Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Thief

@WhoDatChick do you lock your coop? I feel awful for this guy.

https://www.wafb.com/2021/01/25/caught-camera-man-steals-chickens-backyard-coop-new-orleans/

Why? Why would someone steal a person’s chickens... they were nice birds from the looks of it, but a mixed flock and nothing too expensive. I just can’t wrap my head around this... unless the Urban Farmer has really pissed off his neighbors, or something. I mean let’s all be honest, we know buying eggs at the store is much cheaper than keeping your own chickens if you don’t care about the animals welfare at all. And those weren’t exactly “eating” chickens either.

 

[Marie2020]

It's enough to make you install a lock. I've been hearing about it but this the first article I've seen.

Uk... Thieves kept breaking into a mans van constantly stealing his work tools. Then he worked out how to make a shock current from an alarm. I hope this man will show us how to make such a thing for our coups and barns

 

[RoyalChick]

They used to hang horse thieves, just saying

And send sheep rustlers to Australia (also just saying)!

 

[RoyalChick]

It's enough to make you install a lock. I've been hearing about it but this the first article I've seen.

Somewhere in BYC is a thread about game cameras and one of the posts was someone coming and stealing eggs. I thought that was bad enough.
Because the Chicken Palace doors are all salvaged people doors I actually do have locks (and probably keys) but it hadn't crossed my mind to use them. I guess I would have to take keys with me every time I went to visit the Princesses. Or maybe just at night.

 

[Shadrach]

A whole new level of integration.
Up until today the new road-runner Princesses always slept at the end of the row. Sometimes snuggled up and sometimes separate. This is the first time they have been in the middle of the pack. Not sure if it is a shift in pecking order or just happenstance as the Princesses vary their order a lot based on who happens to go to bed first.
View attachment 2503934
Note to self: clean Palace walls when it gets warmer.

I think you've won all the integration prizes hands down. If I see that arrangment in one the coops here I'm pleased. Those most junior and most likely to get a peck or two as everyone settles roost in the opposite direction to the others. That way their bum gets pecked rather than their head. The junior banatams here learn this quite quickly. The juniors in Tribe 1 tend to wait in the nesting boxes until everyone has settled and then jump for a space on the roost bar.

 

[Shadrach]

This is probably the right time and place to ask, how obvious are bumbles? What shouId I look for?

There seem to be two types. Chickens can apparently get impact bumbles; usually from having to high a perch. I had a couple of these in the old shed coop and once the perches were lowered the problem went away on its own with a bit of time.
However, sometimes this type of bumble splits and that's when infection sets in. Luckily I haven't had to deal with that.
The other type, which is what I believe I'm dealing with in Cillin's foot is when the foot pad is pentrated by something like a screw or something else that is sharp.
It starts as a small wound and gets to be a bumble eventually. This is what I've been told by those who know.
The thing to do is to inspect the feet on a regualr basis. I haven't and I don't think many do. Any cut needs dealing with as soon as possible. The impact bumble starts off as a swelling, not a wound. By comparing foot pads one should be able to see the onset of this.

 

[Marie2020]

It's enough to make you install a lock. I've been hearing about it but this the first article I've seen.

Here's a thought...
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/electrician-sparks-controversy-shocking-diy-16691694

 

[Marie2020]

There seem to be two types. Chickens can apparently get impact bumbles; usually from having to high a perch. I had a couple of these in the old shed coop and once the perches were lowered the problem went away on its own with a bit of time.
However, sometimes this type of bumble splits and that's when infection sets in. Luckily I haven't had to deal with that.
The other type, which is what I believe I'm dealing with in Cillin's foot is when the foot pad is pentrated by something like a screw or something else that is sharp.
It starts as a small wound and gets to be a bumble eventually. This is what I've been told by those who know.
The thing to do is to inspect the feet on a regualr basis. I haven't and I don't think many do. Any cut needs dealing with as soon as possible. The impact bumble starts off as a swelling, not a wound. By comparing foot pads one should be able to see the onset of this.

I used iodine on my bird's bumble foot

 

[RoyalChick]

I think you've won all the integration prizes hands down. If I see that arrangment in one the coops here I'm pleased. Those most junior and most likely to get a peck or two as everyone settles roost in the opposite direction to the others. That way their bum gets pecked rather than their head. The junior banatams here learn this quite quickly. The juniors in Tribe 1 tend to wait in the nesting boxes until everyone has settled and then jump for a space on the roost bar.

Oh! Thank you - I certainly feel like I won a prize (though I don't think I had anything to do with it).
Interesting, I had noticed that the road-runner Princesses almost always sit the other way around from the others - I hadn't thought about peck defense as a reason but it makes a lot of sense and is consistent with the other thing I have observed which is they go to bed facing the opposite way but in the night they often turn around (sort of like tossing and turning in bed).

 

[Shadrach]

I could let my girls out in my back yard..one at a time, taking turns. They have a big side to roam that is nice in the spring. View attachment 2504280

I have never seen anything like those before. Do they have a name?