Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Had some good luck early this morning for an interesting photo.
View attachment 2714430
Tacky and I were saying in on Pingu in the nest box and then we started to spy on each other
I liked the perspective of this shot, plus early morning sun lit her up beautifully

Great picture

 

[RoyalChick]

She has got to be tired from it.

She is young. She has stamina!

 

[RoyalChick]

I agree with Bob that calcium will be diluted while free ranging unless extra calcium, like oyster shell, is supplied.

What would be sources of calcium while foraging do you think? Mouse, frog and snake bones maybe? But most bugs I don’t think have calcium in their exoskeletons.

 

[micstrachan]

It's Friday!

I'm going to give you an unusual Fluffy Butt this Friday. It is a video bum!

I took down the chicken wire around my new grass yesterday. I knew this was going to be a issue for the ladies as the straw at the bottom of my delicate grass would be full of creepy crawlies and would be irresistible to them. Pair that with delicate new grass and I would be right back to where I started with bare patches dug up by them.

Sadly, I was right.

I had to take down the fence and mow as it was getting over grown. I waited as long as I could. Check it out.
View attachment 2713784View attachment 2713785

First Aurora found a spot to destroy. She was easy to move along. She doesn't want to be touched. A waive of my hand and she is gone.

However, Hattie found a spot that she fell in love with. I tried to move her on but she would not move. I tried pushing her and she pushed back!

I had to do something to protect my grass.

Here is your Hattie butt for Friday and my solution.

Love it! That’s the same poultry netting I use to contain them. It’s great as an anti-scratch.

 

[Kris5902]

You need to post it to a hosting site first like YouTube or Facebook before linking it here. I did a procedure once for someone, @WhoDatChick I believe. I could try and find it if you would like.

Not sure if it is affecting everyone, but You Tube now has a beta “shorts” program running and it was being applied to many of my shorter videos, and it’s incompatible with the media embedding in BYC... I’m not very tech savvy, I just know it annoyed the heck out of me and you may want to make sure a video is “long” to avoid having it posted under the shorts beta if you upload to you tube. I tried uploading it several times.

 

[Kris5902]

From my personal observations I've noticed the correlation of smaller groups of chicks to greater growth. My new birds are three weeks old and came from a batch of around 52 but are the size of two week olds. For those of you who have raised chicks, have you noticed similar observations?

Yes, and No, it’s mostly related IMO to feed availability, quality, and competition. In smaller groups there is often less competition for the feed, in larger ones the dominant chicks grow better, as they eat more. In smaller batches there is also more attention paid to the chicks. If I could monitor every chick in a group of 60 as well as I do those in a group of 10, ensure that the feed is more evenly distributed to all, I’m sure they would all grow just as well.

 

[Kris5902]

@Kris5902 so sorry for your poor hen! I would give her a chance and not cull unless she really can't cope. Bob's recommendation sounds good and I agree, I also think that a tractor that is moved just once in a while would work too - because she locates the feeder & waterer likely by the sound of others at it and then feeling for it. So if it's full and she doesn't have to find individual specks or pellets that will work. I am more concerned about getting on and off the roost. A ramp up and down to a perch maybe?

That’s of course the way I am leaning as well, I always want to give my birds a chance, unless they are clearly suffering, and so far she seems to be doing ok, but not exactly “well”. She did Roost on the lowest rung tonight, so tomorrow morning will likely go somewhat smoother. I am worried that it could be from a head pecking injury. I will continue to observer her and maybe work on another small coop/tractor arrangement.

 

[fuentemoon]

Remind me, are you a migraine sufferer?
Wishing Bill into good health and those broody girls to shape up!

Yes, I take daily preventive meds which might need revision again, though generally speaking my headaches are less severe then they were before I started it. I also have meds for when I get a migraine

 

[fuentemoon]

I don't know if she roosted or went to a nest box, but Rosie was still up at 8pm, latest yet

 

[Lady Red]

What would be sources of calcium while foraging do you think? Mouse, frog and snake bones maybe? But most bugs I don’t think have calcium in their exoskeletons.

I know that dark leafy greens that humans eat are often good sources of calcium. Perhaps grasses and foliage that the birds enjoy while ranging fall into that bucket too?