Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[drumstick diva]

Shad's a good guy.

 

[LozzyR]

thats the sad part i really dont have much property here the neighbors just dont care and thats one reason i have so many quail vs just MoAr ChIkNz! One day we will move home and my backyard will double.

I would love MoAr ChIkNz! I would probably have to wait until the new year. If I succumb.

 

[Ribh]

I would like to post occasionally on your thread if I may?
I probably won't contribute lots, but I'm a sucker for a good chicken story.

Shad's insight's are always interesting!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I think our backyard is too big and we have too many weeds for our girls to keep in check. *sigh*

Mine ignore the lawn and go dig craters in the mulch under the shrubs

 

[MaryJanet]

Mine ignore the lawn and go dig craters in the mulch under the shrubs

Mine too! I knew I was being foolishly optimistic when I put mulch down, yet still I did it and now of course it's spread all over.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I drove two hours bringing two terrified 16 week-old pullets back from Sydney. They didn’t do much chatting. I could take my son, but I don’t think I’m quite there yet. Although I’m pretty sure Lucy’s close to retirement. Her eggshells are paper-thin; I’m just scared one will crack inside her.

How old is Lucy? I'd be interested in comparing notes with you @LozzyR .

Deana's 4 and hasn't laid an egg in over a week. Her shells were paper thin too and the last thing I saw from her was a crushed egg shell in her nesting box, She is pooping ok and shows no signs of being egg bound. My chicken guy thought she might be getting to egg retirement, though he says RIRs can live around 7 years.

Ps: i might not be a good person to listen to as i have 100 birds

100!

 

[LozzyR]

Mine ignore the lawn and go dig craters in the mulch under the shrubs

Oh yes, so do mine! I’ve given up buying sugarcane mulch from Bunnings as they just kick it around. I’ve started using the girls’ used bedding to top up garden beds!

 

[Shadrach]

Like most who keep animals be they pets, or livestock, or something in between,one must have some rules or chaos ensues.
Obviously an extremely sensible rule is no chickens in the house; a rule I'm completely in favour of.

Naturally we all want out chickens to be friendly and well behaved. I don't put up with any nonsense!

Of course, chickens are animals and we don't want any molly coddling treatment going on.

Having friendly chickens seems to be a goal for many. Just how friendly is of course a matter for individual judgment.

The chickens free range here from an hour after the sun comes over the ridge to late dusk every day rain or shine. Like most places we have predators and some don't make it home.

I keep a closed flock. All chicks are hatched and reared by hens. Some don't make it.

Needless to say all the chickens here are perfectly normal.

I always make sure I collect the eggs each day.

So, as you can see, I'm just another perfectly normal chicken keeper.

 

[LozzyR]

How old is Lucy? I'd be interested in comparing notes with you @LozzyR .

Deana's 4 and hasn't laid an egg in over a week. Her shells were paper thin too and the last thing I saw from her was a crushed egg shell in her nesting box, She is pooping ok and shows no signs of being egg bound. My chicken guy thought she might be getting to egg retirement, though he says RIRs can live around 7 years.
100!

Hi Chookmum, Lucy is is an Isa Brown and is about 3 1/2 years old. I’ve heard that Isas can live between 5-8 years but it’s more like 2-3 years as they’re bred to be little egg factories.

Keep a really close eye on Deana; Penny hadn’t laid an egg for over a week before she showed signs of being sick, and the vet thinks she had egg peritonitis. If you’ve got an avian vet, maybe have a chat to them and perhaps have a checkup. Lucy’s actually gone a fortnight without laying but that was during winter. If you get to two weeks with no egg and she seems all right, you’re probably ok. I don’t know anything about egg-bound though, but I will cross my fingers that Deana is ok.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Well, I finished my first ever full size witches hat for my youngest today. I thought you might be interested since it involves wool roving @Ribh

The youngest intends to make a pumpkin vine hat band for it

Edit: Sorry Bob, I thought I was on Ribh's thread . I hope you like my hat too!