Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

hCG shot update

It has been a little over a week and it should be kicking in. This week Naenae has not produced any double yolked eggs. (No, we are not eating them ) she also has NOT taken a day off from laying.

Today was a 3 egg day from her though one regular this morning, and two soft shelled ones this evening.

Not sure the hCG is working as well as vet had hoped. Will continue to watch her and may need to push for the pricier hormone treatment.

Here is my beautiful (and muddy) girl
View attachment 2816003

That is a really nice portrait of Naenae. Wall worthy!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I really do have to go to town tomorrow.
1. Covid test
2. More watermelon for the chooks
3. Corn for the chooks
4. Need more steaks for me (And the chooks)
5. Need oyster shell, also for the chooks
Busy day for me tomorrow I reckon!

I'm glad your getting tested and please take care of yourself. I was fully vaccinated and still got it. I think my vaccines prevented me from having a bad case. Drink lots of fluids and monitor the fever and most importantly rest. I know its hot where you are but I'm not sure about your humidity. Even though I never got chest congestion the humidity levels here were super high and if I tried to venture outside to visit the chickens my lungs and chest instantly felt like they were being crushed by a ton of bricks. Thankfully my family stepped up and tended to them because I simply was not able to.

 

[featherhead007]

I'm glad your getting tested and please take care of yourself. I was fully vaccinated and still got it. I think my vaccines prevented me from having a bad case. Drink lots of fluids and monitor the fever and most importantly rest. I know its hot where you are but I'm not sure about your humidity. Even though I never got chest congestion the humidity levels here were super high and if I tried to venture outside to visit the chickens my lungs and chest instantly felt like they were being crushed by a ton of bricks. Thankfully my family stepped up and tended to them because I simply was not able to.

Even if I do have it, I still have to take care of the chooks. Let them out, lock them up, show them love, and I can’t discount them, just because I feel sick. I don’t really have anybody to assist me (I wouldn’t want to spread Covid to any of my friends). So let’s hope that I don’t have it.

 

[BY Bob]

New hens are here, and I'll get pictures later for everyone. I'm really going to need Alex's input on these girls at least until I get a egg. I was told they are blue Marans, they are blue, but they have the most un Maran like body shape I've ever seen. I may have just inherited 6 blue large fowl cochins.

Ooooo. That would not be cool.

As much as I understand and respect coyotes I agree the attacks have to be stopped. There might be low regular prey numbers in your area, which is too bad for the coyotes, and hunger probably emboldens them. But they need to figure out it's better to stay away. Possibly killing one will teach the pack, but probably not. You cannot get rid of them, even if you and you neighbors killed one every day. They will increase their fertility to make up the numbers. They know how to live very closely with humans and are everywhere, just not seen. They actually control raccoon numbers and prey on rat populations in urban areas.

Have you considered electric fencing with gates? Coyotes do not act alone, the pack is aware of your community and you cannot have a significant affect on numbers through culling, satisfying as it may be due to the horrible deaths you all have had. Packs stabilize their numbers based on prey availability and pack need. Ultimately you have to prevent access with physical barriers to protect your stock and small animals.

I don't mean to preach, just passing on what I've learned about them to help you make your own decisions. We have plenty of coyotes here in my rural area, and in New York there is a season for hunting them, and folks here make some money on pelts. But they don't hunt much around us because they hunt with dogs, and the coyotes run down to the interstate about a mile from us. They know it's a safe place - and the guys here don't want their dogs down there (the coyotes are smarter about cars than the dogs are). We saw a documentary on coyotes where it was discovered in a study that off-ramps and on-ramps are some of the favorite denning spots for them.

This is a treasure trove of information. Great job. Thanks for sharing.

 

[BY Bob]

Goodbye Alba
He was very quiet in the car, squatting and panting.
View attachment 2815956

He's off to his new home with six ladies. The new guardians love roosters so he should be in good hands. I'll update you on how he is doing at his new place.
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I'm so happy you had a place to send him.

 

[BY Bob]

Butters foraging among the strawberries on the driveway stones.
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Butters: Ooh! Ooh! Found something. There could be be good things to eat under that stone. I knew this was a good spot! Beak it! Scratch it!
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Gotta beak and scratch more to get that stone turned. Uh oh - here comes Hazel! Gotta go. See ya!
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Hazel: I don't know what she thinks is here. What's so great? I see nothing. Oh well. At least it was satisfying to push her off whatever it was. Hmm. Back to keeping an eye on everyone and everything. You never know, somebody here's bound to find something eventually.
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Excellent! I love chicken dialog!

 

[BY Bob]

Some more pics of the new girls, I do know one thing, come Fluffy Butt Fridays these girls have some big booties to show off.
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They sure do! I can't wait.

They do not look like marans though. I agree with you.

 

[BY Bob]

hCG shot update

It has been a little over a week and it should be kicking in. This week Naenae has not produced any double yolked eggs. (No, we are not eating them ) she also has NOT taken a day off from laying.

Today was a 3 egg day from her though one regular this morning, and two soft shelled ones this evening.

Not sure the hCG is working as well as vet had hoped. Will continue to watch her and may need to push for the pricier hormone treatment.

Here is my beautiful (and muddy) girl
View attachment 2816003

How long did he say to wait for changes? That does not seem promising.

 

[BY Bob]

1 big male coyote down, who knows how many more to go. I'm not fooled into thinking it was just 1. Got him on the hillside where he was watching the chickens eat their afternoon snack.

This is frightening. I'm very concerned for you. There are definately more than one.

 

[BY Bob]

Yup, as I thought, defiantly NOT blue Marans.
View attachment 2816032

That's definitive.