Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Wow, I would get paperback faced with that difference, no question! There is no shame in saving money, ever...

Here it was I think $12 more in total at Amazon....$16 paperback & free shipping if I ordered other stuff ($25 worth total), or $22 or so plus $4 shipping (regardless) for hardcover. With tax about $30.

I went for it because I thought of my cookbooks and some gardening books, and the paperbacks have really taken a beating over the years. I can now afford the difference, and I am hoping this book will be a similar reference.

I am an addict. I admit it. And have very little intention of ever giving up my habit.

As to the hardback, I agree completely! If the difference had been anywhere under double I would have gone for it (solely because of the high recommendation). Most of our Fiction collection is Paperbacks now. And we are doubling it up slowly on Kindle and Kobo because of our current living conditions. Once the house is built and I can start putting bookshelves into the library I will be SO happy! We had to make a custody arrangement with our roomate for some of the books when we moved here... “ok, you should take this series and that series, but we will take these two? Ok, how about I throw in this one too? Deal? Deal!” That’s what you get with three voracious readers with similar tastes in the same house for over seven years (the movies were way easier to sort out) We had 12 of these bookshelves total. Fully Loaded, and in some cases double stacked with the paperbacks... we literally ran out of wall space in our house for shelves. I was trying to figure out how to extend them up to the ceiling before we decided to move to the farm.

Yes, DH’s LEGO got a good portion of one bookshelf, but we also had them in the dining room, both our bedrooms (nothing like having to raid your roommates dresser for the next book in your series, I’ll just step over this laundry, it’s ok... really), and there were still some boxes of books in the garage storage that we never managed to unpack. The real estate agent strongly suggested we back up all the overflow books prior to the listing. I‘ve given my mother Heck every time she has moved without me for Donating books I didn’t want to part with. Especially the entire Pern series in Hardcover, and some of the sci-fi classics.

 

[Kris5902]

Legbands?

I had a scare last week about identifying the Buckeyes individually. I noticed one pullet closing only one eye, and examined her and saw nothing out of the ordinary, so thought it might be dust or something that will clear up, and decided to keep an eye on her.

The next thought was, who is it? I can usually tell Butters from Hazel, but often not, when they are all just lying together or perching together. Like Butters has a lighter colored fluffy butt, and is a kind of lead hen, and likes certain places to forage. It might be Popcorn that hangs with her, as they used to hang when they were identifiable chicks...Hazel is a bit darker, but really it is when she vocalizes I know her, she sounds like a viola, and when she eats like a sewing machine, that I can tell it's her. So might it be Peanut who is her partner in crime, but that's only based on Popcorn's past association with Butters.

Who was it with her eye? Not either Butters or Hazel I think. But Peanut or Popcorn? Which? Is it Peanut who prefers staying in the run, and generally is shyer/lowest in the pecking order about getting in the bunch to eat some treats? It might be she who always is first to make "time to go to roost now" sounds and go towards the coop? But by then the light is getting low and I really can't tell them apart by looking.

So for the next two days I looked carefully at everybody's eyes.

Made me feel worried about needing to track an individual's health history, and care for them if they are acting "off" and being able to watch them from more distance and know who is who, without seeing the behaviours I know them by.

I read about leg bands, got some snap on ones, but I'm not sure I can put them on one-handed, so will need DH's help. I am worried about not getting a zip tie's sharp cut end filed enough to make it safe. I read the round spiral leg bands ends can start poking the leg. The flat curled ones have sharp corners. So thus the snap-on ones?

Is there a better way? Am I over-thinking this? With more time will I know these four better?

I am undecided and anxious about this.

Yes, with time I’m sure they will start to have more distinct traits and mannerisms you will pick up on. Leg bands definitely help though. Guess how my meat bird “zip tie” got her name? She is the only one still banded of my 8 meat girl holdbacks. Just because I’ve been too lazy to take it off with clippers. I can recognize her cheeky little feathered self from over 30’ away, or maybe it’s just that she’s my primary escape artist? I ran out of proper leg bands.

I also haven’t been able to get the size right yet ordering snap on ones online, and you seem to get what you pay for (the cheap ones get brittle with UV exposure and time). I’m not a big fan of the snap on ones for getting them off either, especially on the thicker legs of my curvy girls. I can get them on the birds myself but taking them off is a two person task for sure!

I really like the size adjustability of zip ties, especially the very thin multi-color packaged ones you can get for organizing electrical wires. I’m not worried about them being too loose and catching on things or them getting too tight to remove easily from a growing bird with chunky legs. With good wire clippers and a quick snip, I can usually manage removal on my own if the girl isn’t particularly high strung. I haven’t filed the cut ends down, just snipped right at the joint, and I haven’t had any issues with scraping, maybe because she has a wide stance because she’s like a little bowling ball with legs and stubby little wings? (She’s so cute!)

For me, leg bands can be an indispensable tool, with 50-60 nearly identical birds at a time and wanting to monitor a few closely or keep them separate for breeding because of their good nature and calm demeanor. Also for a bird with a known issue being treated, like a crop problem or bumblefoot, or tendency to prolapse. Really helpful when I first took up the second to last batch of rescues (nearly identical) to quickly identify my patients.

edit to add: Leg Bands are a temporary identification tool for me, mostly in new additions with health issues and very homogenous looking groups. Mostly I use them because my flocks range between 80-160 birds total. I’m at 84 currently and only have some slight difficulty in telling apart the two identical Black Sapphire Marans sisters (I have to catch them and look at their ears to tell them apart) and the 21 very similar looking Red Rock pullets (though some individuals are starting to look much more distinct as they age and as I spend more time with them)

 

[Kris5902]

I'm going to feel responsible now. I'm not good with that particular feeling.

Oh, don’t feel bad... presenting good books to us is like waving candy in front of children or taking the local drunk out for a few Pints at the pub. The temptations/problems are already there, you’re just ‘directing‘ them a little bit. If you only knew...

Really. If you knew how hard it is for me to find ANY decent chicken books in the (near) local stick and brick shops... I swear, I went into the local Chapters/Indigo (think North American Barnes and Nobel?) looking for some decent poultry/cattle/sheep books (primarily poultry)... Nothing! Nothing but a couple really, really fluffy, prefab coop type, backyard keeping paperbacks of less than 100 pages. No info on health complications, diet, history on domestication, physiology, never mind chicken “psychology”. Good luck on learning about those awful Roosters too (violent dangerous beasts to be avoided at all cost that they are). Heck, I couldn’t even get anything resembling a veterinary reference book. (Those are on my steal from farm list as soon as I can). Oh, and I scoured our (highly populated, I mean they are like Starbucks in the city here, 2-3 per block) used bookstores too.

So, I started ordering chicken books online. This one never came up. It was hit or miss, some Books were ok, some were very disappointing. Disappointing like the highly rated/recommended book on hatching and brooding chicks; it’s a nice picture book, really it is. So, we are all jumping on your recommendation because there is a dearth of decent literature available on the subject, oh and Covid has us trapped inside and getting bored. Also, most of us already have a little reading problem to begin with (there are worse things to be hooked on, like rock collecting and dungeons and dragons!)

But if you’re really, really feeling bad about it... You could always offer to organize a book club thread for us on it? Seeing as you’re already familiar with the material! Nudge, nudge, Lol.
What we are all saying, in our own, and sometimes slightly sarcastic (me), way is:
THANK YOU, so Much!!! We really can’t wait to read it! Oh, and when is your book going to be available?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I'm not a fan of leg bands. Some of the chickens here had them fitted when they were young and as they grew the bloody things got tighter and tighter. I cut them all off apart from Fat Birds which I check weekly.
For short term identification in single breed flocks here they use food dye on one wing.

Thank you for your response, I agree with you the bands getting too tight is a big problem from what I hear. I don't think monitoring would be an issue because it's four birds I see multiple times a day, but ease of removal is definitely one, which @Kris5902 mentions. The food dye idea is interesting, but I will have to think about that. Maybe if I keep dithering this will sort itself out as I become more aware of each hens' personalities and characteristics...

 

[BY Bob]

Here’s a fluffy bunny? View attachment 2427158

Bunnies are so cute!

 

[BY Bob]

This is a very late reply because I have been putting it off. First, I want to thank @BY Bob for the kind words! Second, and this is why I have been putting it off, I need to clarify that the "she" and "her" need to be changed to "he" and "his." I've been inwardly chuckling about this, but in the end I knew I had to set the record straight. Maybe if my tagline didn't say "Songster", but rather something more manly like "It's too cold here!".....

So anyway, thanks Bob! I love your thread!

Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I have no idea why I assumed. Where did I ever get that idea. Color me chagrined.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Yes, with time I’m sure they will start to have more distinct traits and mannerisms you will pick up on. Leg bands definitely help though. Guess how my meat bird “zip tie” got her name? She is the only one still banded of my 8 meat girl holdbacks. Just because I’ve been too lazy to take it off with clippers. I can recognize her cheeky little feathered self from over 30’ away, or maybe it’s just that she’s my primary escape artist? I ran out of proper leg bands.

I also haven’t been able to get the size right yet ordering snap on ones online, and you seem to get what you pay for (the cheap ones get brittle with UV exposure and time). I’m not a big fan of the snap on ones for getting them off either, especially on the thicker legs of my curvy girls. I can get them on the birds myself but taking them off is a two person task for sure!

I really like the size adjustability of zip ties, especially the very thin multi-color packaged ones you can get for organizing electrical wires. I’m not worried about them being too loose and catching on things or them getting too tight to remove easily from a growing bird with chunky legs. With good wire clippers and a quick snip, I can usually manage removal on my own if the girl isn’t particularly high strung. I haven’t filed the cut ends down, just snipped right at the joint, and I haven’t had any issues with scraping, maybe because she has a wide stance because she’s like a little bowling ball with legs and stubby little wings? (She’s so cute!)

For me, leg bands can be an indispensable tool, with 50-60 nearly identical birds at a time and wanting to monitor a few closely or keep them separate for breeding because of their good nature and calm demeanor. Also for a bird with a known issue being treated, like a crop problem or bumblefoot, or tendency to prolapse. Really helpful when I first took up the second to last batch of rescues (nearly identical) to quickly identify my patients.

Thank you Kris for your detailed descriptions of what to consider, especially the removal of snap bands. It does make a case for zip ties, maybe at least to start with, if I decide to pull the trigger and try banding at all, because it would be less of a struggle to get them off if anything bad happens!

 

[featherhead007]

Canna is sick today. Very lethargic, and crop is full, but I have her in with me now gonna figure out something.(Hopefully)

 

[BY Bob]

Lilly over rode that though.

Lilly has that right.

Aurora is very deferential to Hattie Now as well. She waits for Hattie to finish eating and walk away before she even approaches now.

 

[BY Bob]

Her limp is looking better.

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention. That video is from a month ago. She was not molting and the fight had not happened yet. We have turkey at least every other month.

So her limp would look good. She did not have it yet.