Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

Good thought - wonder how big her coop is? Maybe one of those spray Wanda for herbicide use…?

The coop is not big, about 3 x 3.5 x 2ft? An Omlet Cube. Then there is a low six-foot x 3.5 ft wire run attached to it, so all in all the ground length is nine feet. But the coop floor and two doors on it come off, so the coop itself it not hard to get at. I used a good spray bottle, worked well. I have a kitchen scale I used to measure out 6.7 ounces of permethrin 10% into a gallon of water.
Here’s a picture of the coop area setup from their web site. The end door panel is off and it’s all attached to the big wire walk in run.

 

[Marie2020]

These bangers and fireworks terrified Tina and Princess last night. With no brave flexi and Agatha they must have been out of their minds.
Tina's bottom was awful and too add to her stress I had to give her a bottom wash .

She's not eating her food today and I'm trying to give her fruit but princess is taking everything. Tina laid a soft egg and had a bit of shell hanging out which I removed. I'm really worried about her.

Prinncess tail is growing back that's the only good news I can share on my girls today.
Now it's raining again

 

[Marie2020]

Frightened little Tina and princess

Cheeky tail coming through

 

[knoturavggrl]

I am sorry your dealing with mites I want to thank you though for writing the details of what you did and how you did it. I bookmarked your post. If I get them, I will for sure reference this.

Also, just ordered First Saturday Lime. Hopefully it will help deter them a bit.

 

[RoyalChick]

What about tying into the electrical ground? Or putting the ground in near the septic system drain field? Would an existing fence post work for a ground?

I can’t remember the details now but when I was researching setting up my electric fence I think I remember they said not to do that.
Also, you need to have the ground the same metal as the clips and wire you will connect to it. Otherwise you get the galvanic effect which erodes the metal.
I think house ground rods are copper whereas electric fence are galvanized steel. To avoid confusion I bought a kit from the electric fence people so I was sure I got the right thing.

 

[ValarieF]

The babies are feathering nicely
Mercy the bossy one

Cinnamon and Nutmeg with Misty the grey shy one

She has no name yet but is very elusive. Maybe a Lucy!

 

[RoyalChick]

Buckeyes de-Mite-ing Day Yesterday

Confined everyone to the Big Run, set up a stool and the spray bottle, thinking they would stand on the chair. Nope, ended up on my lap. Decided to do Peanut first, as she is top hen and if she ended up all funny-looking from wet ruffled feathers she would maybe not get any guff from the others. That was a good choice, as when she was done and I let her jump off my lap she did look different and Hazel The Enforcer immediately ran up to her and stared at her, stock still, neck all stretched out toward her. Hazel then decided all was well. Until I proceeded with her!

Found it went better to start with my fingers ruffling their hackle / back feathers to the skin and putting a tiny squirt there, while massaging and ruffling, than starting with the neck, it seemed more stressful on poor Peanut when I did her neck first. I held them with my forearm and ruffled with that hand reaching around them and squirted and ruffled with the other. Of course the mixed solution water was cool which I hadn’t thought about at first. Their skin is so warm it must be a shock. So I worked my way back, then did under their wings, then the vent area and lower fluff (most mites there) & some belly, then did their neck and finally stroked their wattles and cheeks and lobes and combs with a wetted cotton handkerchief, and by then they were more used to it all. I even had the feeling that the massaging felt good at times, especially around their fluffy rears. They still had the automatic reaction of moving the head away when I got back there to do the neck and head, but let me hold their head gently at first, and then held still by themselves, I think the regular gentle stroking helped.

Such good chickens, and it’s such an honor and a big responsibility to hold their trust like this. I feel terrible that with my health issues and getting the coop ready for winter I didn’t catch this earlier. Poor Peanut had two very red sores on either side of a small poop ball below her vent, and a lot of mites there. Broke up and removed the poop ball. I had looked at their vents before my surgery and I think the sores are new. Are the sores from the mites? I hope it’s not fly strike. I am going to gather her up again today and put some coconut oil or Vaseline on those spots. I hoped the permethrin solution did not sting, and she actually appeared to relax while I worked back there so I am guessing it didn’t.

They gathered in a quiet group together as each one was done, and started preening and ruffling. When everyone was done I let them out and they all immediately headed over to their dust bath holes and proceeded to dustbathe for at least a half-hour. Everyone was sleeping soundly when I checked the coop cam last night, and they seem okay today.

I’d like to put Saturday lime in those dusting areas and also where they hang out under the lilac bush, but I don’t want to put them off their favorite spots. Will UV light kill mites and eggs? Dust mites yes but chicken mites? So maybe it’s not necessary? I haven’t found definitive answers on that. What do you all know in that department?

Managed with a leaf rake to get the low six foot run litter mostly cleared up to the ground in a pile, and I could kneel with the operated leg not bent much at the hip, holding onto the inside run wire to help me move forward, and gather the litter into a plastic bag with my hands. Pilates coop cleaning basically! I had with me a Parmesan shaker plastic jar with the Saturday Lime and sprinkled it all over the ground. The three feet under the coop itself I got through the coop floor raking and then bending over to gather it, then it got soaked with the permethrin solution dripping down from the open coop surfaces when I sprayed them (ceiling, walls, rails & brackets). Then I sprinkled more Saturday Lime there too. That is a shady area under there.

From earlier this year
View attachment 3314209

Wow. That sounds quite an undertaking! I am glad you are mobilizing and hope all turns out well after the treatment.

 

[Ponypoor]

The coop is not big, about 3 x 3.5 x 2ft? An Omlet Cube. Then there is a low six-foot x 3.5 ft wire run attached to it, so all in all the ground length is nine feet. But the coop floor and two doors on it come off, so the coop itself it not hard to get at. I used a good spray bottle, worked well. I have a kitchen scale I used to measure out 6.7 ounces of permethrin 10% into a gallon of water.
Here’s a picture of the coop area setup from their web site. The end door panel is off and it’s all attached to the big wire walk in run.

View attachment 3314215

Oh that’s an awesome setup. Very convenient! And handy that the doors open up fully - that’s great.

I wonder if that stuff you spray on horses with permethrin in it would work, not sure the concentration of it and might be too expensive though (anything with the word horse attached to it is automatically twice the cost of cattle stuff! ).

 

[RoyalChick]

I am sorry your dealing with mites I want to thank you though for writing the details of what you did and how you did it. I bookmarked your post. If I get them, I will for sure reference this.

Yes. Me too.

 

[Ponypoor]

The babies are feathering nicely

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Awwww so cute, and a Christmas theme already