Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Thanks. She was very special to me.

 

[BY Bob]

At least you're not trying to find the muffler bearings. I convinced someone (skeptically) to ask someone else what those were. He (half napping) told her (complete with hand gestures) they go round in the muffler and help stifle the sound.

Excellent! Well done.

 

[micstrachan]

I waited until I was at my computer to respond to this. Because of that I am now pages behind but what can you do. If you don't like rants please skip this post. I am very passionate on this.

Chickens are social creatures in many ways just like most humans. Most humans start to get upset when they are separated from other humans (I said MOST @Ribh , not ALL). This has become well document as people with the effects of isolation during the pandemic.

Spoiler: this is a non-chicken related rant but it does add to my point

At the height of the pandemic people with severe COVID cases were in the ICU for months. I said months! During that time, when struggling for every breath, frequently on a ventilator unable to speak, they were not allowed to have any family members visit. Many died in those beds all alone. It brings me to tears to think of the horror of dying slowly all alone like that. I always imagine how many might have found the will to fight on if a loved one had simply held their hand and spoken to them.

Around this time I was asked by one of my friends who worked in a healthcare system which was struggling to fight to keep up with COVID a fascinating question.

Would I rather die alone in an ICU bed struggling for breath or be eaten by an alligator?

I chose the alligator as there is no greater horror for me than to die slowly, all alone.

Now imagine you are a chicken. You don't feel well and are trying to hide it. Then your human removes you from your friends and puts you in a box alone in the house. There you will remain until you either get better or die. You have spent you whole life surrounded by your friends. Now they can't even come and touch your beak.

It is an awful thing to do to any social living creature. The people who direct you to do this have absolutely no understanding of what their society means to a chicken. They are only thinking of what is easier for the humans.

To backup @Shadrach point about chickens attaching sick members. I have had too many sick chickens pass away with their friends. I have never seen them attacked by the rest of the tribe. I have only seen the members of the tribe support the sick one until the bitter end. Sometimes like Patsy with Daisy, the greatest hen ever, they even sit with them peacefully as they pass.

I believe that this does occur in factory farms, just like cannibalism does. It is not a product of the chicken's society. Rather it is the product of their horrendous living conditions and lack of a normal chicken society. This incorrect knowledge based upon an abnormal living environment has been handed down and become "common knowledge" which is just plain wrong.

We will never know the depth of their connections. How could we? We are fools to ignore it and we are worse than fools if we don't try to support it and them through acknowledging its existence.

Rant complete. Thank you for reading.

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This rant? I already read it. The way I read it, you and Shad were mostly in agreement. But friendly banter is always entertaining.

 

[BY Bob]

You might have liked get your hands on that old jag I had. I would have enjoyed having it restored one day, but that is nowhere in the cards for us right now, so we gave it away. I hope someone enjoys it.

I would have enjoyed that for sure. Mrs BY Bob once had an XJ6. Wonderful car.

 

[BY Bob]

This rant? I already read it. The way I read it, you and Shad were mostly in agreement. But friendly banter is always entertaining.

We were enjoying ourselves.

 

[micstrachan]

We were enjoying ourselves.

That’s great. I have a flaw where I tend to be very literal and sometimes miss sarcasm. Especially now with social media. Ironically, sarcasm is one of my favorite ways of expression.

 

[BY Bob]

That’s great. I have a flaw where I tend to be very literal and sometimes miss sarcasm. Especially now with social media. Ironically, sarcasm is one of my favorite ways of expression.

In written form it can be easily misunderstood.

 

[fuentemoon]

We had a bird of prey "visiting" today. As you can see it was a bit far away for an id. We get a lot like this.

The girls still kept an eye out for it though.

 

[RoyalChick]

Sorry if I’m being a dolt. What are sultanas?

Big juicy raisins.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks. She was very special to me.