Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

You running a chicken coop, or a donut shop? “Cream Legbar, Pecan....”

Would you like our Cream Legbar filled donut, with a crest made of maple frosting and blue tinted cream inside served on a bar used for propping up your leg?

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

My Princesses have lost their minds. The weather finally broke and instead of being in the mid-90s it is only 72.
This has put a spring in everyone’s step (including mine) which is lovely to see.
BUT I CANNOT GET ANYONE TO GO INSIDE.
It is past everyone’s bed time and Babs and Bernie have set off on a long distance trek, while the Pentagonists are running and flying at full speed in some elaborate game of chase.

Bernie and Babs ignoring bedtime. I have no idea where the Pentagonists are - they rush past me shrieking from time to time.
View attachment 3594387

Edited to add Calypso who stood still long enough for me to get a picture but now she is off again.
View attachment 3594392

Beautiful! I love the name Calypso!

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

My Princesses have lost their minds. The weather finally broke and instead of being in the mid-90s it is only 72.
This has put a spring in everyone’s step (including mine) which is lovely to see.
BUT I CANNOT GET ANYONE TO GO INSIDE.
It is past everyone’s bed time and Babs and Bernie have set off on a long distance trek, while the Pentagonists are running and flying at full speed in some elaborate game of chase.

Bernie and Babs ignoring bedtime. I have no idea where the Pentagonists are - they rush past me shrieking from time to time.
View attachment 3594387

Edited to add Calypso who stood still long enough for me to get a picture but now she is off again.
View attachment 3594392

The Pentagonists are your chicks, right?

 

[notabitail]

Agathae may looked zoned out, but she's doing something completely different.
Her floppy comb was perfect for adding a new in-comb display, much like Google Glass or a mixed reality headset. It enabled her to communicate while eating or laying an egg without moving.
@RoyalChick she is trying to contact your Cream Legbar. Is she in BeakBook as to your knowledge or is she hiding her online presence?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I am happy to see Butters enjoying each day as it comes.

I go between hope for recovery and getting ready for the end, expecting that I'll find her dead every morning, and everything in between. She behaves nearly like everything in between, and is having some good times. Her face is pinker than it was some days ago. Also not a bright deep pink comb but not pale or purple. She doesn’t act like her heart can’t keep up, she will trot and even run and not stop and pass out. She’s very interested in foraging with Popcorn. She does tire more quickly, after a while she’ll stand and doze while standing. She goes to bed early. She’s holding steady, I think, but as we know it’s hard to tell really.

Yesterday - an early Mug Shot Monday picture. From the back it's Hazel, Popcorn and Butters.

I should have anticipated it yesterday and set up the coop warmers, but did it this morning because she was fluffed up with cold, and there was a breeze blowing through the run. Gathered her up and set her down in front of one. She moved closer and practically leaned on it. Then I set up some low tarps around that end of the run and where the breeze was coming in. Soon everyone was in that corner for a little warm spa preening session.

Found a 10 ml syringe with a catheter tip while rummaging around in cat supplies in storage, and it fits the red tubes that came with the luer slip syringes, yay! Got about 14 ml of Exact and water, about a tablespoon of the dry powder I’d say, into Butters this morning, counting how far the syringe goes back before feed shows in the syringe, then pulling more and filling to the 10 ml line. Each time I’ve fed her she goes over to the grit bowl afterwards, and maybe eats a couple tiny pieces, mouthing more but dropping them, and beaks around in there. I did see her actually eat two today. Also today I saw her drink water, several sips, when they were all outside foraging, and that’s new (to me). I might be imagining she's slightly better. She does have already a tiny bit of something soft in her when I feel her crop, and there’s a little bulge after the tube feeding. I’m confounded as to what is going on, and decided to give her another tube feeding late this afternoon, but got only about 10ml in (because the tube slipped off at one point).

 

[bgmathteach]

The Pentagonists are your chicks, right?

yes, they are her chicks. 5 antagonizing (but wonderful) little cherubs she-devils that zip around, stay out late, and generally befuddle RC's every attempts at order. Hence: The Pentagonists!!!

Sorry, @RoyalChick , but that is pretty much how I see your relationship with the littles atm. You love them - but they are loving being teens atm. They WILL settle down when they hit their "20's" and be, for the most part, lovely, but independent Ladies. You have served them well!

 

[bgmathteach]

I go between hope for recovery and getting ready for the end, expecting that I'll find her dead every morning, and everything in between. She behaves nearly like everything in between, and is having some good times. Her face is pinker than it was some days ago. Also not a bright deep pink comb but not pale or purple. She doesn’t act like her heart can’t keep up, she will trot and even run and not stop and pass out. She’s very interested in foraging with Popcorn. She does tire more quickly, after a while she’ll stand and doze while standing. She goes to bed early. She’s holding steady, I think, but as we know it’s hard to tell really.

Yesterday - an early Mug Shot Monday picture. From the back it's Hazel, Popcorn and Butters.
View attachment 3594423

I should have anticipated it yesterday and set up the coop warmers, but did it this morning because she was fluffed up with cold, and there was a breeze blowing through the run. Gathered her up and set her down in front of one. She moved closer and practically leaned on it. Then I set up some low tarps around that end of the run and where the breeze was coming in. Soon everyone was in that corner for a little warm spa preening session.

Found a 10 ml syringe with a catheter tip while rummaging around in cat supplies in storage, and it fits the red tubes that came with the luer slip syringes, yay! Got about 14 ml of Exact and water, about a tablespoon of the dry powder I’d say, into Butters this morning, counting how far the syringe goes back before feed shows in the syringe, then pulling more and filling to the 10 ml line. Each time I’ve fed her she goes over to the grit bowl afterwards, and maybe eats a couple tiny pieces, mouthing more but dropping them, and beaks around in there. I did see her actually eat two today. Also today I saw her drink water, several sips, when they were all outside foraging, and that’s new (to me). I might be imagining she's slightly better. She does have already a tiny bit of something soft in her when I feel her crop, and there’s a little bulge after the tube feeding. I’m confounded as to what is going on, and decided to give her another tube feeding late this afternoon, but got only about 10ml in (because the tube slipped off at one point).

Honestly, this does sound hopeful. She may have been very weak due to extended time not eating enough. I know for myself that after just a relatively short (week) hospital stay, I was significantly weaker and had lost some muscle tone. So, not sure just how that translates to chickens, but I would assume that all this has caused both exhaustion and weakness/lack of muscle tone and it will take a while to build her back up - both general energy levels and muscle tone/chicken endurance. Maybe slow progress, but progress, is good????

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

yes, they are her chicks. 5 antagonizing (but wonderful) little cherubs she-devils that zip around, stay out late, and generally befuddle RC's every attempts at order. Hence: The Pentagonists!!!

Sorry, @RoyalChick , but that is pretty much how I see your relationship with the littles atm. You love them - but they are loving being teens atm. They WILL settle down when they hit their "20's" and be, for the most part, lovely, but independent Ladies. You have served them well!

Ok! Yes, my chicks are like that too, screeching at me for food, toppling over waterers and flying at my face!

 

[Sally PB]

Well we’ve dealt with some yellow jacket nests in the ground by putting a clear mixing bowl at night over their nest entrance snug to the ground. They see daylight and yet can’t escape, and don’t think to dig out elsewhere. It works.

How big (wide) does the mixing bowl need to be? Just enough to cover the hole they fly in and out of?

How long did it take to kill the nest?

Oh man, I'd love it if it's this easy to deal with this nest! I can't go to the end of one of my raised beds because of these pests!

Tax:

 

[bgmathteach]

Thanks @bgmathteach I found and ordered this paste and will receive it in a few days. In the meantime I'll grind sunflower seeds and give them along with Vitamin E. View attachment 3593520

How is your BR girl today?