Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

If my broody girls have taught me anything it is to just breath and step back and let them do their thing. I watch them like a hawk the first week as they tend to not to want to come off the eggs so if they go longer then 2 days I remove them so they can eat/drink and poop. After that first week they settle right into the routine and come off themselves like clockwork once a day. Then at the end a day or 2 before the chicks hatch they'll come off for that final time and whereas before they might be off for maybe 30 minutes they will take up to 2 hours before returning to the nest. This is normal and ok as I think they know the chicks are due to hatch and they will not move until that final egg has hatched.

Thanks, Rebecca. So far they have been doing everything right ~ apart from choosing the middle 2 boxes in the main coop. It's not the safest location for chicks but it was a disaster when I tried to move them. I will wait till the chicks hatch & move everyone then.

 

[RoyalChick]

The storm has passed and the rain has stopped. We got a little over 6” here so everything is very soggy and muddy except the Chicken Palace which is nice and dry (well apart from the two areas where I still need to finish my drainage pipes).
So I let the Princesses out into their yard. With the wet and the heat everything has grown a lot so Maggie’s little paths through the long grass got overgrown. She went right to work clearing the paths.

I am worried about Elizabeth.
She continues to lay very brittle shelled eggs and sometimes no shell at all.
At least I know she is getting the eggs out because they make a hell of a mess in the nest box. But she isn’t full of zip like normal. Nothing terrible just a bit subdued. And she just delivered a poop that was like pure water.
I will check her crop in the morning to see it is emptying properly.
I may be overly worrying - several of the Princesses have had liquid poops now and then and I think she is starting to molt, so maybe it is OK. But something tells me she isn’t quite righ.
Elizabeth and her fluffy butt.

 

[featherhead007]

If my broody girls have taught me anything it is to just breath and step back and let them do their thing. I watch them like a hawk the first week as they tend to not to want to come off the eggs so if they go longer then 2 days I remove them so they can eat/drink and poop. After that first week they settle right into the routine and come off themselves like clockwork once a day. Then at the end a day or 2 before the chicks hatch they'll come off for that final time and whereas before they might be off for maybe 30 minutes they will take up to 2 hours before returning to the nest. This is normal and ok as I think they know the chicks are due to hatch and they will not move until that final egg has hatched.

Not in my experience. My hen laid a clutch of eggs died because I interfered with Rockets last chance at motherhood. They died, then she broke her leg and was put down! So, you are correct! Leave them alone

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Today is my first day of uni, wish me luck!

Good luck! The first day is information overload but soooo exciting. Have fun!

 

[Blazinga]

I have concluded my birds prefer spinach to red lettuce. Katydid is a salad bird. Shirina drops her salad 50% of the time. If they bite a bit while I hand out food should I poke them? Is this a bad behavior or a natural behavior?

 

[featherhead007]

I have concluded my birds prefer spinach to red lettuce. Katydid is a salad bird. Shirina drops her salad 50% of the time. If they bite a bit while I hand out food should I poke them? Is this a bad behavior or a natural behavior?

Try a shrimp salad, with young spinach greens. I will bet that they like it! And if they bite a bit, pull the food away for a while and say “No biting!” (Works for me)!

 

[SusannasMom]

I’m in flight now, but have been diverted to Orange County airport, due to Fire activity in Central Valley. Things change by the second in the sky. Bakersfield airport is open, but I hate Bakersfield for so many reasons . I will update you my friends

Are your chicken's safe? I hope you are safe

 

[SusannasMom]

?????

My bad I didn't mean to post on this thread

 

[featherhead007]

Are your chicken's safe? I hope you are safe

Only time I am not safe is when I’m up 6000ft. And I’m a cross wind. (But I’m a pretty good pilot so..) but thanks

 

[sweaterthebroodyrooster]

I’m in flight now, but have been diverted to Orange County airport, due to Fire activity in Central Valley. Things change by the second in the sky. Bakersfield airport is open, but I hate Bakersfield for so many reasons . I will update you my friends

Orange County Va?