Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Awwww how is she doing now?

She's acting like nothing ever happened. She wanted out that night and Grandma let her out and forgot about her. I almost wonder if she got into something even though her labs came back normal. She is bad to bark softly in her sleep, always has. Now every time she does it I jump to see if she is twitching. I will worry about this girl for the rest of her life. I cannot help it, goldens are one of the worst breeds for cancers so I'm all the time checking her for lumps and bumps. She's had a few benign skin tags removed the last few years. I want many more years with her, goldens are my heart breed. She is 10 now, every day she has left is a blessing.

 

[rural mouse]

What’s with the one tail feather hahaha too funny! Can’t you just yank it out so he doesn’t suffer the indignity of that lone feather? just kidding!

Meanwhile now HENNY IS MOLTING !!! I noted a couple loose feathers and helped her get rid of them, but she is yanking them out all over the barn! Thankfully Buttercup had stopped shedding and is now regrowing feathers. Who next?! It’s going to be winter soon!

He's got 3. Both long flags and 1 of the longest straight feathers. One of the flags got snapped off the same length as the straight. He's gotten much patchier in his mane. I'm hoping he's stepping up the pace on the moult. It's getting cold and this storm is good for increased humidity.

 

[RoyalChick]

If she ever decides to lay for you, Bernie may lay a speckled egg. If I remember correctly Welsulmers can lay speckled eggs.

Oooh! That would be lovely.

 

[Kris5902]

I am already dreaming of some Tramacet, but seeing as how now I don't have a drug plan to pay for that expensive med I will just have to dream on.... Bad Kelly bad bad Kelly and her bad bad temper

No, you did what you had to… the extended medical wasn’t worth the BS… do I have a tax pic??? No! better job, better contract, better extended healthcare. But that place was sucking your soul out and making you miserable. Take a half dozen naproxen and a bottle of tums… and it’s still better than a toxic, awful work environment.

Small house chicken tax payment? Aka: barn swallow hatched in my house build.

 

[RoyalChick]

I'd like to know the name of that.

Found it.
Chicken People is its name. I haven’t watched it but plan to. It is only 90 minutes long.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4819510/

 

[Kris5902]

She's acting like nothing ever happened. She wanted out that night and Grandma let her out and forgot about her. I almost wonder if she got into something even though her labs came back normal. She is bad to bark softly in her sleep, always has. Now every time she does it I jump to see if she is twitching. I will worry about this girl for the rest of her life. I cannot help it, goldens are one of the worst breeds for cancers so I'm all the time checking her for lumps and bumps. She's had a few benign skin tags removed the last few years. I want many more years with her, goldens are my heart breed. She is 10 now, every day she has left is a blessing.

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to keep up here, house building drama and such… is Grandma back in? Ok? Either way my moms last excuse for missing her ultrasound “didn’t have parking change for the hospital” FFS! So this coming Thursday DH has the day off and will drive/drag her into her re-scheduled appointment if necessary.

Goldens are beautiful pups, and I hope everything is ok with her!

 

[RoyalChick]

Yaaaaaa! Oh to be a fly on the wall - though I had planned this week to be a vacation week so it will be next week when chaos will reign

Meanwhile I will sit in my office job hunting and enjoying my chickens and ponies - unless I get a call I am praying for to go to BC on a pipeline project….

The main man tax
View attachment 3300945

You quit before your vacation?
Ummm. Why?!

 

[Kris5902]

So, I had a rough night last night. I was putting the littles away, and one of my roosters gave a horrendous, terrified ?squawk? at the top of his lungs & continued with it....I ran as fast as I could, but it wasn't quick enough. A fox got one of my hens....and it took me a full 20 min. to get the rooster to calm down...he was missing a few more saddle feathers (he is in the middle of a hard molt and doesn't have any tail feathers at the moment.) A good boy sounding the alarm....but I still lost a sweet Astralorp

I suppose I have been beating the odds for too long this year...my neighbor has lost multiple to both foxes and raccoons. But, I just can't see sequestering them to the run 24/7...when I get home from work they run to the gate and are begging for out time.

Just caught up… at least on this one every single loss hurts, it doesn’t matter if you have 2, 20, or 200 birds. That means you are the BEST chicken mama, even if the lost hen didn’t have a name yet. None of us can be everywhere 24/7. Good boy for doing his job, and I’m sorry for your loss. Can you legally trap where you are? Fox fur is soft and pretty, and that would be a lovely way to honor your hen. I agree that free ranging is worth the risk if you’re able. I think they have a better quality of life.

 

[Kris5902]

I honestly have no idea how she is still alive, but she is.
She stayed holed up in her nest box again today. She has eaten maybe 4 kernels of corn and a similar amount of shrimp and had a few sips of water.
She really only eats when I offer it to her by hand - it is like she does it just to please me.
I tried to encourage her to have more but she scolded me and moved to the box next door to stop me bothering her.
There is no question in my mind that she is dying. I check with her every hour or so and each time I expect I will find her dead, instead she lifts her head and says hi, and then goes back to sleep.
I don't know whether to hasten the inevitable. I don't want her to suffer, but I am fearful of needing to put her down. I don't see a lot of signs of distress or pain. She just seems very, very tired. I am hoping she goes in her sleep. Of course I am really hoping she suddenly turns a corner, but I know we are well past that stage.
I am a bit of a wreck. She has been a real companion, more so than any of the others, though I have loved them all. In a way I am already mourning because she hasn't been in my face for several days now and I miss her.
I am also constantly stressed by the thoughts around whether I need to put her down, and dealing with her body.
I am also worrying about my depleted flock of two, and will Diana survive through the winter.
I think Bernie and Diana know Maggie is dying. Up until today they were sitting with her. Diana once even got into the nest box and sat with her beak-to-beak for a couple of hours. But today they are not paying any attention to her at all. It is like they already said their good byes.
Sorry, probably too much information.

I’ve been in this spot more times than I like in the last few years, with my tendency to take in rescues. It sounds like you’re doing what is best for you both. Unless there is clear suffering I don’t generally try to let my hens pass as peacefully as possible. Several I have left in with their flocks, knowing they likely would pass very soon as that was where they were most comfortable. Some I have brought in. Some I have helped along because they were in pain, and that was kinder. I trust your assessment of her, and have every confidence you will do what is best for her based on that.

 

[Kris5902]

Ok seeing as I’m sort of trying to catch up on what’s been happening… y’all will have to forgive me I’m so far behind and a little out of touch. I’ve got a little house progress update, but no tax photos… maybe I will get some tomorrow. It’s been a little hectic here lately. I have some house peaks up (actually all of them) and the rain is back (just starting up), that’s what I get for not pulling the hatch over tonight and literally saying “it won’t rain tonight, right?”

Getting closer. I swear! Random slightly older/used Sammy pic for tax?