Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Some Good News

It appears that Sylvie is through the shock phase. I am outside with her and she is enjoying herself out in the yard.

 

[micstrachan]

It is kind of similar to Sylvie's burrowing under Legertha.

View attachment 2901755

Sunshine, my Easter Egger who likes to put her head in my armpit, tries to burrow under several of the other hens. It’s so darn cute.

 

[micstrachan]

Not a Hawk

I think it is very likely that it was something other than a hawk that killed Legertha. I will be taking her for a necropsy. There are absolutely no signs of trauma that I can find. Not a feather seems out of place. I can find no wounds. Whatever happened, I think the red tails are off the hook.

Check out her wing in this photo. Everything is where it should be.

Spoiler: Legertha's Wing

View attachment 2904377

She weighed 1.83 lbs. Still so young.

GASP!!!! Oh no!!! Bob, I am so very sorry!!! I just got on after a couple days off and this was the second post I saw. Oh my gosh, this is horrible. I’m actually crying for you and Sylvie. Poor Legertha.

 

[micstrachan]

Both Gone

I believe from this video that they are both gone. Sylvie would have certainly reacted to Lilly's approach in some manner.

I may not be back to the thread until the weekend. I just don't know. I just don't know.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. I’m frantically reading as fast as I can. I thought I saw a post that Sylvie was passed the shock stage, so I hope that’s all was going on here.

 

[RoyalChick]

Me too!
This has been my first adult moult with my hens and I have found it a bit stressful. I have been giving them sardines and eggs for extra protein and keeping a close watch on them, but I wish that they had moulted earlier in the season.

I am with you. It is hard to watch.

 

[RoyalChick]

Not a Hawk

I think it is very likely that it was something other than a hawk that killed Legertha. I will be taking her for a necropsy. There are absolutely no signs of trauma that I can find. Not a feather seems out of place. I can find no wounds. Whatever happened, I think the red tails are off the hook.

Check out her wing in this photo. Everything is where it should be.

Spoiler: Legertha's Wing

View attachment 2904377

She weighed 1.83 lbs. Still so young.

I am not ready to let the hawks off the hook. She could have escaped and still died of shock.
A fox or a dog would have left visible signs of damage.

 

[featherhead007]

Do chickens detect stress? My birds don’t want to be held lately. I have been trying to spend more time with them since the sad news about Legertha. Mine will eat from my hand, but the lap sitting is the last thing they want to do.

 

[BY Bob]

GASP!!!! Oh no!!! Bob, I am so very sorry!!! I just got on after a couple days off and this was the second post I saw. Oh my gosh, this is horrible. I’m actually crying for you and Sylvie. Poor Legertha.

It's been a rough several days as I wasn't home when it happened and Mrs BY Bob was at work when I saw Legertha dead and thought Sylvie was too but could not confirm.

Something very special has been lost and I expect it not to be seen again. You are not the only one with tears. I surely do appreciate your sympathy.

All the world is a lesser place for the loss of both her and the joy that the two of them brought to the world together. It will be a long time until I'm over it, if I ever am.

I'm sorry, I am rambling a little as I sit outside with all of them in the cold.

 

[BY Bob]

Do chickens detect stress? My birds don’t want to be held lately. I have been trying to spend more time with them since the sad news about Legertha. Mine will eat from my hand, but the lap sitting is the last thing they want to do.

They most definitely do. Mine are out and about today but there is no playfulness in them.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh no, oh no, oh no. I’m frantically reading as fast as I can. I thought I saw a post that Sylvie was passed the shock stage, so I hope that’s all was going on here.

That's what it was. It seems Lilly was checking on her.