Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Thirsty blast from July

 

[Ponypoor]

She's Back in the Main Coop Again

That's every night since Sunday Aurora must be going soft.

View attachment 4005475

Glad to see this

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

In memoriam

This morning the Chicken Palace lost a brave, and much-loved leader.
In the early hours of this morning Bernadette-the-brave stirred a bit on her roost. She moved a bit awkwardly but settled down and went back to sleep.
And then a few minutes later she suddenly fell off the roost dead.
She was just shy of three years old.
I take comfort that it was quick and that she was snuggled with her friends. I am also glad that she never lost her leadership position in the flock, and that her last days were joyous. I actually thought she was getting over her heath issues. Most of her new feathers had come in, her crop was beginning to be less full in the morning, her appetite was good, and she was enjoying being outside and eating turkey scraps.

Bernadette was an unusual hen and a force of nature. She had a difficult start in life as she lost the use of a leg when she was only 3 weeks old. Even though she was unable to walk she was still very much in command of her brooder buddies.
Her recovery was an uplifting journey that was documented here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/3-week-old-chick-with-a-bad-leg-any-advice-please.1519956/

Bernie eventually grew to be a very tall hen with some rooster-like attributes. She did lay beautiful brown speckled eggs, but very rarely.

She carried herself upright and had a 'special relationship' with Babs. As far as I could see, this was a fully consensual special relationship and once Babs died, Bernie made only a few half hearted attempts with the other hens.

When Pooh was attacked by a hawk, Bernie rushed in and laid into the hawk with her feet and beak. Most of the feathers flying were from the hawk, who was forced to give up its attack.

In recent weeks Bernie has been under the weather. She was molting, lost weight, and was not fully emptying her crop overnight. I took her to a vet who could feel a small mass - possibly a tumor - deep in her abdomen. But she continued to have a real zest for life up until the very end.

Farewell Bernadette. I will miss your funny ways. I am sure Tassels will take over your leadership position, but for now your little flock-mates are in shock and have decided to roost away from your favorite spot.

View attachment 4004903
View attachment 4004904
View attachment 4004905
View attachment 4004907

I am so very very sorry about Bernie. She was a fighter from the start and a very fearless leader. I'm sure her flockmates are missing her along with you. Thankfully her passing was quick and in her sleep. If we must loose our pets and friends so young there is that small gift. I'm sending many hugs your way.

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh, wow. I thought aspirin could not be given long-term. That’s great to hear! The avian vet once told me that aspirin was the original anti-inflammatory and said I could keep using it on the short term.

It’s like this I feel, she is very old and hurting. She will die eventually and there is nothing I can do about that. But I can make her remaining days as pain free as possible.

Just like our elderly family members who take all these meds to keep them comfortable. It’s all about the lesser of two evils, the meds can cause issues, but if they are suffering well now that’s an issue also.

I personally am of the opinion that if you are in pain and cannot function then you should take pain meds, you’re no good to anyone if your stuck in a bed or chair unable to move about due to pain. I have seen a hundred or more times, give the pain meds and in a couple hrs they up and about! It’s always better to be up and about.

Red looking for treats- she loves her grub!

Sleeping in a nestbox, she gets a nice nest box to sleep in every night

Tonight I am going to put some straw in that box, it’s turned cold here.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I have been thinking since I read about Bernies passing yesterday. What is it with chickens and their 3 year old year?

Be it natural or accidental many of my own flock members have been lost going into or nearing the end of that dreaded year.

Branch, Bubba, Butter, Bunny, and Blueberry were all 3.

If they make it to 4, all is well it seems.
Holly is going strong and will be 5 in February. The 2 cochin girls, they turned 5 last month. Momma Hen was ancient when she passed and still as mean as ever right up until the end.

I have a couple girls in that 3 year bubble right now.

Raven will be 4 in April. Corona will be 3 in August and Squirrel will be 3 i think in March. They all are thankfully doing well. Coincidentally the hardest and toughest molt to witness this season was Squirrels. She went bald and was very painful and off to herself for some time. Holly also had a hard molt and was naked. She never went off her feed, never seemed like she was in pain when her whole body was a mass of pins. Start to finish she went from bald to fully feathered out except her head in a week and a half. Squirrels went on for about 3 to 4 weeks before she was finished.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thirsty blast from JulyView attachment 4005596View attachment 4005595

Green grass and lovely weather - I can only dream…



“Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold”

Shakespeare: Henry VI


“… the icy fang and churlish chiding of the winter’s wind…bites and blows upon my body; I shrink with cold;

Shakespeare: As you like it

Weather whining tax
Mr P and his merrie ladies are taking turns under the heater.

And the main gang is hanging out in the stalls

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Thirsty blast from JulyView attachment 4005596View attachment 4005595

Quite a beautiful view in the second photo. I really do want summer right now.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It has been a chore to capture this. Since George started crowing I have tried to catch it on video. George is a very respectful boy and has made it difficult. First he only crowed early before he was let out of the coop. I never once heard those first strangled kazoo crows. I heard him for the first time Monday morning. He was out front crowing a perfect little crow. I rushed out on the porch to video and he shuts up and never uttered another peep. This morning I heard it again outside my window. This time I flung it open and only put the camera outside to hide from him. I got 1 crow, just one and he realized he had a audience and shut up again.

Good Morning from George.

 

[Ponypoor]

It has been a chore to capture this. Since George started crowing I have tried to catch it on video. George is a very respectful boy and has made it difficult. First he only crowed early before he was let out of the coop. I never once heard those first strangled kazoo crows. I heard him for the first time Monday morning. He was out front crowing a perfect little crow. I rushed out on the porch to video and he shuts up and never uttered another peep. This morning I heard it again outside my window. This time I flung it open and only put the camera outside to hide from him. I got 1 crow, just one and he realized he had a audience and shut up again.

Good Morning from George.

Awesome! That’s a great crow he has there

 

[Ponypoor]

I have been thinking since I read about Bernies passing yesterday. What is it with chickens and their 3 year old year?

Be it natural or accidental many of my own flock members have been lost going into or nearing the end of that dreaded year.

Branch, Bubba, Butter, Bunny, and Blueberry were all 3.

If they make it to 4, all is well it seems.
Holly is going strong and will be 5 in February. The 2 cochin girls, they turned 5 last month. Momma Hen was ancient when she passed and still as mean as ever right up until the end.

I have a couple girls in that 3 year bubble right now.

Raven will be 4 in April. Corona will be 3 in August and Squirrel will be 3 i think in March. They all are thankfully doing well. Coincidentally the hardest and toughest molt to witness this season was Squirrels. She went bald and was very painful and off to herself for some time. Holly also had a hard molt and was naked. She never went off her feed, never seemed like she was in pain when her whole body was a mass of pins. Start to finish she went from bald to fully feathered out except her head in a week and a half. Squirrels went on for about 3 to 4 weeks before she was finished.

I guess the silkies and the frost bunch of hens are now 3.5 yrs old. They all seem to be doing well.

The old ladies are at least 5 and 6 yrs old and not doing to badly. Penelope the oldest (7?) has lost weight, she is getting fed separately in the morning, and I keep an eye on Red she loves her grub. Raven is 6 like Red and moulting right now, but she appears to be doing well.

The all appear to be doing well, I can only hope they stay that way.