Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

I tried to get video of the Buckeyes today. Here I used a few mealworms to bring them back from ranging nearby after I gardened and picked a few blueberries with them (both Peanut and Popcorn have learned how to pick the low hanging ripe ones, and Popcorn will jump to grab some higher ones). I hope I've made it viewable.

 

[featherhead007]

I tried to get video of the Buckeyes today. Here I used a few mealworms to bring them back from ranging nearby after I gardened and picked a few blueberries with them (both Peanut and Popcorn have learned how to pick the low hanging ripe ones, and Popcorn will jump to grab some higher ones). I hope I've made it viewable.

They are pretty .

 

[featherhead007]

Monday night is our new movie night, so it’s me, Jaffar and Dakota inside with popcorn and meally worms. Tonight’s movie , is “king Solomon’s mines” the newer version. Jaffar is almost asleep already. That’s okay though (not too many chickens in the movie this time) the rest of the tribe is perched and ready for bed now.

 

[BY Bob]

I tried to get video of the Buckeyes today. Here I used a few mealworms to bring them back from ranging nearby after I gardened and picked a few blueberries with them (both Peanut and Popcorn have learned how to pick the low hanging ripe ones, and Popcorn will jump to grab some higher ones). I hope I've made it viewable.

I love the way they chat.

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh, my goodness does she make a mess with her grain!! No wonder the chickies like hanging out around her!!

Yep and she is a cribber so she loses grain doing that also! Costly beast!

 

[Ponypoor]

Things are starting to look up a bit around here. Tonight, caught the Idiots doing their routine again, only to be disrupted by ..... Hector! I was treated to both the Idiots doing the buk buk bukaaawwwk! Up near the porch after getting chased up by Hector. Kren started that while Horus circled back for another attempt and got chased off a second time. Hector can actually move pretty fast and does a decent job of keeping on Horus' tail. Now if Cheetah and Hector can work together (rather than Hector getting the blame), they can nail both of the Idiots, taking their Education to new heights. The Idiots working together is a good thing (once they've got spurs) for defending the tribe, but at the moment, Homones Rule!

Are you going to keep all the Roos? How many hens do you have? There are 12 here so o expect Mr Pompei to be busy,

 

[Ponypoor]

Monday night is our new movie night, so it’s me, Jaffar and Dakota inside with popcorn and meally worms. Tonight’s movie , is “king Solomon’s mines” the newer version. Jaffar is almost asleep already. That’s okay though (not too many chickens in the movie this time) the rest of the tribe is perched and ready for bed now.

Do you use Netflix or something similar for you movie viewing?

Also - make sure you don’t paint your toenails, the roosters really seem to like painted toenails , mum go pecked by both the hens and Pangoo last year!!! Drew blood from half those pecks!

 

[Ponypoor]

At least they have the decency to roost so the poo doesn't land on the curtains!! See, they are house broke and ready for the big coop!!

Hahahaha - ya, nope!!!!

My step ladder is on the other side of that door, want to guess what was all over the ladder I needed to haul their fluffy fuzzzy little derrières down with?


Slipper stuff!

 

[featherhead007]

Do you use Netflix or something similar for you movie viewing?

Also - make sure you don’t paint your toenails, the roosters really seem to like painted toenails , mum go pecked by both the hens and Pangoo last year!!! Drew blood from half those pecks!

No, my toenails are not painted. The movie is on YouTube videos. And both these feathered friends have gone to sleep. Two part movie. So I will watch the other half tomorrow. I’m hoping Jaffar sleeps late in the morning!

 

[ManueB]

A false positive is exceptionally rare - which is why (although I was surprised) I take the positive environmental test as correct.

False negatives are more complicated. A hen might be a carrier for a disease but not be actively shedding virus at the time of the swab, in which case you would get a negative even though the hen has the virus. Then if that hen was stressed, they might start shedding and then would pass on the virus to others. The stress could be heat or another infection like coccidia or worms or even egg binding or bullying.

Both Marek's and ILTV are viruses that behave that way - ie carriers can be shedding or not shedding at different times.
My theory had been that when Minnie was very ill before - worms, coccidia and sour crop - that she started shedding ILTV and Bella got it from her.
I had planned to swab Minnie the next time she was under the weather in any case, I just wasn't expecting her to die so fast.
Obviously Minnie must have been pretty stressed by whatever killed her so the fact that she tested negative has higher weight than if she tested negative while completely well, but it is still remotely possible they are false negatives.

So there are multiple mysteries here. Where did Bella get ILTV? Who in the flock actually has Marek's? What did Minnie and Dotty die from? Are Maggie's lash eggs anything to do with any of this? Will I ever get out of the chicken nursing business and just be able to relax with my lovely chickens?
All unknowns.

On the environmental test it is quite simple. Instead of swabbing the chicken you swab the dust in the coop. Marek's lives for years in the dander in a chicken coop and is easily detectable. So I just swabbed around the roosts and other dusty places and sent it to the lab. I have to say I was shocked at the result.

And although this is all chicken talk and therefore not taxable, I will pay some tax anyway.
How about Bernadette standing watch while Lulu checks out nest box options.
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Thank you for this very detailed explanation. It was very clear, but as you say only brings more questions.
If only it was just an intriguing problem and not one that takes such a toll on you and your chickens . I hope the joy you get from them still counterrides the painful moments.
I will also say Bernadette is growing into the most beautiful lady, I love how her colours have changed.

On french forum I have read sayings that most backyard flocks will get Marek's in their environment. I don't know what truth there is to that.