Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

I sure hope Coco is a pullet!View attachment 2522093

I can't see this either

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Can you get one of the top of the head Alex? That white spot looks large in this pic ~ but as I said I'm no expert. using your chicks as a learning curve for me.

I"ve read the size of the white spot is only 80% accurate for sexing though.

 

[Ribh]

I"ve read the size of the white spot is only 80% accurate for sexing though.

Correct. There are other things to look for & I just want to practise. I don't do chicks so this is one way of broadening my learning base.

 

[BY Bob]

So I looked again at everyone's vents and faces today, and didn't see anything. I notice Hazel's vent, and I think Peanut's too, evert somewhat when they squat and I'm petting them. Could this be concerning?

Let me start with this. Nothing to worry about with this behavior. It's normal. Remember squatting is a precursor to mating.

Their blood should be similar in color to ours. The rosy tint means there is something else is mixed with it. Or it means it is not blood.

Is there any chance that melting snow picked up something to color it before it dripped down and froze?

 

[Ribh]

Found blood on a part of the roosting bars today. The roosting bars (which is basically a barred floor) are next to the nestbox with a doorway between them.

Two days ago right after I had let them out for a bit I noticed a tiny bit of blood tracked onto the snow near the door of their run. I looked as best I could at everyone's feet and vent. Nothing found, but the foot inspection wasn't great, I had trouble looking at their feet bottoms, it was windy and they were flighty. It also was just that one bit of blood, not a series of spots like a bleeding foot. No blood on or near anyone's vents. Butters had had a frozen poop on her which I was about to deal with when I saw she had pulled it off while roosting (a featherball found in the poop tray). She's missing the small feathers that were there but there's no sign of injury.

Today's find was a big drip on the side of one bar, intact and frozen, and a couple smaller drops on top looking the same, then a few smeared prints from being walked on. It doesn't look like a foot injury unless it bled while she was holding it up, because of the lack of smear. Is chicken blood lighter in color than human blood? This has a rosy hue to it.

So I looked again at everyone's vents and faces today, and didn't see anything. I notice Hazel's vent, and I think Peanut's too, evert somewhat when they squat and I'm petting them. Could this be concerning?

I felt all their crops. Seemed fine. I felt three hens' keels and abdomens and noticed Queenie's abdomen feels more plump than the others, also wider, but her body is wider. I don't have a good reference for her usual abdomen because I haven't been inspecting that regularly (unfortunately). One Buckeye has just started laying, I don't know who for sure, though I suspect Butters.

Of course they all act fine otherwise. There's been a lot of ruckus the last two days as they wait for the nest boxes to free up. They call and hop up onto the perch and go into the coop and come out again. Peanut was in there a very long time yesterday. Two Buckeyes will share the long area sometimes, one in each end. Yesterday Queenie wanted to go in and share but was prevented, and another Buckeye jumped the line and went in ahead of her and got to share. Queenie eventually got in. But today it seemed they wanted to be in there one-by-one and everyone was not happy. When I checked Hazel today in there she was sitting almost in the middle, partly blocking the doorway.

I relate this because I wonder if the blood may have happened during this time. Because it's hard to imagine the blood not getting smeared and tracked around if it happened during roosting.

No poop has had any signs of blood, old or new. Everyone's poop looked darker yesterday, due I think to the extra soldier worms and a different scratch they got the day before, but there was no visible blood on any of it; today's poop looked more like usual - light green & white, dark green and white, & small brown poops. In the run there was one fresh poop with a bit of bubbles in it yesterday.

I've been researching this and so far am finding that it could be a cracked egg inside somebody, to a bleeding comb or a nail injury. From bad news, to nothing to get too excited about. Does anyone have any specific instructions on what to look for in checking everyone again tomorrow? Thank you everyone!

New layers sometimes leave a bloody streak but it doesn't sound like there's been any blood on an egg. Coccidiosis comes to mind ~ & I'm no expert but I've just treated my flock on vet advice & none of my girls were showing the classic symptoms listed but some of my girls were infected.

A cracked or broken egg inside & I don't think you'd have a chicken any more. That tends to kill fast in my experience.

 

[BY Bob]

Correct. There are other things to look for & I just want to practise. I don't do chicks so this is one way of broadening my learning base.

Once the wing feathers start to come in, the amount of white barring on them is another indicator. I also am key to watch their posture now. That gave away Ned right away.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Tax
View attachment 2521982

It looks like she's contemplating what color to chose for her pedi!

 

[Ribh]

Once the wing feathers start to come in, the amount of white barring on them is another indicator. I also am key to watch their posture now. That gave away Ned right away.

Yes, I remember calling Ned early & posture was definitely a factor in that call. He did also have that large white spot which got me checking him for other things.

 

[BY Bob]

A cracked or broken egg inside & I don't think you'd have a chicken any more. That tends to kill fast in my experience.

Agreed. This is something that has immediate impacts. You would know.

 

[Ribh]

hey call and hop up onto the perch and go into the coop and come out again. Peanut was in there a very long time yesterday. Two Buckeyes will share the long area sometimes, one in each end. Yesterday Queenie wanted to go in and share but was prevented, and another Buckeye jumped the line and went in ahead of her and got to share. Queenie eventually got in. But today it seemed they wanted to be in there one-by-one and everyone was not happy.

I am wondering if one of your girls has started laying but laying a thin shelled or membrane egg that the others have quickly eaten...? That might account for the blood but no visible sign of injury & 1st time layers often start with really gross eggs.