Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[drstratton]

All 3 boys grew in thick coats, Louis is just longer. If they need it all 3 have blankets. They are still new in bags. With their coats, heavy bedding especially on the colder nights and plenty of water and hay they have yet to shiver once. First sign one is shivering they will get blanketed. I'm actually glad they've yet to need to be blanketed.

A sure sign of a cold winter! Blankets have their place, but you don't want to use them unless you have to...wouldn't want them to get sweaty under it! They have those heavy coats for a reason, I'm glad they are doing the job & keeping them warm!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

This is what they are - I didn't realize they were such a pest so now I am doubly happy that the chickens eat them. Weirdly I have never seen one outdoors - only in the house.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

These are the ones I get on my lemon tree.

I haven't seen the girls eat them. I wish they would.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Mine neither. One particularly windy day, they all came down out of the lemon tree and hung around the trunk. The girls could have absolutely gorged themselves, but completely ignored them.

That's when you can get your revenge. Hose off the tree, put on your big gum boots and jump up and down on them! Mmwwahahaha!

 

[drstratton]

Chicken tax & a note on chickens and snow - these guys love to come out if it's packed down. They will walk through a few inches too. They eat snow, ice chunks, wood stove ash scatterings if available, and take the air. Plenty of sunshine, today was a balmy 11 degrees F, up from 4F this morning . They helped as I cleaned out the roost, escorting me to the compost pile and back. They weren't crazy about the occasional breeze, but it was pretty nice out, all things considered.

They are happy in their protected run, working through the litter, scratching and digging around after they got everything they could on top of their snack bar log. Hazel, Butters and Queenie will peck around together fairly peacefully. Hazel will occasionally dominate Queenie. Hazel definitely pecks Popcorn. Popcorn pecks Peanut and Queenie. Queenie was getting consistently lightly pecked and chased away a bit whenever Popcorn thought she'd found something tasty. But Queenie had the last laugh today - Popcorn got an (unintentional) face-full from one of Queenie's powerful and well-aimed strokes (Popcorn' fine so far).
View attachment 2534120
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They are certainly enjoying their treat...

 

[drstratton]

It's looks a bit flat and she looks really ratty. I might have to start syringe-feeding her baby bird food if she doesn't snap out of it soon!

Is she hunching up at all! I'm trying to remember if you treated her for coccidiosis?

 

[drstratton]

This is what they are - I didn't realize they were such a pest so now I am doubly happy that the chickens eat them. Weirdly I have never seen one outdoors - only in the house.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

Reminds me of a squash beetle...yuck!

 

[LozzyR]

Is she hunching up at all! I'm trying to remember if you treated her for coccidiosis?

I’m pleased to report she absolutely scarfed down all her work scraps today! She even ran off with a quarter of a sandwich and didn’t come back until she scoffed the lot! She ate meat, fruit, cheese and made her excited clucks over the bread!

I’m doing the preventative coccidiosis treatment; in the water every four days during humid periods. They’re due some more tomorrow.

 

[LozzyR]

Sharing another Instagram post.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

So me and mom were talking and I complained about Karen and her crew and how they only like Rosie. Mom wanted to prove a point. That it is just me they do not like and if she wanted to she could get them to come to her and hold them. It gives me great pleasure to say that Karen didn't disappoint. Mom sat there with the crate door opened for almost 10 minutes. The chicks, huddled in the back corner glaring at her, with Karen only occasionally looking over her shoulder. They are almost old enough to try to introduce raisins. If that doesn't work and make them friendly, they are just broken lol.

 

[RoyalChick]

So me and mom were talking and I complained about Karen and her crew and how they only like Rosie. Mom wanted to prove a point. That it is just me they do not like and if she wanted to she could get them to come to her and hold them. It gives me great pleasure to say that Karen didn't disappoint. Mom sat there with the crate door opened for almost 10 minutes. The chicks, huddled in the back corner glaring at her, with Karen only occasionally looking over her shoulder. They are almost old enough to try to introduce raisins. If that doesn't work and make them friendly, they are just broken lol.

I went through this with the baby road-runners. I remember feeling very sad that they didn't like me. It took 2 days of live mealy worms and they were perching on my shoulder. Everyone has a price it seems, and raisins may not be enough!