Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

A Real Roost

I put a roost in the playpen for the littles. They were all over it.
View attachment 2829247

They are absolutely adorable, Bob.

 

[featherhead007]

This is to remind @BY Bob what Phyllis usually supposed to look like.
Poor little lady!

 

[Shadrach]

Yesterday, saw both adults (Silver and 2IC: really need to settle on a name for her) going for some shell. Maybe they're getting ready to start laying again. Still look like they have some moulting to finish though. This morning most of the tribe (going with Shad's term for them as my set up is so similar) came up by the house...after curiously watching the mouse I turned loose in the coop when the cat turned up his nose....havent seen that 2IC or Thing (stays in/near the coop). Everyone else, though....
View attachment 2826651Twirp is being her curious self.
View attachment 2826648View attachment 2826649

Good name is Twirp.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach and @everyone. Has anyone tried this treatment for worming?


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Farm-Yard-...ocphy=1007452&hvtargid=pla-700198611737&psc=1

Nope. I've not tried anything in the "natural" line.

 

[Shadrach]

I have not.

These are the ingredients, as they list them. The comments are their's not mine.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium): A traditional remedy for gut hygiene, a long history of use for intestinal hygiene.

Walnut (Juglans cinerea): Good liver herb used traditionally to cleanse and to help control intestinal hygiene.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): A good remedy to help promote intestinal hygiene.

Garlic (Allium sativum): Good cleanser with a history of use for gut hygiene.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Traditionally used to cleanse and help controle intestinal hygiene.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): Traditionally used to help control intestinal hygiene.

Quassia (Picrasma excelsa): One of natures best known insect repellents, with a long tradition of use for intestinal hygiene.

It is being sold as a preventative, to prevent worms not to cure them. I would not use this if your hens have worms already.

I remember reading something on wormwood and chickens a while back. Let me see if I can find it again.

Perhaps @Shadrach has some knowledge on these herbs as well.

I don't take any chances. I use Flubendazole.
I think there is something to be said for preventative measures with herbs etc and given a free range setting I believe that chickens can eat to control their worm load. However, by the time I get to notice they have worms, or after one of the random fecal floats, I use chemicals.

 

[Shadrach]

A Quick Trip Outside

Sylvie takes a bath while Legertha stands watch.

It must be lovely for them to get on to natural ground.

 

[Shadrach]

Rebecca thank you so much for this post - it definitely helps me.
I love the look of the Black Copper Marans and I also love the dark eggs and that they don't lay every day. I didn't know their feet were only lightly feathered - that sounds encouraging.
I guess my concerns about feathered feet are threefold. There is the issue of tracking mud into the nest boxes and making the eggs mucky, and then I was worried about them having waterlogged feet when it gets below freezing. Finally I was worried about the sister plucking - though admittedly nobody has plucked out the Roadrunners' little crests so maybe I am more relaxed about that.
On the muddy feet thing it is not like mine live in a swamp or anything - the Chicken Palace (both coop and runs) are quite dry. But whenever they wander out in the yard they all make a B-line for muddy water and have a grand old time drinking it (like I don't give them clean water in the Chicken Palace!) and running around in puddles. I don't blame them - it looks fun - and every kid I have ever known loves to jump in puddles so why not! But with the clean legged chickens it has the impact of a spa treatment on their toes - they emerge shiny and clean. I assume with feathers they would emerge a soggy mess around their feet.
If you don't mind, could I ask you one thing - can you tell when a Marans chick is just hatched how heavily feathered their legs will be? I am wondering (assuming the farm even breeds Marans) if I could pick out ones with less (or no) feathers on their feet.

Marans tend not to have many feathers on their feet. None of the Marans I knew made any more mess than any of the others. The chicks may not show feathered feet until they have had their final junior moult.

 

[Shadrach]

I don't think you've shown these ones before Shad, unless they're the campground chickens. Where are they from?

They are one of my discoveries where I live. I'll write more about them soon.

 

[Shadrach]

The tone of that article is a little over the top.

I hope we all watch out for mites regardless of whether chickens have feathered legs.

Are dirty eggs really a problem? I get a dirty eggevery now and then, and I simply wash it before using it.

Feather plucking might arise if birds are unhappy and hungry. Not an issue for most of us.

I'll hold my tongue with respect to frostbite because it's unheard of where I live. It doesn't get cold enough. So I can't speak from experience.

Terrible site.

 

[RoyalChick]

Terrible site.

Looks like everyone is aligned on that!