Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Desertvalleychickens]

Savages. Can't even keep their butts off the table.

I'll never see the last of it!

 

[RoyalChick]

Two pretty chickens

 

[BY Bob]

I found Momma Hen and she is accounted for. Her smarts saved her from harm. She was halfway up in the big pine tree where she apparently roosted last night. I had to bribe her down with corn. My flock is clearly still rattled though. The hens are nervous and the boys will not shut up crowing today. This is the most they have crowed past 8 am since I rehomed Twig and Madea.

I'm so glad momma hen is safe. It is great that babies learn from her directly. She has great smarts.

What was the final loss then? How many did the dog kill?

 

[BY Bob]

I’m so sorry, both of those chickens were dear to many hearts here. And yes, you were right to do that as a means to stop the carnage continuing. I don’t see that you had another choice.

The thing that’s insane about the neighbors being “kind” to the dog is that they really were not kind in the end. They contributed to the death of the dog. Whether by a gun, a car, or an attack from another animal. They did not restrain the dog and look for the owner and they could have, even after being warned the dog was a menace. That would have been a responsible, helpful and kind thing to do for their neighbors, their neighbors’ animals and chickens, and the dog.

You are right. They did no one any favors, not the dog, not their neighbors, and certainly not the chicken victims.

 

[BY Bob]

She’s still in the nest box, but now standing. I might move her into the warmth of the run. I want to give Butters a peaceful passing, and am thinking of just letting her go naturally. She hasn’t improved with tube feeding so I won’t do that anymore. If it’s heart failure or kidney failure, is that painful?

I can't say for certain but I don't believe it's painful. I just don't know how long it could take.

 

[BY Bob]

Nothing worse than bad/stupid neighbors

Loose dogs are worse.

On their own stupid neighbors tend to only hurt themselves. Whoever owned the dog and turned it loose started this whole chain of events. The stupid neighbors just aided the process. They also could have stopped the process but did not. However they are not the originators of the situation.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

You are right. They did no one any favors, not the dog, not their neighbors, and certainly not the chicken victims.

And not their kids, either, who clearly liked the dog and now will grieve.

 

[Lexicon]

She’s still in the nest box, but now standing. I might move her into the warmth of the run. I want to give Butters a peaceful passing, and am thinking of just letting her go naturally. She hasn’t improved with tube feeding so I won’t do that anymore. If it’s heart failure or kidney failure, is that painful?

Louise, our loved Buff Orpington hen died on her own last week. She slept the last two nights in a nest box. The day before she died, she stayed in the nest until 1:30 pm, then got up and had a bite to eat and a sip of water and later had some scratch with the flock.

A few days before she died, she was still slowly walking through tall grass, stopping to peck every now and then and didn't seem to be in distress. I could tell by the way she looked at me, that we both knew she would not have long.

My husband and I went back and forth on what was the best thing to do. Was she suffering? Would we cause more suffering if we botched trying to euthanize her? She had a swollen abdomen and walked slowly, but didn't seem to struggle to breathe, so we just made sure she was not being harassed by any of the other birds and gave her special foods on her own so she didn't have to join the scrum. She died overnight in her nest box last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had installed a camera so that I could keep an eye on her from work and I ended up with a bunch of still shots of each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

I have questioned whether we did the right thing letting her pass on her own. I hope so.

 

[Marie2020]

Morning Marie

Chilly here this morning 9C (48F), feels like 8C (46F) brrrrr!

Winter is on the way, August now, summer pretty much done here.

It's been mainly grey here, just a glimmer of sun here and there. We are due rain again through tonight and in the morning

I've locked up the coop tonight, it's kind of a spooky feeling around here and I want them safe

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Here in the desert 🏜....⁹
92 degrees and overcast with thunderstorms moving towards my town.
Way cooler than last week and the chooks are not panting anymore!