Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

Good morning everyone. I'm so sorry to hear of some of your troubles with your hens, especially since they are so young. I really feel for the production breeds and those that own them. I do not have production breeds but still some of my girls will give me 5 to 6 eggs a week. Henrietta lays about 8 eggs before she takes her break. Old momma hen, when she is not broody and laying lays 6 days in a row before skipping and she is close to 7 at least. Only 1 of my girls has produced a soft shelled egg, and that was Butter, and it was her 2nd ever egg. I've been thinking, my chickens have access to layer feed, for the most part they ignore it, prefer grass, bugs, whatever they find in the manure pile and for some of them snakes and minnows from the creek. What I do different them most is if I have a broody hen, I do not break her, she either hides, or I intentionally let her set. I know being broody can be hard on the hen, but if I know where she is I see to it that she has fresh water available and food. On average after the chicks hatch *not counting momma hen* they care for them 5 to 6 weeks before they are done. That is a 8 or 9 week break their body gets naturally from egg laying. I wonder if where most of us chicken keepers for many reasons break up that broody we are doing more harm then good to her body. I know many of us can't have roosters, or are at our limits so we have no choice but to break them. I feel though that the broody break, plus the normal break they take through winter and molting helps the hens in the long run in preventing reproduction problems. Now I may be completely wrong on this, but its just my train of thought.

I've pondered the same thing when Ivy goes broody. Trouble is, those production birds don't go broody.

Also, what would you do if a broody sat for 30 days? I was going to allow Ivy to work it out for herself but after 30 days of sitting with no eggs, I encouraged her to get up and she did.

This is the main reason I'm planning to get her some fertile eggs next time she's broody, she really wants a hatch and I'm happy to help her do that.

 

[MaryJanet]

My plan whenever I encounter broodiness is to let them set on some duck eggs from my friends since their duck flock has a drake. After the hen is done raising them, I'll let my friends decide whether to sell the ducklings or not.

I like this idea!

 

[Blazinga]

That's interesting, but do you have a plan for their feed? Don't ducklings need more niacin, or something, that chicken feed doesn't have?

I'll probably ask what friends get and use the same.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

I'm afraid that amber may be producing yokes. I felt around but can't feel any other blockage. So no shells inside, I hope.

I haven't come across zucchini here and haven't got my garden up and running for growing yet. Is there any other veg fruit if foods I could try?

I found this, hopefully that helps!

Edit to add pic

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Naenae update

She laid (edited to say laid...originally said "passed" and don't want to scare anyone!) a soft shell egg last night. Full sized, just soft. We thought she would be ready to rejoin the others this morning.
Unfortunately, Naenae was still off this morning. Hubby put her outside before checking with me. I brought her back in bc she hadn't pooped in the "hospital" overnight. Good thing I did too - the other birds were curious about her backside and wanted to peck her
So bath time again.
Gave her fresh yogurt and feed mix and she ate a little. Had to get to my day job (yeah, the one that pays the chicken bills). Checked in on her about 90 minutes later and still no poo.
I wore gloves and lubricated a finger to determine what was going on with this poor girl. I could feel the egg. She expressed some watery poo.
I had adjusted the hospital to be darker in hopes it would prevent her internal clock from producing more eggs and to also feel more like a nesting box.
She used the bedding mat I put in, made a nest and sat.
About an hour later she had a hard shell egg under her. Wrinkly, but a full shell.

She still wasn't pooping, so I gave her an Epsom salt bath and wrapped her in a towel and held her while I wrote up contracts.
She was getting fidgety and crying for her sisters.
Took her outside and let her explore in front of the chicken yard. Her sisters were VERY jealous.
Naenae was feeling much better and scratched at the ground and ate at least FOUR worms.
She pooped 2x too!
So I put her back with the others and her tail is high and she is happy and running around and took a long dust bath too.

I'm telling you...I don't know if my heart can take all this! I've been crying off and on for these past 36 hours with literal tears because I'm trying my best to make sure she is healthy. And I didn't know if she would be past a 24 hour mark of feeling poorly.

Yay for the hard shelled egg! I hope she’s turned the corner!

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

I didn’t even know that Jaffar likes Simon and Garfunkel. (He does) “Sounds of Silence “ doesn’t seem to fit him somehow!

Jaffar has excellent taste.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

His property, I don’t take pictures (Privacy)

I don't mean pictures. But I am trying to picture it. Is the coop like a pig roast barrel or something? Or like a big grill? Or how do you mean?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I understand some can't let their hen set, or their hen may never go broody. If you had a really determined hen, but no fertile eggs I would be inclined after 3 weeks if there were some available to get some day old pullets like barred rocks and sneak them under her at night. Even if you are at capacity you could go into this with the mindset that when momma is done rehoming them. Broody raised chicks know how to chicken so much better then hand reared ones. There is only just so much we can teach them and when its time to rehome the chicks are ready to be on their own outside and are past the age when most seem to die off. I once again have a new broody, Henrietta of all hens. At over 2 years old this is her first time and she is committed. Discussed it and decided to just let her sit since her nest is very hidden. I know her body could use a break because while not a production breed besides the 2 month winter break she took, since she began laying she has faithfully laid like I mentioned earlier 8 days in a row before skipping a day for over a year and a half. Of all the hens in my flock who needs a break the most it is her. Now that only leaves 2 girls who have yet to go broody. Butter who was toying with the idea before her injury and Daisy who so far seems not the least bit interested in being a mom. If Henrietta is successful and hatches I'll do the same as I plan to do with momma hens new gang. Rehome them when she's done with them. I didn't necessarily want or need more chicks, but at this point I'm throwing my hands up in the air and letting my hens be happy. At least I do not have to worry about rearing them inside and cleaning up after them, the momma's are doing all the work.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Naenae update

She laid (edited to say laid...originally said "passed" and don't want to scare anyone!) a soft shell egg last night. Full sized, just soft. We thought she would be ready to rejoin the others this morning.
Unfortunately, Naenae was still off this morning. Hubby put her outside before checking with me. I brought her back in bc she hadn't pooped in the "hospital" overnight. Good thing I did too - the other birds were curious about her backside and wanted to peck her
So bath time again.
Gave her fresh yogurt and feed mix and she ate a little. Had to get to my day job (yeah, the one that pays the chicken bills). Checked in on her about 90 minutes later and still no poo.
I wore gloves and lubricated a finger to determine what was going on with this poor girl. I could feel the egg. She expressed some watery poo.
I had adjusted the hospital to be darker in hopes it would prevent her internal clock from producing more eggs and to also feel more like a nesting box.
She used the bedding mat I put in, made a nest and sat.
About an hour later she had a hard shell egg under her. Wrinkly, but a full shell.

She still wasn't pooping, so I gave her an Epsom salt bath and wrapped her in a towel and held her while I wrote up contracts.
She was getting fidgety and crying for her sisters.
Took her outside and let her explore in front of the chicken yard. Her sisters were VERY jealous.
Naenae was feeling much better and scratched at the ground and ate at least FOUR worms.
She pooped 2x too!
So I put her back with the others and her tail is high and she is happy and running around and took a long dust bath too.

I'm telling you...I don't know if my heart can take all this! I've been crying off and on for these past 36 hours with literal tears because I'm trying my best to make sure she is healthy. And I didn't know if she would be past a 24 hour mark of feeling poorly.

Good news with Naenae! I totally sympathize with how your heart feels, the worry and fear. On the one hand, it seems chickens have so much that can go wrong with them. But on the other hand, they have a toughness that can get them through. Your care, helping her tend to herself not bothered by the others, and the extra calcium, helped her to get through.

 

[featherhead007]

I don't mean pictures. But I am trying to picture it. Is the coop like a pig roast barrel or something? Or like a big grill? Or how do you mean?

A large round metal covered coop and run. He was worried about predators. Worry no more you stupid jerk!