Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

@RoyalChick what is the update from last night? Did you move them, is everyone ok? What happened?

I moved them in the small hours of the morning when the temperature really dipped. Dotty rode on my arm, Minnie was so fluffed up I couldn’t find her legs so I am afraid to say I just grabbed her. But I did it so fast I am not sure she even woke up.
I noticed Dotty’s crop looked very full so I went out again at 6am and did crop massage with coconut oil. I could feel the grains from the scratch she had as a bedtime snack.
What is it with these molting chickens? Are slow crops common in molting chickens? That is now three of my four. It could be the molting is coincidental. It could be I am sensitive to crop issues because I have learned how to massage.
Any insight?

 

[micstrachan]

Phyllis just did it as I brought her fresh water this morning. I'll try to remember to video it next time.

How cute. Maybe it was just a greeting? Or maybe the timing was a coincidence. My girls seemed to hear it as an alert, but the , they don’t know Phyllis’ voice.

 

[bgmathteach]

Oh, is Monday “Afro day”?

No, no, Monday is pompadour day!

 

[featherhead007]

Jaffar didn’t get along with me very well today. He seemed to be annoyed by me. Even when I put him to bed in the coop, he hesitated to have me rub his waddles. Maybe he was upset about me keeping them all locked up until I came home from church? Do chickens hold a grudge?

Update: me and Jaffar are fine today. I brought him inside, for a man to man talk. He’s still in here with me now.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh, I get it. I still like to actually do my math.

Tax: Charlie the Parrot.

We had a Blue & Gold Macaw named Louie growing up! My parents eventually rehomed him. He was wonderful and very social; they thought he deserved a family who would pay him more attention. Once my parents were at a party at Louie’s new home and he remembered my dad. They had a full-on beak-to-nose cuddle love fest and everyone who saw it was shocked! Social, loving birds.

 

[micstrachan]

I miss Kris and Arduinna. I found Arduinna on Reddit but couldn’t make contact.

I miss them, too!

 

[The-White-Elephant]

We had a Blue & Gold Macaw named Louie growing up! My parents eventually rehomed him. He was wonderful and very social; they thought he deserved a family who would pay him more attention. Once my parents were at a party at Louie’s new home and he remembered my dad. They had a full-on beak-to-nose cuddle love fest and everyone who saw it was shocked! Social, loving birds.

Aww!

 

[bgmathteach]

I moved them in the small hours of the morning when the temperature really dipped. Dotty rode on my arm, Minnie was so fluffed up I couldn’t find her legs so I am afraid to say I just grabbed her. But I did it so fast I am not sure she even woke up.
I noticed Dotty’s crop looked very full so I went out again at 6am and did crop massage with coconut oil. I could feel the grains from the scratch she had as a bedtime snack.
What is it with these molting chickens? Are slow crops common in molting chickens? That is now three of my four. It could be the molting is coincidental. It could be I am sensitive to crop issues because I have learned how to massage.
Any insight?

They eat differently when molting, so it might be that they end up with 'slow crop' due to this change in diet. Or, maybe, they pick up a feather or two to eat and it causes slow crop....there are always PLENTY of feathers around to pick at/eat when one is molting.

 

[micstrachan]

New girls!!!

Please welcome our newest family members; three Frizzle bantams (feather-dusters!)

Penguin - a one year-old Pekin/Australorp X hen who needs to regrow her back feathers due to an over-attentive rooster.

Charlotte (Lottie) - a three month-old Australorp X pullet.

Snowflake (Snowy) - a three month-old Sussex X pullet.

More photos to follow once we’re out of the car.

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Adorable! Congrats on your new feathered friends!

 

[micstrachan]

This is very interesting to me. You have 2, @RoyalChick has 1. I have never heard of any chicken molting in January before. Never. Something is going on but I can't figure what would cause this!

Umm… did you forget about Ester?

Sunshine may be thinking about molting, too. I see a few feathers of hers here and there and she stopped laying.