Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Quick question. I haven’t had pullets as young as Belle and Snow before so I’m trying to be observant as far as changes go with them. When the girls are getting their big girl voices (peep peep going to bok bok haha) do they normally make random honking type sounds, when excited or something has given them a fright?

I love that there is a chicken question I can finally answer.
YES! Absolutely the journey from peep peep to bok bok is not a straight line.
I found this phase one of the most entertaining and hilarious of all with my little road-runner princesses. They went through a honking like a goose phase and a crowing like a rooster phase and several other phases too weird to describe. I tried to record some of them but failed.
Once Dotty produced a honk so loud it clearly startled her and she retreated all the way back to little baby peep peeps for the rest of the day.
Sometimes I would be hanging in the run and think some kind of other animal had invaded as I couldn't recognize the sounds they were producing.
It is clear they had no control over their voices at all - but that didn't stop them using them at every opportunity.
Enjoy it!

 

[Scrambles83]

I love that there is a chicken question I can finally answer.
YES! Absolutely the journey from peep peep to bok bok is not a straight line.
I found this phase one of the most entertaining and hilarious of all with my little road-runner princesses. They went through a honking like a goose phase and a crowing like a rooster phase and several other phases too weird to describe. I tried to record some of them but failed.
Once Dotty produced a honk so loud it clearly startled her and she retreated all the way back to little baby peep peeps for the rest of the day.
Sometimes I would be hanging in the run and think some kind of other animal had invaded as I couldn't recognize the sounds they were producing.
It is clear they had no control over their voices at all - but that didn't stop them using them at every opportunity.
Enjoy it!

Great news, thank you!! I’ll get my giggle on then for a little longer

 

[BY Bob]

Absolutely love the fence you use to keep them out! My little ones just discovered I have strawberries growing (and tomatoes) put the old playpen fence across the path to keep them out. Now to hope they don’t realise they can fly over if they were brave enough to try

Mine have never tried to fly that fence. Not even Daisy, the greatest hen ever, who chose to fly all the time, ever tried to fly over the garden fence. I have no idea why.

 

[BY Bob]

Great news, thank you!! I’ll get my giggle on then for a little longer

Maybe you can get video?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Well I’m not awfully surprised... I’ve honestly been looking for bugs since I brought her in. Nope, no ticks, not spotting any fleas. Today was the first time I’ve spotted anything. Considering the average life cycles of these types of parasites and that I estimate her age at just approaching two weeks, it stands to reason. Often the nits are easier to spot than the actual lice. I am really hoping they are species specific. I just can’t do head lice again. My hair is finally starting to grow back...

Is cutting hair the thing again now? When I was little one sister came back from a trip somewhere with lice. Nobody had to cut their hair...there was a shampoo we all had to do and leave on for a bit before rinsing out. Loads of laundry to do, but no hair cutting!

 

[BY Bob]

The Ring

In general dry chicken feed comes in 2 varieties, crumbles and pellets. The school of thought describes the advantages of each as follows.

• Pellets: Less wasted feed. Chickens don't drop as much on the ground.
• Crumbles: It takes longer for the chickens to eat. It is closer to normal food intake and therefore provides a more satisfactory eating experience for the chickens.

The disadvantages of each are generally the opposite.

• Pellets: The chickens fill up quickly, the feeding experience is not satisfying and boredom can result. Boredom can lead to behavioral issues like feather pecking if there are not suitable enrichment opportunities for the chickens.
• Crumbles: Waste. Chickens will scoop feed onto the ground while looking for bigger crumbles or just fling feed onto the ground as they eat.

I started my ladies out on pellets. After taking my course on chicken behavior and learning of the potential for boredom and then evaluating my small coop and run in the winter when they were trapped inside, I made a decision to switch them to crumbles. I wanted to head off any potential boredom issues. Additionally I added some enrichment to the run for them.

With the rat infestation I started to wonder how much food they were actually spilling. So this past week I decided to try a little experiment. I placed a feeder up on the deck in the sun. After 5 days, this is the ring of spilled food they made. The feeder was full at the start of the 5 days so this is the waste from 1 feeder full of food. Chickens are for size purposes.

 

[RoyalChick]

The Ring

In general dry chicken feed comes in 2 varieties, crumbles and pellets. The school of thought describes the advantages of each as follows.

• Pellets: Less wasted feed. Chickens don't drop as much on the ground.
• Crumbles: It takes longer for the chickens to eat. It is closer to normal food intake and therefore provides a more satisfactory eating experience for the chickens.

The disadvantages of each are generally the opposite.

• Pellets: The chickens fill up quickly, the feeding experience is not satisfying and boredom can result. Boredom can lead to behavioral issues like feather pecking if there are not suitable enrichment opportunities for the chickens.
• Crumbles: Waste. Chickens will scoop feed onto the ground while looking for bigger crumbles or just fling feed onto the ground as they eat.

I started my ladies out on pellets. After taking my course on chicken behavior and learning of the potential for boredom and then evaluating my small coop and run in the winter when they were trapped inside, I made a decision to switch them to crumbles. I wanted to head off any potential boredom issues. Additionally I added some enrichment to the run for them.

With the rat infestation I started to wonder how much food they were actually spilling. So this past week I decided to try a little experiment. I placed a feeder up on the deck in the sun. After 5 days, this is the ring of spilled food they made. The feeder was full at the start of the 5 days so this is the waste from 1 feeder full of food. Chickens are for size purposes.
View attachment 2495282View attachment 2495283

Don't they eat what they spill?
I was thinking of moving from pellets to crumble (I have used both in the past) because I notice they like spilling it and then picking it up from the floor. Watching them it definitely looks less satisfying to eat a pellet then pick out each tiny crumble!

 

[Marie2020]

Don't they eat what they spill?
I was thinking of moving from pellets to crumble (I have used both in the past) because I notice they like spilling it and then picking it up from the floor. Watching them it definitely looks less satisfying to eat a pellet then pick out each tiny crumble!

It's cold a wet here, so mixing up their food to keep them occupied.

I use layers and pellets crumble iin different parts of their dishes then in the morning they will have the fermented.

I found the fermented recipe here and they just love it. Their last feed is all of the above with a little oats oregano with sometimes an egg or sardines thrown in and mixed with warm water. I like to give them warm food in the winter they seem contented.

 

[Marie2020]

Well I’m not awfully surprised... I’ve honestly been looking for bugs since I brought her in. Nope, no ticks, not spotting any fleas. Today was the first time I’ve spotted anything. Considering the average life cycles of these types of parasites and that I estimate her age at just approaching two weeks, it stands to reason. Often the nits are easier to spot than the actual lice. I am really hoping they are species specific. I just can’t do head lice again. My hair is finally starting to grow back...

A small update, if anyone would like an additional deterrent to goat adoption. Lice. I’m debating treating her with the ivermectin or hitting her with the cat flea meds. I was checking out her horn growth and noticed nits? No... started checking her over and yep... goat lice. Shudder

I found that lice hates any form of salt and vinegar, the salt burns their eggs.

I've used washes like this for cats dogs and chickens, then I cover them in oil, which suffocated them . If I had a goat I would give this a try.

 

[BY Bob]

Don't they eat what they spill?
I was thinking of moving from pellets to crumble (I have used both in the past) because I notice they like spilling it and then picking it up from the floor. Watching them it definitely looks less satisfying to eat a pellet then pick out each tiny crumble!

They do actually eat what they spill, to a point. The really fine crumbles from the bottom of the bag may actually be too small for them to easily eat. Most of what is on the deck are those really fine crumbles.