Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Was last year her first major moult?
The hens from the tribes made very heavy weather of their first moult; wouldn't eat the feed provided, wandered away from the tribe to forage, looked completely miserable and left me feeling very worried about them.
Come the second full moult most took it in their stride. They still kept away from the rest of the tribe by a few feet but stayed within hearing distance of their rooster. Some prefered to sleep in the nest boxes at the worst part of the moult but went back to normal roosting fairly quickly.

Yes it was. But read my post a few minutes after you posted this question and you will see it was complicated by a lash egg. She roosted throughout but did fall off the roost once in the middle of the night.
I do hope this time is easier on her.

 

[LozzyR]

A year for Maggie (and RC)
Warning: long post.

The last couple of weeks has been an important milestone for Maggie and @BY Bob said it was OK for me to mark the occasion here.

On September 18, 2020 I found this in the nest box.

Spoiler: Warning - not for the squeamish

View attachment 2846580View attachment 2846581

I had no idea what it was and no idea who laid it. Everyone was acting normal and all cameras were deployed monitoring rodents and other, scarier, visitors.

I did research and learned that it was a lash egg – a sign of serious and long standing infection in the reproductive tract. I also learned that it is invariably fatal with the maximum life expectancy of less than 6 months.

I confirmed it was Maggie who laid it. She had stopped laying real eggs and laid one more lash egg a few days later.

Off she went to the vet.

View attachment 2846585

Because of Covid I wasn’t allowed in with her but she apparently wandered around the vet’s office investigating everything while she waited for him. The vet-tech was rather taken with her and fed her the blueberries I had brought.

The vet was very kind but confirmed what everyone else had told me which was that she would not live long. He offered to euthanize her but agreed with my view that it was a bit premature as she still had quality of life. I felt reassured that he would be able to put her out of her misery when the time came.

He also educated me about production breeds who are not really expected to live past 2 years. I spent quite a while really upset and furious about that and I still am.

Everyone on this thread was very kind and supportive. @BY Bob encouraged me not to give up on Maggie and at the same time helped me be prepared for the worst.

And I resolved to spend as much time as possible with Maggie and make sure her remaining time was as wonderful as possible.

Maggie visibly declined. She started molting and wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t alive. I dug for worms, I trapped beetles, and I bought live mealy worms to tempt her to eat. I provided heaps of leaves so she could pick through them for bugs.

Slowly she started to develop new feathers
View attachment 2846587

And to share in some treats
View attachment 2846588

And then much to my surprise, on January 23rd – 4 months after the lash egg - she laid a normal egg. I think nobody was more surprised than @BY Bob who posted:
“She successfully laid an egg today!?!”
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-of-our-flock.1286630/page-3059#post-23891234

So, I am marking this week as one year since Maggie got her death sentence.

I feel she has had a good chicken year.

She dug some deep holes.
View attachment 2846595

She explored snow.
View attachment 2846598

She shouted at me.
View attachment 2846601

She spent time with chicken friends.
View attachment 2846602

She sunbathed (a lot).
View attachment 2846606

She helped with construction projects.
View attachment 2846609

She shouted at me some more.
View attachment 2846611

She got in my face.
View attachment 2846613

She posed with her left side
View attachment 2846618

She posed with her right side
View attachment 2846621

She ate ice cream

She sunbathed some more
View attachment 2846623

And she cooled off by dunking her wattles.

Today, a full year later, she is still shouting at me, she is still in my face, and she is the undisputed queen of the long grass.

View attachment 2846625

* * *
Thank you all for indulging me in this post and joining me to celebrate Maggie's gift and mine - a whole year of chicken fun together.

This is a lovely post RC, thank you for sharing it with us. What a wonderful chicken year for Maggie!

 

[LozzyR]

I have read that they do, indeed get more viscous as they age. Let me see if I can find the article I read about it.

I’m trying to remember if my ISAs’ egg-whites got thicker; I have a feeling they did but I can’t swear to it.

 

[LozzyR]

I meant to post the other day but we had a four-egg day! That means River is laying! I was a bit worried this morning when she meandered out and wasn’t interested in the layer feed, but she chowed down on people food.

Oh, and Tegan’s trying to go broody.

 

[featherhead007]

A year for Maggie (and RC)
Warning: long post.

The last couple of weeks has been an important milestone for Maggie and @BY Bob said it was OK for me to mark the occasion here.

On September 18, 2020 I found this in the nest box.

Spoiler: Warning - not for the squeamish

View attachment 2846580View attachment 2846581

I had no idea what it was and no idea who laid it. Everyone was acting normal and all cameras were deployed monitoring rodents and other, scarier, visitors.

I did research and learned that it was a lash egg – a sign of serious and long standing infection in the reproductive tract. I also learned that it is invariably fatal with the maximum life expectancy of less than 6 months.

I confirmed it was Maggie who laid it. She had stopped laying real eggs and laid one more lash egg a few days later.

Off she went to the vet.

View attachment 2846585

Because of Covid I wasn’t allowed in with her but she apparently wandered around the vet’s office investigating everything while she waited for him. The vet-tech was rather taken with her and fed her the blueberries I had brought.

The vet was very kind but confirmed what everyone else had told me which was that she would not live long. He offered to euthanize her but agreed with my view that it was a bit premature as she still had quality of life. I felt reassured that he would be able to put her out of her misery when the time came.

He also educated me about production breeds who are not really expected to live past 2 years. I spent quite a while really upset and furious about that and I still am.

Everyone on this thread was very kind and supportive. @BY Bob encouraged me not to give up on Maggie and at the same time helped me be prepared for the worst.

And I resolved to spend as much time as possible with Maggie and make sure her remaining time was as wonderful as possible.

Maggie visibly declined. She started molting and wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t alive. I dug for worms, I trapped beetles, and I bought live mealy worms to tempt her to eat. I provided heaps of leaves so she could pick through them for bugs.

Slowly she started to develop new feathers
View attachment 2846587

And to share in some treats
View attachment 2846588

And then much to my surprise, on January 23rd – 4 months after the lash egg - she laid a normal egg. I think nobody was more surprised than @BY Bob who posted:
“She successfully laid an egg today!?!”
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-of-our-flock.1286630/page-3059#post-23891234

So, I am marking this week as one year since Maggie got her death sentence.

I feel she has had a good chicken year.

She dug some deep holes.
View attachment 2846595

She explored snow.
View attachment 2846598

She shouted at me.
View attachment 2846601

She spent time with chicken friends.
View attachment 2846602

She sunbathed (a lot).
View attachment 2846606

She helped with construction projects.
View attachment 2846609

She shouted at me some more.
View attachment 2846611

She got in my face.
View attachment 2846613

She posed with her left side
View attachment 2846618

She posed with her right side
View attachment 2846621

She ate ice cream

She sunbathed some more
View attachment 2846623

And she cooled off by dunking her wattles.

Today, a full year later, she is still shouting at me, she is still in my face, and she is the undisputed queen of the long grass.

View attachment 2846625

* * *
Thank you all for indulging me in this post and joining me to celebrate Maggie's gift and mine - a whole year of chicken fun together.

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful rendition of Maggie’s amazing life. I’m going to keep this little post deep down in my heart the rest of my life. Maggie is so wonderful.

 

[featherhead007]

I’m flying out today. I’m not waiting for these evil wildfires to go away. But I can’t breathe here. I already opened the coop and yes it’s still dark (Jaffar hasn’t even awoken yet) all the feed and water, is fresh and available. My destination today is to buy a Buffalo burger at Catalina Island private airport California. A fresh oceanic flight, might clear up my lungs. I am so tired of breathing the burning forest here.

 

[Lady Red]

A year for Maggie (and RC)
Warning: long post.

The last couple of weeks has been an important milestone for Maggie and @BY Bob said it was OK for me to mark the occasion here.

On September 18, 2020 I found this in the nest box.

Spoiler: Warning - not for the squeamish

View attachment 2846580View attachment 2846581

I had no idea what it was and no idea who laid it. Everyone was acting normal and all cameras were deployed monitoring rodents and other, scarier, visitors.

I did research and learned that it was a lash egg – a sign of serious and long standing infection in the reproductive tract. I also learned that it is invariably fatal with the maximum life expectancy of less than 6 months.

I confirmed it was Maggie who laid it. She had stopped laying real eggs and laid one more lash egg a few days later.

Off she went to the vet.

View attachment 2846585

Because of Covid I wasn’t allowed in with her but she apparently wandered around the vet’s office investigating everything while she waited for him. The vet-tech was rather taken with her and fed her the blueberries I had brought.

The vet was very kind but confirmed what everyone else had told me which was that she would not live long. He offered to euthanize her but agreed with my view that it was a bit premature as she still had quality of life. I felt reassured that he would be able to put her out of her misery when the time came.

He also educated me about production breeds who are not really expected to live past 2 years. I spent quite a while really upset and furious about that and I still am.

Everyone on this thread was very kind and supportive. @BY Bob encouraged me not to give up on Maggie and at the same time helped me be prepared for the worst.

And I resolved to spend as much time as possible with Maggie and make sure her remaining time was as wonderful as possible.

Maggie visibly declined. She started molting and wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t alive. I dug for worms, I trapped beetles, and I bought live mealy worms to tempt her to eat. I provided heaps of leaves so she could pick through them for bugs.

Slowly she started to develop new feathers
View attachment 2846587

And to share in some treats
View attachment 2846588

And then much to my surprise, on January 23rd – 4 months after the lash egg - she laid a normal egg. I think nobody was more surprised than @BY Bob who posted:
“She successfully laid an egg today!?!”
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-of-our-flock.1286630/page-3059#post-23891234

So, I am marking this week as one year since Maggie got her death sentence.

I feel she has had a good chicken year.

She dug some deep holes.
View attachment 2846595

She explored snow.
View attachment 2846598

She shouted at me.
View attachment 2846601

She spent time with chicken friends.
View attachment 2846602

She sunbathed (a lot).
View attachment 2846606

She helped with construction projects.
View attachment 2846609

She shouted at me some more.
View attachment 2846611

She got in my face.
View attachment 2846613

She posed with her left side
View attachment 2846618

She posed with her right side
View attachment 2846621

She ate ice cream

She sunbathed some more
View attachment 2846623

And she cooled off by dunking her wattles.

Today, a full year later, she is still shouting at me, she is still in my face, and she is the undisputed queen of the long grass.

View attachment 2846625

* * *
Thank you all for indulging me in this post and joining me to celebrate Maggie's gift and mine - a whole year of chicken fun together.

This post is all sorts of wonderful! Maggie and RC, you've made me cry, laugh, and feel awe for your perseverance. RC, I'm glad you have a vet that agreed with the quality of life stance - and what a life!! Impressive hole, Maggie, and that grass doesn't stand a chance against you, you lovely sun worshipper!
But really.. do you have to yell at your mom so often??

 

[featherhead007]

@RoyalChick . I do seriously need to get some air. This valley could kill me! And who’s going to take care for my chickens, my horse, and my several properties? Actually, I’m a bit afraid right now.

 

[RoyalChick]

This post is all sorts of wonderful! Maggie and RC, you've made me cry, laugh, and feel awe for your perseverance. RC, I'm glad you have a vet that agreed with the quality of life stance - and what a life!! Impressive hole, Maggie, and that grass doesn't stand a chance against you, you lovely sun worshipper!
But really.. do you have to yell at your mom so often??

Awww. I have come to the view that she isn’t angry at me. She has opinions and expresses them loudly and repeatedly because she realizes I am probably a bit dim-witted and am therefore slow on the uptake with regard to what she is saying.

 

[Lady Red]

Awww. I have come to the view that she isn’t angry at me. She has opinions and expresses them loudly and repeatedly because she realizes I am probably a bit dim-witted and am therefore slow on the uptake with regard to what she is saying.

far from dim witted!

Maggie, You're my girl! You'd probably fit in nicely with my entire family...we are passionate speakers. Sometimes it sounds like yelling,but it is really just loud and good vocal projecting