Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Sansa pecks me as well but she is expecting walnuts.

That is a small egg. They have to get bigger than that!

Dotty pecks me because she doesn't like me and is spoiling for a fight.
Diana pecks me because she is expecting food.
And now Maggie pecked me on my shin because I had an interesting freckle. She drew blood.

 

[Blazinga]

The brown chick's primaries are resembling maleficent's with a black base with streaks of warm grey.

 

[featherhead007]

I think Emily pecks me, because she wants to be held, and cuddled. (She gets what she wants every time)

 

[featherhead007]

Sansa pecks me as well but she is expecting walnuts.

That is a small egg. They have to get bigger than that!

A return on my investment would be nice!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

In the heap are two bags of food grade diatomaceous earth. Why would I need that? I think people add it to dust baths - is that why it was on my essential chicken supplies list? Or should I have been doing something with it all along and I have been neglectful of my ladies?

I am far behind and may have to post some SHRA tax. After researching diatomaceious earth (DE) - (AFTER I bought it too) - all over the internet but especially here on BYC, I highly recommend against using it. If I read ahead and see no one agrees with this, I'll try to find the very good BYC posts here by members I grew to respect that convinced me and post links. I recall @Shadrach mentioned how in his coop builds he makes them very mite-intolerant, and blow-torch-able. I believe he did this so as not to use chemicals or DE.

Soapbox warning a la @Kris5902

Spoiler: Anti-DE rant

I don't think diatomaceous earth (DE) is safe to use around chickens that you are trying to keep alive for a long time and which you care about their quality of life. (So it might be often used in meatbird and large-processed chicken environments, I don't know). It is a fine glass-like substance that works to kill things by it's sharpness. I do not want it in my lungs or my chicken's lungs. Keep it for your garden where you can use it on the soil against slugs, but use it outdoors only and stay out of the dust if the breeze blows it around when you're placing it (you'll notice that masks are recommended when using it - why do think that is? Then why on earth would you put it in your chicken's dustbath?). It is effective, but terrible for the lungs, and something that would/should be a last resort to using in a coop - and not with any chickens around until treatment had finished and it had all been cleaned / hosed out.

 

[BY Bob]

Dotty pecks me because she doesn't like me and is spoiling for a fight.
Diana pecks me because she is expecting food.
And now Maggie pecked me on my shin because I had an interesting freckle. She drew blood.

Maybe you just taste good?

Small amount of seriousness here. Salt?

 

[BY Bob]

The brown chick's primaries are resembling maleficent's with a black base with streaks of warm grey.

Gosh I hope so! I'd love another black EE in the gang!

 

[BY Bob]

A return on my investment would be nice!

Typical capitalist.

 

[BY Bob]

I am far behind and may have to post some SHRA tax. After researching diatomaceious earth (DE) - (AFTER I bought it too) - all over the internet but especially here on BYC, I highly recommend against using it. If I read ahead and see no one agrees with this, I'll try to find the very good BYC posts here by members I grew to respect that convinced me and post links. I recall @Shadrach mentioned how in his coop builds he makes them very mite-intolerant, and blow-torch-able. I believe he did this so as not to use chemicals or DE.

Soapbox warning a la @Kris5902

Spoiler: Anti-DE rant

I don't think diatomaceous earth (DE) is safe to use around chickens that you are trying to keep alive for a long time and which you care about their quality of life. (So it might be often used in meatbird and large-processed chicken environments, I don't know). It is a fine glass-like substance that works to kill things by it's sharpness. I do not want it in my lungs or my chicken's lungs. Keep it for your garden where you can use it on the soil against slugs, but use it outdoors only and stay out of the dust if the breeze blows it around when you're placing it (you'll notice that masks are recommended when using it - why do think that is? Then why on earth would you put it in your chicken's dustbath?). It is effective, but terrible for the lungs, and something that would/should be a last resort to using in a coop - and not with any chickens around until treatment had finished and it had all been cleaned / hosed out.

I don't use the stuff. I don't see the point. I think the stuff has a legend out of line with what makes scientific sense.

 

[BY Bob]

As we have a lot of newer chicken keepers I am linking to the following post in @GrandmaDeKorte thread. It is an excellent breakdown of how your chickens will react to heat and when you should start paying attention and be concerned.

Post in thread 'Leghorn Hens - What Wonderful Chickens' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/leghorn-hens-what-wonderful-chickens.1297783/post-24639889

GrandmaDeKorte also covers dogs as well as she has 2 beautiful dogs, Tony and Ziva.