Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

It's Hatterday!

I am been saving up photos of my sweetest hen for everyone. It's her day today.
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A visit from her friend while she was laying her egg.
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Her beautiful fluffy bum.
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And my favorite photo, the amazing floating hen! Who knew a girl so big could levitate!
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Hi Hattie great job levitating!

 

[Shadrach]

I've been putting this post off, but Fat Bird isn't well.
She's lost some control over her legs and balance. She also has lice and did have feather mites.
We have dealt with the mites but the lice are proving to be a bit of a problem.
She's eating well. Walks okay in a straight line but tonight she couldn't balance on the roost bar. I put her in one of the nest boxes.
I'm going to take her to see Gloria (vet) but I'm not feeling very hopefull.
I spent two hours today tackling the lice. They are mainly in areas Fat Bird can't reach with her beak. She not as supple as she was.
I've checked over Mel, Moon, Hurry and Treacle so far and they are mite and lice free so it seems it's just a problem with Fat Bird.
At first I thought it might be an ear infection but they look clean to me and I would have thought that her balance would be affected no matter what direction she walked in.
She still manages to follow the tribe and I've kept both eyes on her throughout the recent days.
I take her to roost in the evenings now, or should I say Cillin and I do.
She's heading for 11 years old and she has had by chicken standards about as good a life as is possible bar not hatching chicks.
I don't think she is suffering judging by how she eats and her reactions to the other hens; she'll still give them a peck if they don't remember their place and hers. Poop is okay. Bums dirty again and I may have to give it a proper wash to help discourage lice.
It's possible that she may have started an egg that has cooked inside her way before it reached the shell making stage and this is putting pressure on a nerve.
This does happen with some older hens I've been told.
Anyway, here she is, still picking the high security spots so her brain is fine. None of the yonger hens are bothering her.

 

[MaryJanet]

I've been putting this post off, but Fat Bird isn't well.
She's lost some control over her legs and balance. She also has lice and did have feather mites.
We have dealt with the mites but the lice are proving to be a bit of a problem.
She's eating well. Walks okay in a straight line but tonight she couldn't balance on the roost bar. I put her in one of the nest boxes.
I'm going to take her to see Gloria (vet) but I'm not feeling very hopefull.
I spent two hours today tackling the lice. They are mainly in areas Fat Bird can't reach with her beak. She not as supple as she was.
I've checked over Mel, Moon, Hurry and Treacle so far and they are mite and lice free so it seems it's just a problem with Fat Bird.
At first I thought it might be an ear infection but they look clean to me and I would have thought that her balance would be affected no matter what direction she walked in.
She still manages to follow the tribe and I've kept both eyes on her throughout the recent days.
I take her to roost in the evenings now, or should I say Cillin and I do.
She's heading for 11 years old and she has had by chicken standards about as good a life as is possible bar not hatching chicks.
I don't think she is suffering judging by how she eats and her reactions to the other hens; she'll still give them a peck if they don't remember their place and hers. Poop is okay. Bums dirty again and I may have to give it a proper wash to help discourage lice.
It's possible that she may have started an egg that has cooked inside her way before it reached the shell making stage and this is putting pressure on a nerve.
This does happen with some older hens I've been told.
Anyway, here she is, still picking the high security spots so her brain is fine. None of the yonger hens are bothering her.View attachment 2558314

Hopefully Gloria will have some advice I guess it makes sense Fatbird would run into lice and mite problems if she can't groom like she used to.

 

[Scrambles83]

I've been putting this post off, but Fat Bird isn't well.
She's lost some control over her legs and balance. She also has lice and did have feather mites.
We have dealt with the mites but the lice are proving to be a bit of a problem.
She's eating well. Walks okay in a straight line but tonight she couldn't balance on the roost bar. I put her in one of the nest boxes.
I'm going to take her to see Gloria (vet) but I'm not feeling very hopefull.
I spent two hours today tackling the lice. They are mainly in areas Fat Bird can't reach with her beak. She not as supple as she was.
I've checked over Mel, Moon, Hurry and Treacle so far and they are mite and lice free so it seems it's just a problem with Fat Bird.
At first I thought it might be an ear infection but they look clean to me and I would have thought that her balance would be affected no matter what direction she walked in.
She still manages to follow the tribe and I've kept both eyes on her throughout the recent days.
I take her to roost in the evenings now, or should I say Cillin and I do.
She's heading for 11 years old and she has had by chicken standards about as good a life as is possible bar not hatching chicks.
I don't think she is suffering judging by how she eats and her reactions to the other hens; she'll still give them a peck if they don't remember their place and hers. Poop is okay. Bums dirty again and I may have to give it a proper wash to help discourage lice.
It's possible that she may have started an egg that has cooked inside her way before it reached the shell making stage and this is putting pressure on a nerve.
This does happen with some older hens I've been told.
Anyway, here she is, still picking the high security spots so her brain is fine. None of the yonger hens are bothering her.View attachment 2558314

Keep us posted Shad, I hope she will be ok

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Babies are cute sleeping. View attachment 2558285View attachment 2558286

Looks like dustbathing to me. Wing out of place of the chick looking at us in the top photo, leg all outstretched with the light yellow chick in the bottom photo. So cute!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

She likes it apart from the nesting arrangement.
She has 4 hens most of the time. She's been a chicken slave for 25 years or more. The hens free range in her back yard every day in all weathers much like the tirbes here, so run size isn't an issue.
She's had wooden coops before and had a lot of problems with red mite in them.

Thanks. Am I correct in understanding you deal with mites by cooking them - on the wood and in crevices with a blowtorch?

 

[MaryJanet]

Thanks. Am I correct in understanding you deal with mites by cooking them - on the wood and in crevices with a blowtorch?

My neighbour uses boiling water.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I've been putting this post off, but Fat Bird isn't well.
She's lost some control over her legs and balance. She also has lice and did have feather mites.
We have dealt with the mites but the lice are proving to be a bit of a problem.
She's eating well. Walks okay in a straight line but tonight she couldn't balance on the roost bar. I put her in one of the nest boxes.
I'm going to take her to see Gloria (vet) but I'm not feeling very hopefull.
I spent two hours today tackling the lice. They are mainly in areas Fat Bird can't reach with her beak. She not as supple as she was.
I've checked over Mel, Moon, Hurry and Treacle so far and they are mite and lice free so it seems it's just a problem with Fat Bird.
At first I thought it might be an ear infection but they look clean to me and I would have thought that her balance would be affected no matter what direction she walked in.
She still manages to follow the tribe and I've kept both eyes on her throughout the recent days.
I take her to roost in the evenings now, or should I say Cillin and I do.
She's heading for 11 years old and she has had by chicken standards about as good a life as is possible bar not hatching chicks.
I don't think she is suffering judging by how she eats and her reactions to the other hens; she'll still give them a peck if they don't remember their place and hers. Poop is okay. Bums dirty again and I may have to give it a proper wash to help discourage lice.
It's possible that she may have started an egg that has cooked inside her way before it reached the shell making stage and this is putting pressure on a nerve.
This does happen with some older hens I've been told.
Anyway, here she is, still picking the high security spots so her brain is fine. None of the yonger hens are bothering her.View attachment 2558314

Hoping for the best, easiest way for her, whatever the outcome!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I've been putting this post off, but Fat Bird isn't well.
She's lost some control over her legs and balance. She also has lice and did have feather mites.
We have dealt with the mites but the lice are proving to be a bit of a problem.
She's eating well. Walks okay in a straight line but tonight she couldn't balance on the roost bar. I put her in one of the nest boxes.
I'm going to take her to see Gloria (vet) but I'm not feeling very hopefull.
I spent two hours today tackling the lice. They are mainly in areas Fat Bird can't reach with her beak. She not as supple as she was.
I've checked over Mel, Moon, Hurry and Treacle so far and they are mite and lice free so it seems it's just a problem with Fat Bird.
At first I thought it might be an ear infection but they look clean to me and I would have thought that her balance would be affected no matter what direction she walked in.
She still manages to follow the tribe and I've kept both eyes on her throughout the recent days.
I take her to roost in the evenings now, or should I say Cillin and I do.
She's heading for 11 years old and she has had by chicken standards about as good a life as is possible bar not hatching chicks.
I don't think she is suffering judging by how she eats and her reactions to the other hens; she'll still give them a peck if they don't remember their place and hers. Poop is okay. Bums dirty again and I may have to give it a proper wash to help discourage lice.
It's possible that she may have started an egg that has cooked inside her way before it reached the shell making stage and this is putting pressure on a nerve.
This does happen with some older hens I've been told.
Anyway, here she is, still picking the high security spots so her brain is fine. None of the yonger hens are bothering her.View attachment 2558314

I pray Fat Bird gets well. Almost 11 years is a life well lived and a testament to your loving care. But we all want our feathery friends to live longer.

 

[BY Bob]

Lock with Link and Bracket in the background.
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Those are marvelous photos. They would make a great jig saw puzzle!