Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Mug Monday
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I've got to write this at the risk of incuring the others wrath, but you take some great pictures.

 

[Kris5902]

You test a chicken's INR the same way you test a human's, by drawing blood and sending it to a lab. Now what is therapeutic for a chicken is probably unknown.

I am fairly sure that chicken blood is quite different in its baselines for platelets than human or mammal though. It seems to be thicker and to clot much faster in comparison to mine, a rabbit, or a sheep’s. I have never been present on a day we have processed beef, or had to deal with any significant wounds on the cattle.

 

[BY Bob]

Well it'll be two weeks on Wednesday and there's no word from anyone in the family who has part of her old flock, or the person who told me she would pass my numbers on to them. I twice texted the fellow where she came from, asking if there were any more lost chickens there, and no word back (pretty sure she was the only one because of the tracks in the snow, but not entirely). I am really attached to this hen now, and am not anxious to pressure the lady who said she'd pass on my numbers. But should I?

Now I'm not sure I want her to go! She is very friendly, even let's me cuddle her while she's standing on the edge of her brooder, one arm over her and gently holding, and the other petting her. Stroking her little wattles. Fixing her breast feathers. Today she was fixing my hair while I did that. I've been spending lot of time with her, scratching around with her in the brooder. She is digging a hole to China but gets to the bottom fast, she's a very vigorous scratcher (I've got about 6-10 inches of stuff in there).

I've been reading quarantine should be like 30, and 60 days even. That's a long time for her to not be with other chickens.

14 days is what I thought the standard is. @Shadrach would you not agree that 14 days is long enough?

It sounds like you have a good friend there and limited options to rehome or even pair up. Do you have room to keep her and integrate her?

 

[featherhead007]

Is that a no?

This is a NO!

 

[BY Bob]

Nope! Not a peep from him. This is the first I am seeing any rooster behavior from him. So far it seems to be going well without Stanley.

He is 6 months old. I'm surprised that he was not crowing before this. Stanley must not have been too keen on him doing that. I'm certain that the flock is glad to have him right now.

It sure is funny how things work out, isn't it.

 

[Shadrach]

Hmmm... I thought Shad ruled that out? I agree it seems odd that he’s so fit and has oxygenation issues at the same time.

Shad, I just remembered something. When Margo got sick the first time, her comb was purpling in the back. It recovered. I treated her for a suspected oviduct infection. It started purpling again the second time, a year later, when she had a septic infection that took her quickly. Can you consult with Gloria? I don’t recall, was Gloria sick or just unable to see patients due to COVID?

Here is Margo’s comb the first time.
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Gloria was off with the Covid as they say.
Mag's comb is different to that. I'm going to post some picture when I get to the end of the posts.

 

[featherhead007]

This is a NO!

Want some fresh hot bread, just out of the oven? My plans are ruined for today anyways!

 

[Kris5902]

Ester slept in the coop last night, but this morning she only came out for a couple seconds and then went back in. I currently have a little table and electric heater positioned outside the coop door and blowing in. She perked up a little bit after being in there for a while, so I brought a special meal of baby bird formula mixed with mash from their pellets. Dorothy and bridge were in there with her and shared in the feast. Now half the flock is in the coop enjoying the heat. LOL! When it gets just a couple degrees warmer out, I’m gonna shut off the heater, cause I don’t want tonight to be a shock for them. It did freeze last night, it is going to be colder tonight. I may bring Ester indoors tonight at roasting time and then let her out with her friends first thing. This is a tricky one, because she gets stressed out when handled. I don’t wanna stress her out anymore than necessary, but I need to make sure she is safe.

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That is one nekkid chicken! Poor dear... this is the only thing that makes me sort of agree with the heated coop idea to a degree. Why lose all your insulation when it is so cold out? I thought they were supposed to molt at the very beginning of winter!

 

[BY Bob]

Although I don't know much about the GLW, as to Sydney’s size I have a possible idea. Sydney is a Barred Rock, a Dual Purpose breed that is more often (I think?) reared for meat than the GLW. I know that there are several different Barred Rock lines in my general area, and one or two of them emphasized the dinner portion of the DP over the breakfast option, to put it more delicately.

This year I will be looking into a joint purchase with a farmer on another local Island of Mistral Gris (larger numbers of chicks drops the price per chick significantly, and if we can get enough small farmers together...). Anyway, I ramble, this big meat-type Hybrid is heavily influenced with BR genetics. There is one line of BR a little north of us that was very heavily focusing through line breeding on the Meat aspect of pure BR birds as well.

Most Hatchery BR, and many small lines as well have focused on egg production, lighter bodied birds that are more thrifty on feed and on larger and more frequent eggs. I would guess that Sydney is from one of these less “Dual” DP breeders, and a line that has lost a lot of the “desirable” meat traits, because TBH, how many backyard and small keepers are actually planning on putting their chickens in a stew pot when they slow down laying, or are willing to rear up a batch of (sometimes troublesome) smaller DP cockerels for the freezer?

That could explain both of them. Oddly enough I was looking forward to more bigger ladies to hang with Hattie. It is actually exacerbated right now because Hattie is all fluffed out. She normally isn't and Sansa is by nature fluffed out so they seem closer in size. Right now Hattie looks like Jupiter out in the yard with a bunch of moons circling around her.

 

[Shadrach]

Gertrude must like the boys.

Has he not been crowing until now?

Crowing cockerels where there is a senior rooster is likely to bring on some unwanted attention.