Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

I am sorry for laughing, Teddy sounds like "Brad". Ok, how old is he? I am also going to defend him here the same way I vehemently defended Branch a few years ago to my mom. You are new to Teddy, he does not trust you yet. Mom and Branch have had a rocky relationship with a long time of mom wanting to serve him up as fried chicken. It was her fault to a point. The first 8 months of his life she pretended he did not exist. He was a ugly little thing and when I would hold him and pet on him she would not touch him when I offered. I then get sick with covid and it takes me out for a few days. Mom and dad took over the chicken chores. She did not know Branch could make it up to the big roost himself using the stall boards like a step ladder. She should have, tried to point out how smart he was, but again, she ignored everything he did. This was also right around the time he was going through his brief hormonal idiot phase and had decided my hand was his girlfriend which I had to break. Mom goes out to put up the chickens, Branch is still down so she decides to help him on the roost. This strange lady grabs ahold of him so what does Branch do? He bites her. He barely left a mark on her hand, no blood but you would have thought he ripped her hand off by the fit she threw at me in a covid coma. He was a evil little snot and he had to go as we were not keeping a mean rooster. Sick or not that roused me and no one touches my baby. Branch never bit her again and for a year me and her went round and round about him. From then on I put my foot down and if I held him, she HAD to pet him. I also taught him to crow at her on command for pure spite, but that is beside the point. Branch soon after started showing just what a treasure of a little guy his was going to be and I pointed it out every chance I got. "look at him with the chicks, they treat him like their momma". Mom, look at him melt in this baby's arms, he's evil isn't he. Eventually she started holding him on her own. She thought I was inside and not watching, but I was snooping looking out windows. Finally she loves him for the little man he is.
My point to all that is, go spend some time with Teddy. At first just go sit and talk to him. Bring some treats to feed to him so he can gift them to the girls. Then start holding him. You can tame this little guy, I have faith in you.

Branch is truly worth his (or should I say Bubba's) weight in gold....make that platinum. How are you and the family holding up? Are you taking a break with your therapy roo? Momma's eggs are close to hatching soon, right? Grandma? How is Rosie doing through all of this?

 

[janiedoe]

There's a link to one in Bob's signature. If you're on a phone you have to look at it landscape to find it.

Thank you!

 

[rural mouse]

Yesterday was gorgeous. Shirtsleeve weather. Didn't see the fox again after the morning's adventure, but we have been getting Sherlock to pee EVERYWHERE. Got out to do some shooting. Scope runs high. I know it's possible to adjust it, but I grew up with leave it and just compensate for it (plus it's not my weapon, so leaving that alone). Once I started compensating, aim got much better....then we realized the bullets with us were hollowpoints. Decided to save those for the fox.

Came home and did some chicken chores: hooking up the hose and filling ALL the tires. Playing with Sherlock

He did great around the chickens, to the point of turning toward them playfully and whipping about to race after his ball when I threw it. Castor....not so much

They had a bit of a standoff...Castor was NOT inclined to get up. The sunshine felt too good.

Hector figured out how to sunbathe and keep drowsy watch at the same time.

Hetty really does have white tipped breast feathers. Will be curious to see what her final moult does.

Betsy is a very different personality from Mera (or Nox). She's almost as assertive as Kate. Meanwhile, Jane is quite content to be shy and hang back with the younger crew.

That's Betsy in front of Jane with Rose (also a bit adventurous, at least yesterday) and Violet, I think. Daisy (yes, going with it) and Hyacinth are back there too.

Havoc (love the look) and Focus (who has chin streaks, will be watching to see if they turn into wattles soon)

Whiskey, Nellie, Enigma, and Cuckoo (some of the feather loss is thanks to Sherlock the day he soggied the girls) coming to see what's going on.

Poor Lark is trying to lay an egg with the hooligans playing below her. Kate and Blurr on the ledge with Focus in the box.

Soon after Jane joined them too.

Also saw Rose using the nipple waterer, so babies are likely going to attempt to venture forth in the next week or so.

 

[Ponypoor]

So, now that you’ve had a taste of a nice, friendly, huggable polish… is this lady going to tell you where she got her chooks?!

As I suspected it is from the person 1km up the road from me. So I might make a visit to them later on the Spring

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Branch is truly worth his (or should I say Bubba's) weight in gold....make that platinum. How are you and the family holding up? Are you taking a break with your therapy roo? Momma's eggs are close to hatching soon, right? Grandma? How is Rosie doing through all of this?

I would not trade Branch for anything in the world. Momma Hen is not broody yet, she has only been back laying for right at a week now. So far she has laid 5 eggs in Russ's stall. I have caught her really scoping out some new hidey holes on the hillside. If she follows her pattern she will start trying to hide her eggs sometime this week. That is what the bat does when she starts up laying. The first week she lays them out in the open with everyone else, then starts hiding to build up a clutch. If I do not find them and disturb that nest as soon as she gets at least 5 or 6 eggs laid she starts setting. If she were to hide them right now, I would have no clue where to find them or even have the time to really search for a nest. Grandma is nearing the end of her journey through life. She has stopped eating and drinking. Last Monday she had her last actual meal for breakfast. Since then we have managed to get a few sips of water down her a day and a spoonful or two of applesauce when it is time to give her a valium. Wednesday the call was made to stop all of her medications except the morphine and the valium. She was taking nearly 30 pills a day, a struggle to get them down and they were no longer working. She wanted to stop taking her meds a month ago. Me and mom are doing everything we can, constantly turning her, keeping her clean but her body is shutting down and bed sores are popping up on her heels, legs and bottom. Right now they are small but it seems every time we change or turn her there is a new spot. Her siblings have came and visited with her a few times this weekend. She was aware of them Saturday, but yesterday she did even know they were here. Mom hurt 1 of their feelings yesterday. Saturday she kept insisting she eat, offering to fix her whatever she wanted, with us telling her she cannot hardly swallow she will get choked if it is more then applesauce. Yesterday she demanded to know why she did not have a feeding tube and a IV for hydration. She has spent 2 years since the stroke ignoring her and now at the end she wants to be a hero. Mom snapped and pulled her outside and had a talk with her. Informed her this was grandma's wishes. She has documents signed by grandma through hospice that no iv', feeding tubes or life saving measures are to be taken. I would love to have a iv of fluids hooked up, but, we cannot. It kills me inside worrying if she is hungry and not able to eat. I am not ready for her to go but her body is failing her and no other way to put it but now she is suffering. Rosie sits with her every chance she gets. She did not want to go to school this morning but she needs normalcy as well. I am not god, we do not know how much longer she has left, but education was very important to grandma. She would want her going to school.

 

[rural mouse]

I would not trade Branch for anything in the world. Momma Hen is not broody yet, she has only been back laying for right at a week now. So far she has laid 5 eggs in Russ's stall. I have caught her really scoping out some new hidey holes on the hillside. If she follows her pattern she will start trying to hide her eggs sometime this week. That is what the bat does when she starts up laying. The first week she lays them out in the open with everyone else, then starts hiding to build up a clutch. If I do not find them and disturb that nest as soon as she gets at least 5 or 6 eggs laid she starts setting. If she were to hide them right now, I would have no clue where to find them or even have the time to really search for a nest. Grandma is nearing the end of her journey through life. She has stopped eating and drinking. Last Monday she had her last actual meal for breakfast. Since then we have managed to get a few sips of water down her a day and a spoonful or two of applesauce when it is time to give her a valium. Wednesday the call was made to stop all of her medications except the morphine and the valium. She was taking nearly 30 pills a day, a struggle to get them down and they were no longer working. She wanted to stop taking her meds a month ago. Me and mom are doing everything we can, constantly turning her, keeping her clean but her body is shutting down and bed sores are popping up on her heels, legs and bottom. Right now they are small but it seems every time we change or turn her there is a new spot. Her siblings have came and visited with her a few times this weekend. She was aware of them Saturday, but yesterday she did even know they were here. Mom hurt 1 of their feelings yesterday. Saturday she kept insisting she eat, offering to fix her whatever she wanted, with us telling her she cannot hardly swallow she will get choked if it is more then applesauce. Yesterday she demanded to know why she did not have a feeding tube and a IV for hydration. She has spent 2 years since the stroke ignoring her and now at the end she wants to be a hero. Mom snapped and pulled her outside and had a talk with her. Informed her this was grandma's wishes. She has documents signed by grandma through hospice that no iv', feeding tubes or life saving measures are to be taken. I would love to have a iv of fluids hooked up, but, we cannot. It kills me inside worrying if she is hungry and not able to eat. I am not ready for her to go but her body is failing her and no other way to put it but now she is suffering. Rosie sits with her every chance she gets. She did not want to go to school this morning but she needs normalcy as well. I am not god, we do not know how much longer she has left, but education was very important to grandma. She would want her going to school.

 

[lightm]

March

I can learn from this chicken! (I'm sure the mighty Queen agrees!!)

 

[janiedoe]

Monday Mug shot
Lucy, flock matriarch, (going on 9 years old) has layed 3 eggs this month. She is trying to seduce her grandson, Goliath, and wants to hatch his children again. Well, truthfully, any roosters' children..the tart.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

That's great! I can't draw a straight line unfortunately. I envy those of you that can draw!

It's okay. Grandma can't draw a straight line either.

At least she can do some cool tricks.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Getting in a nap while egg laying? On the camera this morning