Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

I really missed my old Amber's presence today when I gave the girls some cucumber which was Amber's favourite treat

 

[RoyalChick]

I really cannot tell which helped my girls or even when they started too suddenly moult or why it began...

It's almost as if (probably not) princess and flexi were in sympathy with Amber. At that time because she was really fading away, moulting dreadfully and losing weight even though she ate everything she could get her her beak into.

I upped their protein added oil too their food while feeding them as best I could. They had sardines beef liver, eggs and shredded beef plus in addition they also had fruits and vegetables. Within days even Amber stopped moulting, my princess within the first day.

I don't know if you can find any use in my experience withbthe food given because you are by far more knowledgable than I am but I'm sharing this with you anyway

Amber with flexi just a week before leaving us

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I don't think the goal is to stop her molting - after all, it is a natural process and necessary to maintain the quality of their feathers. My worry is just that it will get extremely cold (5F/-15C) and by then she may be almost naked.
High protein feed is great for them when they molt - apparently it takes a lot of protein to grow feathers. I give them meat and some starter/grower feed which they really appreciate.

 

[MaryJanet]

Hahaha, now if those were my eggs that I was incubating them for me, both chicks would end up being boys. It was near impossible to hatch out pullets last year. I had many people wanting pullets, a few have already asked in the past 2 weeks if I was incubating yet, all I could just about produce were cockerels. Truth be told, if a few of those inquiring would commit to taking the chicks at a few days old I'd fill up the incubator tomorrow.

Let's just say I'm not anticipating an all pullet hatch and I have a plan for cockerels.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

My Princesses really do test my emotional fortitude.
This morning I did not see Maggie emerge on the coop cams.
You have to understand two things: (i) I live with a constant dread that Maggie will drop down dead; and (ii) the driveway between my house and the Chicken Palace (well basically all around the house) is one large ice-rink - we got enough sun to melt the surface but not enough for it to drain away or soak in - beautiful but deadly.
So, convinced that Maggie has died in the night I risk life and limb to make it out to the Chicken Palace. Just as I am traversing the scary steep icy slope who should start yelling at me? Maggie of course. She evaded all the cameras and had been out in the pasture run all along!


As I was nearly all the way to the Chicken Palace I decided to go in and sit down and let the ladies calm me down before I dared undertake the return journey.
Once inside I discover that Dotty has chosen this week - where we have had some of the coldest temperatures in 3 years - to start her molt. She looks a mess and there are Dotty fluff feathers everywhere.


In good news (I guess) Minnie laid me a perfect, and perfectly tiny, egg which I will have for my breakfast.

Glad Maggie is okay, and I certainly understand your dread!

Second issue: You need crampons for your missions out there, Uelfbaby with the highest count spikes (19 now?) are my favorites

https://www.amazon.com/Uelfbaby-Upg...199298232&ref=&adgrpid=78877182129&th=1&psc=1

 

[MaryJanet]

They do I agree, but, a person can only have so many personal roos before chaos reigns and the crowing becomes annoying. I personally love the boys crowing, but, I do not love it when they decide to not eventually shut up. The nasty weather this past week has made for some bored chickens, so the boys are crowing non stop. It warmed up the past 2 days to melt everything and allow exploring only to have the next snow system move in tonight.

I love crowing too but I live in a suburb and my next doors work shifts. They're already a little touchy about hens and delighted the hens are so quiet. Clearly, my keeping a rooster would be a kick in the teeth for them. And I refuse to treat them so badly.

 

[Scrambles83]

Beetov-Hen left us this morning. I found her body still warm, but against the coop door (as if wanting out to say goodbye)

Sorry to hear, Alex

 

[bgmathteach]

I'm glad you favour hen hatches over incubator hatches.

Peggy and Ivy are co-parenting two fertile eggs expected to hatch Sunday-Tuesday. It's my first ever hatch and I'm a bit jumpy about it.

That is wonderful @MaryJanet I have 2 ducks that co-brood each year, and I had 2 dark cornish girls that co-brooded this year. It was absolutely wonderful to see them cooperate...and one was always on the nest when the other got off in the morning - cooperation at it's best! I wish they all would do that, as I think they are better about eating, dust bathing, etc in those circumstances. (It at least appeared that way to me, versus previous years when I had a couple go broody - but individually)

 

[MaryJanet]

That is wonderful @MaryJanet I have 2 ducks that co-brood each year, and I had 2 dark cornish girls that co-brooded this year. It was absolutely wonderful to see them cooperate...and one was always on the nest when the other got off in the morning - cooperation at it's best! I wish they all would do that, as I think they are better about eating, dust bathing, etc in those circumstances. (It at least appeared that way to me, versus previous years when I had a couple go broody - but individually)

Same here! They are very cooperative and it's been delightful watching them share the responsibility.

What happened after the ducklings and chicks hatched? Did the co-parenting continue or did one mum take over?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

So silkie egg number 2 was just laid. I happened to be walking by and peeked in on the girls and saw Chiquita lay it. I'm going to assume the first egg was hers also. Now the agonizing part. Do I or do I not save up a few and incubate them. If I incubate them and they hatch I will have to take into consideration the miserable February and March weather we could get. I cannot predict how it will be that far out, but it has already been colder this year then last and we've had more snow as well. I do have my new Christmas present the brooder plate here and ready to go, so I will not have to worry about using a heat lamp. If I just hatch silkies, they will not grow as fast as my previous chicks so if I limit myself to 5 or 6 eggs, they wont outgrow their indoor brooder as quickly. The practical side of me is saying wait, but, these are Chiquita's eggs, and when I picked her up she was housed with her previous owners Buff and White silkie males. Assuming they are fertile, this could be my only shot with her to hatch out the greatest chance for Buff chicks. When she is put with Branch, odds are her chicks will be black. What to do, what to do. Help fluffy butt friends.

Incubate them of course and make a bigger, secure and weather-protected chick area if they get too big too fast and the weather doesn't cooperate. You can still provide warmth with the heat plate on its side in that. You have anything that could work if modified, dog kennel, etc.?

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Beetov-Hen left us this morning. I found her body still warm, but against the coop door (as if wanting out to say goodbye)

Oh noes! **Doles out the hugs** :'(