Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I'm going to try to get fluffy butt pictures this afternoon. Molting is well underway here and has been since really the first of August. They started early this year. I'm dreading this winter. Early molting, Dirt and Russ's winter coat has been coming in now for 3 weeks. CeeCee she already has her winter coat in and she does not even stay outside. The animals know something is up and I have learned to listen to them. Especially the horses. I feel bad for poor Squirrel. She is miserable. This is her first hard molt.
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These pictures are deceiving. Her belly and rear are nothing but pin feathers. Moving is obviously painful for her and I can tell she is off her feed as well. She is spending all her time either sitting under the grill in the shade or a few feet around it. The last 2 nights she has roosted on top of the hay by herself. We have left her alone and not forced her to roost with the others. I am going out a few times to hand feed Squirrel. I am not worrying to much about her because her comb and wattles are still very red. I know once the feathers on her belly and between her legs finish growing in she will feel better and start moving around again.

I figured this year that if they were so miserable I would give them some Tylenol - like a baby teething.

Made a big difference with them, Mr P is back to being Mr Charming, Whiskers had a heavy mount after being broody, so she had a few days of it to keep her eating, Marty is now Sophia and Petunia are moulting - poor petunia is looking like Piou-Piou with only one tail feather! She is still pretty active so I haven’t given her anything.

I am keeping a very close eye on Sophia. The minute she looks like she is unwell I will pop some Tylenol into her.

I wouldn’t use aspirin until n the off chance a feather breaks and bleeds. As we all should know, aspirin has anticoagulant properties, and any bleeding will be prolonged and won’t clot very fast.

The big reason I started on the Tylenol was to encourage them to drink and eat. Have to say it seemed to work pretty good. Only issue is the very small dose and one has to make sure it gets into the bird and not all over you!!!

Ok and as to the winter fuzzies coming in with the animals, I have noted my mares also getting their winter wormies, but that’s not unusual - they usually start mid-August.

As for chickens moulting - it’s been sporadic. My luck they will all suddenly drop feathers when it turns -20! Haha!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

No doubts, it has it's daddy's butt. Now if it just means that it is his son I am thrilled.

 

[featherhead007]

Once again we have new neighbors in the house in front of me. After a few rounds of questionable ones I would not mind if they stay and stay for a long time. They did immediately make me feel old though when I realized who they were after a week of them living there. There is a couple with their 3 year old daughter and their Aunt who had a stroke in the past so she is staying with them. The girl, she knew me and I am sad to say it took me a minute to remember her. My one next door neighbor who has lived here longer then us used to babysit her and her sisters. She also started riding the bus for head start the last year I rode the bus 22 years ago . Good grief it has been years since I last saw her last and she was still just a little girl who was terrified of the kids on the bus so I sat with her every day. Now she is married and has a kid.

Her little girl, oh she is a sweetheart and is one who does not meet a stranger. She also reminds me so much of Rosie at that age. If I come out the front door and she is outside I have 2 seconds and she is glued to my hip talking my head off. With her parents or Aunts permission if I go gather eggs, she helps. If I feed the chickens, she helps. Poppet, Holly and Owly are becoming regular targets for catching so she can hold a chicken each day. They do not mind as I am using the chick feed to bribe them to use for catching. When it comes to locking everyone in at night, she is there. She has learned how to herd them around the house towards the coop. Egg gathering is fun. She has been introduced to farm fresh eggs. She carries the basket I put them in. When we are done she picks out the Owly egg and another pretty egg and "needs" them for her breakfast the next day. It is all good though. I see it as installing a love for chickens firmly into the next generation.

Now, I need a long hard talk with my sister. I want a niece or nephew dang it. She wants kids. Anytime now sis.

My X wife and I had three kids and I’m still terrified of them!

 

[featherhead007]

Of the 6 silkies I have 1 I am going to keep a very close eye on. It is the one I have been calling Reba. None of them are showing any signs of cockerel behaviors, but there is something about it. I really like this chick too. It is the non-bearded one of its color variety, but of them all it has the best feet feathering. I also got a good picture of it's fluffy butt. That really sparked suspicion. I have saw that fluffy butt before, it is a little Branch from behind.
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Look at those feets. How cute

 

[featherhead007]

I’m not home today, but my chicken sitter just said that Rudy the rooster, keeps knocking on the door (persistently) so she gave him some grapes and he let the ladies eat first. That is promising news for me.

 

[Sylvester017]

We have two. We got them as saplings six years ago, but they've been having a hard time and haven't given any fruit yet. We need to cover them in winter, and I think it's not even as cold here as where you are. Under -5/25, they begin to be unhappy. The worse problem we encounter is that if it gets a bit warm in april they start budding ; and just a few hours of frost will then kill the buds, which happen to us every year. If it happens early enough, they grow new leaves ; but if they already have all the baby leaves out the season is over for them. They are doing much better now that we've understood we need to cover them systematically. My village is built on a steep slope , I'm at an altitude of 1060m/3480 feet : the pomegranates below the school at 800 m/2625 ft get fruit every year.
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@BY Bob I hope no news mean you're busy and that queen Aurora's subjects are all fine.

Today I have something like a favour to ask, to all you thread members. One of the rule asked by our host Bob on this thread is no politics. Being in the silent minority who disagree with the comments that are being made, I find it rather uncomfortable and would really appreciate if everyone made an effort on that behalf. That may just be me and then I will make an effort to not pay attention! (On a side note it also makes me realise I should stop making politics on my thread - after all, when you appreciate talking and learning about chickens, you don't have to be made to read opinions that bother you on a completely irrelevant subject.)

A few butt for Friday. As I feared molting has begun and there are not as fluffy as they were- but still decent for most !

One feather tail Piou-piou still has fluff under. She isn't doing well and I hope it's only due to molting.
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Léa is broody again which sure helps having a nice fluff even when molting.
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Lulu is one of the fluffiest butt of my lot now.
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Oh ladies ! What lovely bum-bums if I may !
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That's great that you are getting Pomegranates at your altitude. Pom's or I suppose any citrus or fruit tree doesn't appreciate cold/frost so you are doing very well to get fruit! We basically ignore our Pom's since they were planted as shade/hiding for hens & if there's formed fruit it's a bonus chicken treat. We are only at the 6-700 ft altitude mild climate so citrus/fruit trees thrive here without too much problem.

Our only mild problem w/ Pom's are the Pom spiders that will burrow into split-open Pom skin so we pick Pom's before the cracked skin splits. The spiders are harmless but still we don't want to invite them into the fruit.

ManueB ~ I understand about PC's ~ kinda the way I get sensitive about processing talk even tho it's chicken related. PC's are best for private messaging for some but I've developed a respect/tolerance for people's views & haven't asked any one to stop. If ByBOB doesn't like what any of us post he'll probably let us know
by messaging .

Chicken treat

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm running with zero fluffy pics today. Rain the last day or so...much needed. Birds went to bed a good half to 3/4 hour early last night.

Fluffy cloud butts hiding mountain headsView attachment 3942626More rain chances today. Moulting has really gotten going, but Nellie hasn't done her half nekkid look yet.

Gorgeous sky!

Yeah, what's w/ the sudden weather changes this year? We had heatwave last week & rain today (well, not real rain here ~ more like sprinkles just enough to feel humidity)!

The cooler weather is breaking our last broody.

 

[Sylvester017]

Good morning! Happy Friday

Chickie chirps ~ so sweet!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Now the rest of them.
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YAY!!! SILKIES (& Polish)!!!

 

[notabitail]

For all you cat people.
If you've got one of these litter boxes, please get rid of it and save your cat:

(Warning: Contains some foul language. )

I'll pay tax, don't worry.