Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Ah yes there are oak and maple leaves in mine too. They disintegrated even though I added them periodically through the winter. You don't mix it up at all RC? So I was wondering if bathing in poo dust is good or bad for them! What are your thoughts on that?

Poo dust is soil eventually. I don't see a problem. I don't think I could find a place in my yard without poo in it somehow.

 

[RoyalChick]

Ah yes there are oak and maple leaves in mine too. They disintegrated even though I added them periodically through the winter. You don't mix it up at all RC? So I was wondering if bathing in poo dust is good or bad for them! What are your thoughts on that?

Well it certainly sounds unsanitary but TBH they mix it up better than I every could so I have just got used it it. Their favorite place is generally cleaner than anywhere else because it is on the steepest bit of the hill so stuff just flows down, but they do sometimes just drop in random places in the run and bathe where they are. It doesn't seem to be doing them any harm!

 

[RoyalChick]

Poo dust is soil eventually. I don't see a problem. I don't think I could find a place in my yard without poo in it somehow.

Yes exactly - it all becomes just dusty soil.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Poo dust is soil eventually. I don't see a problem. I don't think I could find a place in my yard without poo in it somehow.

Yes the life of poo The lack of moisture in the covered run is what I'm thinking - so after the poo dries, there's not much more moisture there, unless I add it. Righth now the sides of the run are also covered. So how far along is it broken down actually? I haven't had any worms in the flock yet. That's another consideration over time, potentially reinfecting themselves, isn't it?

 

[BY Bob]

Yeah, I know comb color varies, it just odd that all three of the the babies’ combs are less red and fleshy than anyone except Ruby, who is on hormones. Flo has a pretty small comb for an Australorp. I’ll go back and look through pullet photos at the same age. They are still significantly smaller than the hens, despite looking the same size because of feathers. My birds seem to take well over a year to reach full size, which I think is normal.

Dorothy will be two at the end of May. Poor thing. So young.

I'm very concerned about Dorothy. Leghorns can have such reproductive problems.

They have been bred for 18 months of life. I love that many make it to 5 years or more but the they seem to be the exception. It just breaks my heart.

I am praying that she gets through this period and provides you with years of companionship.

 

[BY Bob]

Here she is grooming herself just now . And she purrs, so she can’t be too bad off.View attachment 2615704

It melts my heart when they purr like that.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yes the life of poo The lack of moisture in the covered run is what I'm thinking - so after the poo dries, there's not much more moisture there, unless I add it. Righth now the sides of the run are also covered. So how far along is it broken down actually? I haven't had any worms in the flock yet. That's another consideration over time, potentially reinfecting themselves, isn't it?

Yes my covered runs and coop are dry except when there is driving rain which gets the edges wet. And mostly everything turns to dust. I tip in a huge pile of leaves and a couple of weeks later you can't even tell they were ever there.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes the life of poo The lack of moisture in the covered run is what I'm thinking - so after the poo dries, there's not much more moisture there, unless I add it. Righth now the sides of the run are also covered. So how far along is it broken down actually? I haven't had any worms in the flock yet. That's another consideration over time, potentially reinfecting themselves, isn't it?

There is not much more you can do. They wind up in their poo no matter what you do. Yes they can re-infect themselves but they are more likely to do that from the wet poo they encounter every day. That's why everything in one hen is in all of them. You cannot eliminate the risk by cleaning the run. They can pick them up fresh in the yard anyway.

 

[Marie2020]

I actually sprayed Vetericyn plus on the wound. helps with the pain. I took it from my chicken hospital kit!!

Silver I forgot, someone I knew got burned with paraffin, after soaking we used the silver and the scars healed in a matter of days. It doesn't take the sting out immediately but the wounds heal very fast.

 

[featherhead007]

By the way, I know that this little one, picked her own name off my iphone, but I'm not calling Xzit "zit" . I am pronouncing it 'Zeet" Who wants to go through life, being called zit?