Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Your prayers were heard Bob, thank you.

Any time.

 

[Ribh]

Hi guys, I’m 50 pages behind and probably going to be absent for a while. I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know I’m quite a mess right now. It’s been really rough balancing everything here, and then Arduinna went for a little walkabout to top it off; when I was really struggling against weather, general living conditions, chores, and DH was away working this Saturday. She still hasn’t come back, but is no longer crying to us from the cliffs above our home. Please keep us in your prayers for her safety and that she comes back home. She’s way too spoiled to be an outside goat.

View attachment 2709909View attachment 2709910
She wasn’t wearing her harness when she wandered off, because we were at home, so no worries on getting it caught on something, but also no clear “that’s the pet goat” indicators if she approaches a stranger. I figured she was just doing a little browsing in the yard. Was fighting with getting a chicken out of the barn. I Just blocked out my phone number because the thread is so public and busy here lately... nothing personal. You’re mostly all pretty much my chicken family here

I’ve been told by other previous goat adoptive parents that it’s breeding season (but she just got off the bottle herself!) and she may return in a week or two, pregnant. My fingers are (sort of) crossed for that outcome. I’m barely functioning without her here, and she is one of the few things really keeping me going through all this.

A somewhat humorous aside: Also I put a missing pet ad on one (private) Local FB group (see my pics?) then shared it to that “other” original public group I’ve mentioned before, where it was deleted with no reason given to me (it turns out you can’t share from private to public group as only members of the private group can see the post... but being so internet savvy I didn’t know that). So my little missing goat sparked another round of high school drama like internet wars on social media. FFS, I wasn’t being elitist just the one group is “safer” and moderated and the other has devolved into a cesspool of nastiness lately... as evidenced by the really nasty public admin announcement of “anything shared from that group to here will be deleted nah-nah... type initial response” which was my only clue, (while distraughtly crying after a full day searching, rock climbing, and walking in alternating rain and heat waves) as to why it was deleted. So now the “there’s another private group, are they saying mean things there” issue is fracturing the community spirit almost as much as the vaccine vs anti-vaxer debates. Further evidence why I need my emotional support goat back so badly!

I may not be back on for a while, so I will thank you all for the kind words, thoughts, prayers and otherwise I know you will all say in advance. @BlueBaby as well (hope that works and you get this message, I just can’t concentrate to forward this privately)

I'm so sorry @Kris5902. I think of you often & have been so hoping things have been going better. Hoping Arduinna turns up soon none the worse for her little adventure.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Haha! We’ve had a nice afternoon shower, and Blanche enjoyed a dust bath in the wet dirt!
(For those who don’t know, Blanche IS a WHITE chicken!)

 

[BY Bob]

I was about to update everyone on Peanut's progress on this! Calcium Citrate is what @DobieLover recommended as more absorbable [EDIT @DobieLover says use 600mg per chicken], and Vit D3 helps to make is more "bioavailable" also. Same as humans.

Yes, soft shell eggs were once in a while, and then became a regular occurrence. Someone or more in the tribe was laying a softshell egg off and on, and then for a stretch of days, with 4 days in a row in there. I figured out it was Peanut on at least one of those days. So I initiated a calcium supplement for everyone if they wanted it, but focusing on getting Peanut to take it. I transitioned them to Nutrena Feather Fixer as @BY Bob recommended over about a week. I can only get it in pellets. They like it better than the crumbles dry, but turned up their noses at mash made from it.

While waiting for the feed to come and into this week I've kept making a calcium supplement crushed and mixed with greek yogurt and a little bit of the old feed crumbles. No molasses in there anymore, they like it as is. I've used both calcium citrate +D3 and Assorted Berry Tums (which have no D). @DobieLover recommended 600mg per bird, so that's about 1 Tums [EDIT mine says 750 mg per tab on the bottle] or 2 calcium citrate + D3 pills [EDIT it says two will make 630 mgs on the bottle - these amounts vary on the make so check the bottle] per chicken. They will eat from the little mash pile directly but like to take (and I like offering it) in little balls to them. Everyone takes some, Popcorn and Hazel some, Butters now and then. But Peanut has consistently been taking it and seems eager for it (or maybe because I focused on her, it's now "her" thing?

Well today Peanut laid a perfect, oblong, firm shelled egg! Yay!

That is awesome news! I'm so glad it is all working. Excellent!

 

[BY Bob]

Hi guys, I’m 50 pages behind and probably going to be absent for a while. I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know I’m quite a mess right now. It’s been really rough balancing everything here, and then Arduinna went for a little walkabout to top it off; when I was really struggling against weather, general living conditions, chores, and DH was away working this Saturday. She still hasn’t come back, but is no longer crying to us from the cliffs above our home. Please keep us in your prayers for her safety and that she comes back home. She’s way too spoiled to be an outside goat.

View attachment 2709909View attachment 2709910
She wasn’t wearing her harness when she wandered off, because we were at home, so no worries on getting it caught on something, but also no clear “that’s the pet goat” indicators if she approaches a stranger. I figured she was just doing a little browsing in the yard. Was fighting with getting a chicken out of the barn. I Just blocked out my phone number because the thread is so public and busy here lately... nothing personal. You’re mostly all pretty much my chicken family here

I’ve been told by other previous goat adoptive parents that it’s breeding season (but she just got off the bottle herself!) and she may return in a week or two, pregnant. My fingers are (sort of) crossed for that outcome. I’m barely functioning without her here, and she is one of the few things really keeping me going through all this.

A somewhat humorous aside: Also I put a missing pet ad on one (private) Local FB group (see my pics?) then shared it to that “other” original public group I’ve mentioned before, where it was deleted with no reason given to me (it turns out you can’t share from private to public group as only members of the private group can see the post... but being so internet savvy I didn’t know that). So my little missing goat sparked another round of high school drama like internet wars on social media. FFS, I wasn’t being elitist just the one group is “safer” and moderated and the other has devolved into a cesspool of nastiness lately... as evidenced by the really nasty public admin announcement of “anything shared from that group to here will be deleted nah-nah... type initial response” which was my only clue, (while distraughtly crying after a full day searching, rock climbing, and walking in alternating rain and heat waves) as to why it was deleted. So now the “there’s another private group, are they saying mean things there” issue is fracturing the community spirit almost as much as the vaccine vs anti-vaxer debates. Further evidence why I need my emotional support goat back so badly!

I may not be back on for a while, so I will thank you all for the kind words, thoughts, prayers and otherwise I know you will all say in advance. @BlueBaby as well (hope that works and you get this message, I just can’t concentrate to forward this privately)

Oh Kris.

 

[BY Bob]

Haha! We’ve had a nice afternoon shower, and Blanche enjoyed a dust bath in the wet dirt!
(For those who don’t know, Blanche IS a WHITE chicken!)View attachment 2710068View attachment 2710069View attachment 2710070

I used to love when Daisy did that. They look like they are trying to camouflage themselves!

Then a day later they are bright white again! Amazing hens!

 

[featherhead007]

Haha! We’ve had a nice afternoon shower, and Blanche enjoyed a dust bath in the wet dirt!
(For those who don’t know, Blanche IS a WHITE chicken!)View attachment 2710068View attachment 2710069View attachment 2710070

Not in that picture, she isn't!

 

[BY Bob]

The member interviews are located in this section.

Family Life - Stories, Pictures & Updates​

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/family-life-stories-pictures-updates.40/post-thread

This post lists them all with links.

Post in thread 'Introducing VIP member interviews' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602/post-13777380

 

[featherhead007]

I HAVE HAD IT, WITH CHICKENS FOR THIS DAY!. (I'm starting to think, that I need more human contact) Am I kidding? At least the birds don't show disrespect, or malice a fore thought. My useless neighbors seem to do ! (Long story, I won't go into tonight) Good night BYC friends.

 

[Kris5902]

My friends... I don’t know what to say. I almost can’t believe it. She went missing 4pm Saturday, I have been balling my eyes out and looking very dangerously high and low for her. Not logging in here, not knowing how to let you all know she was missing. Praying for her to come back. Scanning the sky for vultures and yelling myself hoarse calling for her. I have been walking out to the beach two or three times daily. Last night was my first night sleeping alone since January, with DH in town and the cats all huffy. I was considering emulating Alex and bringing in Sammy for snuggles.

After my post here (thinking it may be days or weeks, if she ever comes back, and hadn’t fallen off the cliff or gotten lost on the other side of the mountains) I made some spaghetti, cried some more and was talking to myself, swearing if she would just come home I would cook her spaghetti just for her, and I headed out again to look for her with just a few hours until dark. She is home! Stuffed, belching, limping slightly, and now snoring on her pillow. Thank you all for the love and thoughts. I am believing that you all brought her back to me! (And she better not be knocked up! Of course we will love her just as much if she is... but I don’t want to have to build too big a barn!)