Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Only if the shoe fits...thank you. They were inspired by my nephew. Unicorn bath bombs for his older sisters didn't fit for him. The piggy in a mud puddle did (especially considering his father had a penchant for playing in mud as a toddler). Those silly soaps were a huge hit with both sides of the family last Christmas.

Nice work on the soaps! I made candles once, but burned myself on the hot wax (I was only eight years old at the time)

 

[LozzyR]

Oooh, that looks like very soft fluff!

It is, but she’s not a cuddle chicken. And she’s the only one with a presentable butt at the moment!

 

[Shadrach]

I know it is Friday and I will try to get a picture of the Friday end of a chicken later.
In the meantime, there is no denying it. Maggie is molting. So far she seems very chipper unlike last year when she was one hot mess.
View attachment 2844865

Was last year her first major moult?
The hens from the tribes made very heavy weather of their first moult; wouldn't eat the feed provided, wandered away from the tribe to forage, looked completely miserable and left me feeling very worried about them.
Come the second full moult most took it in their stride. They still kept away from the rest of the tribe by a few feet but stayed within hearing distance of their rooster. Some prefered to sleep in the nest boxes at the worst part of the moult but went back to normal roosting fairly quickly.

 

[MaryJanet]

@Shadrach while you're about, I've a question for you if you don't mind. Do egg whites become more viscous as a hen ages? I ask because Mary is 4 now and her whites are increasingly viscous, so I'm wondering if it's just her or whether it's common.

 

[Shadrach]

Where did Henry The Second come from Shad? I don't think they have battery roosters!
And one thought as it is an allotment - I don't think you did this with the Tribes, but be sure to set up a manure composting system - whatever they grow in the allotment will win prizes with that fertilizer and it is for free.
Actually you could bag it and sell it - I am always being asked if I can spare a bucket of chicken manure to help with roses and the like.

I was told that Henry The Second is the son of Henry The First who died a few years ago at an unknown age and unknown causes.
I did dump the coop poop and bedding in the compost in Catalonia. There are a few compost bins at the allotments. I'll start one of my own once I've got the new part of the run finished.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm mulling ideas on this. I could take out the existing nest boxes and replace with more roost space. Could also make the nest sites more baby accessible... this is going to require serious thought....nest needs to be inside coop for security, on the "ground" so no roost above it, nor roosts above feed/water station....alternative: turn carport into a coop with everything there...then must line inside for protection from the metal siding. Makes sense to put a door in from garage so can access there/heat via wood stove in the garage....screen door....car exhaust....LOTS more mulling of ideas.

If you're a bit handy with the woodwork the coop shown in the linked article worked really well. I had three at one point and then my house took over for Tribe 1.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...e-make-a-sitting-hens-job-so-difficult.74389/

I found the quicker the chicks got on to natural ground and out and about with mum the better. The natural instinct of the mums is to get the chickens out and moble as quickly as possible. Access to natural ground and having a maternity unit to return to at night worked really well. Eventually of course, mum would introduce the chicks to the rest of the tribe and take them back to the main tribe coop.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you! We have been feeling quite helpless. She's very special to us. We're doing all we can; I hope it's enough. It seems like she's doing better today!

I deal with mild cases by making the hen drink lots of water and massaging the crop on a regular basis. Usually the water flushes whatever is partiallly compacted through to the gizzard. It does take some days. About 40cl of water morning and evening given in 10cl doses with gentle crop massage in between. Once the crop starts to function better (not necessarily empty in the mornings but less full feeling, then I give coconut oil in frozen chunks to help move the remaining bits in their crop. It's quite a lot of work but it seems to work.

 

[LozzyR]

Big chickens!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1441802434985316354

 

[Shadrach]

I don't recall him saying that

You must have missed it.

 

[Scrambles83]

Someone just had a good preen and now is sleepy