Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Blazinga]

At this point, I'd consider it lucky if a chicken even lives a year.

 

[featherhead007]

Such sad news (I have no words)

 

[RoyalChick]

For @BY Bob because there are no words.

 

[Marie2020]

A bit of research on poultry dust.
I Googled 'poultry dust' and looked at the top 9 products that Google puts at the top of the page (there were only 9). I also looked at Tractor Supply (TSC) and examined the products they had under poultry dust.
Of the 9 Google search products, 2 were also on the TSC list and TSC had one that wasn't in the 'Google 9' for a total of 10 unique products.
Here is what I found:
- In the 9 from Google: 6 were Permethrin 0.25%; 1 was DE; 1 was Aluminum Silicate; and one was 50% Rosemary, 25% mint with the rest made up of garlic, thyme and cloves (and no, it wasn't being promoted as a seasoning)
- At TSC one of the ones that was on the Google 9 list with Permethrin 0.25%, was described by TSC as Permethrin 25%, and the one that was not in the Google 9 was also Permethrin 0.25%
So, of the the total of 10 unique products, 70% were Permethrin 0.25% (though one was wrongly described) and the remaining 30% were each different.
From this you can conclude:
1) RC has lost her mind
2) There is absolutely no regulation in the US on what is described as Poultry Dust
3) There is a good chance of getting the right stuff (Permethrin 0.25%) if you just buy whatever is on offer, but it is probably a good idea to read the actual label

And for that little excursion I will pay Chicken Tax. Minnie growing her new tail.
View attachment 2901323

Hello RC how are you feeling today?

I particularly like the rosemary mint and thyme. I occasionally add a little garlic to their feed but not often. I'm thinking of making a spray of the rosemary thyme and mint and wiping their coop out this maybe a little eucalyptus as well as it helps with their breathing. I used rosemary and eucalyptus in water before and they were all fine with this. Plus I will drop a few rosemary cuttings in ther straw

Thanks very much for your help

 

[RoyalChick]

Hello RC how are you feeling today?

I particularly like the rosemary mint and thyme. I occasionally add a little garlic to their feed but not often. I'm thinking of making a spray of the rosemary thyme and mint and wiping their coop out this maybe a little eucalyptus as well as it helps with their breathing. I used rosemary and eucalyptus in water before and they were all fine with this. Plus I will drop a few rosemary cuttings in ther straw

Thanks very much for your help

Thanks Marie. I am feeling a bit devastated after Bob's news (you will come on his post shortly) but otherwise soldiering on.
I too use some herbs in the coop and nest boxes - but please don't mistake that for something that will actually kill mites if you have an infestation of them. For that you need the 0.25% permethrin (which, if it makes you feel better, is actually a man-made compound based on something that naturally occurs in chrysanthemums.

 

[RoyalChick]

At this point, I'd consider it lucky if a chicken even lives a year.

I am going outside right now to hug a chicken whether she wants to be hugged or not. I need that for comfort.

 

[Marie2020]

I'm thinking about starting a thread for Ex Batts and Rescues.
I would like to tell the story of what has and what may happen to these poor creatures.
The full horror of their previous lives will never been known but the terrible circumstances they are now in I have well documented and photographed.
The way things are going an awful lot of Bob's thread will get taken up with people posting commiserations as the chickens gradually die off. They are unlikely to live long no matter how well anyone cares for them.
Some of you have seen the coop and run. What I doubt many have fully realised is just how shocking it is.
The coop without the nest box roughly measures 1.131 metres by 0.75 metres.
The nest box measures 0.75 metres by 0.32 metres. Roughly we are looking at a bit over 11 square feet. There are 20 chickens sleeping in this. 20!
There were 25!
The coop wasn't even getting cleaned out every week let alone evry day. Imagine what a weeks worth of 20 chickens pooping in 11 square looks and smells like.
Most have some respiratory problems. The amonnia build up is considerable.
The coop is one of those off the shelf jobs. It's really really bad. Nobody who knows the basics about chickens would build such a coop.
Most weeks I'll be posting sad news. I don't want to spoil all the lovely chicken stuff with what is likely to happen.
Vet isn't an option. A vet visit here just to get seen is around £60.00. Treatment is expensive. Roughly if one allowed even £300.00 per chicken in vets bills that's £3,000.00.
My job is mainly to try and make sure the sick die quickly and the living have the best quality of life I can afford to give them. Not much of that is going to be happy news.

It's wonderful news for those chickens up until now their lives have improved ten fold even the ones that have passed had a better life with you .

A rant coming on ...
You won't agree with me and I'm not asking for anyone too agree or even comment.
I don't believe vets are ALWAYS the great saviors, some maybe but looking back that was NEVER my experience!
If my rescued adorable cocktail and one beautiful dog had survived their ordeal and could speak they would tell you exactly the same.

Had I not taken the 2 mentioned too vets and found people that knew as much as you, shardrach and a lovely man I was once lucky enough too have in my life (who passed away many years ago) my animal's would have survived a lot longer but instead their lives were cut short and died in pain after I had spent countless amounts of money in the process.

I would love you too open something in here on battery hens. As I told you I met an amazing person recently who has only ever had rescued hens.

When I got my beautiful girls I couldn't find any substantial information for a long time other than in here. I was leaning on @MaryJanet and you guys for support. If not for you all I would have failed them miserably, thank you ever so much

Today they are doing incredibly well through all my failings, my only worry is Agatha's soft shells, I'm aware this points too her losing calcium this is deeply worrying. I give her the egg and Tina shares
Apart from that they love their life, trust me and seek me out the moment my door opens they are an absolute pleasure.

I'm sure your girls feel exactly the same. So Sharach my friend, stand tall and be proud, I glow with happiness knowing you're are doing everything possible for them. No one and no chicken could ask for anything else

 

[MaryJanet]

I Have No Words.

I think Legertha has passed. I can't be certain which of the littles it is from just the camera. She must have injured in an attack yesterday.

Spoiler: Passed Pullet

View attachment 2902018

Why do these things happen when I'm not home? My gosh. I just can't right now.

oh nooooooo

 

[BY Bob]

And Now a Bear

My brother from Florida just called me and he awoke last night to screaming chickens, ran outside and found a bear in his yard holding one of his 3 chickens. He startled the bear and it dropped the chicken and moved away enough that he was able to get to the chicken and retrieve it. It was unmoving but when poked it, it moved.

The bear was unhappy about that and bluff charged him, doing a three step start of a run at him and stopping. My brother's wife then arrived with a baseball bat and he tried banging the bat and yelling at the bear to leave.

Instead it climbed a tree.

While he watched the bear, his wife examined the wreckage of the coop complex and surrounding yard for the other 2 chickens finding one.

Once the bear saw the other chicken it climbed down the tree and they retreated into their enclosed pool space. It climbed up another tree with a limb that went over the pool enclosure. Fortunately in Florida, the pool enclosure covers the open space completely in order to keep the insects out so no matter how high the bear climbed it could not get in.

Figuring that the presence of the chickens were keeping the bear around, they retreated with the two of them into the house and out of sight. Gambling that the third hen had hidden herself well enough to escape the bear.

Eventually the bear climbed the fence and departed. My brother went out to try and find the other hen. She was safely tucked in behind the air conditioner and the house where the bear could never reach her. He scooped her up and brought her inside as well.

By this time the first hen had emerged from her catatonic state. All three appear to be healthy. So there is good news there.

 

[featherhead007]

Such sad news (I have no words)