Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

i did. and Survived!

Proof that she can be merciful.

"Merciful", huh? Just wait until she raises the taxes. Empress Josephine tried last week to.

 

[Sylvester017]

I really, REALLY love apples. I used to do enough orchard work to keep up a supply of free apples for about half the year and now I live somewhere it's really difficult to grow them and only rubbish supermarket apples are available to buy. I'll be looking forward to this but might also hate you a tiny bit

Apples... so yummy in pies! Apples, spices, & baking pastry, makes the whole house smell so good

Winter here is enjoying big home grown Pomegranate right off our trees ~ no feeble store bought junk!

Hens are wild for Pom's ~ they decimate a full bowl in seconds!

We love our Strawberry Guava bushes too... but the hens aren't too keen on guava ~ more for me .

 

[Marie2020]

The youngsters seem to do fine, it’s once they get into egg laying that their brains go to mush! A chicken version of baby brain???

 

[Ponypoor]

The Road to Wellness

We had Wellness Checks for everyone last night. All 8 were weighed and checked over. Here are some observations.

Hattie is much smaller than she once was. She has developed this swing in weight that seems to be a recurring cycle. She is her smallest at this time of year, weighing only 2kg (4.4 lbs). this is a dramatic change from her peak weight of 3.25 kg (7.16 lbs) back in 2022. It has been a gradual decline but she now runs about 2 kg at this time of year and is up to about 2.5 kg (5.6 lbs) at the end of spring. I would be very concerned if this wasn't a typical pattern for her.

Aurora is a brute. My gosh, she is definitely strong and healthy. She puts a vigorous fight. At 2.8 kg (6.17lbs) she is also down a little from her spring high of 3 kg (6.6 lbs).

View attachment 4233918

I had to have a photo taken. I don't get to hold her that often.

She seemed to have started her molt last night when i brought her in. By morning this is what the roost looked like underneath her!

View attachment 4233919

Lady Featherington is molting badly. She holding her weight though coming in at 2.9 kg (6.4 lbs).

Sydney was also a real fighter. And that neck! She was snaking it out trying to peck me. She came in at her usual 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs).

Aster is Aster. Once collected, she is very cooperative. 1.8 kg (4 lbs).

The Polish all got checked over once again. The only big news is that Tilly put on weight for the first time. Her weight had been flat since she arrived. She is up 0.1 kg.

I was also a little worried that Joy might be developing bumblefoot based on a glance I got of her feet. Fortunately, I was clearly seeing things. She has beautifully clear feet.

View attachment 4233920

We allowed Niamh run off the house while Tilly and Joy were checked out. She chased Enzo off of his chair and joined Joy up on the exam (dining room) table. I think she was looking for a new place to roost!

An interesting note: Niamh has not laid an egg since confined to the run. I am starting to wonder if she ever did. Was I confusing her eggs with Aster's?

I look like Locutus of Borg in that last photo, or maybe a Cylon warrior!

Poor Enzo! She’s a character for sure

 

[Ponypoor]

Those faces Looks like you walked in on something you definitely weren't meant to see.

I hope she feels better soon and has a good bit of time left yet.

One of the muscovy drakes where I used to stay was called Edgar Allan Poo. None of the other ducks liked him much and he spent a lot of time moping around up by the house, but it was impossible to tell him and another drake apart when they were together. That's how we ended up with Edgar Allan Poo and Edgar Allan Too.

Hahaha

We called a crow I rehab’ed, he broke a wing, Sir Edgar Allan Crow….

 

[Ponypoor]

Here's Hawk. I took this photo today.
View attachment 4233916
Also, a reminder that this weekend I will be going to an apple festival, so expect pictures of the event. Also, this weekend I will be celebrating Raven laying her first pullet eggs. This will be an interesting weekend.

She’s a beauty! Poor Chickie - chick’s beard has been stripped off by someone over grooming her! I am hoping she will moult soon and regrow her beard again.

Enjoy the Apple festival

 

[RoyalChick]

It finally happened!
Yup. Roosting.
Sylvie and Pooh retreated to another roost away from all the fuss.
Calypso stayed on the main roost but as far from Tassels and the Littles as possible.
Piglet stayed in her usual spot.

But not all the Littles roosted.
Who stayed in the box?

Well it wasn’t Cookie - she seems very snug and happy next to her Mom.
To the right of Mom are Nutmeg and then Geronimo.
And all alone in the cardboard box is Mr. Chips. Poor little guy, all on his lonesome!

 

[Ponypoor]

This dozen group looks like a more manageable number than having over 40+?

10 or 100 it’s the same process. Get up go to barn, feed horses (who take forever to eat, they also get a hot porridge in the morning of soaked pellets, rolled oats and soaked beet pulp), let summer house chickeroos out, mix the chooks porridge, uncover rubber tubs and put dry feed in them. Pour water - I have a bucket ready to go that I fill the night before. Check horses - still eating (sheesh!), dole out the dry feed and porridge, ok now horses done - kick them outside.

Clean the stalls before the chooks tear apart the horse poops and make a mess; herd Summer Gang back to their home for the day.

Release the main gang! Scream at Mr LC, check the Hen Houses to make sure no one is left in there looking sick. Scream at Mr LC, check on everyone eating, scream at Mr LC and Mr P fighting through the Summer House door.

Check horses - too dark now to see Reenie but Truly I can usually see.

Scream at Ruth the Little Pecker (beating on poor Clyde), snuggle Clyde.

Scream at Mr LC - who then trots over to be picked up and snuggled (brat).

Turn off lights and tell everyone to be good as Aunt Kelly can see everything they do on the barn cams.

Check horses again as I walk to house.

5:20am…. An hr to do all that. Most of it waiting for horses to eat. They get a lot of grain and they get distracted checking out the antics of the chooks.

 

[BY Bob]

Snow is gone

Mortimer finally posed

View attachment 4233071and has wattles

It never gets old. Thanks for sharing.

 

[rural mouse]

It finally happened!
Yup. Roosting.
Sylvie and Pooh retreated to another roost away from all the fuss.
Calypso stayed on the main roost but as far from Tassels and the Littles as possible.
Piglet stayed in her usual spot.

But not all the Littles roosted.
Who stayed in the box?
View attachment 4234139

Well it wasn’t Cookie - she seems very snug and happy next to her Mom.
To the right of Mom are Nutmeg and then Geronimo.
And all alone in the cardboard box is Mr. Chips. Poor little guy, all on his lonesome!
View attachment 4234150

They're getting it. There may be some interesting nights yet. Did Cookie make it in unaided?