Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

You all always find a reason to laugh, regardless if something doesn't seem funny. And I like that. One funny sentence alongside with a couple hundred sentences more and you got yourself a comedian.

The head in the door, getting it open, followed by this!

Those running butts we know and love so well.
Destination: out there!

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you for this. I will go read my bottle later. The thought of catching momma hen to does her though has my eye twitching.

Does she actually have worms?
No need to deworm if they don’t have a heavy load.

 

[RoyalChick]

I don’t know the dosage, sorry, I would be searching BYC for it.

Can you tell me how you’re thinking of worming if there’s nobody ill with an overload of worms? Or is there somebody ill? I don’t mean to start a fight, and on one hand I sort of understand the theory of worming on some schedule, in that it is done as a precautionary measure. I’ve noticed with small flock owners, horse folks want to do it, I assume because of the experience with horses? Is the theory with chickens that it reduces the available cysts on the ground?

With chickens, I’ve heard (reiterated by the vets Butters and Popcorn saw), they can carry a low load of worms all the time, without ever an overload and illness developing. That it’s usually some circumstance of stress or other that allows the worm fauna to get out of control in an individual bird, and then one would treat. So on this hand it seems like one is cleaning out the gutters on a set schedule even though chickens’ “gutters”may never need cleaning (yes I was working on the coop gutter today). And chickens would likely pick up some worm cysts again as soon as they’re out in the yard, and be back to carrying a low load.

I lean towards not doing it unless someone gets sick, but I know others on here do it periodically.

That is my understanding too. By working to a schedule you increase the chance of resistance and the chickens pick up new worms as they forage anyway, so reserve treatment to when the worms are actually causing health issues.
Also not looking for a fight as I know lots of people worm regularly.

 

[BY Bob]

They are all equally evil towards the hens, but those aren’t the ones I am worried about. I worry that a younger Roo might kill poor Mr P - he is not the most aggressive Roo in fact tends to stay away from them all, he hides with the hens! ESP now he is molting.

I am really not wanting to risk his life.

I think I'm with you. Polish roosters are not large and would be easily outweighed in any contest.

 

[BY Bob]

Most have been resistant to fluffy bums pics this week. At best: profile bums.

View attachment 3642015Pear, has fresh tail feathers growing in, and is roaming far and wide for the best things to expedite the process. (I think she's in the pea tree hedge, southern end, most of the day).

View attachment 3642016Indigo's tail is looking thin. Only sign she has going that moulting is maybe happening. (She and Lark had a stash of eggs in the carport: 2.5 dozen, so either not affected or just getting started)

View attachment 3642017Lark (should have posted this yesterday, but life got bonkers) still in fine fettle.

View attachment 3642018Twirp, tends to moult later than the others, hoping she's actually sneaking that in now.

View attachment 3642019Jessica (and Mera) has done the quiet/subtle moult. Based upon all the tiny spots of lacing, is almost finished, and is currently the best groomed/most put together bird (aside from this year's 11 babies).

View attachment 3642020Storm's tail is looking much like Pear's did a week ago, but she's avoided having all the down poke through her feathers. Quartz is flashing her fluff (limp is gone). Granite as his tail just showing behind Storm, none of the fancy feathers yet. Cardhu is flashing those lovely breast feathers (and making me wonder if one of those brown eggs in the nest was Pear's, making her a Pear x Whiskey cross). Cumulo is behind Cardhu (Nimbus is behind the rock, I think).

And

Spoiler: shocker

View attachment 3642026The light downed trees back there have a dusting of snow. Most of the day rained yesterday, but the continental divide was just high enough to get dusted yesterday.

Oh no. Snow!

 

[fuentemoon]

I forgot to add that I sometimes use those pine pellets (very low cost at TSC). I always have them because I use them for cat litter and I put a heap right under the roost with the highest poop load at night. They absorb moisture exceptionally well I find.

I was thinking of doing that too.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

@Grandma The Chicken Did you vote for this thread for favorite thread yet?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/week-1-favorite-thread-poll-vote-now.1598750/

Top of the page, vote for Fluffy Butt Acres as your favorite thread! (We are in first place, but we don't want another thread to enact a counter-offensive and win sprinting to the finish line!)

You haven't been on much lately - hope all is well, and that is it just that you are spending time doing home work and studying! (ah hem, @Pastel The Rooster )

Voting/Poll Tax (sorry, Margaret Thatcher!)
View attachment 3642337

Heyyy! I’ve started understanding what we are doing. My grade is slowly going up.
I have a unit test on Monday however, and I’m not happy. (Sorry for sneaking again.) I’ve still not buried Madame. It’s a little weird having a Guinea hen in my freezer…

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I forgot to add that I sometimes use those pine pellets (very low cost at TSC). I always have them because I use them for cat litter and I put a heap right under the roost with the highest poop load at night. They absorb moisture exceptionally well I find.

The ones that turn into fine shavings when they get wet? We use those sometimes.

 

[BY Bob]

Actually, I have 5 broodies out of 9. World doesn't share with anyone & Tsuri was late to the party. @ BY Bob thinks they're hysterical.
I don't think he'd find them so funny if they were his!

I'd be in the chicken business with chicks running everywhere.

 

[BY Bob]

Shavings are cheaper than chopped straw, though!

Boy can I agree with that!