Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Get ready to feel worried about the chicks Bob. This is going to be unpleasant for you.

On the other hand, I'm confident most of the time the chicks will escape unharmed.

Oh I know what this will be. The hardest thing will be not interfering. I'm not crazy about this part.

 

[BY Bob]

I have no constructive suggestions. Your girls defy all the rules I know.

Thanks for that!

 

[BY Bob]

I don't have any comment except I hope it works for you and them Bob.

Thanks Shad. As always I will strive to be adaptable and do my best for them.

 

[BY Bob]

Freaky, seeing an Orpington with Cochin feet

It kinda is!

 

[Shadrach]

The next thing on the list was to get the coop at the back that the hens use to lay in (it has it's own small secure run attached) properly cleaned out and dissinfected. I forgot to take pictures.
Next job was to get the plastic and bits of galvanized steel fencing that were semi buried in the muud in the run out and temporarily patch any holes I found in the fence. The fence wasn't in that bad condition.
Today I started to clean out underneath the closed in coop part of the coop. At the back where you see the hens is about six to eight inches deep of chicken shite and paper bedding. It stinks, it's damp and disgusting.

I saw what I though were a couple of feathers buried in the mess. I found a couple of eggs and this dead hen.
It's a bit guesome but you should look.

Spoiler

There was very little blood and no rigor mortis. Most of her internal organs had been taken including her heart. Her rear end was black and putrid hardly recognisable as chicken flesh.

 

[BY Bob]

Things are going to get rough for a bit with my posts. I hope I can get the spoilers to work.
As some of you know, I've taken on some of the care duties of a group of chickens that live on an allotment plot not far from where my daughter lives.
All the chickens are rescues and more recently Ex Batts. This lot of Ex Batts are part of 2000 rescued by a farm in the next county. This farm contacts the people they know who keep chickens and asks if they can take any of the Ex Batts. The person who has been trying to run the allotment project and look after the chickens and geese, unwisely imo took on 14 Ex Batts.
The coop is disgusting as is the run. The person who has tried to take care of the chickens just doesn't have the knowledge, or the time to do more than feed them basically. There used to be aperson who was at the allotments full time. This person built the coop and run and maintained the place. He died over two years ago and the place has slid into the state it is in now.

My first priority was to get them fed properly. I bought decent pellet feed at 17% protein and 3.5% calcium. All flock feed isn't easy to come by locally. They were getting fed once in the morning at what I estimate to be a bit over half of what they need.
My next priority was to get them out of the run as often as I could. They are not safe out without supervision. The Ex Batts don't have a clue about the outside world.
I started gently with half an hour a day out of the run and kept a close eye on where the Ex Batts went and what they tried to eat. On the first few outings most didn't even scratch the ground for bugs etc. They've got the idea now from watching me weed and the other hens scratching. There are tow or three that stand around looking a bit bemused by it all. I might add this is not thhe way I would go about things in better circumstances. I must work with what I have at the moment.
I've increased their time out over the last week. I've made small repairs to the allotment border fence in the hope that it will stop them wandering too far away to keep an eye on and still be able to get on with stuff.
I have plans and I think the money to expand their run by 59 square meters, 635 square feet. I doubt I'll get much by the way of help.
This is the view with my back to the coop and run as it is now. I'm hoping to fence up to the two wooden post in the distance just past the bucket.
View attachment 2856625
This is the view if I trun around to face the coop. This was waist high in nettles and brambles up to where I'm standing and a bit. The stuff on the right of the picture will give you some idea of what it was like.
View attachment 2856627

This will be quite the project for you. If you don't mind, how did you come across this situation? I thrilled for both you and even more so for them.

 

[BY Bob]

The next thing on the list was to get the coop at the back that the hens use to lay in (it has it's own small secure run attached) properly cleaned out and dissinfected. I forgot to take pictures.
Next job was to get the plastic and bits of galvanized steel fencing that were semi buried in the muud in the run out and temporarily patch any holes I found in the fence. The fence wasn't in that bad condition.
Today I started to clean out underneath the closed in coop part of the coop. At the back where you see the hens is about six to eight inches deep of chicken shite and paper bedding. It stinks, it's damp and disgusting.
View attachment 2856638
I saw what I though were a couple of feathers buried in the mess. I found a couple of eggs and this dead hen.
It's a bit guesome but you should look.

Spoiler

View attachment 2856643
View attachment 2856644
View attachment 2856645
View attachment 2856646

There was very little blood and no rigor mortis. Most of her internal organs had been taken including her heart. Her rear end was black and putrid hardly recognisable as chicken flesh.

That is tough. Poor girl. What do you suppose your predator is? I'm thinking possibly something in the weasel family.

 

[MaryJanet]

I did that as well. Plant hangers work well and are decorative.

Good idea! And they're for outdoor use too.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm taking the littles in for one last cuddle. I'll be back later.

 

[Shadrach]

There are two hens that I think are sick. After a bit of a fuss I captured them both. Apart from starvation level flesh covering they dont look too bad. It'sonly when you pick them up you realise there is nothong of them. Not all this muscle waste is the fault of the battery. They do tend to atleast feed the hens. They haven't been fed properly since they arrived here is more of a problem.
I will try to check them over more thoroughly tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile with the nettles and brambles cleared, the plastic and metal pulled out of the weed and the trees now avaiable for cover this has become a favourite spot.