Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Spring has Sprung

Spring has truly arrived here. I was out in short sleeves today! Of course, it probably snowed at @RoyalChick place today, NJ is a strange place.

We decided to have lunch outside. Sydney decided that my sandwich looked too good to wait for scraps. She channeled her inner Daisy, the greatest hen ever, and onto the table she jumped. Check out my little raptor poised to strike at my sandwich.
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One of the things I have been struggling to achieve with Sydney was to be allowed to touch her. I can touch everyone else except Aurora. So instead of shooing her off of the table I decided to try and hold her at bay with the back of my hand. To do so would require me to touch her. If she did not like it she could leave.

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Well she was more than willing to key me touch her as you can see. If fact at times it became a little desperate but I managed to eat my sandwich although I did share it with her. She eventually jumped down on her own.

The real test came later in the evening. Sydney popped up next to me on the patio furniture.

I had no food for her.

Slowly I resched out the back of my hand.

She looked me in the eye.

I brushed her chest.

She kept staring me in the eyes.

I brushed her side.

No reaction.

I did not push my luck. It feels like we may have a breakthrough. I will attempt reinforce tomorrow but it is very exciting! It almost cost me a sandwich bit it was worth it.

By the way, Hattie is way more polite when begging food.
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I usually start by touching their beaks. What none of them like is a hand over their back, or any form of wing restraint. I can carry Mel around like a Falconer.

 

[Shadrach]

How does one celebrate the day?

Depends a bit on ones Persian roots.
The Kurdish people give what we would call pastries.
The Iranians seem to vary from area to area but in general its giving food in one form or another.

 

[Shadrach]

We all spent the beautiful day outside!! Lots of pictures were taken and fun was had.

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Goldie lovely and she huge.

 

[Shadrach]

Fat Bird and I have got her crop down to about half the size it was. She's a bit fed up with me massaging it.
Here she is with Cillin and Tackle. The Blackthorn is in bloom and back in favour as a sheltering spot.

Getting lots of food into Fat Bird and trying to reduce her crop size means just water and massage isn't really an option, even though it may be the quickest route. To give her just water I would have to confine her to the house which I don't want to do. So, it's special food morning and night to try and discourage her a bit from eating too much grass. Fish and walnuts plus a bit of yogurt daily is what she'll eat readily.
Her balance still isn't good. But, she is getting around with the others and when she needs to rest she finds safe spots now.
She made straight for the nest box after an early supper. This is quite usual. Nobody except me bothers her in there.

This however was a bit surprising. A few moments earlier she was pancake flat, full on broody posture but no other signs of broodiness and no fuss when I carried her to her coop and placed her on the high perch.
I looked in a while ago and she was still on the perch and looked comfortable with Mel on one side and Hurry on the other.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

You were super busy! That is a lot to get done.

Yes, not bad for 2 older folks. We stacked and filled the bed with 12yd's of garden compost mix, one wheel barrow at a time. We started on Monday and was done on Thursday.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am the brave survivor of a vicious and (almost entirely) unprovoked attack.

This is my attacker. Do not be fooled by her sweet little face. That beak brought tears to me eyes!

I am still nursing my finger.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am the brave survivor of a vicious and (almost entirely) unprovoked attack.

This is my attacker. Do not be fooled by her sweet little face. That beak brought tears to me eyes!
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I am still nursing my finger.

Don’t know if I did the spoiler right.

 

[featherhead007]

I am the brave survivor of a vicious and (almost entirely) unprovoked attack.

This is my attacker. Do not be fooled by her sweet little face. That beak brought tears to me eyes!
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I am still nursing my finger.

And we in the USA, we’re friends with Japan until Pearl Harbor. Just saying.
you mentioned “vicious and unprovoked attack “ that came to mind, for some reason.

 

[featherhead007]

Don’t know if I did the spoiler right.

You did

 

[featherhead007]

Pearl Harbor came to mind, because I’m in watching a ww2 movie with my rooster Jaffar. ( some needed daddy and his roo time)