Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Hmm I guess that previous mechanic might also have put a blockage in the line. Or neglected to flush it out properly.

How is the car behaving? What kind of car is it?

 

[MaryJanet]

How is the car behaving? What kind of car is it?

It's a Kia Rio.

I closed the reservoir properly, then pumped the clutch like crazy (eg ~100 times and I'm not exaggerating) to try and get some fluid through the line. It still felt like nothing under my foot. The gears would not select. None of them, and there's five to choise from, plus reverse.

 

[MaryJanet]

So I figure either the line is blocked or the cluch has failed.

 

[Kris5902]

I would love a photo of these poor disgusting ladies. That way I can get more riled up.

Ask and ye shall receive... I don’t know if I should put these behind a spoiler, or if I can even pay chicken tax with these pictures. If you could smell them, a spoiler would be needed for sure! If the smell doesn’t go away in the next few days I will be breaking out the chicken bathtub and blow dryer for sure; also for sure, if it comes to that, I will be doing it without any help. It could get interesting as these girls have clearly not been handled at all. In all fairness, my own meat gals need their bums cleaned or trimmed, and their roosting box is overdue for a good cleaning, again, but nothing compared to these poor girls! These pics are before I moved them to the “good grass”, in what I consider to be filthy conditions here. They aren’t really wet in these pictures... that’s all filth. When I picked Roostie up he was in similar shape, but he had cleaned himself up within a few days. (Still no meds in the mail for him, And I’m seriously starting to think about lancing his foot)

So, this is what $200 will get me in rescue chickens. For a “farmer”, I am a bit of a bleeding heart, aren’t I? I just can’t stand to see an animal suffering. I could have gotten 20 Ameraucana chicks for about the same cost! And those would fit in with my breeding program/business plan but... dumb decision or not, I would rather have my morals and these poor girls, I guess, because here they are! As of this evening they are already starting to look a bit better... their legs and feet aren’t fully covered anymore.

 

[Kris5902]

My neighbour's transmission went on Friday and my car's clutch went on Saturday! It feels like 2020 is having its last hurrah by taking out people's cars


Tax.

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Yes and @CrazyChookChookLady as well! Brakes, brakes, and more brakes... in both my trucks! And both my jeeps are down with mechanical issues as well (possible transmission in one, brakes and CV joints in the other...) 2020 has been a bad year for vehicles here too. @BY Bob you better get your two girls tucked in before that snow flies! Best not to tempt the fates any more than absolutely necessary!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I think you’re right, they are beautiful young looking birds! I have found my boys start getting spurs around one year of age, but have noticed that it also seems to vary by breed. Mr Maran it Two now and has 3” long spurs! They curve a little, Chickie Hawk (EE) had (until he knocked them off) about 1 1/2” very curved spurs Sammy has about 2-2 1/2” spurs that are almost straight.

It is hard to say how He will react to being handled, that they are so forward with you is a promising sign in my opinion. I would expect the worst though, so go in and be resolved, wear long sleeves, and don’t be surprised if he bites your arm. Chickie Hawk always gets at least two or three good solid bites on me, no matter how carefully I try to avoid them (but he is a “special” boy that most reasonable people would have sent to freezer camp!) I wouldn’t try any towel type maneuvers, as they reduce your grip. Once you’re holding him he may try to thrash with his legs. You’re right he’s going to be stronger than you’re used to. I’m right handed and usually tuck them football style under my left arm, forward facing, while using my right hand to hold the feet. Once you get them tucked up tight but gently, it’s no problem and they settle right down. When Mr Maran was being standoffish and started getting a little aggressive with me in the mornings, I would actually hold him like that while I did all my feeding and releasing chores. He would come at me, I would scoop him up then go about my business. Practice the hold with your girls a bit.

Depending on the flock behavior, what I usually do when moving mine, especially if it means moving them out of sight of the flock, is to take several hens first then the rooster, then finish moving the hens. I have found some guys will panic if they are moved first, set up an alarm call and can spook the rest of them. But I work with my flocks, and these chickens are closer to becoming feral. If you can move hens in twos, with a friend or if you can secure two together (only if you’re 100% sure of your hold, and won’t be worried about dropping them!) I find they stay a little calmer, but I am moving from a pen or run usually, and don’t need to worry about “escaping” chickens.

Also, if you have a red headlamp, for night-time wrangling that works best for keeping them quiet and undisturbed I find.

Thank you so, so much for this excellent advice, especially the do's and don't's! I will practice the moves with my hens tomorrow.

When I lift my hens from the ground, in the beginning I tried lifting them with one hand underneath and one on top like I saw online. They are okay until I lift, then they panic feeling gravity and crawl with their feet and often catch my arm or something, sometimes getting flappy. I have gone now instead to both hands on their shoulders, pressing some to hold them in place, and they crouch - they often lift their tails, like I'm a rooster I think - and I stay that way a bit which calms them, or switch to one hand over their shoulders and stroke them, then I lift them to my lap, hands on the wings with fingers under each side, and I noticed on the trip they often hang their legs down relaxed, so I kind of have to place their feet properly on my leg and make sure they get a footing before I let go. Is that okay for their breathing? Most of the grip is underneath, with thumbs more or less over their wings.

Then if they are into it I let go and they hang out there, if not I bring them closer and have them in that gentle football hug under one arm, but with their feet on my lap. They talk a lot but go along with the things I do with my other hand, like petting and inspections and getting the zip ties on, so I'm not generally holding their legs - unless I'm inspecting their legs and feet, then I gently take one foot at a time.

I don't have a red headlamp I'm afraid. I will wear old clothes, it will be cold so I'll be bundled up and wear something bite-able. I have a cat carrier I could use as a first transport to get a couple or three hens in there together before going to the low chicken carrier or dog crate, maybe that will help. I don't think I can lift the low carrier with them all in it, maybe with my friend we could. I can't get my car over to where the coop is I'm afraid. So the cat carrier to the car might be the best option. We'll see!

 

[LozzyR]

Excellent! Imust get one with a red setting. The one my brother shared with me only had white.

Pretty sure you can pick up a dual-light headlamp at Woolies.

 

[LozzyR]

Ask and ye shall receive... I don’t know if I should put these behind a spoiler, or if I can even pay chicken tax with these pictures. If you could smell them, a spoiler would be needed for sure! If the smell doesn’t go away in the next few days I will be breaking out the chicken bathtub and blow dryer for sure; also for sure, if it comes to that, I will be doing it without any help. It could get interesting as these girls have clearly not been handled at all. In all fairness, my own meat gals need their bums cleaned or trimmed, and their roosting box is overdue for a good cleaning, again, but nothing compared to these poor girls! These pics are before I moved them to the “good grass”, in what I consider to be filthy conditions here. They aren’t really wet in these pictures... that’s all filth. When I picked Roostie up he was in similar shape, but he had cleaned himself up within a few days. (Still no meds in the mail for him, And I’m seriously starting to think about lancing his foot)
View attachment 2451026View attachment 2451031View attachment 2451034View attachment 2451040
So, this is what $200 will get me in rescue chickens. For a “farmer”, I am a bit of a bleeding heart, aren’t I? I just can’t stand to see an animal suffering. I could have gotten 20 Ameraucana chicks for about the same cost! And those would fit in with my breeding program/business plan but... dumb decision or not, I would rather have my morals and these poor girls, I guess, because here they are! As of this evening they are already starting to look a bit better... their legs and feet aren’t fully covered anymore.

They will be stunning when they are clean.

 

[Kris5902]

100% agree. I'm staggered Kris has only been at it two years!

I agree. To me she is an expert and I have been at this years longer than her. It's shocking

Agreed. I will never be the sort of expert Kris is. I'm too squeamish & too much of the science goes straight over my head.

Enough of this guys... you’re going to give me some sort of ego issue, and then I might start thinking I actually know what I’m talking about! I’m just sharing what I’ve figured out, or learned from people here with way more experience. It’s just that I’ve got 10-16 times more chickens than most of the people here, and a tendency to take on “problems” like the birds that other people here would leave to die or cull. Edit to add: by ‘here’ I mean on my Farm and Island! Not all my chicken friends here (I hope that was clear!)

I’ve lost a lot more of those birds in two short years than I like to think about (mostly rescues to underlying heath issues and that d**n owl). Anyone else crazily jumping into chickens with 14 cockerels and 12 pullets, then growing their flock to 100ish birds in their first year would be in a similar state. And that is how I mastered the Rooster grab and tuck! Lol, self preservation! If I wasn’t so uncomfortable in front of a camera, and DH and the kiddo weren’t so awful at filming I would’ve just done a video with Chickie Hawk. Then you can all watch him bite the heck out of me! Maybe...

 

[ChicoryBlue]

That she seemed to be crowing. Or rather half-crowing.

My Buckeye Hazel sort of does the Buckeye Roar I saw one video of. The others have made short versions of this sound, but she does a very long one. She does it as an excited sound, like when I approach the run, looking forward to whatever it is that's going to happen? Or it's a greeting? Or wanting the mealworms I often have, or even while they are getting mealworms, she stops and does this call, sort of walking around a bit, like "Isn't this great!". Or just too excited and has to let some steam off? At least that's what it seems like. It's not a clear low moaning call like I've heard other chickens do and these do also. Maybe it's a Buckeye thing, it's quite raspy and hoarse sounding, starting soft and ending very strongly. I will try to video it. It is very cool.