Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

A broody butt

@BY Bob Jessica posed for you.


Storm posed too.

It's angles like this that show me she's capable of covering 13 eggs (I'm still gobsmacked)

 

[Ponypoor]

Last check a couple hours ago nothing yet. I am not worried though. Hatch day is supposed to be Saturday. Today just made day 19. Not all eggs are going to be early hatchers.

Was just checking out another thread and came across someone stating that the Silkie black skin is on the Z chromosome so cockerels will have dark skin but pullets will have white skin!

Next time I will look for light skinned pullets

Post in thread 'Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-they’re-simply-spectacular.1334299/post-27021292

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm hearing crowing from the coop: Cheetah....Hector...Whiskey....uh-oh... dunno if that's Tuff or Zulu, but based upon the sick tone, one of the babies is crowing too.

View attachment 3576528Ok, you need to crow when I'm watching so I can know your voice!

Teenager crows

 

[Ponypoor]

Not if he crowing yell....

FLOYD GET YOUR FLUFFY ARSE OVER HERE NOW!

they may wonder about the fluffy butt bit….

 

[BY Bob]

I know what you're talking about. It's not off topic imo, loss is part of chicken-keeping ,among other things. I've been in tears for others' losses here too. Take care of yourself; sometimes stepping away is the perfect thing to do to help yourself cope.

BBQ may be molting, do you think? Hazel, when she went through a normal molt, really went off her normal diet and wanted nothing but worms, bugs and dandelion greens. She loved unsalted sardines.

To add to what @Ponypoor said about life-

1. People have sayings that refer to the unpredictable and unfair way life can be, that basically either make religious or games of chance references. These serve as reminders to us that there's lots in life that is not really under our control. Recognizing what is and what isn't, is a big part of managing your way through it. Peanut was on her way to an early death, and the vet and I think there is nothing I could have done to prevent it except to have found a chick with better genetics. She thought it was most likely not her feed or any other conditions I have control over. What I could do was prevent a great deal of further suffering, by euthanizing her. Ultimately, a long life was not "in the cards" for her. Her sibling Popcorn is apparently healthy as a horse (are horses healthy? Hah!), Hazel is fine, and we don't know what's up with Butters. Same conditions for all four.

But in the meantime, Peanut had a really very good and definitely not a miserable life, in the majority. And three years is short but not insanely short like poor Eli.

2. Then, being able to carry on during and after bad things happening is the other part of getting through life. That is something that definitely takes practice. Which you are probably realizing you are getting these days. It might help you to remember that psychologists say we make a bigger deal out of bad things than good things, and that probably this is hard-wired into us from the beginning of being human. You know, avoiding eating that one poisonous plant is way more critical than looking for one good edible plant. Good plants don't make the same impression a bad one does! This is wired into our natures.

I'm not trying to minimize the bad things you experience, but to give you a bit of perspective on maybe your own natural reaction to the bad things. This may be why a lot of self-help guides recommend practicing gratitude as a counter to the natural emphasis we put on bad things. People do this through prayer and spiritual connection, or listing the good things they encountered each day in a diary, or singing or drawing or painting about it, or thinking about what they appreciate about their friends and family.


One of the Buckeye gang in December 2020, either Peanut or Butters, probably Peanut by her coloring.
View attachment 3575957

wonderfully said

 

[BY Bob]

Chilly Babies

It’s a cool damp day today, Truly is back to normal, I am keeping all the horses inside tonight, it’s supposed to be only 9C brrr!

The chicks were taking a break and warming up under mama - and one roosting on top of her.

@BY Bob I tried to get her going for a pony ride earlier

Just adorable! thanks so much

 

[BY Bob]

I love the food on his little nose. He's begging for walkies
View attachment 3575710

What a cutie!

 

[BY Bob]

An update

Lots has been going on here. For example, I got my first green egg two weeks ago. I haven't uploaded the picture yet. Twilight lays those eggs.

Yesterday, I lost a pullet. It was Brooks. I went into the barn to do the chores, I hear a desperate CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP! I look under my feet; no Tomatilla chicks I am stepping on. I look towards the big coop... Brooks is standing there, with lots of feathers missing and blood all over. Her butt was a bloody mess. Now if you know my chooks they will torture little chickies and practically kill them. They love going for the butt. I think part of her skull could have been broken off, and everything was just disgusting, gory, and bloody. I ended her misery. Even if I could have saved her, she would've not laid eggs. Because of the backside. Brooks was only about ten weeks old. Or could be seven weeks. She was a small chick.

Alpha wants to be a crazy rabbit. He is trying to thump my arm. It's called thumping; basically it's when the buck pinches some of the doe's fur near the back of the neck, and kind of balances, then starts thumping his back legs. It's a comical sight, kind of like a rabbit stacked on a rabbit. Anyway, he was trying to do that to me! Pinching my sweater, balancing on my arm, and thumping... Yeah not ideal. But I think he likes me...

A Gen.2 pullet, Esme, started laying yesterday. It was so weak shelled it broke in my hands. The membrane was strong, though. I just made mash of it. Chooks loved it.

Anyway, here's some tax, a random bunch of hens
View attachment 3575639
More like Lady Nacho (left) and Mary (right)

So sorry about the chick. That had to be tough to come upon.

 

[BY Bob]

Do you have a new chicken?

No that is an old photo of my friend Sansa.

Interesting thought. I dont think I have bought walnuts for them since Sansa passed. Maybe the newer girls would like walnuts?

 

[BY Bob]

I think she will be ‘ok’ but I am now seriously thinking of having her euthanized, I have been leaving the horses out overnight due to her falling over in her stall from her sleep issues. She doesn’t want to lay down to sleep as she can’t get back up easily, so she falls asleep standing up and falls over.

Last night I just didn’t realize it would be so miserable weather wise. I am guessing she fell over and then couldn’t get up due to the slippery mud.

My fear is that she falls and breaks something and I don’t get to her till morning. I am going to have to talk with my veterinarian about this.

Ok well I better get cracking here and let the horses out, since we are under severe thunderstorm warnings I will have to bring them in later incase of lightning and possible tornadoes. I want Truly to get outside walking to see how she is. I gave her pain meds.

This has to be a terribly difficult decision.