Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pastel the Rooster]

My girls came from Hoovers. They supply most of the TSC stores around here. And if you order online from TSC they come from Hoovers. Overall my experience has been good. My colored egg layers only lay medium eggs but that is fine with me. All mine arrived alive and healthy. I had them vaccinated for Cocci and Marek’s. If you order through TSC you can call them the next day to request the vaccinations if you want them, no extra charge.

I know that there was this whole discussion a few months ago-
If I get chicks, and they are vaccinated for Marek's, will my adult chickens then get the virus and die?

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Tina has been in hospice care for the past week. She stays in the house. My husband puts her on his lap or in a tub with bedding that he carries around with him.

I think he is extremely upset.

Today Tina can't move anymore. He is so upset that he barely talked to me.

A screenshot during video chat from 2 days ago. Poor Tina.View attachment 3553937

Goodbye Tina.

I am so sorry. She has had a lovely life with you guys. I think that it is amazing that you did not give up on her until the minute she said to let her go.
I'm sending hugs and prayers. ❤❤❤❤ (hugs)

 

[Ponypoor]

I was just talking to my pup about candling the eggs to see progress.

My coop doesn't have a "building" part. They have a place to roost, and they have a covered area, but they don't get locked up somewhere. They just stay un their large dirt floor (with a few shavings) run.
We are going to be working on the coop a bunch today I hope.
My whole family had made an agreement. (eggcept my brother. He hates chickens) We will not start working on the Goat Pen/House until my coop is finished.
My brother is mad, but I am thrilled.

Sure, I want goats. I REALLY want goats. But chickens are MY PRIORITY. My mom loves the chickens, but she is more of a guinea person.
And I love the guineas, and I have some that I REALLY want to keep safe! (unfortunately my most special one, Ridges, free-ranges) but the chickens are the most important thing to me. Well, besides my puppies and family... And my horses, Lenny and Pippa.

I ADORE my chickens, and while I think that goats are "smart" (haha they are just goofy. Makes it hard to see that they are) and cute, and they really do have personalities, they aren't the animals I have now.
I want to take care of the animals I have now, and I want them to be safe and happy. Sure, some, maybe all, are happy. I just don't think that having leaks going into your coop and where your chickens perch on a wooden box is the very best life.
So, I want to get my coop done, make it so that my babies (not the unhatched chicks, my guineas and chickens) can live their best life.
Ha, sorry that was a handful. I'm bored, and so I just decided to write a whole story.... I don't know if it makes sense.... sorry....
Basically I want to prioritize the health of the animals I already have by finishing a coop rather than build a home for animals that I don't have.
There. Now that's better.

Well yes that was an epic novel But yes I know what you mean.

Don't forget to take photos of the building of the coop, we all like to see other's designs, it give us ideas for our own coops.

 

[Ponypoor]

I know that there was this whole discussion a few months ago-
If I get chicks, and they are vaccinated for Marek's, will my adult chickens then get the virus and die?

Well as far as I know, if you have never had Mareks on your place then I wouldn't bother getting them vaccinated. Not sure about your others getting ill or not, likley would be extremely rare - others can speak to this better than I can. None of my chooks are vax for anything.

To help prevent coccidiosis you can feed chick feed with Amprol in it. I do this for the first couple months. All my chicks are now being switched over to regular feed.

 

[RoyalChick]

If I get chicks, and they are vaccinated for Marek's, will my adult chickens then get the virus and die?

No. If your older birds already have Marek's, or if you bring in a new bird with Marek's, or in other ways expose your chickens to Marek's, then the vaccinated chicks might catch Marek's (even though they are vaccinated), but they shouldn't get severe disease because the vaccination will protect them from more serious disease.

 

[bgmathteach]

Anyone ever get chicks from Hoover Hatchery? I think they are in Iowa (IA is Iowa right?).

All of TSC's chicks (at least in the NE) are from Hoover Hatchery - and I have gotten chicks from TSC. Never purchased directly from Hoover, though.

 

[bgmathteach]

Tina has been in hospice care for the past week. She stays in the house. My husband puts her on his lap or in a tub with bedding that he carries around with him.

I think he is extremely upset.

Today Tina can't move anymore. He is so upset that he barely talked to me.

A screenshot during video chat from 2 days ago. Poor Tina.View attachment 3553937

Goodbye Tina.

I'm sorry you and your hubby are losing a beloved hen/friend! And while you are away, too. My thoughts and prayers are with the three of you. If Tina does pass, I hope it is relatively painlessly.

 

[Lilion]

I don’t have anything useful to add as I have only one experience of broodiness but I know how you must feel being worried so I thought I would give you a hug.
She looks like a lovely hen and I hope everything works out OK.

Thanks so much! I'm likely overreacting like a nervous mom.

Could you block the back place the mouse scuttled to? The mouse can always march in the same way Eenie goes in but they are much less likely to. Mice have a strong preference for sticking to walls and going in through small cracks.

I'll see what I can do. Three problem is the side board isn't nailed in. It's just sitting there. I don't want to nail it on or screw it in because it'll freak her out since it's right over her head. Maybe I can cut a board and just fit into place.

Definitely getting a trap to set there.

 

[Miss_BEE]

We hope that our Hooman - and all the other Hoomanz - had a lovely Father's Day last weekend; and hopefully there will be lots of blueberries!

 

[Ponypoor]

We hope that our Hooman - and all the other Hoomanz - had a lovely Father's Day last weekend; and hopefully there will be lots of blueberries!

View attachment 3554038

Hello beautiful hen - how are you today