Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

Apparently my hens have not read the book that claims "hens prefer dark quite places to lay their eggs." Porch box drama continues, and only getting worse. 11 girls are laying and now all but the cochins who have yet to discover the front porch fight to lay their egg in the 1 box. They are all completely ignoring the box beside the prize nest. Depending on who is in the box, and who is in line to lay they will either climb on top of a hen to lay or in Raven and Butter's case evict the hen in the box. If the box is occupied and someone else needs it, they ALL complain loudly that the box is in use. I really cannot understand why they all want that box. It's in a brightly lit, non secluded location that between letting in and out the cats and dogs and coming and going myself a high-traffic area. I can understand possibly why Bunny loves it, she hatched off her first clutch of chicks there last year. The rest of the girls...I think they just want to drive me crazy.

I suspect it's exactly because they know you are close by.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Unpleasant Finding

I went inside for about 10 minutes to make myself a cuppa coffee. I knew all the girls were either in or behind the run, pretty well protected, and Lexi the dog was out there as well. When I came out, everyone was still hiding in the run, except for Roxy and Flash. I found them behind the run and Flash was standing a bit like a penguin. I can’t remember if I posted the video, but yesterday I took a video and commented that I did not like the yellow color in her face. I caught her and walked her over to the sun. I held her in my lap and warmed her up and she seem to enjoy it. Then she suddenly got nervous and ran for cover. There must’ve been a hawk or something that I did not see. So I went back inside, crushed up a calcium citrate, and put it into baby bird formula with a little bit of Nutridrench. I caught her again, brought her back out into the sun and offered her the treat. She gobbled it right up. However, as I watched her with her treat, I noticed that her left pupil is irregularly shaped. I am beyond bummed. I think most of you know that that is a sign of ocular Mareks. That combined with her yellow skin has me very concerned. I’ll try to get a photo.

I'm so sorry about this, Michelle! Is the pupil consistently not right? I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with yellow skin being related to Marek's. Wouldn't that be due to laying less at this time of year? Their legs get more and less yellow too, depending on egg formation or not, right?

Bob, did you ever get rice hulls? This is the second weekend in a row that I’ve tried at my feed store and their shipments just aren’t coming.

I have not. Can't find them.

I bought this a while back, maybe it's not what you have used, I didn't notice until now it says "parboiled"!! That might explain why it breaks down so fast (see below).
It was $20+ shipping then, I see it's $24+shipping now.
https://www.7springsfarm.com/produc...&utm_source=OrderlyEmails&utm_content=product

I put some here and there and the chickens explored it but didn't seem overly interested. Very fluffy texture which is nice. However, I had some water issues so haven't added more yet. First needed a thicker base layer of wood chips everywhere in both runs, because I found the small rice hulls would migrate down a bit, soak up any water and hold it. It seemed like it was transporting water up to the surface even. We had such a wet Fall, the ground is saturated, and the winter snows followed by above-freezing temps are adding more water. Chopped hemp would pack when wet, but it is not as bad, it holds it's integrity, whereas the rice hulls were breaking down fast into mush, and I didn't want any mold happening. I needed much more barrier material down. So that's better now, and under the coop is consistently good and dry and I can put it there.

In the Big Run there were leaks in the cover tarp discovered late, and now those are repaired, I won't be using it on top next year. I know now where it's always dry, and where snow blows in and when the temps go up it's going to be damp, so can't put rice hulls in those places. My side tarp system on two walls has pros and cons, it's a new arrangement, and it is sort of working, but it has been a challenge.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Monday Mugs

I'm sick everyone. No I haven't had a Covid test. I do feel like I might not be here all the time so please don't worry.

Here’s some Monday Mugs.
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Roger that!
We are starting the whole Seinfeld series,
DH want to school in NJ, his 8th grade teacher was Mr. Bevliqua , sadly he passed away last year.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of Sunshine in action on my lap.

This was insanely enjoyable to watch and listen, thank you!

 

[micstrachan]

I'm so sorry about this, Michelle! Is the pupil consistently not right? I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with yellow skin being related to Marek's. Wouldn't that be due to laying less at this time of year? Their legs get more and less yellow too, depending on egg formation or not, right?

I don’t know if the pupil is consistently not right; it’s hard to get a look at her. I’m glad she is still feisty and has her spunk! I agree yellow skin could be from not having her laying hormones back yet. I wasn’t saying it was directly related to Marek’s, but feared her liver could be having issues… possibly from Marek’s?

Anyway, this morning her crop was empty and she was her spunky self. Marek’s is already a question mark in my flock, so I’ll just support them the best I can. It might be time for beef liver in case Flash is anemic.

Since Ester’s necropsy said she was obese and had liver disease, I’ve cut treats completely (again… why do I get weak and put us all in this position?) and I’m making mash with milk thistle, olive leaf extract, echinacea and goldenseal a few times a week. I don't want to do anything for an extended period of time without avian veterinary advice to do so, but right now I don’t think those supplements will hurt, especially the milk thistle.

 

[micstrachan]

This was insanely enjoyable to watch and listen, thank you!

Aw, thanks! Isn’t she hilariously cute?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Monday Mugs

I'm sick everyone. No I haven't had a Covid test. I do feel like I might not be here all the time so please don't worry.

Here’s some Monday Mugs.
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Hope you feel good again soon!

 

[BY Bob]

I don't know what I'm going to do. There is no way I can haul my butt out there.

So I hauled my butt out and made certain that there was corn in the coops for when they wake up and fresh water. Mrs BY Bob just can't do the water.

So of all things I have the flu. I waited 4.5 hours in a car to be seen and to get tested. I'm on Tamiflu but I expect it will take all week until I'm feeling like myself again. Please excuse my absence.

 

[fuentemoon]

You all laughed at me way back when I said I wanted to feed the crows to keep them around. I still think it is a good idea!

We do.

 

[bgmathteach]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of Sunshine in action on my lap.

Awww...love that lap time!

Doesn't it make you feel wonderful that they love their featherless mom so much that you just don't have enough lap space!!!

to she who is worshiped by the chickens