I didn't get her just right and flapping and squawking ensued and I let go. I then tried to get my hands on Aurora to try and put a stop to it and the slippery little thing was just too quick for me. I started to get frustrated, realized that, and gave up. Phyllis roosted in the run, so I figured to wait until dark to move her, then somehow she was on the roost in the run. Then when it was almost picture black out, Mrs BY Bob sees her on the porch. Why was she on the porch! Then she was standing in the coop door. I couldn't have that. I'm sure she would move when the door started down but then I wasn't sure. So I shooed her into the coop and manually closed the door. I didn't care where she slept, she was in the coop.

When I checked later, what did I find? Phyllis on the roost in her usual spot. How did she do that in the dark?!

So I sat and stewed last night. I thought about which hens I still had a relationship with of sorts. It was a short list.

Lilly remains ever Lilly. Mysterious, a hen to be appreciated from afar. Unlike Patsy who was someday going to jump in my lap, if we only had more time, that was a one time deal with Lilly. She doesn't even squat for me anymore.

Hattie is back to avoiding me. I can't get close to her anymore.

Aurora will take food from me but outside of picking her off of a roost, I don't think I will ever touch her again.

Sydney is now treating me like I have the plague. She won't even eat from my hand anymore. I have no idea what I did there.

I just tortured Phyllis trying to scoop her up. I was sure she would avoid me after that.

So that left Sansa. God Bless Sansa. She is the only hen that squats for me. She pecks my leg and talks to me. She has jumped in my lap. Not in a long time but she has. Look, she just came to see me as I was writing this.
View attachment 2406316

Then I read about Mhari and I thought, why am I doing this? Why all the work. When they are going to ignore me, behave badly, and then drop dead.

I was in a bleak mood.

So I woke up this morning and thought, I am not going to worry about the roosting any more. They can do what they want. Went out at 7:30, released them to free range, fed them and said "Have a good day Ladies" and went back into the house to have coffee and breakfast without them.

What i did not realize is that I left the side gate open last night. The perimeter fence was wide open by the apple trees. That is where they ran when I opened the coop. The apple trees. They love it there right now. But I, forgetting the gate was open, thought nothing of it.

About 9:30, it was beautiful outside. So I went out, but I did not go to the magnolia tree, where I would have seen the open gate, I went to the patio where the sun was shining.

I sat down on the patio and no one came to see me, not even to get food. About 10 minutes later, I heard a chicken on the deck behind me. I did not turn to look. A few minutes later this face popped up on the end table next to me.
View attachment 2406382

We visited for quite a while and then she left. That was a positive, she wasn't angry with me. About 15 minutes later, Sansa showed up. She was looking for food and I gave some to her. Maybe 5 minutes later, everyone showed up. We had a nice visit and they settled down under the Rose of Sharon bush.

I still had not realized that the gate was open.

Mrs BY Bob it's at work today and I needed to run something to her. So I left them under the Rose of Sharon and headed out to run stuff to her.

I was gone over an hour.

When I returned I finally saw the open gate.
View attachment 2406432

Well, no chickens in the side yard, maybe they are long gone. I entered by the gate and closed it. No chickens to be seen anywhere.

There was one chance, maybe they had not left the Rose of Sharon bush. I walked over and there they were, all 6, together, no fighting.

My good girls had stayed in the yard and nothing bad had happened. In fact, much like children who know when they have pushed it too far. They have been little angels all day.

I suppose I will keep them a while longer.

You have the best chicken stories! It’s the way you tell them, I think, that cracks me up!