Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

A bit of a set back
In the epic battle of RC vs Rodents I was about to declare victory (again!). No rodent was seen on any camera since 9pm Thursday night (when one wandered into the zapper and was zapped).
Unfortunately it turned out that the mice were simply ignoring the advice of medical professionals and had all travelled to visit their families for Thanksgiving, and last night they started coming home.
UGH!

O No! Did you see where they got in?

 

[micstrachan]

The Trap is Set

Thanks to @ChicoryBlue I have deployed the Have-A-Heart trap with a snap rat trap inside. Here is the setup.

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I went to TSC and purchased a "short snap" trap so the arm would not have far to travel = less chance of getting caught up inside the trap.

I placed the trap in the run.
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And Hattie had to check out what I was doing.

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Now I can leave them out in the run with the trap. Here's hoping I start to get some results.

Good luck! Looks like a good plan. That is... as long as there is zero chance your birds can get hurt by either trap?

 

[micstrachan]

I have a trio, 1 boy 2 girls, and they have matured VERY slowly. The girls will not be laying before Spring. I'm ok with that because it gives me extra time to build their coop and run. Right now they are in with Stanley and my layer flock.

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The 2 girls, Lily and Rose, are in the front. Oakley, the boy, is on the far right.

Beautiful! Slow growers/developers is good with me... anything to hold off their laying!

 

[BY Bob]

Bob, it was me! Yesterday my flock was feeling more adventurous and ventured out across both yards. I did not see or hear our resident Red Shouldered Hawk. However, at one point, Cashew was crossing the road and stopped to have a good look at the sky. Sure enough, there was a large, thick-winged hawk. It did not have obvious banding on its tail and was light under its wings. I’m thinking it was a juvenile Red Tail Hawk. They don’t fly over my yard often, but would be a huge threat to my birds (like injury upon impact by their shear size/weight). It was definitely checking out the flock.

I did my version of an alarm call and all the girls hid. I called my dog out into plain sight to be sure the hawk spotted her. It did, and went on its way. What’s interesting is that the guard ravens were back/home yesterday and did not chase it off, though I have seen them chase off other hawks.

I hope you find a solution for your flock. I added four large garbage bags of leaves to the run to keep mine busy, since I don’t let them out without me snd the dog both being out to protect/supervise. It was great to see them all exercising, scratching away instead of sitting around this morning.

I love your guard Ravens. I need to get a set of those. Hawks scare me. I have had too many attacks. We will begin shifting up the routine tomorrow.

 

[BY Bob]

This looks and sounds like a great day, Bob. However, the first video won’t play for me.

It worked for me but I am repeating below. This is not super up. Hattie was moving that quickly!

 

[BY Bob]

I’m thinking it’s Sydney now that she is a mature hen. I think I already made that comment specifically. My Bridge has always been my second largest bird after my Brahma... by a lot... like a full pound! I still think your Rocks-Anne is beautiful like Bridge and Sydney!

Sydney says thank you.

 

[BY Bob]

"NO MAN SHALL PASS" (Monty Python holy grail)

What is your favorite color?

 

[BY Bob]

OMG, Bob! I love, love, love this! I absolutely MUST find that light up chicken for my yard. Do you remember where you got it? Or did you make it?

Tractor Supply Company, while on sale right now, still pricy, but worth it.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/outdoor chicken lights?

They had chicks as well but I can't find them on the website.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

I’d like one too but aren’t Orpingtons broody?

I have had buff Orpingtons for 3 years and they never spent a day on the nest. Awesome layers but no broody tendency. My RIR went broody this year but didn't hatch anything.

The only hen I have had be a successful broody is Mama my silkie.❤

 

[BY Bob]

I'm on it.
The problem atm is I'm giving her coccivex and Flubenvet. I have to wait for the course to finish before I pour anything else down her.
I've got ducolax stool softner on it's way. and I have another anti fungal treatment coming.
I may try the cayenne pepper, ginger powder cinnamon and lemon juice, or even a day or two on garlic water. But, not until the current meds are finished.
The main thing now is to have her eating. Today was much better. Two days of live yogurt at 10cl dose have helped.
This was a poop sample from this morning. Compared to what she has been pooping this is almost normal.
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This morning when I did her crop check her crop was almost empty; just this one squidgy ball about half the size it was still there but moving so not obstructing the crop drain all the time.
However, underlying the crop problem is bound to be another problem. The favorite is egg yolk peritonitis. If this is the case, then she is goinng to die, probably by my hand when the time comes.
Meanwhile I will go through one treatment after another in the hope that it is a less serious problem.
She looked and acted more like herself today and doesn't seem to be in pain. Her demeanor is no worse than it was when she was moulting.
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She ate well this evening and has gone to roost with her tribe with a full crop.
Four more days to go and then, if her crop is still not draining I'll move on to the anti yeast/ anti fungal and maybe a molasses treatment.
I can't feel anything abnormal in her lower abdomen but I have no way of knowing if she can lay eggs because hse, like the others, has stopped for their winter break.

Sounds like a solid plan. We are all hoping you find and resolve the issue along the way.