Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I'm abandoning you all in fluffys, too watch a DVD I meant to give to the charity shop. I'll give it to them after I have watched it and have a few dozen meal worms as a nibble.

Goodnight everyone

Good night Marie

 

[Shadrach]

Sorry if I’m getting obnoxious with the videos, but I am SO happy today!

I think the videos are wonderful so keep them coming.

 

[Shadrach]

I've been meaning to ask the brains trust something, especially before @Shadrach disappears for a while. About food; when I was at the poultry show on the weekend, one of the organisers said that each bird should only get a (biggish) handful of feed a day and anything more than that is a waste. He said if you throw it down on the ground and there's some left over, it's too much and then you get the wild birds into it and spreading whatever diseases they have (mice too). So how much is enough? I've been giving my girls a handful in the morning on the grass, but if I've been home, offered them a little at lunch time and again in the evening and they eat it every time. I know they can pig out but do they regulate their eating? I'm of the opinion that Nyssa was underweight because she wasn't being allowed to eat, so I'm reluctant to not offer her food. I'm also trying to keep pests away by not having food available (although this is tricky). Thoughts?

That is not an easy question to give a sensible answer to.
For contained chickens a reasonable rough guide is 60 grams to 70 grams a day for bamtam sized chickens.
For larger dual purpose breeds 120 grams a day.
But, many contained chickens have access to food all day and some will eat from boredom rather than hunger, just like humans.
I don't/can't leave feed down all day. I feed twice a day from spring to autumn and three times a day in the winter months. They eat as much as they want then and forage for the rest.
Again roughly, all the tribes, 22 chickens in total, eat a bit under 500 grams a day of the commercial feed here. Fat Bird eats the most commercial feed, probably close to 60 grams a day and Donk and Nolia eat the least, sometimes as little as 10 grams each.
The roosters tend to binge eat at feeding times maily because what they find in the day they offer to the hens if they are laying.
Hens about to go broody can eat twice as much of the commercial feed daily for the preceding three or four days.
So, feed quantities per chicken vary enormously by breed, size, time of year, egg laying status and available forage.

 

[Anonymous Chicken]

Hello everyone!

Today we'll be adding some new members to our flock! We are on our way to pick them up right now. Two Black Sex Link and four Rhode Island Red chicks! Will be posting soon with pictures and possible names

 

[RoyalChick]

I am so excited! That is great news. A photo of the young hen flying would be exceptional.

If the hen flies inside the plane but in the wrong direction, will the journey take longer?
Just kidding, the hen should be strapped in with her seat belt on, not flying around in the cabin.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hello everyone!

Today we'll be adding some new members to our flock! We are on our way to pick them up right now. Two Black Sex Link and four Rhode Island Red chicks! Will be posting soon with pictures and possible names

Exciting!

 

[Shadrach]

If the hen flies inside the plane but in the wrong direction, will the journey take longer?
Just kidding, the hen should be strapped in with her seat belt on, not flying around in the cabin.

She's extending her life because moving clocks run slow.

 

[featherhead007]

I have a luggage compartment and an animal tote. (The seatbelt wouldn’t fit her anyways)

 

[Shadrach]

I couldn't find the thread but I have found the picture. This is quite an old picture. I looked much like this until I reached 60ish. A heart attack and a couple of bad injuries took their toll. This was taken before I moved to Spain and the location is one of the islands off Sicily. The caves in the background are where they used to put the Mafioso they caught. My girlfriend at the time took the picture. I think my daughter has some more recent pictures, but in general I try to avoid having my picture taken.

 

[ILoveDaffy]

1/2 teaspoon per gallon. For 7 more days. Do you have medicated feed for them? I would recommend it.

How are they doing?

No, but I have a supplement. They are doing well, but I think the older ones might have it.