Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

View attachment 2483487View attachment 2483488Here is some of my ducks. I have 11.


View attachment 2483489A couple of my 28 chickens lol.

Just a bit about myself:
I have 8 dogs, we breed. I also breed ducks, mostly mixed breeds. I live on a 135 Akers farm that I use for ducks, chickens, dogs, pigs, cows, horse(s), and barn cats.

Welcome to the thread!

 

[micstrachan]

Try cucumbers....

Good one, Alex!

 

[Shadrach]

Hazel has a broken beak tip! Her upper beak. Must have happened in the last day or so. How would this happen, is there something I can do or not do to prevent more damage or damage to anyone else? It will never grow back, right? She can eat fine so far it seems.
View attachment 2482895
View attachment 2482918

Before you do anything you should read this.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/
Next you need to get a strong magnifying glass and check for cracks going up the beak towards her head. If there are noticable cracks then you may have problems.
You can file her beak very carefully a bit at a time to help reshape it.
It took me two months to reshape a rescue hens beak here so that it looked something like normal.
The first thing to do is smooth the ragged edges. This will help prevent crack propogation when she pecks a hard surface,
Then it's every couple of days work on the protruding piece aiming to get a uniform roundish end. It takes a long time. Her beak will grow and if she doesn't damage it further, it will repair.

 

[Shadrach]

"You're not moving in are you?"


A slightly concerend Treacle supervising my coop cleaning.

 

[BY Bob]

Before you do anything you should read this.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/
Next you need to get a strong magnifying glass and check for cracks going up the beak towards her head. If there are noticable cracks then you may have problems.
You can file her beak very carefully a bit at a time to help reshape it.
It took me two months to reshape a rescue hens beak here so that it looked something like normal.
The first thing to do is smooth the ragged edges. This will help prevent crack propogation when she pecks a hard surface,
Then it's every couple of days work on the protruding piece aiming to get a uniform roundish end. It takes a long time. Her beak will grow and if she doesn't damage it further, it will repair.

Thanks Shad. What kind of file should she use?

 

[BY Bob]

"You're not moving in are you?"
View attachment 2483812

A slightly concerend Treacle supervising my coop cleaning.

They watch like hawks whenever I clean the coop. I do think they want first crack at the new straw.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks Shad. What kind of file should she use?

Good point. I use a fine engineering needle file but from what I've seen, the fine side of one of the sapphire nail files would do.

 

[Shadrach]

They watch like hawks whenever I clean the coop. I do think they want first crack at the new straw.

I only put straw in the nest boxes. It doesn't always stay there.
A clear floor helps me to get an idea of what the various poop samples are like.
I know, not a great past time but well worth the effort.

 

[BY Bob]

I only put straw in the nest boxes. It doesn't always stay there.
A clear floor helps me to get an idea of what the various poop samples are like.
I know, not a great past time but well worth the effort.

I can see them on top the straw, but I get what you are saying.

 

[LozzyR]

Why would a cat eat a plastic bag? That's truly strange.

It must be a mouth-feel thing. Mishka will eat half a tissue if she happens upon it.