Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Latest news: pastor of the second church I attend, said that I can bring my rooster anytime I want to. (I have the portable pet carrier cleaned out and ready) so Sunday, let’s see if he can put the money where his mouth is! Jaffar likes music too, and bawks both English and Spanish!

Music to soothe the savage beast

 

[bgmathteach]

Sally
Today has been a rollercoaster ride with my poor old Sally; the woman where I keep my horses when I am away, told me last night Sally wasn't acting right. She wasn't eating, and was just standing there.

This morning she still hadn't eaten and wasn't acting right. I asked them to call the Vet to come on out. Well things went from bad to catastrophic; she was doing 'head pressing' where horses press their heads into the wall, and she freaked out and tried to crash through the stall bars, in fact her head went through the bars and the bars had to be cut to get her free.

The Vet called me asking if she had a Rabies vaccine (YES! Always get rabies - it's a $10 shot which not only protects the horse but YOU and your family - rabies = death). The neurological symptoms she was displaying could be rabies, brain tumor, stroke..... So with Rabies cleared up and with no other thing he could find wrong with her, it was decided that the most humane thing would be to put her down. It would have done no good to try to get her in a trailer to go to the Vet College - that would have ended badly I am sure, I have seen horses freaking out in a trailer - not good. At her age also, she could have had a stroke, or even a tumor. Why let her suffer? and she was a danger to those around her, crashing around trying to bash through things

So my poor old Sally is no more. One needs to have nerves of steel to have kids and pets


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05 April 2000 - 25 Jan 2023

I'm so sorry to hear this. You have had her for over 20 years.....I know this will leave a big hole - and poor Sally, to be so hurting (physically or neurologically) to ram your head through the bars and need to be cut out

Dear Sally: You had a good run - now may you run free with no aches, pains, and have the breeze blowing in your mane, and sun shining on you!

 

[Ponypoor]

There seems to be a subgroup of enablers emerging here!
I think part of the reason I am not in favor of feathered legs is that I really like the look of the snakeskin boots. With Bella I was besotted with her black snakeskin boots and both Babs and Eli have a similar style in green. I can't imagine it being better than that!

Mr P has awesome snakeskin legs - you need a Mr P...

 

[rural mouse]

Sally
Today has been a rollercoaster ride with my poor old Sally; the woman where I keep my horses when I am away, told me last night Sally wasn't acting right. She wasn't eating, and was just standing there.

This morning she still hadn't eaten and wasn't acting right. I asked them to call the Vet to come on out. Well things went from bad to catastrophic; she was doing 'head pressing' where horses press their heads into the wall, and she freaked out and tried to crash through the stall bars, in fact her head went through the bars and the bars had to be cut to get her free.

The Vet called me asking if she had a Rabies vaccine (YES! Always get rabies - it's a $10 shot which not only protects the horse but YOU and your family - rabies = death). The neurological symptoms she was displaying could be rabies, brain tumor, stroke..... So with Rabies cleared up and with no other thing he could find wrong with her, it was decided that the most humane thing would be to put her down. It would have done no good to try to get her in a trailer to go to the Vet College - that would have ended badly I am sure, I have seen horses freaking out in a trailer - not good. At her age also, she could have had a stroke, or even a tumor. Why let her suffer? and she was a danger to those around her, crashing around trying to bash through things

So my poor old Sally is no more. One needs to have nerves of steel to have kids and pets


View attachment 3386080

05 April 2000 - 25 Jan 2023

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I will look for cardboard boxes. So far I have put the nesting pads where they are laying thinking that they could at least get used to laying on those. So far they just move them so the box may help.

Perhaps they sure don't seem to like the 7x7 opening, they should fit but maybe they think they cant

They are in the front by the food and closer to the pop door there really isn't a better place the way I have the roosts set up. I may try to redesign when it gets warmer. I am going to add curtains and see if that helps very soon.

Even a single wall on the side towards the pop door and light could help make it feel sectioned off, darker and secure.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thank you. I will keep posting!
I am with you on crows. They harass the hawks here too. In the summer it was interesting to see how the chickens reacted to the hawk shouts. They could tell when the hawks crows were just being noisy vs when they were dealing with a hawk.
The much smaller grey cat bitds or northern mockingbirds (I can’t decide which they are) also mib the hawks quite aggressively and make a big racket doing so.

Crows and Ravens are very smart and very playful. I have seen Crows doing loop-d-loops in the wind swirls on hillsides (where the wind whirls upwards) - the crows fly up and loop backwards and down only so swoop up and over again. I have seen them playing this game often. Having fun

 

[featherhead007]

Music to soothe the savage beast

Jaffar is about as savage as a caterpillar!

 

[Ponypoor]

You know, she can't always whip out the keyboard and peck away and COMPLETE it at lunch time. It takes a while typing one finger beak at a time, you know. I say give her until the evening paper comes out, so you can sit with your dinner and the 'paper' and read her column....and enjoy choking on your food, or your beverage of choice coming out your nose, as you laugh yourself into syncope!

I will try to be more careful tonight.

 

[BY Bob]

OK this will be late, and I love Bernie but let's consider this: but have you had the thought that she wants to get up there in order to boot them off? Is she lonely, or just really hates that they've escaped her attentions?

I love this. That is surely what Aurora would do. I've been watching her chase Hattie in a circle for 10 minutes now.

 

[BY Bob]

Same idea here, that you don't have to get up there, just tack them at the height you can reach. Like a tent ceiling.

Exactly. It is not necessary to go all the way up to the rafters.