Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sally PB]

Or do I go for a walk in?

Walk in, for sure! Your back and the top of your head with thank you!

 

[RoyalChick]

@RebeccaBoyd I am so happy gramma is getting care she needs. Those disposable chux pads are great, I use them for toddler diaper changes. Now that she's interested in potty training we've had some messy times haha...

Hubby has let me know I should look into getting a coop made and delivered. Dad could build one, but hubby can't help because his shop has him doing overtime as much as possible. Plus, if I buy a coop from someone the design will be one we know is good.
Now the big question is...do I go with an off the ground again? Or do I go for a walk in?

I vote for walk-in. I love being able to walk in to their house to do chores and I am getting way too old and stiff to be bending down and reaching around for stuff.
This would actually be an interesting survey to do on BYC. I have no idea how you do it - but lots of people do so I figure it can't be too hard! You would start a thread with that question and let people vote and comment.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am already impressed with the hospice care. Me and mom have personally felt for the last year that grandma's family doctor has pretty much washed his hands with her. Fighting for months to get what few things we needed and never ordering some things that needed done. One of the requirements of hospice was they are working with a different primary care physician and they would take over refilling prescriptions or changing medications. Grandma has been having bad nightmares for 3 months and she was blaming it on some of her medication. She also has constant nausea. The nurse called today after talking with the dr. He is switching one of her medications, it is known to cause nightmares. He is also adding pepcid because the blood thinners she is on wrecks havoc on the stomach lining. They also are now supplying the shuck pads and adult diapers and wipes that we have been having to buy out of pocket for 6 months. They also dropped off Niastatic *I think* powder and ointment for the bed sore area.

I remember this stage with my mother and I know the relief you must be feeling to be getting that kind of support. Nothing will make this easy, but at least you have help now.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hey all. Once again I'm MIA. The husband is having surgery tomorrow for a herniated disk in his neck, so we've been busy getting things that require heavy lifting done!

It's cold, snowy, and generally nasty out in Missouri! Thank heavens I mostly work remote! Just went out, fluffed the coop bedding and put out a heated dog bowl so the chooks will have unfrozen water as it's about to drop below freezing and stay that way. We have to be at the hospital (2 hours away) by 8:30 a.m. so they'll be totally neglected tomorrow as we leave before light. But they have food, good litter, and dry bedding. They'll have to do.

I'm a tad concerned that I never got any mulch in the run, so it's pretty much wet ground and snow. They won't get access tomorrow. We'll not open any of the coop doors since we won't be home and it's just the one day. I have 5 chickens in about 50 sq feet of coop for that reason!

Should I be too worried about wet feet? They'll likely get them wet outside, and possibly where they get the water in the corner...but the rest of the floor is dry. It's actually much dryer than last winter...I'm worrying for nothing I suspect.

Everyone is doing well. Tres is not yet rehomed, although my husband says he's going rename him "Randy" since he's taken to grabbing the closest hen for a little loving every time he sees my husband come in the coop! Men.

I have at least three ladies laying, but I can't tell who exactly. We get different amounts different days, so our only girl who's regular is Sheba.

And with that quick update, I need to get back to work! Stay warm and stay safe friends! View attachment 3722515

Best of luck and hope your hubby heals fast. Your chooks will be fine They are better inside eap if the weather sucks.

I was about to say you have more snow than I do but I might now have just a touch more after some snow today - it’s raining now again.

Ok drive safe tomorrow.

 

[featherhead007]

Alex call your GP, see if he will give you something.

And if you’re feeling low, rest, wrap in a warm blanket and put your feet up.

I called. I tested myself today with a different brand of Covid test that came out negative. Nurse practitioner told me I needed 1000 mg vitamin C. That should help with my symptoms

 

[Ponypoor]

Sounds fun. As a general rule I do not drink. Type 1 diabetes and alcohol do not mix well. In the last year I have broken that cardinal rule 3 times. It was either grab a beer from the fridge and hide out back for a few minutes or scream and loose it.

As long as you don’t follow it up with chocolate cake

That's how I started my mealworm farm. Don't get the superworms. I got a small container of regular sized worms. When they turned into beetles, I got another set of the regulars. They're in a storage tote in the house. I scoop someone from time to time. Add oatmeal and corn meal, and veggie scraps for water source and let them do their thing. The chickens will eat every phase of the worms.

Gosh, I would love to do that, the chooks would really enjoy them.

@RebeccaBoyd I am so happy gramma is getting care she needs. Those disposable chux pads are great, I use them for toddler diaper changes. Now that she's interested in potty training we've had some messy times haha...

Hubby has let me know I should look into getting a coop made and delivered. Dad could build one, but hubby can't help because his shop has him doing overtime as much as possible. Plus, if I buy a coop from someone the design will be one we know is good.
Now the big question is...do I go with an off the ground again? Or do I go for a walk in?

I will always go with walk-in so I can access things. Depends on what your intent is with the chooks.

I’m definitely interested in seeing how your thin-eggers progress now that they’re on these pills. And you’re not worried about balancing the Ca out with other minerals? (I haven’t yet looked this up in detail, but read something to the effect that calcium and phosphorus need to be at a certain ratio for proper absorption?).
I wonder if I could safely force feed oyster shell

Calcium and phosphorus need to be in a balanced ratio for proper muscle function, your heart is a muscle.

Walk in, for sure! Your back and the top of your head with thank you!

Oh yes, I didn’t even think of that! I can just see my head getting a good crack!

 

[BY Bob]

The sore has not fully broken open, we thankfully have kept it from getting that far. She has 2 different donut pillows. Hates them, put them under her and they last 5 minutes. So we try to keep her off of it by putting pillows under her and rotating her to lay on her sides. That makes it about 10 minutes and she is crying wanting to lay flat of her back, but then she complains again that we got to get her off of her bottom. The nurse thinks some of this is dementia related the not-cooperating. She thought the compression mattress would be the best option. She witnessed our struggles and her complaining if there was so much as a wrinkle under the sheet and decided she would not have it so gel it is.

Sounds like she knows her stuff.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh yes, I didn’t even think of that! I can just see my head getting a good crack!

I have hit the top of my head, the back of it, and my forehead. The strikes when I scrape the top hurt the worst.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I have hit the top of my head, the back of it, and my forehead. The strikes when I scrape the top hurt the worst.

Ouch! I’ve done that before. To get into the chicken run, you need to duck through the door because there is a wooden post at the top. I’ve forgotten to duck more than once (much to my embarrassment) and have hit my head and seen stars. Ohhh, fun times. I am much more careful and I haven’t hit my head in a good few months ( I don’t wanna jinx myself now…)

Edit: perhaps I should say that the wooden post at the top of the door is very low, and there is also a post sticking up from the ground at the bottom. You have to step up WHILE ducking to get into my darn run.

 

[Sally PB]

To get into the chicken run, you need to duck through the door because there is a wooden post at the top.

My coop is tall enough for me to stand upright in the center. The doorway requires ducking to get in/out. It's also a bit of an awkward step. I put my hand on the lintel, and then I duck low enough. I have only banged my head when I don't put my hand there. So, to go into my coop safely, I need a free hand.