Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

And the flashes of lightening are keeping me awake. @ 1:30 AM PST (I hope my feathered family, isn’t scared out in the barn/coop )

That's scary, Alex. That’s how our really bad fires started last year.

 

[micstrachan]

I do love a nighttime thunderstorm and I will stay up and enjoy the storm for a while if I am woken by one.

I love a good thunderstorm, too! They are so rare here, I got up in the middle of the night and watched a spectacular one last year. But it started the fires I mentioned in my reply to Alex. California is a scary tinderbox right now.

 

[micstrachan]

I’m soooooo behind (spent five days at a music conference) and want to catch up, but just wanted to share something with my chook friends. I was awarded a blue belt in Jishukan tonight (a mixed martial art) so feeling pretty chuffed.

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Go, Girl! That’s awesome. Congrats!

 

[micstrachan]

More Reasons Why Friends for Phyllis

I have not outlined all the reasons that led me to get more friends for Phyllis. This morning there was an example of all the things that have led me to this place.

Everyone should know by now that Phyllis is laying her eggs in an old deck box on the other side of the yard from the coop. She laid her egg early this morning. She gets out of the box and cannot see any members of the flock so naturally she does the escort call.

No one answers her.

No one.

If Sydney does the call, Lilly and Aurora for sure will answer at the top of their lungs. Who answers Phyllis?

No one.

It breaks my heart every time. Hence, more friends.
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Poor Phyllis. I’m so glad she has you.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh dear heart!
It is fascinating how all the tribes are different. Nobody responds to escort calls in my tribe from any of the Princesses. Nobody except me of course because if it goes on and on I sometimes play rooster and escort back to the rest of the tribe.
Strange.

Same here. Mine only yack together if multiple hens have to lay. Bridge calls me a lot, but doesn’t lay anymore. She has a different call from the typical egg song/escort call.

 

[micstrachan]

Naenae isn't feeling well.

Noticed early this evening that she wasn't as active as her normal. She was resting in an unusual spot.
I let her be and checked on her about 30 minutes later.
She was near the same spot, still resting. She did not greet me like her sisters did.
I picked her up and she gave no resistance. Now, she is more cuddly than most, but this is highly unusual. I looked her over and felt her abdomen and crop. Her crop didn't seem as full as I would have expected. Her abdomen was on par with the others.

I set her down and she drank some water, then foraged for couple of minutes. Then she separated from everyone. I saw her poop,, it looked smaller in quantity and wet,, but not alarming.. she then made way to rest in the hedge. (A more normal resting area)

Hubby set up the portable kennel (dog play yard) in the dining room. She pooped a light yellow, tinged with pink.
I bathed her in an Epsom salt soak. She drank a little of that water.
I wrapped her in a towel to keep her warm while drying. She cuddled for 20 minutes and then was getting agitated.
Upon her return to the indoor kennel, she was calling for her sisters
I distracted her with Greek yogurt mixed with feed. She enjoyed it and pooped a more normal looking poo.
She is currently roosting on a bar. Her tail is still being held low.

I am very much hoping she just had some lining slough off (the pink in poop #1) and maybe she ate something that didn't agree with her.

Please keep your fingers crossed for a better day for Naenae tomorrow.

Oh dear. I’m behind this week and I hope to read that Naenae got better.

 

[micstrachan]

It’s the sudden cold to the face that does it, the peas has never worked for DH but was recommended by the person that installed the AED’s at my work. “Yep, I know how they work, they are basically idiot proof… but they don’t work on my husband, they detect his pacemaker, and they don’t have enough juice to jump start him anyway” I either traumatize people or amuse them… there’s not much in between. Ice (or cold) water sudden head dunk seems to work best, or shoving him into a walk in meat freezer at -20ish in a t-shirt!

You could also look int Valsalva or Vagal Maneuvers, which is a bearing down thing. I used to tell his co worker “if he starts turning Red, Blue, or Purple in the face and looking constipated, call me and let me know, because it means the idiot is trying to work while having a cardiac event” that’s love

I *just* learned about this bearing down thing from my doctor this week. Will update separately.

 

[micstrachan]

Nope I didn’t find the body, but as a few people said, the culprit would be back. Unfortunately this time I think it may be the endangered spotted variety instead of the invasive species. Edit to add:No,it’s a Barred, and there is not just one, but two… and it also sounds like there are chicks

Barney threw up the alarm at 8:50 pm and I turned off dinner, hung up on DH and rushed outside. Rightie one of my red rocks was the only free range girl still out and she was frozen still about five feet in front of Barney’s tractor. Barney and girls are going nuts, I made a grab for Rightie and missed and she was off like a shot, and sheltered between the fence and our windows. I spent ten minutes trying to lure her out and about another ten throwing rocks at the owl after I ran out of nerf ammo. I lured her out into the bad rooster box with a broken egg, secured her and put her up for the night. No losses tonight, but I will be on guard until I know the Bad Big Bird has moved on. Good news, if it is the endangered kind, they are actually nocturnal so at least I won’t have to worry about afternoon attacks.

RIP little dude, I’m sure you were tasty.

NERF AMO! I forgot about that!

 

[micstrachan]

Naenae update

She seems much better now!
Realized I didn't take a pic of the pink pop yesterday...this is it (after dryng)

Spoiler: Pink poo

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After she perched last night, I checked on her before I went to bed and saw this:

Spoiler

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My poor girl had a no-shell egg bothering her. The regular poo next to it happened overnight after the egg was expelled.

Hubby put her outside with her sisters and she has been feasting at the feeder.

I am so glad she is feeling better and we caught it. It was heartbreaking to see her tail droopy. Her tail is high and proud this morning

Yay! This is what I was hoping to read!

 

[micstrachan]

Are raw sardines ok for chickens?

Amber isn't eating so well I've just tempted her with damp mealworms.

Yep. I gave them this week. I buy canned sardines without added salt.