Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Scrambles83]

Got Belle out this morning, she was out for an hour and furiously ate pellets, scratch, honey toast scraps and some fresh pear. She drank, preened and has just gone back in.
With everything she did, it was like she was on speed, had to fit it all in within a timeframe

 

[LozzyR]

Oh poor baby!
Sleep tight.

Is that you outside with a torch?

 

[RoyalChick]

Is that you outside with a torch?

Yes! That is me wearing my headlight and stacking some lumber into my cart because it needs to go under cover before winter.
I am not good at adapting to shorter day length so I got caught out by it getting dark so early. But it was warm and I was out anyway to check on the Princesses, so why not stack some wood while I am there?!

 

[Shadrach]

It's taken me a while but I've got the basics for a medical kit together finally.
Flubenvet 1% not the mixed in feed sort so I can dose direct and know just what dose I'm giving.
Coxiod. Never used this before but it's what you can get here for coccidia.
Harkers 4 in one. I'm told its good.
Vaseline.
Waiting for Betadine. It's expensive here.
Panacur. Effective but not officially sanctioned and not suiitable for moulting chickens.
A proper full bale of straw. Reasonably cheap and beetr quality than the stuff I got in Spain. They've been buying little bags of straw type stuff for rabbits. What this has meant is the coop hasn't been cleaned out often enough. I can clean daily now.
I brought syringes and stiching stuff with me.
Looking for Metacam still.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I really don't know. She's been molting for like 6 weeks now. I can't keep track.

Have you had anyone shred another's feathers before? More protein needed?

 

[LozzyR]

Well everyone jump on me if this is wrong, but is it possible to end her broodiness early by trying to keep or get her belly cool? So taking her out won't help unless she can't sit and make her belly warm anywhere else? This is why people let them sit but on a towel-covered ice pack, or ice cubes. Or take them for a daily (or 2x daily) cool belly soak in a tub. Or (I like this least) put them in a small cage with a little roost and no nest material, preferably placed with everyone out during the day, in the coop at night?
Or why not let her sit, as long as she takes care of herself and eats, poops and bathes every other day or so? Please everyone explain to me what you do, thanks!

I’ve done both broody jail and letting a hen sit. Charlie goes broody and the first spring/summer she did that, I would crate her for a couple of nights and it would break her. It would happen two or three times a season and I absolutely hate crating her. So last year I let her sit (not on any eggs though) and just made sure she ate and drank. It lasted about a month but she was only broody once. I preferred to do that rather than crate her.

 

[Shadrach]

Agreed. We've disagreed before so we'll survive this one too ~ & yes he asked so we're all sticking our oars in his pond. In the end he will decide what's best for his situation. I have because his lot are like nothing I've ever experienced when it comes to getting along with each other.

We're fine Ribh. As you write, Bob will do what he feels is best.

 

[Shadrach]

Got Belle out this morning, she was out for an hour and furiously ate pellets, scratch, honey toast scraps and some fresh pear. She drank, preened and has just gone back in.
With everything she did, it was like she was on speed, had to fit it all in within a timeframe
View attachment 2868223

Well, she's got stuff to do!

 

[bgmathteach]

Yes. Apparently so. And apparently we would like it too - I think cooked but I am not sure.
Funny how that kind of knowledge gets lost in time.

I cook wood sorrel & sheep sorrel and make a tasty cold summer soup with it & potatoes!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Just add here some hugs and to note this sounds just like Hazel, eating very little, very cautious and wary, resting a lot, though foraging pretty well, and now she is coming back as she finishes her molt, acting better but still easily moved off food. Hazel used to be very aggressive, a hogging, shouldering-in, no holds-barred sewing-machine eater. Haven't seen that Hazel in weeks. Now Butters is exploding feathers, and every preen takes out fluff. She too has become cautious, stands away, and looks unhappy like Minnie, she is beginning to take a lot of rests too.

Also just to add info for you - this morning there was no super-loose poo in the poop tray. I'm still watching but everything with Hazel seems to be improving. So if this continues, then the diarrhea/loose poo is somehow related to the molt. She was drinking enough to compensate, or her drinking was causing it. Can't say (chicken/egg conundrum )