Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

That is an interesting theory.
It seems more likely than anything else I have read. So far my reading suggested two possibilities. One was that their shells can get lighter and lighter in color and then reset when they molt. It feels a tad early in the year for that to be the case.
The second was various mineral deficiencies but that too seems very unlikely.

Edit: oh. Just read that it started before we lost Betty. I am stumped.

She might be doing one of those slow molts where just the odd feathers get swapped out - Henny Penny does this rather than a whole bald body molt like Dorothy did.

But Henny stops laying eggs when she does.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes. I have had Lyme a couple of times and found a tick on me on Tuesday. I really hate those things. It is why I keep toying with the idea of some fully free ranging Guinea fowl.

What antibiotics did they give you? I am about to call the Vet for some for Truly.

 

[Ponypoor]

Molting

Penelope is molting. This seems very early.

 

[RoyalChick]

What antibiotics did they give you? I am about to call the Vet for some for Truly.

Doxycycline for a full month. It played havoc with my stomach.
The protocol for people was changed and is now a preventative dose if you are in a Lyme area and the tick was attached for I think 36 hours. Then they give you something like one day.
The month long course is if you have proven Lyme from blood test.
I don’t know for horses!
I live in the county with the highest prevalence of Lyme in the US (it is no longer CT that is the epicenter!).
Guineas - I would want males and have a self sustaining flock. I fear the babies would be like popcorn for the foxes.
Hmmm.
I just got home so will pay tax shortly when I go out to visit the chickens.

 

[RoyalChick]

This is my kind of police emergency.


https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-find-upset-goat-responding-person-crying/story?id=99247611

 

[GregnLety]

I would have to get my head around them not being pets. I would need a lot of them and there would be high losses.
I am not sure I could handle that.
And then what if theybwere wildly successful and took over the neighborhood. Would I have to deploy Guinea-hunters to control the population?
It feels complicated!

Our guinea males stay inside our fence no problem but Noisy is an explorer. After her second escape in one hour after we put her back in the yard she stayed but avoided the knucklehead males until roosting time.

 

[RoyalChick]

Our guinea males stay inside our fence no problem but Noisy is an explorer. After her second escape in one hour after we put her back in the yard she stayed but avoided the knucklehead males until roosting time.

I would want them to range because I have lots of areas that need tick clearance. So I was thinking a place for them to roost - maybe inside the barn - and then let them do their thing. I provide feed and water and try not to get attached to any individual!

 

[RoyalChick]

Yes that is my feeling also.

Yes the chickens eat them. The approach here is if you pick one off yourself you offer it to the chickens as a snack.
But the chickens are pets so while they have a big area to roam, there is an electric fence. So I go places they have not cleared of ticks. If I got Guineas I would not confine them.

 

[GregnLety]

Have a ‘home base’ they return to at night to roost that way you can control and feral behaviour. And get only hens.

The Guineas I gave to my friends were chicks so they were put in the chicken coop until they were bigger. They now free range and roost in trees near the coop. On colder nights Mike puts them in with the chickens to roost.

 

[BY Bob]

I went to feed the horses last night and there were black feathers everywhere - of course I ran freaking out to count everyone - 13 all good. Ok raccoons are stressing me out.

Then my next thought was darn someone else going broody and fighting. Who would that be?

Then this morning I noted more black feathers in the Hen House - what?! Molting this early??

So I guess it’s not too early, now to figure out who it is, I think it’s Penelope.

Lady Featherington is doing some kind of mini molt right now. She is still not 1 though.