Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Sorry, but couldn't help but laugh...door sitters . They are apprentices in the TSGoA (Tree Sitter's Guild of America)

My tree sitters - since the rest of the pines (what didn't fall) in the run had to come down - have started sitting on the 9' high fence of the 'safe run' or on what used to be the 'canopy' and ramp area for the crushed double decker coop. That is a 6' high 2 dog-run kennel panels attached at an angle with roosts inside (2) and a metal 4X6 steel frame across the top & covered with a tarp. Will they roost on the accessible roosts? No (only two!). The rest roost on TOP of this ensemble - and NOT on the edge, either...so difficult to get them. I have to get a 2 step stool out to be able to reach them! Dirty buggers!

I think they do it on purpose. They like to see us work at it, last night it was easier for me to just give in and let the wall sitters roost on the stall walls until evening feed for the horses. Then I make them go to bed. Less drama for me and them.

Only the youngsters are in the trees this year - the Noirans tried out the trees a bit, but didn’t really like being up in them.

The Polish though, they love the trees! I’ll have to watch those two, Bob has warned me that they can fly really well. Mr P hardly flies at all anymore, he used to fly up on the door when he first came here. But now he flies up about 3’ only. I think it’s his feet/toes that prevent him from fully grasping a branch or fence edge. Otherwise I am sure he’s be out with Tippy and the other escape artists.

 

[BY Bob]

Morning Update

She is still with us. Unchanged from yesterday. I'm going to add a heating pad for her.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I cut it in half so they can eat the flesh at that point.

Yes I broke it fully open….
….So they could better ignore it

 

[rural mouse]

Yes I broke it fully open….
….So they could better ignore it

In years past, my crew will eat a pumpkin....eventually....(30 some odd birds vs 1 large pumpkin) took them something like a month for most of it, then they'd come back to the skins occasionally.

If you go off the premise that chickens, when allowed to forage, will eat things they NEED the nutrients of.....my crew need the potassium (or something else) of bananas but are meeting the nutritional needs that pumpkins supply. Meanwhile certain other groups (@BY Bob cough) that don't eat bananas are getting that nutritional need met through other finds, so when they're offered, turn their beaks up at them. And why they'll eat something at one point, but refuse the same thing at another: either their nutritional needs don't need what it supplies or the nutritional profile of the food has changed, rendering it unnecessary.

With my crew, I suspect that pumpkins supply something they DO need, but that need is small so a little goes a long way. I haven't gotten any pumpkins yet. I'm waiting for them to go on sale. BTW, Sherlock loves cooked pumpkin but won't touch raw pumpkin. Does the cooking change the nutritional profile or make it more efficient for the body to process?

 

[kattabelly]

Does the cooking change the nutritional profile or make it more efficient for the body to process?

It might - I know cooking tomatoes makes the lycopene in them easier for humans to absorb.

It could also just be that he prefers the softer texture of the cooked flesh.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Sorry, but couldn't help but laugh...door sitters . They are apprentices in the TSGoA (Tree Sitter's Guild of America)

My tree sitters - since the rest of the pines (what didn't fall) in the run had to come down - have started sitting on the 9' high fence of the 'safe run' or on what used to be the 'canopy' and ramp area for the crushed double decker coop. That is a 6' high 2 dog-run kennel panels attached at an angle with roosts inside (2) and a metal 4X6 steel frame across the top & covered with a tarp. Will they roost on the accessible roosts? No (only two!). The rest roost on TOP of this ensemble - and NOT on the edge, either...so difficult to get them. I have to get a 2 step stool out to be able to reach them! Dirty buggers!

Would love to see a picture of this roosting arrangement, if you get a chance!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

In years past, my crew will eat a pumpkin....eventually....(30 some odd birds vs 1 large pumpkin) took them something like a month for most of it, then they'd come back to the skins occasionally.

If you go off the premise that chickens, when allowed to forage, will eat things they NEED the nutrients of.....my crew need the potassium (or something else) of bananas but are meeting the nutritional needs that pumpkins supply. Meanwhile certain other groups (@BY Bob cough) that don't eat bananas are getting that nutritional need met through other finds, so when they're offered, turn their beaks up at them. And why they'll eat something at one point, but refuse the same thing at another: either their nutritional needs don't need what it supplies or the nutritional profile of the food has changed, rendering it unnecessary.

With my crew, I suspect that pumpkins supply something they DO need, but that need is small so a little goes a long way. I haven't gotten any pumpkins yet. I'm waiting for them to go on sale. BTW, Sherlock loves cooked pumpkin but won't touch raw pumpkin. Does the cooking change the nutritional profile or make it more efficient for the body to process?

I agree with your ideas. I thought I’d heard cooked pumpkin is something you give dogs for their gut health. The fiber may be more digestible, “just right”, when it’s cooked?

I left the pumpkin for a long time, until it got covered with run litter & dirt & started to look nasty and I worried about mold.

 

[drstratton]

No. She had been improving but had dramatically turned worse today. I'm treating for everything but she is fading badly. I am not optimistic she will survive the night.

I had her out in the sun today. Joy came by for a while.

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I'm so sorry Bob! It's so hard when you just don't know what's going on.

 

[TOMTE]

Morning Update

She is still with us. Unchanged from yesterday. I'm going to add a heating pad for her.

I'm so glad she's still alive and kicking. She wants to fight! Sending healing thoughts to her and hugs for you.

 

[TOMTE]

The girls are molting, slooooowly. Their feathers are so choppy looking, poor things.

Esme in the nest earlier. Look at those raggedy feathers!