Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

fuentemoon · May 19, 2022

Kris5902 said:
At night with a good strong headlamp sneak into the coop and look for little crawling nasties along the roosts, nest boxes, and in crevices. They pop if you squish them and will sometimes leave little red smears if they have been feeding off your chickens. They are awfully common, as they can come from wild birds, they tend to live in the coop not fully on the chickens, and come out at night to feed. Think the chicken version of bedbugs. Occasionally they may hang out on a chicken during the day, usually around the face I have found, and when I see a lot of head shaking or scratching I know its time To check and treat for them again. My temporary coop/trailer arrangement has a problem with them, but the layer tractors don’t.

What is your preferred treatment?
We have been battling them the last few years.

Kris5902 · May 19, 2022

fuentemoon said:
What is your preferred treatment?
We have been battling them the last few years.

I’m going to try treating the coop itself with permethrin spray when I can do it and fully air it out. And Bar the chickens from it for a day, somehow… I also use Ivermectin. But to fully eradicate them you need to treat the coops and the birds and repeat for the hatching eggs in a week or two… I’ve yet to successfully get rid of them so I mostly try to control them Shadrach used to hit his coops with a little propane torch to burn them out of crevices, but with the chicken trailers construction (plastic trim and all the things that travel trailers are made from are very not fire friendly!) that isn’t really an option for me. I am considering building my new coop on the chassis of our 5th wheel, but out of wood…

RoyalChick · May 19, 2022

Kris5902 said:
At night with a good strong headlamp sneak into the coop and look for little crawling nasties along the roosts, nest boxes, and in crevices. They pop if you squish them and will sometimes leave little red smears if they have been feeding off your chickens. They are awfully common, as they can come from wild birds, they tend to live in the coop not fully on the chickens, and come out at night to feed. Think the chicken version of bedbugs. Occasionally they may hang out on a chicken during the day, usually around the face I have found, and when I see a lot of head shaking or scratching I know its time To check and treat for them again. My temporary coop/trailer arrangement has a problem with them, but the layer tractors don’t.

Oh good. Bug hunting at night - my favorite sport!

RoyalChick · May 19, 2022

Thirsty Thursday - the lure of wild water. Even Minnie came out to sample some before hunkering down under my chair looking miserable. At least she got some fluids and it was her beverage of choice.

And you may have already seen this but it made me laugh out loud for anyone who needs their spirits lifting.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/15-ways-to-avoid-becoming-a-chicken-couch-potato.76005/

RoyalChick · May 19, 2022

After a sip of wild water Minnie decided to stay out with the rest of the tribe. She isn’t as perky as this photo makes her look but she did munch on some little leaves.

ChicoryBlue · May 19, 2022

RoyalChick said:
Here is one of many reasons the Hooligans must leave their happy little nursery.
They are just too big!

View attachment 3109902

I know I'm like 50 pages behind. But I'll suggest a cut-down bigger box on top of an upside-down box (duct tape it on), instead of the heat plate. Could you ease the new brooder transition up and down with a series of short steps Bernadette can hop down onto, instead of a ramp? She can go up well enough? Maybe setting the new quarters up on something, half-way between this and the floor? Chickens like consistency, and they feel safe up there. Look how they accommodate themselves to not fitting, rather than changing (like going on to the perch). It's possible BB may not feel comfortable really deep-sleeping on a perch. I do like her chin rest! They may want to roost up high no matter what you do.

RoyalChick · May 19, 2022

ChicoryBlue said:
I know I'm like 50 pages behind. But I'll suggest a cut-down bigger box on top of an upside-down box (duct tape it on), instead of the heat plate. Could you ease the new brooder transition up and down with a series of short steps Bernadette can hop down onto, instead of a ramp? She can go up well enough? Maybe setting the new quarters up on something, half-way between this and the floor? Chickens like consistency, and they feel safe up there. Look how they accommodate themselves to not fitting, rather than changing (like going on to the perch). It's possible BB may not feel comfortable really deep-sleeping on a perch. I do like her chin rest! They may want to roost up high no matter what you do.

Read on. The saga continues! I do think BB has trouble relaxing on a perch so she may always be a shelf sleeper.

RoyalChick · May 19, 2022

I think I may have found the secret to reprogramming cult members.
I had diced cabbage and shrimp for Minnie in the hospital ward. She ate a mouthful and was then clear she wanted to go outside. So I gave the rest of the cabbage to the big Princesses and I put the bowl down at the nearest spot which happened to be close to the Hooligans’ headquarters (aka the cardboard box).
Seems like there was interest In the cabbage happenings. They are practically falling out of the box craning their necks down! :lau