Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sally PB]

I owe some tax.
Pippy, of course. She's my lap chicken.
The "pensive look."

 

[Sylvester017]

Took Sherlock to the river again. The squalls have raised the water level.

View attachment 3919014Saw these while there. (And some Sandhills browsing, and some pelicans wind dancing).
View attachment 3919017

Sherlock is a strong swimmer! If I were in that water I'd be swept half-mile downstream in the time he jumped in & retrieved

 

[rural mouse]

Sherlock is a strong swimmer! If I were in that water I'd be swept half-mile downstream in the time he jumped in & retrieved

And considering he was afraid of swimming, he's doing better than fantastic with it! And is mostly dry in half an hour! (I grew up with Springers....who would spend 5 min of a 3 hour fishing trip on land)

 

[bgmathteach]

@RebeccaBoyd I hope things went well with Rosie today and that she isn't in pain from the tooth anymore.

I agree with most of the other comments - definitely consult with a lawyer - the consultation is free. you may need to sue to get everything paid for. That said - not sure you would get anything out of a foster child nor the foster family regarding paying bills. That said, the school's liability insurance should pay for any out of pocket expenses regarding medical bills so definitely name, too, them if you go forward with a lawsuit. Too bad you didn't have the Principle's conversation recorded.
I hope you get a chance to hang out with the chooks tomorrow - it will soothe your soul as well as give them the much needed/wanted attention that they are missing.

@ChicoryBlue I suspect Diane-Ida Biter is a bit upset with you for not having been there as much as usual. If I recall, previously it appeared that a lot of the time she did biting it was to get your attention (not the best approach - but it seemed to be hers!). They love you and miss you and your attention/company, too!


I am really glad your sister is doing better - in terms of quality of life. You are right - that is more important than anything!

It is amazing - these stories. I truly believe our chickens are nearly as attached to us as we are to them - even though they have friends of their own kind (flock-mates)

********************************************
A small update on my flock. My sweet Georgie, that would seek me out and chat with me....I thought I lost her as I couldn't find her one night. Next day/night, still no where to be found - I was devastated!!!!!

a week later....she comes out when I went out to do morning chores and open up the coops. dirty devil - she had a hidden nest and went broody! She hatched 9 chicks la week ago Friday night into Sat. One did not make it the first 24 hours- she now has 8 little fluff-balls that are just a week and a half old now. She is a great mom, but a bit aggressive attacking the food dish - no matter what I do (even attaching it to a low roost bar with a bungie!), it is always dumped over. I have watched her - peck aggressively at the feeder and scratch at it furiously, all while tut-tut-tutting to the chicks. This in addition to her picking food out of the feeder and dropping it on the floor of the coop for them. I am so proud of her - and was SOOOOOO relieved when I saw her after thinking she was gone. I was able to fashion a fairly safe thing around her once I found her/her nest...and once the chicks hatched, moved them all into their own 6X4 coop. In a few days/ a week, when the chicks can fly well, they will be able to be out during the day. ( the coop was supposed to be my new Goose coop, and is 2+' off the ground so the geese could fit under - which they do & like to hang out there on hot days). 7 of the 8 are clearly BR (?crossed with what, I don't know - there are a couple of 'options' for roos!) and it appears that one is a (I think) Welsummer cross. Not sure how reliable the headspot is given that they would be a cross....but it looks like at least 4 of the 7 BRs should be pullets. I have no idea about the welsummer mix. If all of the BRs that have barring are males, then I am in trouble, as they will all be boys based on having a head spot - but if size/definition is any indicator, I'm slightly skewed to pullet on those .

 

[featherhead007]

Apparently BIL says he is out there freaking out, trying to get in the barn.

Good! Maybe he will go inside now.

Ok off to do some chicken herding (like herding cats).

Ridiculous!!

 

[Ponypoor]

@RebeccaBoyd I hope things went well with Rosie today and that she isn't in pain from the tooth anymore.

I agree with most of the other comments - definitely consult with a lawyer - the consultation is free. you may need to sue to get everything paid for. That said - not sure you would get anything out of a foster child nor the foster family regarding paying bills. That said, the school's liability insurance should pay for any out of pocket expenses regarding medical bills so definitely name, too, them if you go forward with a lawsuit. Too bad you didn't have the Principle's conversation recorded.
I hope you get a chance to hang out with the chooks tomorrow - it will soothe your soul as well as give them the much needed/wanted attention that they are missing.

@ChicoryBlue I suspect Diane-Ida Biter is a bit upset with you for not having been there as much as usual. If I recall, previously it appeared that a lot of the time she did biting it was to get your attention (not the best approach - but it seemed to be hers!). They love you and miss you and your attention/company, too!


I am really glad your sister is doing better - in terms of quality of life. You are right - that is more important than anything!

It is amazing - these stories. I truly believe our chickens are nearly as attached to us as we are to them - even though they have friends of their own kind (flock-mates)

********************************************
A small update on my flock. My sweet Georgie, that would seek me out and chat with me....I thought I lost her as I couldn't find her one night. Next day/night, still no where to be found - I was devastated!!!!!

a week later....she comes out when I went out to do morning chores and open up the coops. dirty devil - she had a hidden nest and went broody! She hatched 9 chicks la week ago Friday night into Sat. One did not make it the first 24 hours- she now has 8 little fluff-balls that are just a week and a half old now. She is a great mom, but a bit aggressive attacking the food dish - no matter what I do (even attaching it to a low roost bar with a bungie!), it is always dumped over. I have watched her - peck aggressively at the feeder and scratch at it furiously, all while tut-tut-tutting to the chicks. This in addition to her picking food out of the feeder and dropping it on the floor of the coop for them. I am so proud of her - and was SOOOOOO relieved when I saw her after thinking she was gone. I was able to fashion a fairly safe thing around her once I found her/her nest...and once the chicks hatched, moved them all into their own 6X4 coop. In a few days/ a week, when the chicks can fly well, they will be able to be out during the day. ( the coop was supposed to be my new Goose coop, and is 2+' off the ground so the geese could fit under - which they do & like to hang out there on hot days). 7 of the 8 are clearly BR (?crossed with what, I don't know - there are a couple of 'options' for roos!) and it appears that one is a (I think) Welsummer cross. Not sure how reliable the headspot is given that they would be a cross....but it looks like at least 4 of the 7 BRs should be pullets. I have no idea about the welsummer mix. If all of the BRs that have barring are males, then I am in trouble, as they will all be boys based on having a head spot - but if size/definition is any indicator, I'm slightly skewed to pullet on those .

Wow what a good mama! Sneaky little gal isn’t she!

Well from what I know if one of the parents is a barred rock and the other not, then the resulting chicks can be sexed by barring.

This is how I realized Shirley was a Shorty (fuddle duddle another Roo to dispatch), the feathers started coming in spotted and now barred. The Midnight Majesty Marans is a hybrid of BCMarans Roo on BR hens - chicks are sexed by colour and head spots. So apparently they goofed with Shorty. And my rotten luck to get yet another farting Roo.

 

[Ponypoor]

Ridiculous!!

Well caught the cat, er um rooster. He had flown up into my vine in front of the barn. I dragged him down and chucked him in the crate. No more going outside anymore. Too much stress and worry for me.

I am furious at the people who got these chicks for their daughter and had the rotten luck of getting a Roo. Now I have to deal with the little fart. No one wants them, can’t give the turnips away…. So guess I will need to call my farrier and see if her husband can at least humanely kill the poor sod.

It just makes my blood boil that people would be so ridiculous to get an animal they know they will have to get rid of. And then foist it off on someone else and wash their hands of it. Poor wee fella. Well at least I won’t let him suffer anything.



I have enough stress without dealing with him.

 

[BY Bob]

Honestly, @Ponypoor , you have enough hens and space that you should be able to have at least 2 roos for the big girls. The teens need to get through the hormonal idiot stage, and then they will settle down. While you may not like it, it may well be that Mr. P becomes second in command. After all, he has a very docile temperment and was low rooster where he came from...so there may well be some jostling for position, and once it is settled, I bet Mr. P and Bert could get along quite well.....and 'co-rooster' your flock. And, like I said, it may well mean that Mr. P would be 'second roo', which is not at all a bad thing. He has his girls, Bert will have his (seems he essentially already does), but they can share 'look-out duties' and such - which is a GOOD thing - it is way too many girls for one roo to watch and care for - the stress could easily shorten his life.

@rural mouse & @RebeccaBoyd & @BY Bob thoughts on this?

And Mr & Mrs LC...they can stay - Mr. LC will just fly up and away from the other 2 boys. The big girls can thump him if he encroaches, and he has a Mrs. LC for company and noogies.

I do think you are right on this. I've told @Ponypoor many times that her flock is too big for 1 rooster. Bert and Mr Pompeii will eventually work out out. They need each other.

 

[featherhead007]

Well caught the cat, er um rooster. He had flown up into my vine in front of the barn. I dragged him down and chucked him in the crate. No more going outside anymore. Too much stress and worry for me.

I am furious at the people who got these chicks for their daughter and had the rotten luck of getting a Roo. Now I have to deal with the little fart. No one wants them, can’t give the turnips away…. So guess I will need to call my farrier and see if her husband can at least humanely kill the poor sod.

It just makes my blood boil that people would be so ridiculous to get an animal they know they will have to get rid of. And then foist it off on someone else and wash their hands of it. Poor wee fella. Well at least I won’t let him suffer anything.



I have enough stress without dealing with him.

You’re a good gal Charlie Brown!!

 

[BY Bob]

Apparently BIL says he is out there freaking out, trying to get in the barn.

Good! Maybe he will go inside now.

Ok off to do some chicken herding (like herding cats).

I just love that commercial!