Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

You can get those thin rubber gloves. My girls don't like the gloves but I don't like handling poo!

Rubber gloves were in use last night. She was a mess.

 

[BY Bob]

Was that Mrs By Bob you caught with the meal worms?

I deserve that.

 

[Shadrach]

You can get those thin rubber gloves. My girls don't like the gloves but I don't like handling poo!

I do it with bare hands. I find gloves get in the way. Chicken shit doesn't bother me. I don't get them as clean as a bath would but I get the worst off.

 

[BY Bob]

@Shadrach did you see the video where Lilly forced Aurora to submit? I am wondering if you saw the face pecking that went on after Aurora submitted. Can you tell me what that meant?

 

[Shadrach]

Treacle was ill today and he had me seriously worried. I found him outside my house, head sunk into his hackles, eyes partially closed looking very sickly.
I checked him over for any wounds first...nothing. He's external parasite free.
I gave his crop a check and there wasn't much in it. I had to go and feel Cillins to make a comparison.
Next I though of coccidia, we are having the ideal weather for worms and coccidia and I'm watching them very carefully for any signs.
I couldn't work out what was wrong but I thought he may have eaten something he shouldn't have.
I tube fed him 40 cl of water hoping to help flush and dilute. Then I got some clod lumps of coconut oil down him. He ate the first couple of lumps and the next couple got stuff in his beak.
He started looking a bit better in a couple of minutes; even drank some more water of his own volition. Ten minutes later he was eating a bit of cheese and half a walnut. A bit after that he was eating the normal feed and when I felt his crop before he headed off to bed it had a reasonable amount of food in. He started crowing again (he's really noisy normally).
I've checked on him a couple of times since he's gone to roost and he seems okay.
I hope I've done enough.

 

[Ribh]

Treacle was ill today and he had me seriously worried. I found him outside my house, head sunk into his hackles, eyes partially closed looking very sickly.
I checked him over for any wounds first...nothing. He's external parasite free.
I gave his crop a check and there wasn't much in it. I had to go and feel Cillins to make a comparison.
Next I though of coccidia, we are having the ideal weather for worms and coccidia and I'm watching them very carefully for any signs.
I couldn't work out what was wrong but I thought he may have eaten something he shouldn't have.
I tube fed him 40 cl of water hoping to help flush and dilute. Then I got some clod lumps of coconut oil down him. He ate the first couple of lumps and the next couple got stuff in his beak.
He started looking a bit better in a couple of minutes; even drank some more water of his own volition. Ten minutes later he was eating a bit of cheese and half a walnut. A bit after that he was eating the normal feed and when I felt his crop before he headed off to bed it had a reasonable amount of food in. He started crowing again (he's really noisy normally).
I've checked on him a couple of times since he's gone to roost and he seems okay.
I hope I've done enough.

Oh, gosh, Shad. Sometimes it seems to be one thing after another with these chickens. My cats aren't half as much trouble! Hope he's right as rain by the mrning.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach did you see the video where Lilly forced Aurora to submit? I am wondering if you saw the face pecking that went on after Aurora submitted. Can you tell me what that meant?

I did Bob but forgot to reply.
From what I saw she was grooming. I don't think it's a simple bossing about. Hens will groom each other, but it isn't as simple as a hen grooming their rooster from what I've seen.
One would have to see a lot more of their behaviour over time to draw any conclusion.
Otic used to groom Blue Spot from time to time. Blue Spot was senior but Otic was twice her size and was Blue Spots minder for want of another description.
Your video clips are great but often the clue to what is going on isn't caught and on many occasions one can learn more by watching what the rest of the flocks reaction is to the event.

 

[Shadrach]

They all have relationship behaviour that is outside what gets called the pecking order here.
The circumstances dictate who is more senior in a given moment. Personal likes and dislikes that may not show when the whole tribe is present or a rooster is there. Tap will intimidate Hurry if Cillin isn't there, but at feeding time Hurry is before Tap.
Since the death of Ruffles Mel is tribe minder. She is more tolerant of Tap than she is say of Tackle. But Tackle knows her place when it's time to eat and so does Mel.
They're complicated little feckers. No doubt about that.

 

[featherhead007]

I could never do this without COVID. Too much travel. If I wasn’t home I could not ask Mrs BY Bob to manage it.

This has worked out very well in that sense. I am very excited to see them hatch and her raise them. I'm also apprehensive because it's all up to her. I have no idea how or when to help if needed. I hope she's ready. She really scared me yesterday by sitting on the wrong nest.

Then stop "spiking" her chicken feed!

 

[RoyalChick]

I do it with bare hands. I find gloves get in the way. Chicken shit doesn't bother me. I don't get them as clean as a bath would but I get the worst off.

Is this poopy backside a common problem? I confess I haven't had that experience yet with the Princesses. The new chicks are still projectile pooping but that is more likely to hit me in the face than it is to stick to their fluffy butts.