Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Mine pulled a teamwork about a month ago. Rusty went off by the kitchen window, sounding like a disgruntled broody hen (from a rooster?!). While out looking at him like an idiot, Ir realized I was hearing the same sounds from the area around the coop (Mama was still incubating). I headed out there...without my glasses on...found all the noise was coming from Silver, my lead hen. Babies (7 weeks?) are either in the coop or just outside, not under the Russian olives. Large white patch under one of them. Get closer...white patch is the neighbor's cat, Trouble, who is quite the hunter and not intimidated by chickens, also not willing to leave just yet...i had to get the hose out. NO birds were harmed and the cat just got a bit of an early bath. The teamwork between Silver and Rusty was interesting to see, especially since Silver helped raise Rusty.

Nice teamwork!

 

[micstrachan]

It is absurdly simple:
- Source some Kefir grains - Craig's List, Amazon, specialty Kefir sites, neighbors, friends
- Place grains in a jar and fill jar with milk
- Cover jar to keep dust off (I use a coffee filter secured with a rubber band)
- Every couple of days scoop them out of the jar and put in a clean jar with fresh milk
- The milk left over has miraculously turned to Kefir

There are a few 'tricks' to keep in mind:
- Wash hands and keep things clean so you don't contaminate the culture
- When they start getting too active divide the grain population in half - you can eat the discarded grains or feed them to the chickens - I rather like them so I tend to eat them myself
- If your grains are traumatized - like when you first get them, or if you neglect them, you can revive them by putting them in milk until they perk up again
- I find it easier to fish them out if they are in a container - I use little bamboo baskets from Thailand because Kefir doesn't love metal and you need big holes so the milk flows over them - I just find it a lot easier to fish out a basket than it is to skim for the grains

Over time you will learn what consistency and degree of sourness you like - the longer you leave them the more it will turn into cheese and the more sour it will taste.

Here is a link to a Kefir site that explains it - and really it is even simpler than they say here:
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/milk-kefir/how-to-make-milk-kefir/

And here is a link to Amazon site for Kefir grains - you can get them cheaper for sure - if you check Craig's list people even give them away because they multiply so fast (it is a bit like us with eggs in spring!) - but this one comes with an e-book on how to do it if you never have
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GGRJTG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I find the grains are pretty tough - they freeze well (I have used grains that were frozen for 3 years), and even when I neglect them badly they can always be nursed back to life. The only time I have thrown any away is once I got black mold on the Kefir and that felt like something I wasn't comfortable dealing with!

Thanks for this! Bookmarked!

 

[micstrachan]

Mugs Monday.
Alpia.
Judging by that comb & wattles she'll be back laying soon.

View attachment 2791893

OMG, that double lacing on her feathers!

 

[fuentemoon]

Seems the post office likes holding on to things these days. My box of needed vitamins (magnesium and b2) has been sitting at the distribution center here, less then 10 miles from my house, since Saturday.

 

[micstrachan]

I've not seen any evidence that severity of moult is related to breed. I've had a few heavy moulters and they seemed to get less sever as they grew older.

I don’t have enough experience watching molt yet to see trends, except Bridge molts slowly for a few months. Dear Dorothy was two and never molted. Her mate from chickhood (brooder mate?), Ester is in her second molt in 9 months. Lucky’s molt is pretty hard, just like last year. Buttercup, on the other hand, barely molted, whereas, last year, she seemed to molt several times!

 

[micstrachan]

All I can say is you're all very brave. Camo combats, heavyweight, boots, leather gloves in one pocket, walnuts in the other annd that's the lightweight chicken tending kit.
Take no chances is my view. We're not dealing with cuddly toys here you know.
I couldn't help but notice chickens have sharp bits!

Yeah, well… I know you're not necessarily fond of chickens as pets, like I have, but I would not hesitate to handle any of them in my jammies. You know how you said Ruby is a dream to tube feed? Ester was the same way. Granted, both of them had grown very weak when I started tubing, but I think the fact that I handle and love on them helps, too.

 

[micstrachan]

How is your heart now Michelle? Behaving itself?
My cardiologist told me to go to ER if mine mucks up for more than 30 minutes. I hope you are okay.

AC, I didn’t answer your question. My heart behaved today! Tomorrow I get the heart monitor. There is a very good chance of me not having a single episode during the two weeks I have to wear it.

 

[micstrachan]

Bees and bums
View attachment 2792649
View attachment 2792659
View attachment 2792650View attachment 2792651View attachment 2792652

Wonderful photoshoot! Thank you!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

This morning.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Good to know! I just really didn’t want to spend the evening in the ER, as I was so tired already! I’ll be letting my doc know and follow up with the cardiology appointment with the monitor. The thing us, I can easily go two weeks without an episode, so we still might not catch it, even with the monitor. I’ve had two close friends mention heart arrhythmias being treated with magnesium. I’ll look into it and mention it to my doctor, as well.

I'm glad it sorted itself out.... but 6.5 hours!

I have had the atrial fibrillation since my 20s but it would only be a flutter now and then so it could never be caught. I eventually had an episode that lasted for 18 hours which enabled it to be diagnosed.
My doctor sent me straight to the ER and they bustled me straight in where they shocked my heart. It worked!

I still get short flutters now and then which I have to monitor.

Tax