Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Lilion]

I've skimmed many pages and will do a few replies. It's so hard to keep up!

Well my wireless bridge to the barn is down, and there was no way I was going to fight the mosquitoes to get them down to pair them up again.

So no barn cams tonight darn it.

Tec Tax
Butterscotch says I need a back up bridge.
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What an absolutely beautiful bird! Thanks for offering to catch me up...I'll muddle thru this time.

She was gone when I came home.

I didn't give her any more fluids, when I checked before leaving she was just out of the plate flat on her chest and I think her crop had disgorged some, her beak was in a wet spot of towel and she did not look good. I moved her off there, saw she was getting trampled some by the others racing about, so I cut down a square Kleenex box to fit under the plate with the bottom of the oval hole facing out, she could leave if she wanted but the higher back and sides prevented the others from climbing over her while under the plate. I put a folded washcloth in it and laid her there slightly angled up so that her head was higher when she laid down her beak.

I'd like to know what if anything I could have done better. Is two hours after getting fluids too soon for food? They supposedly hatched on Monday, and arrived here Wednesday morning, by 8am they had a little nutridrench and then the sav-a-chick electrolytes & dextrose water, and 11am a few crumbles, noon or 1pm access to more crumbles. They each seemed fine all day. Something happened in the night. They have two nightlights with light paper over them for some ambient light during the night. The other four are seemingly doing great so far (knock on wood). 20% dying is the track record so far.

Five Buckeyes hatched on a Sunday, all got here alive on Tuesday, looked fine through Wednesday, and on Thursday one died similarly, just went downhill faster, found suddenly weak and not breathing well. Just like this then, there were four. This little buff Orpington lasted longer, suffered much longer than the Buckeye.

Im so very sorry!

Be cause we had do be different from the other english-speaking countries. "Z", driving on the right side of the road (we drug Canada along on that one), not using the metric system OR the British weights and measures, spelling with Z instead of S (civilized vs civilise), spelling with an OR rather than and OUR (color vs colour, honor vs honour), etc.View attachment 3598973

Nah...we're just obstinate.

Happy Fluffy Butt Friday!
A little crumbs on the carton quickly overcomes any fear of newness. Perfect height for them right now.
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I got a video, hopefully this works

How adorable!!! I'm jealous of anyone who gets good chick shots! My speedy like stinkers are generally blurs!

I just found a new favorite hobby that involves my chickens! So I recently have had a problem with extra eggs and now that I have four more layers! I was looking at what I can make to get rid of extra eggs, and that's when I realized that to make a small batch of pasta dough it only takes 8-10 eggs! So for anyone who has extra eggs I'd 100% suggest you make some pasta dough and go make some cool pasta.
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My pasta recipe takes 4! I think our definitions of small batches differ. I do love fresh pasta!

So tried to get some shots of the triplets but they're FAST. Even munchies don't slow them down. I'm trying to look at combs and wattles... though I know at 3 weeks it's impossible to sex them. Here's a very few pics I managed. Uno stays far away from the camera. Most only show Dos and Tres. Mom simply refuses to let me touch one. I hold out treats and she puts herself squarely between us.

 

[featherhead007]

You forgot Tater and Tot.

I didn’t forget that. I was thinking about Sam & Ella !

 

[notabitail]

I didn’t forget that. I was thinking about Sam & Ella !

Why not?

 

[bgmathteach]

Also any suggestions on what I should change about her setup, and I have the cage door closed as my other broody hen Susan keeps wanting to sit on her and Susan has a very big habit of going broody and either sitting on them so hard they brake or being so agressive with other hens she brakes her eggs so sadly no broody for Susan.

When you do morning chores, I would take her out of the crate so she poops and, if she wants, dust bathes. You might need to close the crate door so she doesn't run back in right away. Trust me, you DON'T want her pooping in the nest/on the eggs - so do this faithfully every day until lockdown, and don't let her back in the crate until she has pooped. She may well be in a bit of a trance like state, so it may take a few minutes for her to snap out of it. Bringing some fresh, wet mash placed outside the crate (a short distance, so she has to walk - not right by the door)each morning for her to eat will be a good motivator, too.

With one of my broodies, I had to let her out first, then fill all the feeders, waterers, etc....put her back in, then let everyone out. Since I have a lot of birds, it worked for me as it took me about 20+ min. to do all this. @RebeccaBoyd is an old pro at this, she might have some suggestions. She is the one who suggested locking out my hen as she wouldn't stay 'out' to eat/poop/nothing. It worked really well.

 

[bgmathteach]

Happy (Fluffy) Butt Friday everyone
Sylvie, in keeping with her role as a chicken super-model, does not have a fluffy butt but is very happy to pose for butt shots.
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I see she is embracing her Jungle Fowl roots, here!

The first picture, that branch/stem is strategically placed - it looks like an 'R' movie 'adapted' to TV audience (the equivalent of the blurry dot!) Well done, protecting her modesty but still inviting anticipation by the Roos!

 

[bgmathteach]

Little Butterballs keeps coming to mind. Trying to not think of the meat bird store version though! Maybe Spuds, they look like small new potatoes (peeled) too.

Are you going to use that as a naming theme?

Edited: I see you are having lots of help if you decide to go that route!

Personally, I think you should go on the 'Butter' theme for naming:
Ghee, So Oil, Oleo, smor (has the double dots over the 'o'. Swedish for butter), etc

 

[bgmathteach]

@ChicoryBlue : I'm so sorry you lost her, but I agree with everyone that there wasn't anything you could do - other than keeping it safe, warm, fed, & comfortable as you did. How is your burn doing? I imagine a burn that bad will take a while to heal, but I'm hoping you've been able to keep the wound clean and prepped enough so that as the skin grows back, it isn't hurtful to play/tight on the hand.

@RebeccaBoyd : I can not imagine enduring the heartache you have this year. I don't know what to say - so many losses in so many different forms. I guess the only thing positive I can say is - at least you have Owly and Branche. It seems Owly is quite perceptive for such a young chick - but then, sometimes I think our pets know us better than our families (or at least read us better)

@knoturavggrl : It sounds like you have a great treatment option, I will be keeping you in my thoughts.


Sorry I've been mostly a 'fly-by' this week. Came down with nasty case of covid and could barely function the first 2 days. Not out of the woods, but definitely doing much better today. This is the first day I was able to eat anything - about 2 tablespoons oatmeal, and later in the day about 1/4 of a banana definitely an improvement!

 

[Ponypoor]

Omg i caught up! I have been 50-100 pgs behind for weeks. Whew.

No bums yet today, but here are a few pics from the last few weeks.View attachment 3599484View attachment 3599485View attachment 3599487View attachment 3599486TankView attachment 3599488JunkoView attachment 3599489MerlinView attachment 3599490BatView attachment 3599491Bat, Tank, Merlin and AngelView attachment 3599492

Chooks and kittens

Isnt it all wonderful

 

[RoyalChick]

I see she is embracing her Jungle Fowl roots, here!

The first picture, that branch/stem is strategically placed - it looks like an 'R' movie 'adapted' to TV audience (the equivalent of the blurry dot!) Well done, protecting her modesty but still inviting anticipation by the Roos!

There is so much weed growth that they have all become Jungle Fowl.
I put an hour of backbreaking work into digging some of it up today and you can’t even tell where I worked.
The only proof of my labor is a large pile of weeds.
Much of the Artemisia is now 6’ tall (the parts Babs let grow to create the walls of her outdoor room).
PlantNet identified some of what has taken over as Savory. It was only 21% confident and I am skeptical. It smells herby, but where would it have come from? I never grew it in a herb garden. It also seems too tall - but that could be competing for light with the Artemisia forest.
I will do some more digging tomorrow.

Tax - Piglet wanting to know if her butt is fluffy enough for Fridays. Actually I think she is picking off the ants that swarmed everywhere when she scratched inside that pot.

 

[RoyalChick]

@ChicoryBlue : I'm so sorry you lost her, but I agree with everyone that there wasn't anything you could do - other than keeping it safe, warm, fed, & comfortable as you did. How is your burn doing? I imagine a burn that bad will take a while to heal, but I'm hoping you've been able to keep the wound clean and prepped enough so that as the skin grows back, it isn't hurtful to play/tight on the hand.

@RebeccaBoyd : I can not imagine enduring the heartache you have this year. I don't know what to say - so many losses in so many different forms. I guess the only thing positive I can say is - at least you have Owly and Branche. It seems Owly is quite perceptive for such a young chick - but then, sometimes I think our pets know us better than our families (or at least read us better)

@knoturavggrl : It sounds like you have a great treatment option, I will be keeping you in my thoughts.


Sorry I've been mostly a 'fly-by' this week. Came down with nasty case of covid and could barely function the first 2 days. Not out of the woods, but definitely doing much better today. This is the first day I was able to eat anything - about 2 tablespoons oatmeal, and later in the day about 1/4 of a banana definitely an improvement!

Glad you are on the mend. Sounds nasty!