Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I couldn't be more sad. Found out why I've had stomach problems. It's been bad. I have C. diff. Yes, they are finding that animals .. birds...can transmit it. I have a pretty sad immune system. No antibiotics to have caused it. I did this last year. Same time. We tried to figure out what I did the same that caused me to be sick. I hatched! Had this last year but got over it without the help with meds. This year I have to take something and cross fingers it helps. Placing ..all..of my chickens. I don't want to hurt like this again!

Fact: A lot of animals can transmit C diff. Dogs and cats are well known carriers and far more likely transmitters than chickens.

Fact: Once you have C diff, you always have C diff. It is the normal flora (the bacteria already in your colon) that keep it at bay.

Fact: C diff is highly resilient and is frequently found on the skin of people who have had it for long periods of time afterwards.

Fact: The typical C diff outbreak requires something to upset your normal flora. Usually that is an antibiotic but it could be something as seemingly innocuous as eating too much broccoli.

Opinion: I believe that it is far more likely that you are having a reccurance of your own C diff than you caught it from hatching eggs, chickens, dogs, a friend who is a nurse, anything else.

My mother suffered with C diff for years. It is a terrible disease. Her's was antibiotic associated. It recurred at random. We could never figure out why it decided to recur at any particular point. It was only cured by fecal transplant. Despite that, she still lives in fear that it still could recur at any point.

 

[BY Bob]

They'd be as good as gold for me. I have Campines!

I'll discuss it with them tomorrow. Shipping can't be that much.

 

[BY Bob]

Chicken tax for mountain photos. I'm going to go through my chicken photos. I started this journey 11 years ago. I had a lot of fun. Think this girl was broody? Nope. She just didn't want me opening the nest box to check for eggs while she was in there! View attachment 2648385

Can't blame her for that. A little privacy please.

 

[fuentemoon]

I was very behind again. Definitely seems to be broody season.
We now have 2 out of 3. Rosie hasn't been broody in a couple of years so it was a bit of a surprise when she joined the club today. Alinta is coming out of hers I think, the good part of her being broody is that she somehow hurt her leg, so all the rest has been good for her. Seemed a bit better today, was at least putting her foot down flat when resting.

 

[LozzyR]

The girls are enjoying their new roof, as it’s raining today. I road-tested my raincoat.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

A mugshot for Monday - Maggie in all her glory.
View attachment 2647210

She looks so healthy! Not a spot on comb or wattle, clear eyes and nose. And so alert!
What a lovely lady.

Wish I could get mine to hold still long enough for such a nice portrait.

 

[fuentemoon]

Miss Rosie demanding her bedtime cheese snack.

Brenna suddenly has a golden streak on one feather, it flashes when she moves just so. Very hard to photograph!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

So Bumblebee just crossed a line this morning that I swore if any boy ever crossed they went. I had Butter out letting her dust bath and eat grass. He came up and started doing the rooster dance around us both and then went to grab her. I pushed him back and the snot bit the crap out of me and attempted to flog me. Drumstick saw this happen and was on him in a instant and whipped him, but that is it. When it comes to flogging there is no 2nd chances. I need to reduce numbers anyway since my Blue marans hens will be here the first of July so I'm going to sell him and Lola and Granny as a trio. I may even throw in bread I haven't decided yet. That being said if Bumblebee tries that stunt again it's over and my dad has been bugging me he wants to eat one of the younger rooster's so i'll let him eat him. I have noticed in the last 2 weeks that Bumblebee's behavior has been leaning towards this so i'd started giving the 6 now 10 week old boys close looks. I have 2 in that group that show promise. I'll hang onto those for another month or two before I make my final decision on which one stays.

I would if I could. I have to be firm on the no flogging policy of mine. My daughter is the oldest out of the group of kids in my subdivision at 13 next week. She is friends with all the other children so I all the time have kids in my yard playing with her. The Youngest are 6 so I cannot take a chance on one of the boys going after children. I'm afraid that if one went after a adult, the next thing they'd do would be to target the kids.

It's a tough decision Rebecca but it sounds like the right one. You can't compromise on temperament. A mean rooster is no asset to the flock's future, especially if you want human friendly chickens.

When my kids were toddlers, a group of us mums were visiting a friend that had chooks. The rooster had a go at one of the 3 year olds. Luckily there was no lasting damage to the little girl but the rooster had a narrow escape from having it's neck wrung then and there by a very angry mother.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

A Treat from the Vault

This video is from 2016. I found this in an old email today as I cleaned out my email box. I had no idea I even took this. It is the Big 3, Daisy, the greatest hen ever, Patsy, and Lilly dustbathing in the original run extension with the prefab coop in the background. There is no sound and it is 4 min long but watch for a while. They were such a great tribe.

I love watching chickens doing peaceful chickeny things together.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I'm so behind today. Too much work while feeling under the weather.

Mugshot....Nae nae...a sweet chonky (as kiddo would say) girl. View attachment 2648171

Such a beautiful, unblurred portrait. She didn't blink either!