Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

Well me. I guessed. I have no idea really!

I can't in all seriousness say that I've ever actually seen anyone wearing one.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I can't in all seriousness say that I've ever actually seen anyone wearing one.

I always thought they were designed as a bit of a joke item.
I think Aussie flies are too smart and determined to be put off by a few swaying corks!

 

[Blazinga]

Here you go!
https://poshmark.com/listing/Custom-made-Derby-Feather-hat-58ac6a302599fe9898008584
View attachment 2864065

Ideal for a Phyllis cosplay.

 

[micstrachan]

I Just Knew It

When darkness started to fall, the Phyllistines had no idea where to go to roost. I gave them some time but they just laid down in the grass and distress peeped. So I gathered them up and they climbed up to my shoulder. SoI sat down and we hung out together for a while.

Of course they could not sit still and eventually wound up on my head.

Notice how simply I caught Legertha when she fell off my head. Pretty slick, right?

I took them to their coop and put them on the porch. From there, they put themselves to bed after snacking for a while.

Phyllis roosted in the big coop tonight so I closed off the big run. The littles will be free to roam the big run when the automated door opens in the morning.

So stinkin’ cute!!!

 

[micstrachan]

I must know what the corked hat is for? Why would someone wear that?

Right???

 

[micstrachan]

I am behind and haven't kept up well with the current posts! I think Hazel has rounded the corner on the molt, but not 100% sure. She isn't acting "off" and standoffish like she was, she seems much better. She has not stood and napped that I've observed, and has not acted weird or visibly trembled that I've seen since that post. So I agree, she needs to gain weight back. I don't have more fresh corn but maybe some in the freezer. I have to get more sardines in water, no salt. Maybe tuna in water? We have that. DH is shopping tomorrow. She has not consistently liked a protein I can stick with. Except earthworms.

She did show interest in dried black soldier fly grubs today, which surprised me and I think is a good sign, that's something she showed zero interest in earlier, so her food likings are beginning to come back to normal maybe? She got in the group seeking out and gobbling up when I scattered a couple handfuls. So I scattered more in her direction.

Today she ate earthworms that I saw, and this morning cooked brown rice, and a bit of crumbled hamburger (less interest than yesterday) then later grass and some of these little tubers I've described-- I managed to get a few small ones before they did today and photograph them before giving them back out. These ones are a little bigger than garlic seed head cloves. My fingers were showing about a centimeter. They love these things! They see just a speck of the tuber from above and they grab it. They even can spot the just the roots sticking out from a clump of dirt from the shovel, and pull them out that way.
View attachment 2864108

I haven't seen her eat any pellets or any yogurt calcium mash balls. Tomorrow I'm going to try rolled oats soaked in egg and then cooked like a frittata which they all used to like, and the baby bird crumbles pudding which she did eat a few days ago.

She also dustbathed today, and yesterday, whereas she was avoiding that before, so she must feel more comfortable?

I think her poops are still loose. I have a sample of a more firm poop I saw her make and am going to follow your fecal float instructions, hope to do that tomorrow, along with a fresher sample from the roost tomorrow, if there's another really wet one I'll get it. She's the only one pooping like that.

At least she’s eating something! Have you tried cooked beef liver? Most of mine go crazy for it!

 

[micstrachan]

That's not really a proper cork hat.
A proper cork hat should have a lot more corks hanging down to create a screen to prevent flies getting into your mouth.

Actually?

 

[micstrachan]

If you get another one: cut in half like you did, scoop out center (seeds & stuff) cook all, then mix middle stuff with something they get regularly & like (say, maybe a mash of their commercial feed mixed with yogurt & meally worms?), and put that mixture into the center hollow of each cooked pumpkin half. That should do the trick!

P.S. That was a huge pumpkin for only a dozen hens....they would have had to gorge themselves PLUS to have eaten all of that. Maybe a small pumpkin next time?

I never saw the pumpkin photo?

 

[micstrachan]

Hi folks. The days are getting short so quickly! That cuts WAY into free range time. Tonight they were quite active, since the wind had settled down.

Flash’s crop is still slow. I got more oil and massage in today, so I hope to feel a difference in the morning. She was very active, which was great to see. I just hope we can get the blockage, wherever it is, to pass. She seemed constipated when I took her in for oil treatment, so I’m hoping that means it’s moving down.

Minnie is CRAZY skinny. She’s the one who was ataxic a couple weeks ago. Tonight and another night recently, she stayed down on the roost on Ruby’s shelf until I moved her up. I think she’s starving. And when I offer her private feedings, she enthusiastically eats, but they are teeny, tiny nibbles. I’m not sure what’s going on there. I need to start weighing her. I suspect she’s had a drastic drop in weight.

This part of Ruby’s preliminary necropsy report sounds like visceral Marek’s to me.
There are multifocal tan, lobular nodules ranging between 2mm to 2cm scattered in the coelomic cavity, kidneys, replacing the ovary.

I’m bracing myself for Minnie’s anorexia to be related to Marek’s. I hope I’m wrong.

I’ve been having fun the last three nights sneaking into the coop with a headlamp and a small bowl of baby bird formula. They sound so cute as they gobble it up! They’re also getting sprouted wheat berries since the free range time is so limited. When I bring Flash in for oil and massage, I give the sprouts to the rest of the flock. The sprouts are getting quite long and almost to the fodder stage!

 

[MaryJanet]

I Just Knew It

When darkness started to fall, the Phyllistines had no idea where to go to roost. I gave them some time but they just laid down in the grass and distress peeped. So I gathered them up and they climbed up to my shoulder. SoI sat down and we hung out together for a while.

Of course they could not sit still and eventually wound up on my head.

Notice how simply I caught Legertha when she fell off my head. Pretty slick, right?

I took them to their coop and put them on the porch. From there, they put themselves to bed after snacking for a while.

Phyllis roosted in the big coop tonight so I closed off the big run. The littles will be free to roam the big run when the automated door opens in the morning.

You didn't even have your roosting hat on!