Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

This too shall pass! Believe me we've had our share of determined Silkie broodies ~ we lock the coop up from the hens who want to be broody while allowing a laying hen to stay in a nest. It's been easy to spot a hen that's anxious to lay an egg so DH allows her coop access then locks the run from broody hens

Once the laying hen deposits her egg she usually scrams from the nestbox & runs down the ramp into the run at which time DH lets her out & relocks the run to keep out the broodies. It's been working well for us over 13 yrs. The broodies get less & less broody each day they are locked out & by 2-5 days go back to normal being around the non-broody girls in the yard. The non-broody girls peck at a broody to snap her out of it.

We have a small yard & no place for a broody to hide a nest plus DH searches the yard for stray eggs to discourage nest building outside the coop. Easy for us w/only 5 laying Silkies & one old non-laying Dominique.

Sounds complicated

 

[featherhead007]

Mine would surely throw a party in my absence!

I could just see the mess that they would make.
Empty pizza boxes on the floor.
They would raid the pantry for canned corn
Take the ears of corn and shredded cheese from the fridge.

 

[featherhead007]

Here’s a guilty broody:

 

[Marie2020]

Yes usually caused by internal egg laying.

But it can also be caused from liver and kidney damage. So either way it’s likely a chronic issue for her. She is over 5, and that’s usually when these layers start to act up.

I will keep her on aspirin like I do with Red Hen. It has been shown to help reduce inflammation so hopefully it can help her. Also help with any pain management.

Whether it’s horses, chickens or people, getting old sucks!

Yep.

 

[Sylvester017]

Sounds complicated

It is ~ but being retired offers us the time & opportunity to spoil the little hooligans! W/both of us fairly confined at home cuz of my broken arm the little girls offer a lot of entertainment.

 

[Sylvester017]

DH picked up a spongy beach mat that fits perfectly over the hens' sandbox to keep the stray cats at night from pooping in it! Chicken poop good ~ cat poop not good. The mat folds up fast & neat in the morning; unfolds fast in the evening. It was half price clearance so a good investment. I love cats but they can go home to poop in their own yard.

 

[RoyalChick]

DH picked up a spongy beach mat that fits perfectly over the hens' sandbox to keep the stray cats at night from pooping in it! Chicken poop good ~ cat poop not good. The mat folds up fast & neat in the morning; unfolds fast in the evening. It was half price clearance so a good investment. I love cats but they can go home to poop in their own yard.
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Good idea!

 

[Ponypoor]

Here’s a guilty broody:View attachment 3932016

As always - beautiful

 

[Sylvester017]

@Ponypoor ~ we were talking SiLkie feather colors. your Clyde appears an all Black Silkie w/ normal blue/gray undercoat down that peaks thru the top black feathers.

Our Black Mika is a "Dark Partridge" with gold speckled wing tips and a gold neck collar which you can see in the video when she stretches her neck forward to eat tomato w/her sisters (song lyrics written by DH ).

 

[Ponypoor]

DH picked up a spongy beach mat that fits perfectly over the hens' sandbox to keep the stray cats at night from pooping in it! Chicken poop good ~ cat poop not good. The mat folds up fast & neat in the morning; unfolds fast in the evening. It was half price clearance so a good investment. I love cats but they can go home to poop in their own yard.
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That’s a great idea! Now if I can just get my gang to stop pooping cecal poops in their sand box!

I use the manure rake to clean feathers and larger bits from the sand, and a cat litter scoop to get the small poops and shavings.

Which reminds me, I need to buy more play sand - Home Depot has it stored inside so it’s always dry. Nothing like frozen wet sand in the winter !!!