Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

My older hen has finished laying so this might be the way to go (the shell grit on the side) because Bok won’t need the calcium in layer feed now huh
@LozzyR ill look into the food you suggested, see if my feed store stocks it or something similar. Always just had pellets with the other 2 but happy to try something new is it a more natural type crumble?
Thanks to both of you

I use only feed that you can give to non-laying hens (and give loads of calcium options on the side). Maggie wasn't laying for ages after the lash egg incident, one road-runner had started laying and the other not, it is all too complicated.
Here in the US you have 'flock' feed - which anyone can eat, it is lower protein than stuff called 'grower' feed - which you give to pullets before they start laying. But the higher protein is fine to give everyone so you can go with that if you don't have 'flock feeder' (I think it may be more expensive though).

 

[Scrambles83]

I use only feed that you can give to non-laying hens (and give loads of calcium options on the side). Maggie wasn't laying for ages after the lash egg incident, one road-runner had started laying and the other not, it is all too complicated.
Here in the US you have 'flock' feed - which anyone can eat, it is lower protein than stuff called 'grower' feed - which you give to pullets before they start laying. But the higher protein is fine to give everyone so you can go with that if you don't have 'flock feeder' (I think it may be more expensive though).

Thank you, I’ll look at the flock feed options locally. I’m the same, I want my layers to be getting what they need but I don’t want my retired layer to be getting an overload of stuff that she isn’t needing. Damn, it’s a constant balancing act in one aspect or another with our amazing feathered friends! They are lucky they are cute

 

[RoyalChick]

I have been worrying all night
I didn’t even want to share in case something bad happened. I have no idea what bad would have happened but I was worried nonetheless. I braved the now over two feet of snow (and yes I did fall over in a drift and got sipping wet and cold and had trouble getting myself out) to close up the Chicken Palace. I did it early because they weren’t going out anyway and I didn’t fancy navigating the drifts in the dark. So they were still up and about.
I checked in after roosting time via the camera and I see this.

Very cute and all, but I am missing a chicken! Impossible.
For some reason she (Minnie I think) roosted on her own for the night on the day roost. I could only see the tip of her tail to even know she was there. She chose right where the snow blew in from the ventilation.
Why?????
But she is up right as rain this morning scoffing her little face from the hanging feeder.
I need to check everyone for frostbite as soon as I can make my way through the snow because I could not close up the ventilation where the snow blew in because the snow was too heavy on the baffles. Lesson for the next storm, I should close it before the storm starts.
It was obviously 100% humidity as it was snowing all night, and temperatures were below freezing, but it was in the high twenties so I am hoping no frostbite.

 

[FransGran]

I have been worrying all night
I didn’t even want to share in case something bad happened. I have no idea what bad would have happened but I was worried nonetheless. I braved the now over two feet of snow (and yes I did fall over in a drift and got sipping wet and cold and had trouble getting myself out) to close up the Chicken Palace. I did it early because they weren’t going out anyway and I didn’t fancy navigating the drifts in the dark. So they were still up and about.
I checked in after roosting time via the camera and I see this.
View attachment 2512633
Very cute and all, but I am missing a chicken! Impossible.
For some reason she (Minnie I think) roosted on her own for the night on the day roost. I could only see the tip of her tail to even know she was there. She chose right where the snow blew in from the ventilation.
Why?????
But she is up right as rain this morning scoffing her little face from the hanging feeder.
I need to check everyone for frostbite as soon as I can make my way through the snow because I could not close up the ventilation where the snow blew in because the snow was too heavy on the baffles. Lesson for the next storm, I should close it before the storm starts.
It was obviously 100% humidity as it was snowing all night, and temperatures were below freezing, but it was in the high twenties so I am hoping no frostbite.

Good luck, I hope it's okay! And be careful, I can't even picture that much snow! We'll be thinking of you and your girls this morning.

 

[BY Bob]

I’m only 650 pages behind (while trying to catch up on the present!) yay!
Harder now I’m back at work but I’ll get there
Also for Eve @BY Bob, an Aussie cartoon on Disney perhaps in the US, Bluey. It is a cracker, a family of heeler dogs, and tbh I like watching it as much as Violet

Great. I am bookmarking this.

 

[BY Bob]

Long term out of stock or its no longer available in Canada. I can’t tell which as Walmart still has the shelf tag up but I haven’t actually seen any since I started looking in early 2019. I’ve also checked pharmacies but the closest I’ve found were the chlorhexadine sponges the Dr prescribed for DH’s most recent pacemaker replacement (I knew I should have asked for some extra sponges). I have a sterile saline “wound wash” yeah, I know, distilled water would be about the same, but it does sort of squirt out of the can which is helpful. I have a Hibitane soap the vet sold me (at a higher price than the human one, too!). I thought I was getting chlorhexadine or betadine, as I specifically asked for that and the liquid was pinkish, but the vet trip day was a little stressful and hectic, especially with the baby goat addition to it.

I do have a ton of 90% isopropyl alcohol on hand. It’s not Covid buying, I use it for surface prep (like when resealing the trailer or before silicone caulking) and I did a bulk buy back in 2017. I plan on washing with the soap and warm water thoroughly, then doing a dip in the alcohol and letting it dry to sterilize the surface as best I can.

The chlorhexadine is on the “list” of always check for so hopefully they have it at one of the mainland stores, but I’m not holding my breath for it.

Make sure you let the alcohol evaporate completely. Otherwise it has not killed everything it can. I assume you have a toothbrush to use to scrub the scales clean on his leg.

 

[BY Bob]

I haven’t read through it yet, but this might be a good read.
http://www.ivsajournals.com/article_3628_f14489575e73d63501ee820381ad1119.pdf

Its very short but backs up the LSU study I found. In order to determine the toxic levels 2 of the ladies did pass. It seems pretty safe to say that lidocaine is not, by its very nature, toxic to chickens.

In summary:

Animals: Eight healthy, female, 55-week-old chickens (Lohman breed) weighing 1.45 ± 0.17 kg (mean ± SD)

Procedure: A loading dose of 2% lidocaine (4 mg/kg) was administered IV, followed by a constant-rate infusion at a dose of 8 mg/kg/min using a syringe pump. Times to onset of convulsion and/or respiratory arrest were recorded and the total toxic dose of lidocaine was determined. Blood sample was withdrawn for lidocaine analysis at the onset of the major signs of intoxication (convulsion or respiratory arrest).

Results: The total toxic dose of lidocaine required to produce systemic toxicity and corresponding serum lidocaine concentration were 28.96 ± 6.21 mg/kg and 38.5 ± 10.4 µg/mL, respectively.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Based on the results of this study, greater doses of lidocaine are needed to produce toxic manifestations in chickens as compared with mammals.

Lifocaine levels & Symptoms: The doses of lidocaine required to induce the following symptoms.

• Panting: 16.02 +/- 5.13 mg/kg
• Convulsion: 30.86 +/- 6.26 mg/kg
• Respiratory arrest: 27.06 +/- 6.42 mg/kg

Of the 5 chickens that reached the respiratory arrest stage, after stopping the lidocaine, 2 recovered spontaneously, and a third recovered after chest compressions.

 

[BY Bob]

Good evening crew
A quick question for you all:
At what age would one switch from a grower crumble to layer pellets?

Might be a silly question but pullets this young (13 weeks) are new to me and I want to be sure I’m doing it all correctly

I keep them on crumbles. It takes them longer to eat and therefore helps with boredom. Downside, they are messy. I switch them to layer once they start showing interest in the nest boxes. There is no reason to hurry.

 

[BY Bob]

Jabber was such a handsome fella

Yes he was.

 

[BY Bob]

I use only feed that you can give to non-laying hens (and give loads of calcium options on the side). Maggie wasn't laying for ages after the lash egg incident, one road-runner had started laying and the other not, it is all too complicated.
Here in the US you have 'flock' feed - which anyone can eat, it is lower protein than stuff called 'grower' feed - which you give to pullets before they start laying. But the higher protein is fine to give everyone so you can go with that if you don't have 'flock feeder' (I think it may be more expensive though).

My gosh what a reminder! I have them on "Layer" and Lilly no longer lays. I'm going to have to move them to All Flock with supplemental calcium! Holy crap! How have I missed that!