Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ManueB]

My thoughts only...as my situation is vastly different.

If you have an old towel (I call them my 'chicken towels'), after dark, catch Caramel and wrap her in the towel to keep her from fighting, and, using a flashlight, look into her throat ( will need help...your partner can hold her kind-of like a football, wrapped in the towel), and open her beak and look down her throat with the flashlight to see if there is blockage. Also pay close attention to nares to see if you can see any blockage or discharge in the nasal cavity. If you can't take her to the Vet until Monday, I would want to check her out as much as possible now. Yes, she might fight you some...but the closeness of the towel and firm but gentle hold usually keeps them settled until you start fussing with trying to look into her beak. (I always offer a favorite treat after, for the indignities of it all)

Maybe with a bit more info, @BY Bob might be able to give you some good advise.

Best of luck with Caramel!

This is what we did when she was ill. But I think we really traumatized her when we dewormed her, because since then she sleeps in a place on the roost where we just can't reach her. She's too high, in a corner right next to a hole in the wall and she shelters in it when we come near.
My partner will be home tomorrow so maybe we can look quickly during the day when she's quiet. I don't want to stress her.

@ManueB I would ask @Shadrach to see what he says.

I will, thanks.

 

[rural mouse]

Little guy comparison.

Horus, the dark Cheetah

Kren, the blonde/black laced? Spangled breast

Whiskey, the chocolate orange

 

[RoyalChick]

Little guy comparison.

Horus, the dark CheetahView attachment 3197315


Kren, the blonde/black laced? Spangled breastView attachment 3197317View attachment 3197318


Whiskey, the chocolate orangeView attachment 3197319View attachment 3197320

They are all really stunning looking!

 

[rural mouse]

They are all really stunning looking!

And right now, holy terrors. Horus and Kren are still having 10 min staredowns (not daily but...) interspersed with some fighting (no one hurt as yet and the physical ends in a second or 2 to go right back to the staredown). All 3 are getting chased out of the coop in the evening by Hector (at least 1(changes by the moment) is trying to pester Hector's girls, none of whom are quite ready). Hector is trying to pester his girls, but figuring out they're not ready, so moving on Cheetah's ladies. He's also getting mercilessly put in his place by Silver, Pear, PITA, Storm, and surprisingly Twirp and Thing. Twirp has to reach up/jump to get him and Thing is mostly ignored until her persistence no longer can be. The younger trio haven't quite reached the point of the big girls schooling them and Hector's girls aren't quite confident enough to really lay into them. Watching them getting schooled is difficult until I remember watching them try to mate one if the unwilling girls (not ladies), then I remind myself they EARNED it and will be better gentlemen for it. Still learning their voices as the crowing isn't consistent enough to ID by sound (other than one of the little guys) other than Cheetah and Hector (both crow every morning now and seem to be dividing territory for sentinel duties and watching at the same time in different directions). Most of the drama occurs immediately after breakfast or just before roost time,and I swear Hector comes up to me for help with the ladies.

Hector and his girls

 

[RoyalChick]

I am quite pleased with how the Chicken Palace is performing temperature-wise.
I gave a lot of thought to its orientation regarding passive solar heat in the winter (sun rises through a window and warms it up) and deep tree shade and wide over-hangs to keep it cool in summer.
It is 97 degrees out and only 91 (just shy) inside the actual coop part of the Palace. I just did my ice-bucket run for all the waterers and it definitely felt cooler stepping into the coop from outside.
Feeling pleased with myself as I really did try and achieve that!
Meanwhile, I have a chicken who at 97 degrees wants to stand in the sun. Go figure. Maybe she gets better reception there?!

 

[featherhead007]

98f and the feathered heathens won’t let Dakota under the porch with the rest of them. I took her inside with me (to cool her down)

 

[featherhead007]

Yes, the water park is open for business, but it’s uncomfortable to play in the heat.

 

[Ponypoor]

I am quite pleased with how the Chicken Palace is performing temperature-wise.
I gave a lot of thought to its orientation regarding passive solar heat in the winter (sun rises through a window and warms it up) and deep tree shade and wide over-hangs to keep it cool in summer.
It is 97 degrees out and only 91 (just shy) inside the actual coop part of the Palace. I just did my ice-bucket run for all the waterers and it definitely felt cooler stepping into the coop from outside.
Feeling pleased with myself as I really did try and achieve that!
Meanwhile, I have a chicken who at 97 degrees wants to stand in the sun. Go figure. Maybe she gets better reception there?!

View attachment 3197410

I think she is sending my gals some sort of weird signals

She had my gals out laying in the sun but it’s only 93F here so a wee bit cooler

I chased them all back into the barn as I didn’t want a repeat of this past week with Rose!

 

[Ponypoor]

And right now, holy terrors. Horus and Kren are still having 10 min staredowns (not daily but...) interspersed with some fighting (no one hurt as yet and the physical ends in a second or 2 to go right back to the staredown). All 3 are getting chased out of the coop in the evening by Hector (at least 1(changes by the moment) is trying to pester Hector's girls, none of whom are quite ready). Hector is trying to pester his girls, but figuring out they're not ready, so moving on Cheetah's ladies. He's also getting mercilessly put in his place by Silver, Pear, PITA, Storm, and surprisingly Twirp and Thing. Twirp has to reach up/jump to get him and Thing is mostly ignored until her persistence no longer can be. The younger trio haven't quite reached the point of the big girls schooling them and Hector's girls aren't quite confident enough to really lay into them. Watching them getting schooled is difficult until I remember watching them try to mate one if the unwilling girls (not ladies), then I remind myself they EARNED it and will be better gentlemen for it. Still learning their voices as the crowing isn't consistent enough to ID by sound (other than one of the little guys) other than Cheetah and Hector (both crow every morning now and seem to be dividing territory for sentinel duties and watching at the same time in different directions). Most of the drama occurs immediately after breakfast or just before roost time,and I swear Hector comes up to me for help with the ladies.View attachment 3197371Hector and his girls

That’s both drama and entertainment!

So much fun watching the youngsters

 

[RoyalChick]

I think she is sending my gals some sort of weird signals

She had my gals out laying in the sun but it’s only 93F here so a wee bit cooler

I chased them all back into the barn as I didn’t want a repeat of this past week with Rose!

You may be right. She was certainly having a very animated conversation with someone and all my lot were sensibly in the shade under the bushes or in the Chicken Palace.
The good thing about Lulu is she never stays in one place very long so soon she was running around in the shade with the others.
I have locked them in for the night and as soon as it is below 90 degrees outside I will set up a fan outside to blow cooler air in through the Chicken Palace (I think I have the same fan as @BY Bob and @micstrachan have). I haven't tried this before but I don't see why it wouldn't work.