Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LaFemmeKatia]

I am now 100% convinced it was a egg issue. I heard her start to raise a ruckus in the cage and went out to check on her. No egg, but a angry caged hen who is now pacing back and forth. I opened the cage and she RAN to her favorite nest box. What I felt and thought this morning as a dislocated hip had to be a egg working its way down.

Keep us posted. And photos of the egg too.

 

[Kris5902]

Yes it is the best outcome. One day though these girls are going to cause harm to themselves. They were never taught or given the opportunity to roost before I got them. I try every night even with a roost I've placed about 2 inches off the ground and they will not use it. Instead they huddle together in one corner of the coop to sleep. The problem with this is they end up sleeping on top of each other. I cannot break this behavior and I really don't know what else to try to change it. I've even came out hours after they have went to bed and placed them on the roost and they jump right back off and huddle in the corner.

Try putting the training roost right under them in “their” corner for a bit, with as little disturbance as possible, once you get them trained to that slowly start moving it towards the proper roost.

 

[GregnLety]

the naked necks enjoying the sunshine

 

[GregnLety]

The Silkie girls are getting along as well as expected. Both girls are very low keyed. Built a temporary roost out of some old fencing.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes it is the best outcome. One day though these girls are going to cause harm to themselves. They were never taught or given the opportunity to roost before I got them. I try every night even with a roost I've placed about 2 inches off the ground and they will not use it. Instead they huddle together in one corner of the coop to sleep. The problem with this is they end up sleeping on top of each other. I cannot break this behavior and I really don't know what else to try to change it. I've even came out hours after they have went to bed and placed them on the roost and they jump right back off and huddle in the corner.

Do they sleep with the other chickens? You would think they would learn from the others. Very sad.

 

[BY Bob]

Try putting the training roost right under them in “their” corner for a bit, with as little disturbance as possible, once you get them trained to that slowly start moving it towards the proper roost.

This is a good idea. I was thinking towards this advice as well.

 

[featherhead007]

Two fer Tuesday:
The new cabbage doesn’t stand a chance!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

The offending egg has been laid and it was normal size and shape. It really should not have caused her any problems. She is back with her sisters digging away in the manure pile like nothing happened this morning.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Do they sleep with the other chickens? You would think they would learn from the others. Very sad.

Yes, they are in the coop with Branch, Chiquita and Corona. Branch and Chiquita manage to get themselves up onto the highest roost by themselves. I've tried blocking off their corners with the roost, they go to another corner or just the middle of the coop and pile on top of each other. I'm hoping one night it clicks, but they were almost 2 when I got them and I'm afraid this is just ingrained now in their behavior.

 

[Kris5902]

Meat Industry Ranting Tax:

And for good measure, some meat birds, and my mutant Snow… I have no idea where this hens size came from! She’s about the same size as my full grown Meat Hybrids, but not from any meat line I’ve put into my flock! Also BTW Butchers, and most people working in the Meat and Processing industry are animal lovers and some of the most compassionate animal welfare advocates out there… it was a butcher that ratted out some chefs watching “cultural chicken sport” videos in the lunchroom at WFM.