Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

So, @RebeccaBoyd :

Here are some pics of my 10 TSC babies.

I supposedly bought 2 BO pullets, 4 BR straight run and 4 marans straight run. The BO and BR were in the same bin, the marans were in a different one. View attachment 3577113View attachment 3577114View attachment 3577115View attachment 3577116

This is what I believe I got:
2 BO pullets
2bcm pullets
5-6 Cuckoo marans cockerels, 1 is questionable.

Not a single BR in the lot, I am SURE of it. The 'striping/barring' that is coming in is A) too dark for a BR roo, and too 'muddy (i.e. not crisp lines) for any BR. And, BR roos don't pop their combs @ 2 weeks. 5 of the 6 have definitely popped combs - one looks like it is trying....but it isn't as big as the others. It definitely is not a BR - pullet nor roo - so it is either a slightly late blooming cockerel CM (very possible with the # of roos I have in this lot), or an early blooming CM pullet (less likely, but I'm not a marans expert...so could be)

Sorry the pictures aren't better, but they wouldn't stand still - these are the best 3 of 10 or 11 photos.

Gosh they are adorable even if not BR the colouring is still really nice - and I see fuzzy legs on the one.

The BO are very lovely, so glad they are Pullets they are very pretty.

 

[Ponypoor]

Happy FBF everyone:

Some little baby fluffy tushies:
View attachment 3577108View attachment 3577106

And a semi-fluffy momma tushie: (DC are hard feathered - so only a moderate amount of bottom fluff
View attachment 3577107

Love the colouring of that hen

 

[bgmathteach]

He has no problems except for his temper! Otherwise he manages well

You know - this has me thinking - his 'temper' may be one fo a couple of things: he gets startled more easily because of his 'blind side', and he may just be frustrated at his now limited vision and the challenges it presents for him that he didn't previously have.

I am thinking in terms of a human who loses some ability (sight, use of a limb, etc.) that causes anger frustration, etc. It takes a long time for most people to emotionally come to terms with a physical loss/limitation (some never really do). I have no real idea of how a chicken would react - especially the rooster - who has a lot of responsibility - and Jaffar has a LOT of ladies for one rooster to manage. It might also explain what appears to be his increase pecking/attacking you.

I am only PONDERING I really do not know how most react - I just know I have seen chickens mourn and seen them act in ways that convinced me they were depressed when a bestie passed. Maybe @BY Bob would have a better idea with his background (I'm thinking the graduate course he took on chickens - plus his very keen/adept powers of observation).

I'm afraid I tend to give them maybe too many human characteristics, so I'm not sure where reality stops and my fanciful anthropomorphizing starts. I just know that I was blown away when I realized how smart they were - and I try very hard to not underestimate them now. (though, I suspect they could beat me at chess, as they can be very conniving at times! And at times, I can't see beyond my own nose...so - . All I can say is please try to be patient with him, and try to observe when he attacks you versus when he doesn't - and maybe you will be able to figure out why he is attacking you more now than previously...and you can go back to having the better relationship you used to have - he will be happier, and you will be happier.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Riding different horses will give you more experience and being a different environment will expand you knowledge faster.

You can still do Dressage, even if this new barn doesn’t do Dressage themselves doesn’t mean for 10 or 15 min you can’t ride circles and serpentines.

Ok so I wanted to ask you about BBQ, has she been wormed at all? Parasites can cause health issues and secondary problems.

I'm actually quite looking forward to riding new disciplines after taking to my friend who owns the place (she is my age)


I've never seen any worms in any of my chooks poop. I also give them zucchini and squash quite often which are natural deworkers, right? I will try to find some working meds if I can.
My chooks lay golden eggs. Gosh they are so eggspensive!!

 

[bgmathteach]

My poor chooks. It’s hot out there and they insist on being outside.

Does this mean they will lay you an omelet - or at least scrambled eggs - precooked??

Seriously, though, I hope they are okay. It is very easy for them to get heat stress with temps like that. Do keep an eye on them, and have a 'cooling room' set up (I know you have an AC house, but maybe a lukewarm basin of H2O with some ice cubes at the ready, and some electrolyte water for them. Hug your chickens - but gently so not to warm them even more!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Oh yes I agree, didn’t mean to give the impression I am fine with what happened to her. Not at all. I believe it was the result of her genetics, the efforts to “improve” the Buckeye breed. You will find much agreement on this thread about the horrible results of breeding / selecting only for food production.

Butters is similar to BBQ in that she never got nice new feathers for her back half with the last Fall moltand she has carried ragged cover feathers around all winter. Now she seems to be in a molt again with her behavior and appetite loss, and a few leg fluff feathers looked out of place recently. But I see no progression of it, if that’s what’s going on.

You never gave off that impression, at least not to me.

I am extremely worried about BBQ for sure. I love her. She has been through so much in her short life, and I really hope that her life is just starting. I doubt it though.
She looks so skinny and hardly has any feathers. She has been laying almost everyday, bless her little soul. She and Splotch are my best layers.
Splotch is also having feather problems. Her stomach is starting to get bare, and she has bald spots on her wings, just like BBQ. I really need to figure stuff out.



Problem is, my dad doesn't give a cr@p. He would just rather them die than "waste" any money on them. I've asked him a few times to let me take BBQ to the vet for her Bumblefoot and feather problems. "No, they are livestock, not pets. They are just stupid birds that will come and go. I told you not to name them and get attached."

I'm probably being to rough on him. His job is hard, but that's no excuse for not taking care if my animals... I really hope that BBQ is okay.

 

[bgmathteach]

Medicated? Uh...I have no idea...

If it is medicated, it would say so on the bag, so you can check that in the morning.

I've never used medicated starter feed. @BY Bob or @RoyalChick could maybe tell you if it is bad for adults to eat that or not. I'm off to bed - if n the morning they or someone else haven't chimed in, i will do some research to see exactly what is in medicated feed and how it works.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

You are so correct about making a point of acknowledging and remembering the good things @ChicoryBlue !

@Pastel The Rooster : There is lots of research around how positive thinking ( acknowledging the good, repeatedly stating to yourself your positive traits/abilities, etc.) impact both your happiness levels and your positive outcomes and thinking in general. Maybe try, each morning, stating to yourself in the BR mirror how happy you are to be able to have chickens, and how much you love Bolt (or any other animal) And make a point to spend time with your beloved animals each day - especially at the end of the day if possible - to 'decompress' and go to bed feeling more at peace and happy with the time you spent with your chickens.

There have been times in my life where I have had to actively practice these types of things just to get through. This reminds me that I need to start doing this actively again- to start thinking again about all the wonderful things I DO have in my life - I need to start making the frustrating and stressful things take a back seat to the positive. My health and happiness depend on this - please start trying to practice this for yourself. It will feel weird/awkward at first.....but persist!

Positivity Tax:
Mom with the evil eye watching me as I put the last of her chicks in the 'outside pen' for the day (taken a few days ago)
View attachment 3576685View attachment 3576686
Hmmm, mom says this green stuff is yummy. I don't know about the 'eat your vegetables' mantra she is spewing!

I bookmarked this, and I will certainly say to myself every morning and night, "I love my guineas and chickens, and I am so happy to have them. I love my dogs and horses that I ride. I love my family and the kind community of BYC."

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

II

This is starting to sound similar to what happened with Sansa. I did not realize that Butters' molt did not finish right last time.

Here was Sansa's process:

1. The feathers from Sansa's second molt did not come in right. They were incomplete.
2. Then she suffered the weight loss.
3. We treated for a sibclinical infection and she gained the weight back.
4. Then she just passed away.

Is that similar? I can find photos of Sansa's incomplete feathers if you would like.

I would like photos. I think that sounds like BBQ. I've not tracked her molts (stupid me)

 

[Ponypoor]

If it is medicated, it would say so on the bag, so you can check that in the morning.

I've never used medicated starter feed. @BY Bob or @RoyalChick could maybe tell you if it is bad for adults to eat that or not. I'm off to bed - if n the morning they or someone else haven't chimed in, i will do some research to see exactly what is in medicated feed and how it works.

Medicated feed has Amprol in it which is a thiamine inhibitor, coccidia require thiamine to survive, so the Amprol blocks thiamine uptake and prevents coccidia from propagation.

There is no required egg withdrawl period in the US but here in Canada there is a 14 day withdrawl period. Last year I fed medicated chick starter to my grups and ate the eggs and I was fine

This year because I sell eggs - and I am hard pressed to find an All Flock feed I am stuck feeding an mix of my layer and purina start and grow (terrible stuff is nothing but dust!) as a wet mash - I need to find a good grower but it’s really difficult - impossible really. And forget about an all flock.