Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

thank you, this was very helpful!

Ducks don't 'sweep' like chickens do - they 'scoop' instead of peck feed into their mouth...and sometimes - like an overfull scoop - spill some as they 'chug' the scooped feed into their mouth and swallow (BTW: they either need moist feed OR water right next to the feed to swallow properly, or they can choke)

So, then I should probably get at least 1 extra large (?maybe 2?)and a couple or 3 mediums, then. (I am also planning on making @RoyalChick 's posted bucket feeder - out of m y 4 gal bucket that my 20lbs of brewer's yeast comes in) I think that the 4 gal buckets probably hold about 1/3 of a 50 lb. bag (give or take a bit) I go through (well will be - I'm at my lowest feed/animals wise late Dec through the end of next month) about 300+ lbs of feed a week during late spring through late fall when I send extra young roos and older girls to freezer camp. I would, obviously, need to use a different feeder for the chicks until they get close to POL and are heavy enough to use the feeders (and they will also be on starter or grower during that time, too - so a different feed than my self mixed all-flock))

Okay - after looking at their site and your suggestions/comments - maybe a 4 pack of mediums for most cost efficient purchase...and if I really like them but feel I need more feed - then get 1 extra large. My goal is to be able to have enough feed for us to be able to go away for a week (2 weekends - so 9 days) so whoever I can get to help will be minimally inconvenienced - given they will already have to let out/lock-up, collect eggs and worry about fresh water. While I can have plenty of nipple waterers, ducks need deep water (to clear their nares) - and it is always DIRTY at the end of the day & needs to be dumped & refreshed...hopefully I can have a pond for them by then and let it be for a week.

Short term goal (summer '24): extended run with netting covering the top, with new 8' walls of extended run, and rest of 'safe run' area roofed with solid roofing, & with these new walls, put hot wire up low & high - I already have a solar fencer!


With that in place, and rat safe feeders, be able to go away for a long weekend in decent weather (not winter, as still have to manually put a couple dozen chickens away (tree roosters) for both their own safety and, in winter - warmth.) Hoping to go camping Columbus/Native Peoples Day weekend.

And by the end of next summer (2025) have a new duck run built with small pond dug, and be able to go away for a WHOLE WEEK. In the past 4 years, I have gone away for exactly 2.5 days to attend an Ag teacher's conference with Hubby - which I paid to attend too, as they had some interesting workshops I wanted to attend.

Long winded, too much detail, tax:

Really, a pond for us? We'll get excited when we see it. Until then (or until we see you have something good for us to eat), we'll just keep napping, thank you!
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A photo gallery of my sweet, friendly Georgie:
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And, for Friday:
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A trio of butts belly crop up to the food and water buffet:
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I love Georgie’s eye contact!

 

[The Chick Addict]

Fluffy Butt Friday
Waffles' beautiful Fluffy Butt!

 

[BeastBaby]

You have looked through her poo carefully? You see nothing out of normal? Crop normal now, though empty? Vent normal? Walking normally? She is dust bathing, that’s a new picture? That’s a good sign. If all she’s eating is eggs, buy some then…I’d not worm unless you can confirm worms, it is hard on them. I wonder if she will be passing a difficult egg, or something is bothering her in that process, intermittently. Not then while she was dust bathing, for instance.

The poo was very watery. I would describe it as diarrhea on Mon/Tues, then as the week progressed it looked different. Today it was like mini bright green turds sitting in a large quantity of liquid and urates. The color and diminutive size are appropriate for the amount she’s eating- basically a starvation diet. So, better?
Her abdomen felt fine a few days ago (no eggs, no accumulated liquid). I should check this again.
Her crop continues to be empty. Eyes clear, vent normal. Gait normal.

She runs up to the gate when I arrive and totally perks up (yes, that’s a recent picture! She even dust bathes!). But then… just doesn’t eat. And when I spy on her from inside the house she’s depressed/lethargic, tail hung low, body poofed. She went to bed two hours before everybody else.

I was able to take a fecal sample to a vet today though. They say it may be a couple of days until I get results.

 

[Ponypoor]

Fluffy Butt Friday

Anna's backside
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Popcorn's fluffy butt-side
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Diane's floof, with Anna facing forward
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Anne sure is poofy isn’t she !

Oh gosh have added Buff Orps to my list now

 

[Ponypoor]

No, however the chicken and the house look quite familiar...

I bet!!!

 

[Ponypoor]

WARNING:
Consumer Alert;
There is now concrete evidence that poor quality, defective products are being installed. It is suspected that a cheap, Chinese knockoff is being substituted for quality American products.

Buyer beware! Unfortunately, once installed, due to the nature of the installation process, they can not be removed nor replaced - you own them for life!
One would expect that spray booth sprayers would provide a smooth, even finish - with uniform dimpling if desired. Instead, this is what is produced by the installed defective sprayers:

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Notice the multiple uneven colouring, dimpling in bands instead of uniformly applied, and random splotching.

Be forewarned and be sure to get spray booths installed by quality vendors with known reputations for quality and consistency!

Oh! That must be the issue here - no OEM products installed - thanks for the heads up!

 

[Ponypoor]

Updated pics

View attachment 3761302Miss Marple

View attachment 3761303Hetty Wainthropp

View attachment 3761306Kate Warne

View attachment 3761305Blurr (with 2 Rs)

View attachment 3761307Focus

Spoiler: guess what!

View attachment 3761311Hyacinth

View attachment 3761312Violet

View attachment 3761309Daisy

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View attachment 3761310Liz (aka Elizabeth)

View attachment 3761314The whole crew

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

Oh my gosh more babies

Your just killing me here no babies ordered here till 30th April. Oh gosh they are so adorable! So what breeds are they ?

 

[Ponypoor]

I’m having a toad situation here. The deluge of rain, has brought out the toads from hiding and they are all over the place in the yard. On the porch, around the coop and run. Wow so many toads!

Pony Sunday photos

 

[Ponypoor]

Scary. I saw a bald eagle on my way to work yesterday. I’ve only seen them flying overhead above my yard twice ever. And they were way, way, way, way up there. Not really a threat to my girls. I have heard a red tailed talk on occasion and there was one around the yard a year or two ago that was a juvenile. For now, it’s the resident red shouldered hawk I have named Harold. The red shouldered also look like sharp shinned and Cooper’s, but they have a very distinctive call and I am 100% sure this is a red shouldered.

A Golden Eagle cruises over my place Wednesday! I will be putting up some netting over top my run this weekend - I think we at over the snow now.

 

[Ponypoor]

Some perfectly clean butts. You could stick your face in those things! None of my girls have that anymore.

Last weekend I gave most of my gals a Brazilian trim

Made a huge difference in the cleanliness of my eggs.