Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Enjoy your time with family. Don't feel obligated to sneak off to reply. Sometime next year () works just fine.

You have a heat panel in the coop, right? If Sansa feels cold, she will make use of it. Not growing in new feathers is concerning. Existing feathers being ratty: once they go ratty, nothing will fix until new grow in. I'm glad she's going back in for more tests. She trusts you which is good.

Winter tends to minimize energy expenditures in my birds. what you're observing in behaviors will likely hold until spring (or a good Chinook) because of that. Aurora and Hattie may stay settled or may have a few spats come spring. Is Phyllis running around with the rest in the complex or avoiding them?

Phyllis is with everybody else most of the day. There are times she goes to that high roost in the coop to roost alone, preen and I think, digest. That roost is the hottest spot in the whole complex aside from the porch. Phyllis will dustbathe with everyone else, scratch with everyone else, preen with everyone else, and really only separates at bedtime.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Jaffar’s neck feathers are not growing out either. I pamper him quite a bit. Right now, he’s wrapped up in a blanket, laying on me. (His eyes closed, he looks very relaxed) he really is a very good rooster!

Jaffar is living the dream!

 

[BY Bob]

Hi@BY Bob,

I suspect that you won't see feather improvement until she regrows her feathers....is she actually molting now? Can you do what @micstrachan (and ?someone else ? not sure who at the moment - maybe @ChicoryBlue ?) does, which is use a heating pad on the roost & wrap it with an old towel. That should help lots with the feet, plus a little warmth in general from the under side.

I'm really glad that she still allows you to handle her, as that is so crucial for further checks & treatment. I really do believe that they understand good intentions - and I am sure your gentle demeanor with them, and talking to them all the while, helps loads. Plus, there was already very much a trust relationship!

While I am glad Hattie is still cautious, I hope it isn't so nervous to cause constant stress for her. I think Aurora's personality is better suited for sentinal duty than Hattie's, if Hattie is okay with it, then this is probably a good thing.

Hope you had a Wonderful Christmas!!

Yes, I am considering the heating pad idea. I do have a lot of stuff on that 1 circuit right now so I need to make certain it can support more. I hope that she will sleep in the nest box by the heater if it gets too cold. That is where she was last night when it was snowing. Along with Hattie on the ground in front of the heater.

 

[Ponypoor]

Link with info on 'Drop Bears'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_bear

Awesomeness

We call them squirrels here... Large carnivorous nut throwing arborial squirrels we grow them big here in the Great White North!

But they are afraid of chickens....

 

[Ponypoor]

Link with info on 'Drop Bears'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_bear

Awesomeness

We call them squirrels here... Large carnivorous nut throwing arborial squirrels we grow them big here in the Great White North!

 

[featherhead007]

Alarm, alarm!! Arizona is molting now too. Redheaded feathers everywhere this morning. She must have been plucking them out all night long. (Why does this happen in the coldest part of winter?) I picked her up, she flapped her wings and POOF, feathers everywhere.

 

[Ponypoor]

Awesomeness

We call them squirrels here... Large carnivorous nut throwing arborial squirrels we grow them big here in the Great White North!

I am being paged by hens telling me they wish to try going outside again.

Still snowy but hey let's give it a whirl!

 

[featherhead007]

You owe tax for this for certain.

Tax:

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Tax:View attachment 2941945

LMFAO! Just got laid XD!

 

[BY Bob]

Tax:View attachment 2941945

I don't see a chicken in that photo. I see drawn silhouettes of chickens. This is not a sufficient payment.