Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Sorry to ask, but what is that all about? (The legs)?

Scaly leg mite.

 

[Shadrach]

Oh poor chap. Is that from mites?

It is. It got left untreated.

 

[Shadrach]

I had noticed his legs in an earlier photo but this one is more detailed. What's causing it?

Scaly leg mite.

 

[Shadrach]

Poor guy. This is going to take a while, isn't it?

They may never look normal again but once the mites are dead and the worst of the crap is cleaned away he should be more comfortable.

 

[629522]

Good morning y'all. Gonna be a bunch of grumpy critters today as they adjust to the time change. We feed dinner at 5 and my gelding stands at the gate and starts to whinny at 2 It's 5:28 a.m. in TX and I can hear the crowing from the coop.

 

[Marie2020]

I'm moving!

What about the chickens?

 

[Marie2020]

It is. It got left untreated.

Not any more it won't be, not if i got who you are correctly

 

[Shadrach]

I’ve been chasing down a dog crate for the past week, everyone has sold out and can’t pay $100+ for one. Finally got an ‘as new’ secondhand one today, so she has been set up in the cage of shame from this afternoon until she forgets this motherhood business.
View attachment 2889492
I hope i‘ve set it up right, I know it’s breaking my heart
She’s day 22-23 and showing no signs of giving up other than that one day out of her own choice, then she was straight back in to the nest box again.
My baby girl

Horrid isn't it. But, sometimes it has to be done.
The setup looks okay to me.

 

[BY Bob]

That sounds good. Could you use the coop warmer for the Bigs and set the Brinsea on its side for the Littles?

It's getting to 23-24F at night here, but I'm thinking at night in the coop they're okay because it's insulated and small, close quarters, and there's not much wind coming at the vents. It's during the day I've noticed they don't want to spend much time out in the open, and prefer the boxed-up areas. I've put up full plastic around the little run and around the coop base, and put a pile of leaves under there too; somebody was happily sunbathing there today, looked like Butters; two others standing near and one eating in the coop run. I've seen both Popcorn and Butters stand and shiver briefly when out in the open aviary runs in the last few days, and they have the least feathers. Everyone seems to stay in the coop after the door has opened until the sun gets up high. At least they do have that as a retreat. That's also why I've switched to a bit of corn for an evening treat, but it may be turning Hazel into a fiend... (she is quite a pill these days)

I have not seen any shivering to date. It is very sunny here during the days. Fortunately it only got down to 38°F last night. I think we are going to get some moderation now in nighttime temps for the next few days. Moving the big heater is a consideration if it starts getting cold again. I'm also putting deep straw in the nest boxes if they want to snuggle down in there. I will keep an eye on everyone for sure.

 

[BY Bob]

I like this idea but I wonder /doubt if it is possible nutritionally to actually have protein "reserves"? That would be in muscle and organ tissue, or where? One would not want to have a protein deficiency going in to molt, and logically I think molting processes start well before we see them. So enough protein should be available early, as you're thinking, and when needed, but I don't see how one can "store" it. It would be excreted if there's excess, and excess could be a problem for those systems (kidneys), couldn't it? Just thinking out loud here.

It will enable them to rebuild muscle, etc in case they have been slowly depleted by egg laying over the summer. Give them a top off as it were. There is no danger to the kidneys as you could feed them feather fixer or starter grower year round. The protein level is not that high.