Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

I just want to share article.

https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/food-and-drink/yorkshire-re-homed-hens-6388288

 

[Scrambles83]

I just can't believe this!

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I entered that photo a year ago. I thought once you were not chosen for that week you were done. I think this might have been @Shadrach favorite from that photo shoot. Look how lightly colored she was last year.

Congrats!!! Beautiful ladies

 

[RoyalChick]

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Scooby has been an excellent nurse. Hi purring is perfect

Good on Scooby!
A cat's purr is the same frequency range as is needed to heal bones and tissue - so sitting with Scooby on your lap is exactly the right thing to do!
https://ryortho.com/breaking/is-there-healing-power-in-a-cats-purr/

 

[RoyalChick]

Guys, I am trying so hard to post pics of my cute little chicks and chickens... my cell data connection is awful all the time it seems! I also have pics of my blind girls eyes (she’s doing surprisingly well!) and Roostie is a Daddy!!! Broodies Rock! If you have a Rooster and fertile eggs and want to expand from a more closed flock. So, y’all will probably need to wait on the pics, but they are coming! I know how much chicken tax I owe .

So, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned but I’ve been having a plague of Broodies, and letting the more serious ones sit. I currently have four on eggs, two of which are also now on some cute little fluff balls! My giant pancake of doom (one of my recent Meat Bird Rescues) has three chicks and three more eggs potentially coming in the next day or so. She’s down to about 10lbs of mean and will draw blood if you try to feed or water her! My Marans hen in the Free Rangers is sitting on two chicks (one “R” egg was first to pop!) and three more eggs, and I’ve got two others, a black sapphire Maran and a marans/Isbar lady due at the end of the week. Someone slipped two more eggs under one of those girls while I wasn’t watching, so I may just pop another wanna be mom onto them when the earlier eggs are done hatching.

That is a lot going on! And yes, we will be patient for pictures but only for a bit. You have babies, you need to share.

 

[BY Bob]

Congratulations!

Thank you. I'm so excited to tell them this morning!

 

[Lady Red]

I’m sorry, but I must provide a Ruby update. Two nights ago, Ruby was back down on the nest box shelf. By herself, since Millie finally gave up brooding (with some help). She had a really awful Sunday. Started with her personal free range time, but asked to be let back into the run after awhile. When I let them all out a little bit later, Ruby took a couple wobbly steps out into the sun. Sat for just a moment, and then wobbled her way back in. She was VERY weak. She laid on the coop floor all day long not consuming anything. I checked on her several times throughout the day… brought her raw egg, watermelon, dextrose water, etc. and she wouldn’t touch any of it. She’d try to get away from me, but could hardly stand, let alone move away. I debated whether to move her up to the shelf for bed, but worried she’d hurt herself and fall in the morning and let her be. It was a warmish night, anyway. I feared (hoped?) she’d pass in her sleep. Also, before she moved into the coop, I dusted her back end with permethrin powder, because she had wet poop all over and I couldn’t bear the thought of flies all over her or worse yet, fly strike. I just poured some into my gloved hand, reached back there and gently patted some on.

This morning I decided to walk the dog early, well before the chickens would be up. Except… Ruby was up! She was in the sun room looking for water. Broke my heart, as the sun room waterer had been leaking and was dry.

So I opened the sunroom gate and poured water on the ground so she would drink. And she drank! She was looking for bugs, so I stole some dry mealworms from hubby’s reptile stash and she ate them! I got more, and she ate those, too, so I got even more. I followed her around pouring dextrose electrolyte water, nutridrench water, and plain water on the ground. She drank a decent amount. She also sampled a tomato slice (ate just a couple seeds), and a couple bites of grated, hardboiled egg. I was absolutely amazed. I think she ate a few grains of millet here and there, too.

When she finally sat down, I very carefully carried her back to the run gate. Goodness… she is SO skinny! She gingerly made her way into the run, drank more water, and when I checked on her a couple minutes later, she was sunning herself. She was hanging out laying down under the hospital coop when I left.

I came home from work early and all but Ruby greeted me at the gate. I called for her several times, and walked to the coop door just as she jumped down (slightly face planting) from the shelf. I managed to sneak her LOTS of live/fresh meal worms I picked up on my way home.

Ruby put herself to bed over three hours early on the shelf. I thought it was good she made it up there, knew she needed the rest, and was grateful to have gotten some more nutrients into her.

I put the rest if the flock in about half an hour before roosting time so we could eat dinner. When I went back out to lock them up, Ruby was up on her regular roosting spot beside Millie! I was amazed.

Tonight my heart is warm. Ruby will get some private free range time in the morning and I will offer everything I can think of, including live meal worms. I bought blueberries, sardines, kale and yogurt, plus I have feed, eggs, millet, scratch, watermelon and mealworms (they were out of crickets).

Thank you for always rooting for Miss Ruby. She’s trying so hard to live, I’m considering attempting syringe or tube feeding again. She’s just sooo weak, I don’t want to crush her or push her over the edge with stress.

Oh my goodness...I was crying throughout this post. First because I thought something terrible happened. Then because of relief. Finally due to joy.
Thank you for the update. Ruby is remarkable. She takes after you.

 

[BY Bob]

Go Ruby!!! I was on the verge of tears when you said “I’m sorry, but I must provide a Ruby update.” She’s a little fighter for sure, and it’s heartbreaking, but uplifting at the same time

^^^ x 2 (And Bob beat me to it, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind too!)
We all love Ruby and need updates, or we will worry!

I too figured it was bad news especially with what has been going on around here lately. I was so happy we with the ending!

 

[Lady Red]

Good on Scooby!
A cat's purr is the same frequency range as is needed to heal bones and tissue - so sitting with Scooby on your lap is exactly the right thing to do!
https://ryortho.com/breaking/is-there-healing-power-in-a-cats-purr/

This does cause me to extrapolate and succinctly andnaccurately conclude that chickens cooing and chattering have healing powers too.
Just saying...

 

[Lady Red]

That is a lot going on! And yes, we will be patient for pictures but only for a bit. You have babies, you need to share.

It is, after all, the proper protocol to share

 

[BY Bob]

Oh dear, I was there 3 hours in the end. I left food and water and the food was gone this morning, I just hope it was him.

Sorry for my moaning.

I hope so as well. You have a good soul to work this hard for one cat.