Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Chickin Fairy]

Twofers for Tuesday

That is Eli being groomed by Calypso, and Piglet and Pooh posing. Sorry, that should read Miss Pigletine and Winnie who are posing.
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My Gamora looks just like Eli! Such beautiful greenish feathers!

 

[Lexicon]

I sat by the co broodies for the whole afternoon, on a foot stool - and knew they would be fine when they where talking to them and snuggling them. Stressful esp as the Silkies weren’t mine.

Well, like all things chicken related, I get better with experience, so maybe I will be able to get a broody to adopt next time, although I may just let my broody have fertilized eggs and hatch herself.

For now, I am really enjoying getting to have a closer relationship with the babies, so it's fine.

 

[ValarieF]

I got faked barred rocks

 

[Lexicon]

Keep up with the B vitamins, even when it seems like she's fine for a while. It seems to be working.

Thanks, I will. She has always been spunky and often that makes a huge difference!

 

[Lexicon]

It is funny how one distressed ill chicken can make you not want to discuss them. When Gucci was sick I did not want to log on here and share another failure to save a soul in my charge. It's very hard to be that open and vulnerable. There is no time to experience the joy in the others as the sick one takes all your attention.

I totally understand and respect where Lexicon is at right now. These are for you @Lexicon

Thank you, Bob. That's very kind. I have never lost a chicken and acknowledge that I have been incredibly lucky as my original hens will be three years old this week. I know that I will be sad when one of my hens dies, but somehow a little one not even getting a chance to live seemed so much worse.

 

[bgmathteach]

Those are nasty little things.
A bit early yet for them here but I remember last year the Princesses were not happy about them.
I found that like with mosquitoes, a good breeze is the thing.
I remember @micstrachan posted a rechargeable clip on fan - I think you may even have bought one like I did.
I am going to deploy that when they start getting bad.

I'm glad you brought this up again! I bought 2 of the ones you recommended last fall, but go them too late to use them. However, later this week it is supposed to get into the 90s - I need to get them out and charged up so the girls (well girls & boys) will have a bit of a breeze to stand in front of.
I did already scrub out their cooler waterers this weekend and deployed them - and put up containers of water in the freezer so can add large chunks of ice to the coolers BUT: I had completely forgotten about the new fans! I have ones that are from Rigid that run on the same batteries as tools, but they are clunky and they only last about 6 hours on a battery. ( good for weekends, when I can deploy them around 10am and they run for the hottest part of the day - not so good for weekdays as they conk out just at the peak of the heat!)

I should probably dampen their dust bath dirt, too, come to think of it! That will be something for Wed. night - so it has time to soak in a bit before the worst of the heat on Thursday.

 

[Ponypoor]

There’s something else people add…selenium? She is stiff-legged, her ankle(s) hardly bends, but she’s got gumption and drive, that’s good and is a lot of progress! Are they’re on medicated chick starter? I can’t remember if @RoyalChick took Bernie off it, or just supplemented with tons more B until she could be safely off the medicated feed?

Thats what I see too. I wonder if a bit of physical therapy might help, gently moving her legs the way they are supposed to.

Yes agreed, she is quite active and bright - and obviously eating

Gently holding her and seeing if she can settle down in the cup of her hand might work - a natural bowl shape and warm

 

[ValarieF]

I should probably shut up, but the browser I use blocks ads on all sites. Unfortunately it is what I have to use on every site as the ads bog everything down to a unusable speed.

What browser are you useing?

 

[Ponypoor]

It is indeed the way. This lady is brutal with her wings. They are real weapons.
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Marty’s little wings are like being flogged with a cat-o-nine-tails, especially hard on the eyes

And I though I broke my thumb knuckle I e day when I plucked Whiskers off the shavings bales one night! I can truly believe stories of geese beating off coyotes!

 

[bgmathteach]

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Thanks Alex

The baby chooks like it too.

I use shade-cloth in the summer - too. It doesn't seem like it would, but it makes a really big difference - 5-10 degrees! I am sure they are loving it - especially with your heat down there.

Will you eventually put the brooder on wheels (fully under - so they can still run under for some total shade/coolness)?