Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

SHRA!

Remembering Queenie
I am on my PC, I only have a few pictures on it, and this is one. But kind of fortuitous. It was in December last year when I got Queenie from the wood & storage closed-in shed abutting the house that she was roosting and hiding in. She had successfully hidden from the strangers (instructed by the departed chicken-keeper) that had come and split up the free-ranging tribe, taking chickens on two separate days, the week or so before, a flock of ~9 chickens and a rooster, all Buff Orpingtons. I think she chose the storage & wood shed because it was all enclosed but had a small hole in the wall that was like a little pop door; the human kept the actual door locked. It was safer for her as a single hen than the broken-down old barn across the street where her tribe had roosted but which was very open to owls, hawks, coyotes and other predators. Not much to eat except a bit of bird seed thrown out for the wild birds by the house occupant who didn't want chickens. Queenie was foraging in the snow and I think getting water from the small stream nearby. Soon it would freeze over and be snow-covered. Being so alone out there, and then having two weeks inside with me, when introduced to the Buckeyes she went crazy as soon as she saw them. She made it her mission to join them, volunteering to be bottom of the pecking order. Here's a picture I took about then (photo is dated Dec 19, 2020). You've seen it before. I remember I asked everyone about the spot at the top of her beak. It was a small scab and came off by itself some time later.

RIP Lil' Queenie
View attachment 2942328

What a wonderful thing you did back then. While her time with you was short, it was well lived. It makes me tear up to think of how she was living when you found her. You did a wonderful thing.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for asking. She’s not doing great. I gave her a stool softener and she’s passing tiny, watery poops, but her crop is still very slow.

Please keep us updated. I feel attached to her.

 

[BY Bob]

That is Minnie. She is a Crested Cream Legbar.
Since her molt she has grown grey spots all over her red breast. I think they look cute.

View attachment 2942663

They are adorable!

 

[BY Bob]

She aspires to be a runway model like BY Bob’s Phyllis.
Apologies for the repeat post but here is a recent glamour shot from her portfolio. View attachment 2942676

She really is glamorous!

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for the update, Bob. Between Christmas, my sister in law visiting and my son, who is sick, being home from college, I haven’t been on much, either.

I hope your son improves quickly.

 

[BY Bob]

Then I would leave be at least until spring, do more observations then, reevaluate. they're all roosting in safe places. if you get bitter cold (like here yesterday), put a heat panel in each coop.

There will be no changes here for a long time, hopefully.

 

[Ponypoor]

It warmed up to around 15F (@-10c) yesterday. haven't checked yet today. The HUGE blessing in the temps: it's DRY cold not Damp cold. The wind makes up for that though (like icy knives and adds to the chill). Solution: dress in layers (different types of fabric help battle the wind), avoid the wind, and warm up in front of the fire.

Chicken find all kinds of solution. Had 1 of our first birds hop onto the tip of my boot for a ride back to the coop rather than wade through the snow. This lot have been staying in the coop (keep it closed when under 10F). they also like the wood pile to avoid the wind.

Chickens are pretty tough, but I do worry about their feet and combs/wattles.

One thing I have to be careful of is to put my own 'feelings' regarding the cold on that of the birds. I do have one of those Cozy Coop heat panels, but since no one was cozying up to it I put it away!

Was thinking of getting one of those infra-red heaters, been reading some of the threads on them.

@Bob maybe one of those IR panels for your gal...?

 

[Shadrach]

Chickens are pretty tough, but I do worry about their feet and combs/wattles.

One thing I have to be careful of is to put my own 'feelings' regarding the cold on that of the birds. I do have one of those Cozy Coop heat panels, but since no one was cozying up to it I put it away!

Was thinking of getting one of those infra-red heaters, been reading some of the threads on them.

@Bob maybe one of those IR panels for your gal...?

Chickens are tropical and sub tropical creatures. The temperature ranges they find comfortable can be estimated by where they thrive and their original natural habitat.
Asian jungle temperatures roughly range from 20 centigrade to 35 centigrade.
I know people will tell you that their chickens are just fine at sub zero temperatures and will talk a lot of nonsense about how chickens can adapt and they've got all those feathers to keep them warm etc.
Now go and ask the chicken and offer them a choice of a trip to Hawaii or Canada.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

His legs don't look much better but he pecks at them less. It's going to take time and he's not fond of being picked up. He knows now and buries himself in the hens in the coop which makes getting him out at night and back in again difficult.

Have to laugh though. Henry ll says, "O, thou Hens, hide me! Bury me amongst thy Great Fluffness! My wondrous powers wane at night, and he molests me. As a shield raise your wings and let me creep thereunder. Protect thy valiant Rooster from Bucket Boy!"

 

[BY Bob]

I've known over 100 chickens most of which are now dead. I don't have a single bad memory of any of them.
I like to remember them.
It often seems to me that people take some kind of affront when death takes one of their chickens. It's like something has stolen something they own and not only do they grieve for the loss but also suffer from some kind of damage to their pride that they were unable to thwart death. It's that view of owning that life and being deprived of it that makes looking after other creatures so diffficult.
I don't understand all the sorry for your loss messages and the reluctance of some people to even utter the phrase that someone died. It's always "passed on" or some other expression that avoids the reality of death.
Lock was lovely. I was lucky to know her. She was never mine,or anyone elses.
Lock belonged to Lock and she lived with her family who it seems cared for her despite her gender differences in a manner many humans could learn from.

Everyone treats to death differently. While I can appreciate your point of view I need to disagree on a point.

I'm pretty sure it is not damaged "pride" that makes it hard for me personally when it have lost them in traumatic fashion. In fact, each loss has been very different for me emotionally. Depending upon circumstances and my relationship with the chicken involved, each has been different.

For me I like to respond to someone regarding the loss of their chicken in a way that respects their feelings. I do not know how they are going to be dealing with the loss and I'm trying to be supportive. How someone "should" feel and how someone "does" feel may not be congruent. I believe that it is not my place to tell people how they should feel. As I said before everyone deals with differently and I have no idea how anyone is dealing with any particular death.