Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LaFemmeKatia]

Diana produced this.

Spoiler: Poop

View attachment 2726988

Looks pretty good to me. I let her out to play in the chicken yard. She seems perky though hasn’t produced another poop yet.

Meanwhile, while she was in the hospital ward someone else - Elizabeth I think - produced a shelled but very thinly shelled egg that got broken all over the roadrunners eggs.
And Maggie has been in the nest box on two consecutive days but not laid an egg.

Sigh. Calcium supplements for everyone!

Awhile back I was debating whether or not to switch to a layer feed. I was concerned that they may not have been getting a proper amount of calcium in their diet with an “all-flock” type of feed. They lay every day. I was advised to do it, on this thread. (Thanks, Bob!)
A few months ago (Feb or March) we began letting the girls out in the yard every day and their eggs actually changed. Lighter color, and it might be my imagination, but the shells seem less thick. So we did the switch to layer feed, and we keep them in the pen for the morning hours so they eat a good serving of it. I still keep the oyster shell out of course.
And I still give them their treat of collard greens and kale and peas at night when they go back to the pen. The rest of the day they have been foraging the yard, and loving it!

 

[Lady Red]

Look in mirror, see reflection, notice the red hair... any more questions? (Yes I’m kidding)

My hair isn't a detriment.
My personality is.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Well to me she is very young, but I gather for production breeds she is an old lady.
I don't know exactly how old she is because I adopted her, but give or take a month she is 2 years and 4 months old. So she is definitely at the end of her laying life. But I had hoped she would have a long and comfortable retirement.

I understand that a vet can medically stop their production cycle when it’s going bad. Would that keep her healthier longer?

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

That is definitely young.
Remind me what breed of chicken she is. What I have learned is that a lot of breeds have been bred to be productive for a couple of years and are then considered disposable. Just thinking about it makes me furious, but I was new to chickens when I got Diana and had not heard about any of this.

I didn’t know this information either when I got mine last spring, so I have some production hens. They lay every day. This is why I worry over their nutrition.

 

[RoyalChick]

I understand that a vet can medically stop their production cycle when it’s going bad. Would that keep her healthier longer?

I think yes but I don’t think that is available here. I will research it and try asking the non-chicken vet.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Naenae laid a soft egg.

Her tail is still droopy though
Keeping her in overnight. I hope this isn't the start of a every-few-days trend.

So far my ladies have been doing well as far as shells on the added calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, & D3 and yogurt. It seems to have helped. Have you tried calcium citrate yet?

I'm tapering off that now that they're totally on feather fixer, and we'll see if they continue with the better shells.

 

[RoyalChick]

So far my ladies have been doing well as far as shells on the added calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, & D3 and yogurt. It seems to have helped. Have you tried calcium citrate yet?

I'm tapering off that now that they're totally on feather fixer, and we'll see if they continue with the better shells.

How have you been giving all that calcium? Powdered in food? Or are you throwing pills down their throats (a new found skill of mine!)?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

possibly

Definitely. Or soup. Water infused with all kinds of herbs & organics & thickened with powdered minerals, what's not to like?

 

[BY Bob]

Maggie worshipping the sun.
Crazy chicken. It is way too hot to be doing that!

View attachment 2726964
Elizabeth had to join in too.

View attachment 2726983

They love it. Have to get their vitamin D fix!

 

[Lady Red]

So far my ladies have been doing well as far as shells on the added calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, & D3 and yogurt. It seems to have helped. Have you tried calcium citrate yet?

I'm tapering off that now that they're totally on feather fixer, and we'll see if they continue with the better shells.

I have not. How does this work? I have one of seven having issues. Any recommendations how to get Naenae what she needs without over "medicating" (using this term very loosely) the rest?