Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

That would definitely be on the list of 5

I do like that they still permit intimate partners. Good exception.

 

[micstrachan]

You know I can’t help myself from providing a Ruby update. Apparently the watermelon helped. Miss Ruby left the coop this morning! I honestly don’t know how that is physically possible.

She did not utilize the chair to get down, but did face plant when she landed. Poor girl. (I have since removed the chair.) She’s a bit unsteady on her feet, but made her cute sounds that she does, ate more watermelon, and was picking *something* up off the ground. She did get one tiny bite of scrambled egg, too. I don’t normally provide scratch in the morning, but I scattered a generous amount in hopes Ruby might pick something up and eat it. When I left, she was sitting in the sun.

I’m only working a half day, and if she’s still with us when I get home, I sincerely hope she comes out of the run to free range and get some bugs. This girl is QUITE the trooper and apparently has not quite given up. I love her. I lover her spirit so much.

 

[micstrachan]

Jaffar update: he didn’t crow this morning, but he seems to have a lot of energy. He did his 1/2 acre rounds and made some hen sounds. He’s hanging out with Emily now, but here’s a pic. Taken 10 minutes ago.View attachment 2691041

YAY, Jaffar!!!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

The Buckeye Peanut has been laying soft eggs I think. I couldn't see who it was until recently. I watched her two days ago late morning came from the coop when I visited, looking not right, with her tail down, and standing upright like the pictures of poor Daisy (TGHE). I watched her while I was opening the run, and she didn't want to come out in the mad rush with everybody else. She stood like that for several minutes, then staggered with a wing out briefly and started pulsating, and stood even taller, and finally laid a regular sized but soft egg. She perked up right after that.

Then yesterday for hours she seemed to be in a lot of discomfort, tail down, walking very slowly in a kind of waddle and mostly standing under the spreading rhododrendron shade. I hung with her for a long time and she was closing the eye I could see, like she was sometimes napping. I did some gardening in the patch next to their forage area chores and was trimming around their fence, keeping an eye on her. She tried to hang with everybody and forage a little bit. I hung next to her again while looking up egg-bound chickens and soft eggs on my phone. She didn't want to eat any treats, and I thought she was going through the motions when she foraged. I finally held her still on the ground and felt her belly and around her vent, it was all soft feeling. I gave her some yogurt with a little bit of molasses in it after I read the calcium might help with contractions. A touch of molasses because they haven't liked plain yogurt before. She sipped a bit of it and ate more than anyone else did, but not much.

As I did more things around the coop I kept an eye on her and who went in. I had checked the nest box area several times already. I didn't see her go in (though I saw her go back to the coop's run). When I saw her come out, still tail down, I check the nest box and there were TWO soft eggs in there, one smaller and rounder than the day before, very warm, and the other right next to it had broken so it's hard to tell, but I think it was bigger. I was concerned because she didn't look very relieved, but in about a half-hour to an hour her tail was up and she was acting perky again. She looked good this morning.

Is this a calcium problem? She is eleven months, almost a year old. Shall I try to give her some extra calcium? I have TUMS - one tablet crushed up in some mash just for her? They have calcium-free crumbles, mash, oyster shell free choice and crushed egg shells when I get enough to crush and put out.

 

[featherhead007]

I assume you are asking about the following statements:

Always wash your hands after handling poultry, she advised.

I absolutely agree with this practice. This is the number one way to stop from getting a salmonella infection.​

Keep a separate pair of boots and clothes to use in the coop, so you don't carry germs back into the home.

I keep a separate pair of shoes which I use in the backyard. Unless you are moving between quarantined groups of chickens, this feels excessive. This is where you need to decide how you want to balance the risk vs inconvenience. I tend not to lay down in the run and it is a rare occurrence when a hen jumps up on me.​

​

In general, the easiest place to pick up salmonella is from their feces. If you are not getting their feces on your clothes then the risk of transmission is pretty small. Salmonella does not survive well when it is dry and exposed to sunlight. It likes a damp dark environment. Once their feces is dried out the risk of transmission is very low. Because most coops do not have skylights built into them, it is important that they stay dry and you do not allow for feces to build up. Feces that has piled up stays moist in the middle and the salmonella can effectively survive there.​

​

Don't let poultry live in the house

OR if you are going to, keep it cleaned up. Understand though that you are increasing the risk of transmission.​

​

Never eat or drink in the area they live

I do this all the time. If they poop in your cup, don't drink it. This is again you deciding what level of risk you find acceptable. If I touch them or they touch me, I am going to wash my hand before I pick up food and eat it with that hand. I will however pick up my coffee cup and drink from it with a "dirty" hand as my hand does not touch the lip of the cup or the liquid. When I go back in I wash my hands and cup. I do not let the chickens drink from my cup. It's just bad form on their part and they need to have manners. It would be very unusual for salmonella to be transmitted via the air. It requires touch.​

​

Avoid kissing or snuggling them

I wish mine would snuggle with me. I would certainly let them if they wanted to do so. Afterwards I would certainly wash up and did so back when Maleficent and Daisy, the greatest hen ever, would snuggle with me. I don't think I could kiss them. Kissing is going to be a great way to put the salmonella right on your lips. If I did kiss them it would not be on the beak. We have all seen them poke through poop with their beaks. ​

​

Backyard eggs are more likely to have salmonella than store bought eggs.

This is likely true because store bought eggs must be washed prior to sale. You should also wash your eggs prior to to use. I take them out of the fridge or out of the table basket, wash them quick with a little dawn dishwashing soap and then cook with them.​

​

"They hug them, kiss them, put clothes on them, bring them inside the house," he added - all behaviors that increase the risk of infection.

This is all correct. These are all ways in which salmonella can be transferred to humans.​

To me I approach this with a determination of the level of risk I am willing to assume. In general Salmonella causes diarrhea. It is rarely fatal, it is uncommon for it to be severe, and it is rarely treated with antibiotics rather you treat the symptoms to avoid dehydration. I don't want it but I am not going to go all hazmat suit to avoid it. Why have chickens if you are going to do that?

Things to consider

• Do you have underlying health conditions that could make an infection more dangerous? I do not but if I did, that would change my thoughts on how I approach my ladies.
• Are you very young or elderly? Immune systems do not respond quite as well in the very young and the elderly so the risk of severe infection is a little higher.

This is how I manage the risk of salmonella. You must chose what level of risk with which you are comfortable and act accordingly.

Does this answer your question @LozzyR ?

You forgot (don’t eat their meally worms) they get mad about that! Kidding

 

[featherhead007]

You know I can’t help myself from providing a Ruby update. Apparently the watermelon helped. Miss Ruby left the coop this morning! I honestly don’t know how that is physically possible.

She did not utilize the chair to get down, but did face plant when she landed. Poor girl. (I have since removed the chair.) She’s a bit unsteady on her feet, but made her cute sounds that she does, ate more watermelon, and was picking *something* up off the ground. She did get one tiny bite of scrambled egg, too. I don’t normally provide scratch in the morning, but I scattered a generous amount in hopes Ruby might pick something up and eat it. When I left, she was sitting in the sun.

I’m only working a half day, and if she’s still with us when I get home, I sincerely hope she comes out of the run to free range and get some bugs. This girl is QUITE the trooper and apparently has not quite given up. I love her. I lover her spirit so much.

 

[BY Bob]

You know I can’t help myself from providing a Ruby update. Apparently the watermelon helped. Miss Ruby left the coop this morning! I honestly don’t know how that is physically possible.

She did not utilize the chair to get down, but did face plant when she landed. Poor girl. (I have since removed the chair.) She’s a bit unsteady on her feet, but made her cute sounds that she does, ate more watermelon, and was picking *something* up off the ground. She did get one tiny bite of scrambled egg, too. I don’t normally provide scratch in the morning, but I scattered a generous amount in hopes Ruby might pick something up and eat it. When I left, she was sitting in the sun.

I’m only working a half day, and if she’s still with us when I get home, I sincerely hope she comes out of the run to free range and get some bugs. This girl is QUITE the trooper and apparently has not quite given up. I love her. I lover her spirit so much.

She is a real fighter.

 

[featherhead007]

The Buckeye Peanut has been laying soft eggs I think. I couldn't see who it was until recently. I watched her two days ago late morning came from the coop when I visited, looking not right, with her tail down, and standing upright like the pictures of poor Daisy (TGHE). I watched her while I was opening the run, and she didn't want to come out in the mad rush with everybody else. She stood like that for several minutes, then staggered with a wing out briefly and started pulsating, and stood even taller, and finally laid a regular sized but soft egg. She perked up right after that.

Then yesterday for hours she seemed to be in a lot of discomfort, tail down, walking very slowly in a kind of waddle and mostly standing under the spreading rhododrendron shade. I hung with her for a long time and she was closing the eye I could see, like she was sometimes napping. I did some gardening in the patch next to their forage area chores and was trimming around their fence, keeping an eye on her. She tried to hang with everybody and forage a little bit. I hung next to her again while looking up egg-bound chickens and soft eggs on my phone. She didn't want to eat any treats, and I thought she was going through the motions when she foraged. I finally held her still on the ground and felt her belly and around her vent, it was all soft feeling. I gave her some yogurt with a little bit of molasses in it after I read the calcium might help with contractions. A touch of molasses because they haven't liked plain yogurt before. She sipped a bit of it and ate more than anyone else did, but not much.

As I did more things around the coop I kept an eye on her and who went in. I had checked the nest box area several times already. I didn't see her go in (though I saw her go back to the coop's run). When I saw her come out, still tail down, I check the nest box and there were TWO soft eggs in there, one smaller and rounder than the day before, very warm, and the other right next to it had broken so it's hard to tell, but I think it was bigger. I was concerned because she didn't look very relieved, but in about a half-hour to an hour her tail was up and she was acting perky again. She looked good this morning.

Is this a calcium problem? She is eleven months, almost a year old. Shall I try to give her some extra calcium? I have TUMS - one tablet crushed up in some mash just for her? They have calcium-free crumbles, mash, oyster shell free choice and crushed egg shells when I get enough to crush and put out.

I personally wouldn’t use Tums.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

This is wonderful. I love Pepper's flight. She had some good air there.

Question for everyone. Do they really go faster when flying. I don't mean when flapping and running at the same time but when truly airborne, are they actually faster than when they run? They seem so slow to me when they are in the air.

I think flap-running is pretty fast, but it's close! I've seen flyers overtake runners, but then the runners put on more speed to keep up...

 

[featherhead007]

I think flap-running is pretty fast, but it's close! I've seen flyers overtake runners, but then the runners put on more speed to keep up...

Speed kills! I’m kidding.