Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

Hmm, well I guess it's time to rob the store of their extension cords!

Extension cord. That's how electricity works on my coop cam.

 

[notabitail]

I'm thinking of putting Blink cameras up for my coop cam! They have 2 year batteries and connect via wifi

Those will work. Just be warned that you pretty much have to sign in with a Amazon account to use them.

 

[notabitail]

Hmm, well I guess it's time to rob the store of their extension cords!

The camera I have also can run off of Power over Ethernet, meaning that you have something that connects it to a wireless router that injects power into the camera via the data cable. That way only one plug is needed for it. Then again that is on the pricey side, so just get some extension cords and a decent security camera, slap it in there, and enjoy.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Happy Friday, by the way. I just started a small crockpot of spiced apple butter. My lizard got his portion of apple peel, and of course I brought bits out to the chickie birds.
Kasumi kept dropping it off the perch, silly bird.

Liara got the lions share, then Shep. I made sure Ash and Kasumi got their portions though!

"Whatcha got there, lady?"

Stretched up Ash is my favorite thing she does.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

I find if I put out too many treats they leave their main food. So I mix their crumble into water and sometimes leave it in a jar in the fridge overnight. Then in the morning I'll add some sunflower seeds and fruit to make it interesting for them, lately I've been adding tiny bit's of Brazil nuts in to.

Then later they'll get either bread or pasta followed by black soldier mealies and lastly some mixed corn. This way they eat their crumble

If you have chick's have you tried adding water to their mash.

Ok. So she doesn't have much of an appetite. Again I will try scrambled eggs, pork/beef, fish, berries, yogurt.

Is she drinking?

Do you know if she goes in a nest and spends time there without laying, or if she doesn't go at all ?
Have you checked she is not laying somewhere different , and also check for signs of abnormal eggs that could be anywhere around the coop (hens that lay soft shells tend to do it like they poop, just wherever they are.)
Any chance that she could be really moulting and not just a little ? I seem to remember they are too young for that, but not sure? If they start in the neck or head, it doesn't show at first, you’d have to check beneath if you see pin feathers. Molting will cause a break in laying. It makes some hens reject commercial feed, and go cranky. The symptoms fit pretty well what you describe.

Other things to check for : lice and mites ; feeling her abdomen in case it feels swollen and either abnormally hard or squishy.

I forgot to give some news, my partner saw the couple of shepherds and they said the baby lamb was doing great ! It just needed a few bibs to go running around ! I’m so happy. I’ve had so many times to give bad news to animal owners when I find them dead or dying in the mountains that it's nice to know this one made it.

Friday tax. It's more a landscape picture than a butt photo but at least it preserves molting and dirty chicken's dignity !
Gaston, Cannelle, Lily and either Nieva or Alba enjoying the wet grass.
View attachment 3636042

So to clarify a few things, she is 18 months old, so they are due for their first real
Adult molt. What is weird is a lot of them have broken/missing feathers on their back at the base of their tail. But I haven’t found anyone plucking there (as opposed to below their vent where I have had issues with someone plucking). A lot also are almost bald near their crop but haven’t seen any plucking there. Most of the bald areas are starting to show evidence of pin feathers. It is very possible she is just molting and not feeling well from it, but I wanted to try to rule out anything else instead of just assume that is what it is.

They don’t get treats every day, and when they do it isn’t much. Of course since they only recently started getting “outside” into a run they think the whole world is a treat. That is why they have been overdoing it a few times on grass, but there isn’t much of that left. I have seen her drinking at least a little. When I did crop check this morning I also checked under where she was roosting. She had passed some watery greenish poop, similar in color to the pellet mash I got her to eat a few beakfuls of. Will
post a pic below.

I haven’t been able to find evidence is eggs being laid anywhere else but can never completely rule it out. I haven’t seen her “camp out” in the nest box but think I have seen her nearby on occasion. I need to try to check my camera feed.

Have tried to check really well for lice and mites, not seeing any evidence. Her abdomen doesn’t feel squishy or swollen.

Will try some scrambled eggs.

Spoiler: Poop picture

 

[rural mouse]

I wish I could run electricity out there or I would have made a YouTube channel showing what my birds do all day

Solar powered or battery operated exist....

Cardhu

 

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

Solar powered or battery operated exist....View attachment 3636285Cardhu

Wait whaaaaat! Thanks for the info big bush chicken!

 

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

Ok, I will have to look into this! I think you all might be on to something!

The camera I have also can run off of Power over Ethernet, meaning that you have something that connects it to a wireless router that injects power into the camera via the data cable. That way only one plug is needed for it. Then again that is on the pricey side, so just get some extension cords and a decent security camera, slap it in there, and enjoy.

 

[notabitail]

Ok, I will have to look into this! I think you all might be on to something!

I should maybe show you all mine. Send a video or something of it.

 

[featherhead007]

Wait whaaaaat! Thanks for the info big bush chicken!

Bush chicken?