Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

That looks like a domestic English Spot bunny.

It’s actually a North American west coast trespassing bunny. (No longer trespassing)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Here she sits, hopelessly broody. Poor Xzit, what fun is it to just sit there with hormones running wild (and on someone else’s egg) ! View attachment 2745779

Xzit isn't even a year old is she? How can a hen go broody so quickly?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

New faces here! Hi everyone!

Wanted to give quick Naenae update... she did two soft shelled eggs AGAIN and then hubby put her out with her sisters bc she looked like she was feeling better.

I called my vet to see if dealing with exotics would include chickens. Nope. They referred me to their competition practice...which just had their specialist move on. So no chicken vet for us.

I did order a bunch of supplements since the layer feed and oyster shells don't seem to do the trick for her.
Kelp powder, oregano oil, and a supplement pellet with calcium and flaxseed.
I set up one waterer with apple cider vinegar and one with the oregano elixir. They seem to prefer the vinegar water... AFTER the dripping water from the downspout mud puddles.

Anyway...Naenae is happy and tail high. And laid an enormous egg this morning. Enormous. This poor girl...View attachment 2745775View attachment 2745782

That's a double-yolk probably?

 

[featherhead007]

Thank you so much, Alex!

A few days after she died I saw on a bike ride a big cream colored stone with dark flecks on the side of the road, and I saw her colors in it. So a few days ago I went and retrieved it, cleaned it up some and placed it here on the well head for now, where she liked to eat chives in the Spring.
View attachment 2745912

So very sorry for your loss. I have learned , to love more on the ones I still have!

 

[featherhead007]

Xzit isn't even a year old is she? How can a hen go broody so quickly?

Maybe ask her, I have no idea why!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I sure hope she can straighten herself out. Double softshelled and then huge. Her reproductive system is just trying to do too much. I bet that egg has 2 yolks.

My guess is she is producing eggs at twice the rate she should be. Sometimes soft shelled because she can't make shell fast enough and sometimes with shells because they come out as a double yolker.

First I would give her a chance to settle back in after this latest egg.

However, if it continues, you could try to reset her laying by cutting off her daylight hours. Put her into a dark room in the evening and keep her there late in the morning. Limit her daylight hours to something similar to winter in order to shut down her egg laying. Should take about a week. Then release her back with the tribe and see if she does restart egg laying normally.

This is all I can think of at this time and is just a suggestion. I am concerned for her though. Very concerned that something bad will happen if she keeps laying abnormally.

Great idea, to reset her hormones through light restriction! Bob you are amazingly knowledgeable, thank you! I wonder if that doesn't work to properly reset things, if could be a permanent fix, if she had a coop buddy to be with?

 

[RoyalChick]

I sure hope she can straighten herself out. Double softshelled and then huge. Her reproductive system is just trying to do too much. I bet that egg has 2 yolks.

My guess is she is producing eggs at twice the rate she should be. Sometimes soft shelled because she can't make shell fast enough and sometimes with shells because they come out as a double yolker.

First I would give her a chance to settle back in after this latest egg.

However, if it continues, you could try to reset her laying by cutting off her daylight hours. Put her into a dark room in the evening and keep her there late in the morning. Limit her daylight hours to something similar to winter in order to shut down her egg laying. Should take about a week. Then release her back with the tribe and see if she does restart egg laying normally.

This is all I can think of at this time and is just a suggestion. I am concerned for her though. Very concerned that something bad will happen if she keeps laying abnormally.

Would that work to give everyone an egg-laying break? I am thinking black-out shades in the Chicken Palace. Sounds nuts, but why not really? I already hung damp sheets to cool them down, why not hang shades to block the light.
My skepticism is that they get up very, very early - before the sun is really up at all, and I wouldn't want to block any ventilation so there will be light coming from the soffits for example.
I need to think whether it is practical.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes, I am sorry. A pain stabs me when it comes, and I cry too.

It's good to remember even if there are tears.

 

[Lady Red]

Would that work to give everyone an egg-laying break? I am thinking black-out shades in the Chicken Palace. Sounds nuts, but why not really? I already hung damp sheets to cool them down, why not hang shades to block the light.
My skepticism is that they get up very, very early - before the sun is really up at all, and I wouldn't want to block any ventilation so there will be light coming from the soffits for example.
I need to think whether it is practical.

I did the wet linens thing too...worked nicely during the heat.
(Did you have luck too?)

In terms of blacking out light for all of them...I don't know...does outdoor temp impact them too?

 

[BY Bob]

Great idea, to reset her hormones through light restriction! Bob you are amazingly knowledgeable, thank you! I wonder if that doesn't work to properly reset things, if could be a permanent fix, if she had a coop buddy to be with?

I would rather find a vet to implement the hormones like @micstrachan has. Even if I had to drive a couple 100 miles.

I think an artificial light solution is too forced to be permanent, even with a buddy.