Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Scrambles83]

It was mild but sunny here today, good for winter! I got out and cut back our apple and almond trees, then weeded half of the path that goes all the way around the back of the house (damn ‘cooch’ grass, spreads over everything).
I got to test the theory that my hens do NOT entertain earthworms in the least, and Belle started perching on my back so that was time to pack it in for the day.
I sat in the run just before sundown and fed them some left over pasta and Belle had another crack, getting up on my shoulder for a bit. I love that, although less frequent, she still does this. Snow squatted (quivering while doing so, it makes me laugh so much) when I was leaving so I gave her a few good pats before letting them go to bed.
I miss not having as much time and good weather to spend with them like this.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Phyllis Enters her Nest

I don't know if this will upset Phyllis or make her happy. I'm thinking of putting some copies straw for nesting material in her planter Nest. All of the eggs come out covered in potting soil and I'd like to"clean them up". Does anyone have an opinion on that?

I'd be inclined to remove some of the potting mix first so the overall height is not raised and put straw over the whole of the planter so the nesting site looks the same as the rest of the planter box.

Have you left a fake egg in there for her?

 

[RoyalChick]

I'd be inclined to remove some of the potting mix first so the overall height is not raised and put straw over the whole of the planter so the nesting site looks the same as the rest of the planter box.

Have you left a fake egg in there for her?

Good point on the potting soil. Not sure a fake egg will be needed - she has been laying there for days!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Great sadness
I don’t think Diana will last much longer. Maybe not even the night.
About a week ago I found an egg with no shell in the nest box.
Each day after there was evidence of a no shell egg - though it was always eaten (by Diana) by the time I found it.
It took me a while to be sure it was Diana’s rather than Elizabeth’s problem.
For sure Maggie was laying normally and so were the road runners.
While figuring it out I was dosing both Elizabeth and Diana with 400 mg of calcium citrate on top of layer feed and oyster shell available on demand.
I also scrambled eggs with calcium carbonate for anyone interested.
This morning I picked Diana up to give her the calcium pill and was immediately covered in egg yolk. She was fine running around and even caught a baby snake and played tug-o-war with Maggie for it.
I gave her a warm bath which she liked until she didn’t but that didn’t help and in the middle of the day i gave her more calcium and again I got covered in egg coming out of her vent. No shell.
I just lubed up and had a feel around but nothing to feel.
In the last couple of hours she has become clearly unwell. She is still drinking but has her tail down and is not chasing bugs let alone snakes.
I have put her in the brooder which is in the coop so she can be with her friends but the outlook doesn’t look good.
I don’t know how I feel. I don’t think I could have done anything else. I hate to see her so miserable, on the other hand she had a lovely chickeny day for most of the day.
I don’t know if I will be able to put her out of her misery if she is still alive but suffering in the morning. I don’t reallly know what to do.
Poor Diana.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Here is Jaffar, telling me “don’t get between my ladies like you did, that’s my job to stop the fights”
View attachment 2726076

Listen to Jaffar. He gives sensible advice!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Ok, internet seems to be working again! I’ve got five or six new chicks, one that probably won’t make it, as mom crushed the egg and it still has a yolk sack, I put that under another girl and am hoping for the best, but expect to find it died on my next check. My batteries are done on the trailer, generator is out of gas, I couldn’t run an incubator or get it up to temp in time. We lost the Blind girl sometime yesterday as well, I’ve been so out of it I’m not sure when or how, but when DH went to put her up on a roost last night she was gone.

The Second Moderna Dose knocked us on out butts, big time. It took 12hrs to hit, but fever, chills, body aches. I was weak as a newborn Kitten and DH wasn’t much better. He had to go into town to pick up the chickens though. There was a lot of napping in the truck.

I was basically on my own here for egg deliveries and chicken chores. At 10 am I stumbled out and managed to open up Hawk, I didn’t stay to see if everyone got out, I got Mr Maran, and Barney open before struggling back to bed, Gatorade, and Blankets for about half an hour. It was little bursts of activity all day interspersed with long periods of lying down covered in blankets and sucking back fluids. I called my mother, she had basically no side effects, and she helped me do the meat chicks and deliveries. Everyone got Food and Water, but that was about it.

I set up the meat Chicks today for their first day free ranging, of course the cockerels from the two pens immediately set to trying to “establish” themselves. Well, Roostie fixed that! He gently but firmly stopped all the little guys from fighting. “Who’s the biggest? Neither of you, that’s for sure” he doesn’t even have to really peck them, he just waddles up to the combatants and they stop. He was also flirting with the younger girls a little, but no real attempts at anything with them… just a “look how beautiful I am!” Dance.

You poor people. That sounds miserable. I'm glad you were able to take care of yourself between chores.

When hubby and I had the Astrazeneca shot I started feeling blergh after about 10 hours and was achy, sore and tired the next day. We were about back to normal by about lunch time the following day. MUCH better than suffering from the actual virus by all accounts.

Good on Roostie for stepping in and keeping the peace.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Yes. I only put her in the brooder because Maggie was snacking on the egg dripping off her.
I can’t explain it well but she is right there with them. Just safe from them.

The brooder is where the road runners were being kept as chicks right? In the servant's quarters?

I hope Diana feels better soon.

 

[BY Bob]

I tell her Allele picks on her due to jealousy. I mean, really! How can any bird not be jealous of those luscious feathers??

They are gorgeous. So rich looking.

 

[RoyalChick]

The brooder is where the road runners were being kept as chicks right? In the servant's quarters?

I hope Diana feels better soon.

Yes that is right. Good memory! Diana is still alive this morning and she is drinking. I haven't yet managed to tempt her to eat and she isn't pooping normally so I am still not optimistic. I hate to stress her but I think I should give her calcium pills again today.

 

[BY Bob]

I like this suggestion!
When mine began laying (lol...like it wasn't just a few weeks eeks ago), I noticed they like to take the nesting material and throw it over their backs. Camouflage, perhaps?
Anyway, I think Phyllis would happily feather her nest with material nearby.

That behavior is nest building. They craft a nest by placing material on their backs. It slides down and builds up around them making a barrier so the eggs don't roll away. A nest.