Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

I have a tiny drug dealer scale. It's great for measuring tiny amounts of wool fibre for felting.

I really should get a set. The scales I use are okay but only to within a couple of grams. Not much good for medication dosages.

 

[Shadrach]

Are you quite sure that's a fluffy butt Ribh? I have trouble telling one end from the other with your Frizzles.

You'll get into trouble if start with the feather duster jokes.

 

[Kris5902]

I saw your post on the emergencies thread. Just posting here to say I am thinking of you and to wish you good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thanks for mentioning this, I was about to head over there and look for one too!

I really have to say, handling chickens that are in that porcupine-ie state is at least as, if not more, stressful on the human doing it. I had to pull my latest heavy molter, in a similar state of nakedness but still eating and mostly behaving normally, and put the extra long hen saddle on her to cover her growing in tail. I have the one rescue girl in Hawks tractor that is a feather picker... and she has taken to going for the tails of the girls who molting at night. When I noticed it and picked her up for some Big Coop time because it was getting dark and that’s where the saddle was, I actually pulled off my shirts right in the field for transport. Glad I don’t have neighbors!

There definitely is a point where the “don’t handle a molting bird” is outweighed by the needing time treat them. I opt for lots of padding as possible spreading my hands out to distribute the weight more evenly, and being even more careful about not moving opposite the feather growth. I think that’s the best you can do in some situations.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes. She ate it the first couple days, but no longer. she’ll eat live meal worms and soaked wheat berries, but she needs fluids. She’s fading.

Do you have tetra packs? The type that you cut a small corner off.
I've used tetra packs in the past. You kind of place the opening over their beak and tip a bit.
Or, something like this. The red cup is the plastic end of a pair of insulated pliers with a hole drilled to fit the end of the syringe. I've found it works well when tube feeding is a problem.

 

[micstrachan]

Do you have tetra packs? The type that you cut a small corner off.
I've used tetra packs in the past. You kind of place the opening over their beak and tip a bit.
Or, something like this. The red cup is the plastic end of a pair of insulated pliers with a hole drilled to fit the end of the syringe. I've found it works well when tube feeding is a problem.
View attachment 2472499

No. I’ll have to gently wrap her in a towel and use the tube & syringe. My husband WILL NOT STOP banging around in the kitchen, so I need to wait. It’s way too chaotic in here for a stressed hen to be tube fed right now. Besides, I have pedialyte being delivered in a but and would like to use that. Or maybe I’ll use it for the follow up.

 

[Kris5902]

I remember thinking it WAS Hazel running back and forth. Interestingly yesterday I had the impression that as fierce as Hazel is, she's been the fiercest, she and Queenie might actually bond well, as Hazel is paying the most attention to her, but not in pecking all the time, but hanging near her. Maybe in case some pecking is called for, or something? But I really know nothing about this kind of thing.

If you do get to the “you sleep in here now, with the other chickens” point and are putting her on a roost at night, it might not be a bad idea to try to place her near this chicken. She could be moving into a “leadership role” (Like taking on some rooster behaviors) in the flock. She might be more inclined to be accepting of this new addition, or feel so far above her in the pecking order as to not be threatened by her and be less likely to peck or fuss. Doing it that way, you want to be quick, for it to be full dark, and to get her firmly settled and the light gone as quickly as possible.

What roosting shenanigans I mostly see are in the middle of the hierarchy, and in the big free range bunch. Never any issues with the girls roosting right next to my Roosters. Or my most dominant hens when they roost more alone. It’s almost all within the 21 pullets, and pullet on pullet picking on. It usually happens as I’m trying to head count and they see the light. Some nights I’m frustrated, I need to make sure everyone is up, but I don’t like disturbing them.

 

[Kris5902]

No. I’ll have to gently wrap her in a towel and use the tube & syringe. My husband WILL NOT STOP banging around in the kitchen, so I need to wait. It’s way too chaotic in here for a stressed hen to be tube fed right now. Besides, I have pedialyte being delivered in a but and would like to use that. Or maybe I’ll use it for the follow up.

I find a good way to stop the banging around (for the chicken, usually makes DH grumpy) is to say firmly “here hold this chicken!” Sorry... but I get to the bossy “oh, look another pair of hands... help NOW” stage very quickly

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Which bridge? The susquehanna?

No on Route 34, the road the goes over Sterrett's Gap into Cumberland County. It's in Shermans Dale.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

The ice is all gone now. It is beautiful outside for January here.

Violet has decided to sneak out again.

 

[BY Bob]

I tend to just plunge straight in and often end up with both feet in my mouth.
If I ever come across as offensive please believe I don't mean it like that and be gentle with me.

We love you for this.