Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Some guache chickens, breed favorites of our keepers. Marans fans do not worry, your time will come soon. Apologies to all the legbar fans.
View attachment 2873880

I love those!

 

[bgmathteach]

I am very reluctant to do anything bar the bare minimum with beak problems.
This study will help explain why.
I'n still horrified that there is an article here on BYC about beak trimming.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/

I have reshaped a couple of hens beaks in the past. I do it very carefully with an engineering file, a bit like a nail file. It takes weeks doing a bit at a time, trying to mimic the natural wear achieved when a hen wipes her beak on rough stone.

Thank you for this! I always thought it was more like a nail/claw with a quick inside the main portion/center - this is quite interesting. I guess I should have figured there was more to the beak receptor wise since it is crucial for them in deciding what to tap/peck and explore more, etc. (especially after reading from a previous link you posted about exploratory pecks! Just because I teach math doesn't always mean I put 2 & 2 together )

@Shadrach, I am constantly amazed at your wealth of knowledge....and that you are able to not just acquire, but retain it.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for posting. I have been saying this for years but never had the article to back it up. It was taught as fact at University so I assumed it was universally known. It is not. The chronic pain from removal of the tip is also worth noting. Poor things.

I located a summary of the pain study. I can't get the entire article to link to it. Here is the summary.

Neuroma formation and abnormal afferent nerve discharges after partial beak amputation (beak trimming) in poultry​

• J. Breward &
• M. J. Gentle

Summary​

Following partial amputation of the beak recordings were taken of the electrical activity from single afferent fibers of the intramandibular nerve. A total of 192 single afferent fiber units were isolated of which 47 were classified as nociceptors, with an abnormal pattern of discharge, and 89 were abnormal spontaneously active units. Following amputation neuromas were developing by 15 days after surgery and they were well formed by 20 to 30 days. The presence of neuromas together with abnormal spontaneous activity originating from them raise serious welfare questions concerning beak trimming.

Additional info from BY Bob
This neuroma formation is the same as what occurs in human amputees that complain of chronic and acute pain as well as phantom limb syndrome. It is highly likely that de-beaked chickens suffer the same effects.

 

[MaryJanet]

I've had a terrific day.
I had planned to do some responsible grown up stuff today. But, come mid day, the sun was shining and I looked out the window and thought to myself I know where I would like to be and there is lots to do there as well, so there I went. There, is of course the allotments and chickens.

I got another stretch of fence sorted. I will explain a bit about the whole setup at some point. This stretch of fence had no buried chicken wire and just the stock net at the bottom half. Very easy for a stoat or weasel to get into the run.
View attachment 2873833View attachment 2873834View attachment 2873835
I don't work flat out these days; pensioners privildge. So, I head back into the run and watch the chickens on a regular basis.
The area I cleared a while back under the trees has become the favourite resting place for the chickens. They have the run fence at their back, cover in the weeds and from the trees and a good line of sight into the open run area. Thing is, the geese like it as well. There is constant mild friction between the geese and the chickens. It's mostly hiss and spit but given the size difference between the geese and the chickens, even Henry who is not a small rooster, if I'm not there, gives way to the geese.
When I do herd the geese away they waddle off back towards their "end" of the run and that's it until next time.
The youngest male who is one of the grey geese fancies himself a bit and is the first to make that ungainly head lowered charge at a chicken given the chance. There is a pathway around the back of the large netted frame that sits at one end of the run. I'm right behind the geese herding them on when four of them peeled off right to go around the netted frame when Mr I'm well hard peels off left to go around the back. Lima is standing about halfway along the back path having a bit of a dig. Mr I'm well hard drops his head and makes a bit of a charge at Lima. I'm about to dive on him full rugby style. Lima jumps up and foreward, gets a double foot smack on the gooses head, gives him a peck on the beak on her way down and is up in the air again for another go.
Mr I'm well hard falls over as he attempts to go backwards (there isn't any room to go around) flaps himself 180 degrees and runs away to join the others.
To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement.
This is a view looking from the other end, the geese end. The geese were coming towards you in the picture, away from the chickens. As you can see where the pallet is there isn't a lot of room to get by.
View attachment 2873866
Just to remind you, Lima.
View attachment 2873869
And in case you can't think how big geese are compared to these chickens. That's Mr I'm well hard at the front.
View attachment 2873873

Go Lima!!

 

[Ribh]

Oh, gosh, I hope it NEVER happens again. They bleed like a son of a gun - I thought there had been a massacre, my heart skipped a beat...then I realized what it was...no dead chickens, but a bloody man-fight gone wrong, lol!!! But, yes, if it happens again, I will certainly take a picture!

Would you be able to take a series of shots showing how you made the fake beak? This is fascinating.

 

[RoyalChick]

The day got even better. Once I had finished digging the trench and got the wire in the bottom I went and sat on the ground close to the run and trees where a few of the chickens were relaxing. I sit cross legged on the ground. I can get up without having to use my hands quickly if necessary from that position.
I haven't been sitting for long when Lima comes around from behind me, climbs onto my boot and settles herself in my lap, stick her head under her wing and stays there!
Of course I'm entranced and sit there looking at this strange brave hen who would be the keel bone test be pronounced dead having anap in my lap. When I look up, Lima's legbar friend is standing by my boot looking at Lima and five of the Ex Batts are sitting or standing around me close enough for me to breath on.
Henry comes over and after a bit of awkward shuffling around me he gingerly walks up to my knee and gives it a peck then makes the coo cooing sound he makes to his hens when he's talking to them nicely and walks away to join the others.

One of the problems I've had is getting to have a decent look at all the hens and of course Henry. Most people who keep chickens will know that you can have a handfull of chickens under your feet, but bend down to pick one up and there are gone!
I picked up six hens this evening.

That sounds totally wonderful!
As a proud friend to a couple of Legbars can I encourage you to give a name to 'Lima's Legbar friend'?

 

[MaryJanet]

The day got even better. Once I had finished digging the trench and got the wire in the bottom I went and sat on the ground close to the run and trees where a few of the chickens were relaxing. I sit cross legged on the ground. I can get up without having to use my hands quickly if necessary from that position.
I haven't been sitting for long when Lima comes around from behind me, climbs onto my boot and settles herself in my lap, stick her head under her wing and stays there!
Of course I'm entranced and sit there looking at this strange brave hen who would be the keel bone test be pronounced dead having anap in my lap. When I look up, Lima's legbar friend is standing by my boot looking at Lima and five of the Ex Batts are sitting or standing around me close enough for me to breath on.
Henry comes over and after a bit of awkward shuffling around me he gingerly walks up to my knee and gives it a peck then makes the coo cooing sound he makes to his hens when he's talking to them nicely and walks away to join the others.

One of the problems I've had is getting to have a decent look at all the hens and of course Henry. Most people who keep chickens will know that you can have a handfull of chickens under your feet, but bend down to pick one up and there are gone!
I picked up six hens this evening.

Blissful!!

And yeh, I get what you're saying about taking a close look.

 

[MaryJanet]

Thank you for this! I always thought it was more like a nail/claw with a quick inside the main portion/center - this is quite interesting. I guess I should have figured there was more to the beak receptor wise since it is crucial for them in deciding what to tap/peck and explore more, etc. (especially after reading from a previous link you posted about exploratory pecks! Just because I teach math doesn't always mean I put 2 & 2 together )

@Shadrach, I am constantly amazed at your wealth of knowledge....and that you are able to not just acquire, but retain it.

And share it too.

He's very generous with his time.

 

[bgmathteach]

I've had a terrific day.
I had planned to do some responsible grown up stuff today. But, come mid day, the sun was shining and I looked out the window and thought to myself I know where I would like to be and there is lots to do there as well, so there I went. There, is of course the allotments and chickens.

I got another stretch of fence sorted. I will explain a bit about the whole setup at some point. This stretch of fence had no buried chicken wire and just the stock net at the bottom half. Very easy for a stoat or weasel to get into the run.
View attachment 2873833View attachment 2873834View attachment 2873835
I don't work flat out these days; pensioners privildge. So, I head back into the run and watch the chickens on a regular basis.
The area I cleared a while back under the trees has become the favourite resting place for the chickens. They have the run fence at their back, cover in the weeds and from the trees and a good line of sight into the open run area. Thing is, the geese like it as well. There is constant mild friction between the geese and the chickens. It's mostly hiss and spit but given the size difference between the geese and the chickens, even Henry who is not a small rooster, if I'm not there, gives way to the geese.
When I do herd the geese away they waddle off back towards their "end" of the run and that's it until next time.
The youngest male who is one of the grey geese fancies himself a bit and is the first to make that ungainly head lowered charge at a chicken given the chance. There is a pathway around the back of the large netted frame that sits at one end of the run. I'm right behind the geese herding them on when four of them peeled off right to go around the netted frame when Mr I'm well hard peels off left to go around the back. Lima is standing about halfway along the back path having a bit of a dig. Mr I'm well hard drops his head and makes a bit of a charge at Lima. I'm about to dive on him full rugby style. Lima jumps up and foreward, gets a double foot smack on the gooses head, gives him a peck on the beak on her way down and is up in the air again for another go.
Mr I'm well hard falls over as he attempts to go backwards (there isn't any room to go around) flaps himself 180 degrees and runs away to join the others.
To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement.
This is a view looking from the other end, the geese end. The geese were coming towards you in the picture, away from the chickens. As you can see where the pallet is there isn't a lot of room to get by.
View attachment 2873866
Just to remind you, Lima.
View attachment 2873869
And in case you can't think how big geese are compared to these chickens. That's Mr I'm well hard at the front.
View attachment 2873873

Good for Lima. It's probably that spunky spirit that has kept her alive, given her trachea/esophagus troubles. Good thing you came along and are giving her a fighting chance...since she obviously has not just a will to live, but to live large & on HER terms!

 

[BY Bob]

I've had a terrific day.
I had planned to do some responsible grown up stuff today. But, come mid day, the sun was shining and I looked out the window and thought to myself I know where I would like to be and there is lots to do there as well, so there I went. There, is of course the allotments and chickens.

I got another stretch of fence sorted. I will explain a bit about the whole setup at some point. This stretch of fence had no buried chicken wire and just the stock net at the bottom half. Very easy for a stoat or weasel to get into the run.
View attachment 2873833View attachment 2873834View attachment 2873835
I don't work flat out these days; pensioners privildge. So, I head back into the run and watch the chickens on a regular basis.
The area I cleared a while back under the trees has become the favourite resting place for the chickens. They have the run fence at their back, cover in the weeds and from the trees and a good line of sight into the open run area. Thing is, the geese like it as well. There is constant mild friction between the geese and the chickens. It's mostly hiss and spit but given the size difference between the geese and the chickens, even Henry who is not a small rooster, if I'm not there, gives way to the geese.
When I do herd the geese away they waddle off back towards their "end" of the run and that's it until next time.
The youngest male who is one of the grey geese fancies himself a bit and is the first to make that ungainly head lowered charge at a chicken given the chance. There is a pathway around the back of the large netted frame that sits at one end of the run. I'm right behind the geese herding them on when four of them peeled off right to go around the netted frame when Mr I'm well hard peels off left to go around the back. Lima is standing about halfway along the back path having a bit of a dig. Mr I'm well hard drops his head and makes a bit of a charge at Lima. I'm about to dive on him full rugby style. Lima jumps up and foreward, gets a double foot smack on the gooses head, gives him a peck on the beak on her way down and is up in the air again for another go.
Mr I'm well hard falls over as he attempts to go backwards (there isn't any room to go around) flaps himself 180 degrees and runs away to join the others.
To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement.
This is a view looking from the other end, the geese end. The geese were coming towards you in the picture, away from the chickens. As you can see where the pallet is there isn't a lot of room to get by.
View attachment 2873866
Just to remind you, Lima.
View attachment 2873869
And in case you can't think how big geese are compared to these chickens. That's Mr I'm well hard at the front.
View attachment 2873873

Way to go Lima!