Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

The big issue here is that I use shavings as bedding, farmers do not want to put shavings on their fields as it takes too long to break down, and increases the alkalinity of the soil.

The tree farm will use it as a mulch for their trees.

Then I will buy you a pair of tweezers! You can pick out the wood from the dung. Gezz do I have to think of everything

 

[featherhead007]

Then I will buy you a pair of tweezers! You can pick out the wood from the dung. Gezz do I have to think of everything

FYI, a milling machine can separate wood chips from dung (HDung)Hmong. I couldn’t resist.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

This morning I brought out some sunflower seeds and walnuts for everyone and the Bigs went crazy, it’s their favorite treat. They followed me around the rest of the time. Mistake maybe, but it amplified something I’ve noticed. When I’m around, the Nomads don’t really get a chance to eat much.

Sometimes I’ve kept one group out of the big run and the other in it so both can get some treat or even just so Isabel can feed. Isabel usually holds back when the other Nomads are gobbling anything, and then starts eating once they’ve thinned out. My presence is a detriment to that routine when the Spuds can move freely. They periodically come around to check for anything good or for attention (lap available?) and it makes the Nomads disperse.

If Isabel were like the other Nomads this wouldn’t be a problem, the others eat quickly and then run. But she also has the dozing to contend with, where if she does not take advantage of a chance to eat because of dozing, that’s it, her chance is gone. She tends to doze while waiting on the others, and wakes late. She is also more wary than the other Nomads, maybe because of her condition. She doesn’t try for that one last bite before running to be with the others. So she ends up just running a lot and not eating. My “helping” her doesn’t help. If Isabel is eating out of my hand the Spuds see that and come over.

So this morning during chores the Nomads eventually got herded and hustled over into their little coop run and I closed both ends temporarily hoping Isabel would eat in there undisturbed. Tedi kept circling to try to go in and through it like the Bigs’ve been able to do, but then she gave up and left.

Isabel first had a drink, then stuck her head in the trough feeder and stayed there for a long time. I was cleaning their sleeping coop and kept checking - yep, she’s still eating. Everybody else was already up on the run’s day perch after their snack, but she was having a main meal. She then had a very long drink, and finally joined her sisters.

Isabel is very light and thin. Her frame is the same size or maybe even bigger than the smallest Nomad but her keel is prominent and I’d say she is under-conditioned and doesn’t have a lot of muscle. She can and does eat, obviously when I don’t see it. A few days ago I felt a reasonably good crop in the afternoon. This morning she had almost nothing in there by 10am until she ate that meal. I really don’t like seeing this competition and running and her not eating.

Maybe I’m worrying too much on this? She is managing to hang on and I try not to hope too much. I know there’s something wrong inside her. But since she’s made it this far I’d like to help her if I can. She grooms and preens and might be growing, but more slowly now than the others as far as general beefiness.

I can load pictures again! It was a BYC back-end service "Cloudfare" systems setting that was the issue, affecting several users.

There are five Buckeye pullets in here, can you find them?
First pic I took this morning. Two pullets are on the ground, one is Isabel, the other behind her. Hint - they aren't far from the group, as usual.

Second pic. Isabel is looking up now, and her friend moved on to a branch!

Another pic, zoomed in on the four tree dwellers.

The Spuds and Hazel hanging out too.

 

[drstratton]

Lost Jet today.

I keep waiting to post until I am caught up, and then keep getting behind again. Finally caught up today, and before I post all ten other things I have been saving I have to start by saying that Jet, one of my “blue” laced Wyandottes died today. Her lacing was so dark it looked black. I have no idea what happened. Went out after work to check everyone and she was already stiff and cold. It has been really hot and humid, but still cooler than we have had many times. We have been keeping ice in the insulated water jugs. It had all melted but the water really wasn’t that hot. And I found her in the coop, which has four fans blowing in it. Still trying to look over cameras to see if she was acting weird. All I have found so far is when she walked into the corner where I found her, which is in a blind spot. She doesn’t have any peckmarks or any apparent injuries.

I will post more about other things later today. But needed to get this out first.

Farewell Jet. I will miss you.

I can’t find any recent photos of her as an adult. But here are some of her growing up.
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She was beautiful! So sorry for your loss.

 

[featherhead007]

Tell them flaps need to be fully down, and tail feathers aimed for altitude flight. And at least 10 ft per second running speed, for lift.

It’s 12.5 feet per second to get my plane airborne on a cold day air is more dense, lift easier.

 

[RoyalChick]

This morning I brought out some sunflower seeds and walnuts for everyone and the Bigs went crazy, it’s their favorite treat. They followed me around the rest of the time. Mistake maybe, but it amplified something I’ve noticed. When I’m around, the Nomads don’t really get a chance to eat much.

Sometimes I’ve kept one group out of the big run and the other in it so both can get some treat or even just so Isabel can feed. Isabel usually holds back when the other Nomads are gobbling anything, and then starts eating once they’ve thinned out. My presence is a detriment to that routine when the Spuds can move freely. They periodically come around to check for anything good or for attention (lap available?) and it makes the Nomads disperse.

If Isabel were like the other Nomads this wouldn’t be a problem, the others eat quickly and then run. But she also has the dozing to contend with, where if she does not take advantage of a chance to eat because of dozing, that’s it, her chance is gone. She tends to doze while waiting on the others, and wakes late. She is also more wary than the other Nomads, maybe because of her condition. She doesn’t try for that one last bite before running to be with the others. So she ends up just running a lot and not eating. My “helping” her doesn’t help. If Isabel is eating out of my hand the Spuds see that and come over.

So this morning during chores the Nomads eventually got herded and hustled over into their little coop run and I closed both ends temporarily hip ng Isabel would eat in there undisturbed. Tedi kept circling to try to go in and through it like the Bigs’ve been able to do, but then she gave up and left.

Isabel first had a drink, then stuck her head in the trough feeder and stayed there for a long time. I was cleaning their sleeping coop and kept checking - yep, she’s still eating. Everybody else was already up on the run’s day perch after their snack, but she was having a main meal. She then had a very long drink, and finally joined her sisters.

Isabel is very light and thin. Her frame is the same size or maybe even bigger than the smallest Nomad but her keel is prominent and I’d say she is under-conditioned and doesn’t have a lot of muscle. She can and does eat, obviously when I don’t see it. A few days ago I felt a reasonably good crop in the afternoon. This morning she had almost nothing in there by 10am until she ate that meal. I really don’t like seeing this competition and running and her not eating.

Maybe I’m worrying too much on this? She is managing to hang on and I try not to hope too much. I know there’s something wrong inside her. But since she’s made it this far I’d like to help her if I can. She grooms and preens and might be growing, but more slowly now than the others as far as general beefiness.

I can load pictures again! It was a BYC back-end service "Cloudfare" systems setting that was the issue, affecting several users.

There are five Buckeye pullets in here, can you find them?
First pic I took this morning. Two pullets are on the ground, one is Isabel, the other behind her. Hint - they aren't far from the group, as usual.
View attachment 4197067
Second pic. Isabel is looking up now, and her friend moved on to a branch!
View attachment 4197069

Another pic, zoomed in on the four tree dwellers.
View attachment 4197068

The Spuds and Hazel hanging out too.
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So do you think Isabel is just not able to get to feeders because the others bully her?

 

[Sylvester017]

Good to know. I didn’t see any fluff or feather around her eyes. It was more like she got them glued up while she slept. But I don’t see any concerning discharge or anything. Initially I thought someone pecked her, but I don’t think so.
She was clearly terrified at being struck blind, and when I opened her eyes she sort of swallowed her last shriek and stared at me in silence with her beak half open.
She is quite goofy and she does have big eyes!
View attachment 4192283

Your little bunch are so cute & such different personalities already! Stuck shut eyes is common here w/ our Silkies. Cleaning like you did works. Fluffy muffed or crested birds seem to have this problem but not to be alarmed. Our broody Silkies tend to get stuck lids sometimes.

 

[drstratton]

Shoes are there, I just kicked them off to dry off my feet

But having said that I have many times cleaned horses stalls in bare feet - now, I also have to say I would NOT go bare foot with the chooks about - them there cecal poops are yucky!

Agreed... dirt is okay! Lol

 

[drstratton]

On a happier note, I almost missed that one of my photos was chosen for the Pets and Livestock Caption Contest! It ends today if any of y’all want to enter a caption.

Thread 'BYC Pets & Livestock Caption Contest 08-08-25 Pic TX Chick Noob'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...n-contest-08-08-25-pic-tx-chick-noob.1673353/

What a great picture!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

So do you think Isabel is just not able to get to feeders because the others bully her?

Good question, got me thinking.

Not bullying by the other Nomads, just enthusiasm, and the approach of a Big, whether to push them or not, even just to go by, frightens them. There’s four Bigs, and one is usually wandering around near where they are. [Edit- this may be because they stick closer to where I am?] When everyone Big and Little is resting and preening they seem fine.

Only four pullets at most fit into the trough feeders at once, and she isn’t motivated to barge in when she’s half-dozing. There are feeders scattered around, but maybe I should double up each trough feeder so there are two in each location? She will stay with the group. So if and when they are done, they move on and she moves with them. The circular chick feeder works reasonably for five.