Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Princess coming to tell me pusscat has ate some cucumber

 

[RoyalChick]

Amber is soooooo moody these days. It's really humid today maybe this is the reason today. Plus she has one feather sticking out, could this be hurting her?

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I am glad you asked about the feather sticking out - I don't know if that hurts. Maggie has one at the moment and I keep wanting to tug at it - but I am sure that would hurt!

 

[WhoDatChick]

She is such a darling. Just look at those intelligent eyes. And those beautiful yellow legs.

There now, you have made me tear up with memories this morning.

Keep those pictures coming!

 

[Kris5902]

So I’m not quite caught up and have had lots going on. In addition to my (mildly) high blood pressure, I’ve had three recent episodes of a crazy, racing, pounding heart. Saw the doc. At her request/recommendation, bought a mobile EKG-at-your-fingertips device, managed to capture some recordings of my racing heart and sent a couple to her. A cardiologist reviewed them and confirmed her suspicions. I have Supraventricular Tachycardia and started on meds tonight. As a bonus, the meds prescribed for the tachycardia should also lower my blood pressure. Woohoo!

Tax
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Great news! Super interested in the mobile ECG device… if you don’t mind sharing a little more information on it? Or what meds they put you on? Metoprolol was what DH was on when we met, then he was switched to Sotalol. Warfarin was added and he found that he was able to stop the Sotalol. He was very against going on the Warfarin because he’s a butcher, never had a clotting issue, and the Dr never explained why they wanted him to take it. Personal risk when you work with knives all day didn’t seem worth it to him, so he was fighting getting on it. Oddly enough such a simple, old medication has had the greatest impact in reducing his events.

 

[Kris5902]

What are your thoughts on drip drinkers? We've been wondering if they would be cleaner to use.

Yes, and no. IMO the water stays cleaner in them, but the chickens need to figure them out. Sometimes littles can have troubles getting water out of them as well. And if they fail you can end up with an even bigger mess of a mini flood, or they might not be able to get any water out of them. I like them outside, where spills aren’t an issue.

 

[Kris5902]

Don't yours eat slugs? Mine love them so when I find them elsewhere I bring them into the coop as a treat.

Gotta agree mine are eating slugs and snails, they love them, Master Predator Popcorn was the first to go for them and the others have caught on. If I didn't want them to eat them it would be a losing proposition given my location. They are everywhere.

Slight word of caution… many slugs can be intermediate hosts for parasites. Primarily worms, of the non earth or composting variety.

 

[Marie2020]

I am glad you asked about the feather sticking out - I don't know if that hurts. Maggie has one at the moment and I keep wanting to tug at it - but I am sure that would hurt!

It's a bit of a worry because Amber is going through a bad time lately. I tried putting her in the nest area for a sleep but she came out again to be with her sisters

 

[Kris5902]

I wanted you to know that I have put thought into this response as it has.

Phyllis would be agitated no matter if some was in the box or it was empty. I truly believe that she does not want to lay her eggs there. I'm certain that @Shadrach Is right when he says they prefer the ground to lay on. At least as far as Phyllis is concerned. She has been trying to find a spot on the ground since she joined us and started laying.

I agree, but we don’t want to have to bend over that far to collect the eggs! I have a bit of a compromise in that my 40 ish hens share 7 nestboxes in the trailer, on the dinette platform bed area. Less bending for me, but its also large enough that the lower level nestboxes feel like they are on the “ground”, these are of course the more popular boxes!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Fire up the Way-Back Machine

I am so grateful that Mr. Peabody has been able to fully restore the way-back machine. We are going to do a quick video journey!

Mr. Peabody, set the way-back machine for June 20, 2017

chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump, chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump, chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump

For all of you with a white hen that likes to be camouflaged, The Greatest Hen ever decided to dust bathe in blackest dirt she could find that day. She sure did enjoy herself.

Here is what she looked like afterwards.
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OK Mr. Peabody, enough Dirty Birds. How about some freshly hatched ones. Let's set the way-back for June 20, 2020.

chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump, chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump, chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump

Here is some lovely video. Just so we all remember Sydney as a Mum.

OK Mr. Peabody, it was a short trip back but fun nonetheless. Please return us to the present.

chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump, chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump, chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump

I think the way-back is working just fine. We should look at some more trips in the near future.

Both of these videos are just precious! Thank you.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Agree. I bend over backwards for my birds… icing water, providing cold fruit, running mister fans, running fans in the coop, creating puddles, etc. Until Ruby started drinking from the bowls and waterers, I’d follow her around pouring little puddles here and there so she’d drink.

I’m in love with rechargeable fans for my chickens.

What size are these rechargeable fans? Can you provide a name brand/type/model?