Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

I've heard or older hens starting to crow and in their molts getting more rooster like feathers and definitely taking on rooster duties. How old is Cashew? Without a rooster, I can see this happening if she is older. [Hen-o-pause!]

Cashew will be five at the end of March, so maybe? Her comb is so pump and red right I was thinking she would start laying soon, but she is not squatting and doesn’t wanna be handled. When she has laying hormones, she’s a very lovey, lap sitting, squatting type of girl.

 

[micstrachan]

These are not the best pictures but with the way the sun was shining it was very hard to focus on the spots with my camera. What do you all think? If it is frostbite it is entirely her own fault as 2 nights ago she refused to roost in the coop and went 30 feet up into the pine tree.
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Yes, sorry to say, I think it’s frostbite. I also think she will be fine. I’d leave it alone.

 

[Chicken poppy]

The parts of my yard where I would walk are like that, but clever Maggie went to a part that is sloped facing South so it is mostly melted. Clever girl!

Very clever!

 

[BY Bob]

I think I may be dealing with my first ever case of frostbite on the points of a comb. I always figured if I had a case it would be on one of the boys due to their large combs and wattles, but nope, Blueberry has me worried. The back 3 points of her comb have turned yellow. I'll get pictures later, but when I caught her a few minutes ago, the area is dry and there is no swelling. I want to put something on it, but we are dealing with night time temps down to the low teens to single digits right now and I think it would just make the area on her comb worse and be very painful to her.

Frostbite is usually a function of moisture. Once they have it you need to leave the affected area alone. The tissue will eventually blacken and drop off on its on. How cold did it get there?

 

[RoyalChick]

These are not the best pictures but with the way the sun was shining it was very hard to focus on the spots with my camera. What do you all think? If it is frostbite it is entirely her own fault as 2 nights ago she refused to roost in the coop and went 30 feet up into the pine tree.
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Yes that looks like frostbite. Maggie got frostbite a couple of winters back before I had the Chicken Palace built.
I believe the best thing is to leave it be and not treat it - some may recover and some bits may drop off.
The only issue is if you should bring her in at night so she doesn't experience very cold temps again - I think it gets worse if it freezes a second time.

 

[BY Bob]

These are not the best pictures but with the way the sun was shining it was very hard to focus on the spots with my camera. What do you all think? If it is frostbite it is entirely her own fault as 2 nights ago she refused to roost in the coop and went 30 feet up into the pine tree.
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That very much looks like frostbite. Poor baby. The good thing is the chicken is designed for this.

 

[BY Bob]

Cashew will be five at the end of March, so maybe? Her comb is so pump and red right I was thinking she would start laying soon, but she is not squatting and doesn’t wanna be handled. When she has laying hormones, she’s a very lovey, lap sitting, squatting type of girl.

Lilly still lays an occasional egg. She has been known to crow.

 

[Ponypoor]

Nope. Mosquitoes, horse flies, deer flies, no-see-ems, yellow jackets, and no humidity

Gotta have humidity, I like it hot, hazy and humid

No-see-ems, eh? Hmmm sounds AB to me or maybe nfld.

Today it's sunny, and there is some strength to those rays! The days r starting to get longer, it's starting to get light now at 7am, I can almost see where I am going without tripping over snow ruts now hahahaha

 

[Ponypoor]

just like theywould from the horse trough

Yep I have nightmares of that

I don't leave buckets with water in them for them to fly into, I know I am paranoid, but I have learnt the hard way with the horses that animals can get into all sorts of trouble!!

My Veterinarian once wrote a description on my invoice 'During the daily stampede, two yearlings collided with each other'.... One of them spent 6 weeks on stall rest for a bone chip!!!

Can you imagine what sort of trouble chickens can get up to? Like getting wedged between two hay bales? Never to be found until evening feeding...

 

[Ponypoor]

He looks just like truffles haha! Very handsome

Truffles - awesome name!