Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Soap Box Warning

I posted a pretty lengthy explanation on @MaryJanet thread about antibiotics, how long they remain in eggs, and the risk to humans. I can post again here if you all would like.

As a microbiologist, the misuse of antibiotics is an issue near and dear to my heart.

The use of antibiotics in livestock prophylactically has enabled meat and egg producers to keep the animals in poor conditions without them getting sick leading to lower costs per pound of produced meat. The side effect (aside from the deplorable conditions the animals need to exist within) is emerging resistance in the microbes that we already knew about. But perhaps even more frightening, this is likely responsible for newly discovered organisms which were never know to cause disease in humans before, such as C.arueus. For some of these organisms we have no known treatment.

So of course we need to limit the usage of antibiotics in the meat and egg industries. They need to keep their livestock healthy by providing healthier living conditions and (in my opinion) we should all be willing to pay a little more for our food.

Unfortunately we now are swinging the pendulum too far in the other direction and animals that get ill are simply killed when a dose of antibiotics might have saved them from a minor infection. Blanket rules are dangerous and some being always pays the price.

It may now be du rigor that if you give an chicken a dose of antibiotics you may never again eat their eggs or meat. To me that would be wasteful, not backed by any science, and frankly an overreaction.

A good bit of soapboxing if I may say so.
It would be helpful however if every time a chicken looks a bit rough someone on some forum didn't suggest an antibiotic and then provide a link where to buy it and provide a dosage. I would like to put a stop to that.
I think I've used an antibiotic twice here in ten years.

 

[MaryJanet]

That's really what it is. They are delicious. You get used to having outstanding eggs when you want. We want them to be healthy most of all but the eggs are really a special thing.

As far as the amoxicillin with Sandy goes. I thought we went through that already. Why is the vet saying to never eat her eggs again? I feel like I am missing something.

We did go through it Bob, but we didn't cover i
the depletion (?) rate. And that's what I'm wondering about. At this time, she hasn't produced any eggs, but should she do so, I was going to tell you precisely her dosage and how ling since her last injection. But really, I ought to look it up rather than bother you.

 

[BY Bob]

We did go through it Bob, but we didn't cover i
the depletion (?) rate. And that's what I'm wondering about. At this time, she hasn't produced any eggs, but should she do so, I was going to tell you precisely her dosage and how ling since her last injection. But really, I ought to look it up rather than bother you.

Don't worry about asking. I will gladly calculate how many to toss for you if you would like. I actually love using my education in this fashion and I am ALWAYS thrilled to help. Do not ever feel like you are imposing. If the time ever comes, just let me know and I will happily work it out for you.

 

[Ribh]

I'm always really grateful for the scientific minds & mathematically adept as we went from imperial to metric @ a crucial stage in my education so I never mastered either well. I think in imperial, speak metric & make a right muddle.

 

[BY Bob]

So Happy to See Me

One if the best things about the flock is how much they love to see me. I need only go outside and they run to me. I go and sit in a chair and they all cluster around me for a while. The acceptance is heart warming and always lifts my spirits.

So here are Aurora and my big girl Hattie busting their Fluffy Butts to come see me. No food was involved in this video. I just walked outside.

I do so love watching Hattie run. It always makes me smile.

 

[biophiliac]

So Happy to See Me

One if the best things about the flock is how much they love to see me. I need only go outside and they run to me. I go and sit in a chair and they all cluster around me for a while. The acceptance is heart warming and always lifts my spirits.

So here are Aurora and my big girl Hattie busting their Fluffy Butts to come see me. No food was involved in this video. I just walked outside.

I do so love watching Hattie run. It always makes me smile.

 

[MaryJanet]

Awww so sweet

 

[Ribh]

Awww. Hattie is an awesome runner. I love it too. Mine will call as soon as they see me: Come visit! Come visit... even if they just see me @ a window. It is very flattering.

 

[Shadrach]

I don't get any of that running to greet me, except maybe from Treacle.
They just wander around as if I wasn't there sometimes.
Course, when it comes to the possibility of food that's another matter.
I had to separate Cillin and Notch today mid fight. Sometimes it's just not convenient having roosters scrapping as you are trying to do other things.
I picked Cillin up and carried him out of fight range; not a murmur, not even a disgruntled look.
Got Knock off her nest this morning because I wanted to see her eat before I went out (I don't leave food down so if I miss her and she returns to her nest, I don't know if she's eaten properly or not), no bad language, she didn't even give a halfhearted peck.
When it comes to looking pleased to see me; fat chance.

 

[BlueBaby]

@BY Bob My green egg supply has been temporarily shut now off due to molting. It had been 2 week's since she laid one, and then today I seen that it's because she's molting. She laid all through everyone else's molt. It's supposed to get down toward's freezing here overnight.