Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

OOops, I don't have nor have ever used a bolt gun. I HAVE used a BOLUS GUN (used for putting pills down horse/cow, etc throats - shoves it far enough back they can't spit it out and keeps you from getting bitten.

Very different!

 

[bgmathteach]

Very different!

Agreed! When I read it as bolus gun, I thought you used that to 'shove' the gel-caps down their throat. That is why I said I wouldn't need that! I figured I could do it fine enough with my finger on a chicken!

At least it wasn't quite as bad as @Ponypoor and her reading of 'pecking bag' regarding Aurora & Phyllis!

 

[knoturavggrl]

I had a puffer, a Moray eel, three Angel fish and two crabs. But that salt water aquarium was too much trouble to manage.

Awll, I had mini saltwater aquarium for several years. I had a blue line pseudochromis, a tomato clownfish, a copper dwarf angel, a candycane shrimp. I also had several corals and beautiful live rock which really is a whole ecosystem in and of itself.

I loved it but your absolutely correct it was an enormous amount of work and it was quite expensive. I did learn so much about water chemistry and sea dwelling creatures, it was fascinating.

Tank talk tax:

 

[Lilion]

Hello! Back again after a bit of vacation. The neighbor took care of the chickens and I came home to healthy happy chooks. Except Eenie seems to be going broody! Not sure what to do about it since this is my first time. The neighbor was diligent in picking up eggs so she has nothing to hatch. I wouldn't mind her hatching a few, but all 3 girls share one box. They won't touch the other 2 boxes. I have one girl laying brown eggs and thought maybe I can gather just the others and leave the brown for her to hatch. Could that work? It's that or try to break the broodiness I guess. But how can I get the other girls to use those other boxes?

 

[RoyalChick]

Agreed! When I read it as bolus gun, I thought you used that to 'shove' the gel-caps down their throat. That is why I said I wouldn't need that! I figured I could do it fine enough with my finger on a chicken!

At least it wasn't quite as bad as @Ponypoor and her reading of 'pecking bag' regarding Aurora & Phyllis!

Oh no - the gel caps I use to create pills out of things that are in a less convenient form (like powder or cream).
If you freeze them they stay solid long enough to pop them in the chicken's mouth just like a pill. I found it helpful for something - wormer I think - I had 'equine paste' which I could squirt into the capsule.

 

[Marie2020]

Sad news:
Today being Fathers day, I was cooking baking bread and the kids were up at our pond with their dad catching and releasing fish. Usually we go out to check on the chickens several times a day but today I only got a chance to go out once to collect eggs, change the wee ones water and we brought them a cool treat. All looked fine till I went to count, all the bigs accounted for. One of the littles was missing. I found a trail of feathers into the corner we had reinforced against the gd rats . Brownie has a minor eye injury I will address in the morning, I assume she got it trying save Fable.

Idk when this happened which is driving me crazy. All the babies still sleep in the tote. I went out tonight well after dark and stuck them all up on the roosts. They were quite unhappy with me but I feel like they may be safer up there then on the ground. I really hope they stay up there and don’t jump down.

I am really at a loss, and I am heartbroken and angry all at the same time. I think I am going have use poison. I made it much much much harder for them to eat the chicken feed so now they are going after my chickens instead.

I'd be beside myself.
I hate killing anything but my old friend and neighbour put his foot down and killed a lot of rats last year.

Behind where we live we had the lowest of lives living. They breed dogs and neglected them cruelly. I tried everything to get that situation sorted but not one of the appropriate authorities helped and I begged three, which I won't name and shame. These people were allowed to continue and have a small holding away from here now. My heart breaks for those animals.

They even starved these dogs and rats came by the dozens, spreading into my neighbours next door. Thank goodness my friend did the deed.

I really hope you can sort this problem out soon. I'm really sorry for yours and your hens loss

 

[Marie2020]

Enjoying the garden yesterday

 

[The Chick Addict]

Maybe the guy works on Sunday during the day. I can raise you that story. Did I tell this story before? Our fairly-new neighbor across the hollow had his chainsaw tuned up and picked it up on his way home from work. Tried it out, runs like a charm. Started working on his firewood logs. By the way, when does he work? Second shift, maybe third - it was about 2am! He cut wood for an hour or so. We lay in bed flabbergasted.

Okay, maybe that was a one-off? Nope. Next night, 11pm and it starts up again. I drove across the hollow in my PJ's and robe. Decided I wouldn't get out of the car in case he really was nuts. Gotta consider the situation, and this is truly bizarre. But this was the 90's. I think I would not do this nowadays. Not at night anyways.

Pulled up, but not too close, and rolled down the window. There he was with blazing outside lights cutting wood. He stopped and took his muffs off. I asked him really nicely: Can you not chainsaw during the night please? We're sleeping. See, that's our house up there across the way? We're 1/8 mile from here directly, we're all in this hollow, and the sound travels.

He was actually very sorry and explained he thought the distance was enough, he just got off work and had the saw worked on, etc., I said you know you have another neighbor much closer than us, right there on the corner (Only a thousand feet down the road)? He's a real early riser. We work at night like you, but not every night, and none of us are night-owls. He was great about it, and never chain-sawed at night again.

Chainsaw tax: four weeks old Butters in August 2020
View attachment 3547553

Oh my goodness! I had a chick that looked like that but she passed away due to being suffocated in the sleep pile when they were chicks. And her name was Butter!

 

[The Chick Addict]

Haha, my two old roosters both sounded very unhealthy. Basil sounded like a 250 year old man with throat issues. (I gave Basil away, and he was a happy free range chicken for about half a year, but unfortunately a coyote got him recently.
He does have a few sons that look just like him at his new home though.)
And Pumpkin had a very raspy and broken up voice. (I gave him away to a good friend.
He may become Thanksgiving dinner, because he attacks REALLY badly. He has torn his new owners leg up before and she needed to rest it for a few days.
His hatch day is Thanksgiving. He was a lone egg and a lone chick.
We were very close until I put him in with the others, then he started attacking me.)

It is not his fault, all roosters are very sweet at heart! When cockerels hit sexual maturity and their hormones start coming in + girls = MEAN ROOSTER. He could have great chance if he belonged to someone without hens. But I understand if that is not an option.

 

[RoyalChick]

At my age I now understand why my dad had me dispatch chickens and other animals for the pot. As I have aged my heart has softened and I suspect the same of my dad. I watch Dr Oakley on tv and the other day when their family dog died I cried like a baby. I don't want to think of having to put down one of my pups or chooks.

I notice the same in myself. I was much harder hearted when I was younger.
I also noticed it in my father. When he hit 90 he would watch the news on TV with tears streaming down his face at the suffering of others.