Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

One of my chickens was mauled by the LGD- probably out of boredom (we recently patched the last hole in her pen, so she can't go out and mark all the neighbors properties, and only go on walks on leash) She chewed on it a bit and left it. The injuries are horrific, and I'm trying to decide whether to cull her or give her a shot. He back and under her wings are in tatters with about 60% of her muscle gone or destroyed. Her body cavity's surface is exposed in places, but not destroyed. Thoughts? No vets around that will take chickens.

On a happier note, the chicken the broke her wing is doing well and appears to be in little pain. She now attempts to move it inside the wrap from time to time- it's not limp anymore.

How sad! Why is the dog considered a livestock guardian? Or is it guarding something other than chickens?

 

[micstrachan]

I wasn't sure whether to use the 'laugh' or the 'heart' emoji! She is absolutely gorgeous...but boy are you being a crafty enabler!

Same here! We need a heart/laugh combo emoji!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Okay, I have a very serious question about my chickens health. I don't free range my chickens. They have a decent sized run. It could probably fit 8 chickens, if not more. I only have 4 chickens, but I have had 6 chickens in there. Three roos, three hens. I gave two of the roos away, they were just too aggressive towards me. Pastel is fine though. Should I start letting them out? They are all over a year old, and I am just terrified that something will happen to them. We are working on my coop, and we will have a large area to let them out during the day. They seem happy, but I live on 14 cleared acres, and I own 50 acres total. 50 - 14 = How much non-cleared land I own. I have had to chase my guineas all around in the woods to try and save their life. I love my guineas, but they are no chickens. I would die if anything were to happen to my chicks. What do you guys suggest to do? Wait until they can be let out into a big coop and stretch their legs and wings that way? Or just let them out with my guineas and hope that everyone survives? They are not trained to go back into the coop, but they could learn. I just would hate myself if a predator came and got one.
Another thing... is BBQ a RIR or a Brown Leghorn? She lays pinkish-tan eggs. Could she be a mix of both? Her comb makes me think a Leghorn, but her color makes me think RIR
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From this post and the next I can't clearly picture your coop and run. You have no predator protection as far as I can tell from your description of your lands. It's not clear what you have for your coop. From this picture the square welded wire is probably strong enough but chicken wire is not good protection. Raccoons can open it easily.

If you have predators around, in the sky or on the ground, like neighbor's loose dogs even, and you free range your chickens without good protection, you will lose one or more sooner or later. Most folks on BYC will say: if you free range (in the true sense, without aerial nets and ground fences), be prepared for losses. It sounds like that's not what you're willing to face. So put a good system in place first. You can still lose them through a failure in a good protection system, but you're minimizing the chances with it.

It comes down to your priorities. You have guineas. I knew a fellow who "free ranges" many chickens (for meat and eggs) from a tractor and fence system. No aerial protection, but the fence is carried by and sticks out from the trailer/coop set-up so it isn't very far for the chickens to run under the big trailer when they spot something. They do have an okay daytime guard dog. He killed a couple of the chickens, but has generally helped protect them by killing anything that approaches the house and chicken tractor field (raccoons, fox) and he has kept the coyotes at bay.

Back to the guineas. They keep numerous (they don't really know how many they have) guineas loose about the place for tick control and meat. They treat the guineas basically as first-line, edge-of-property bait and do not care (that much) when they get taken. The guineas often roost in the forest edge trees instead of their coops and regularly are hit by owls at night and fox /coyotes in the morning when they come down, and other times of day too as apparently guineas have a lot of wanderlust. It generally works as far as helping take the pressure off the chickens.

 

[micstrachan]

Damage!

It looks like Glynda caught frostbite in the last cold snap. It has taken a few days for it to show up but it has the potential to take all of her comb tips. Only time will tell. I have some hope since it has taken this long for it to show up.
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No one else is any the worse for the cold snap. Just Glynda. This will be the first time one of mine has ever suffered from frostbite.

Poor Glynda!

 

[micstrachan]

Happy Friday

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Look closely at Phyllis' bum and you can see that she is starting into the frosted tips trend. Last year it was the one off colored wing feather. This year she is spring frosted tips. All you fashion conscious hens out there should take note.

Aurora’s butt is especially fabulous there!

 

[micstrachan]

I had only gone inside to get an apple, so it lasted for less than a minute. The laurel tree is what slows the hawks, it's very dense and they have to crawl to get under it, so it buys the hens a few precious minutes. Her body seems ok, she's got her mobility back, it's her head that worries me. She has one eye closed very often and she makes a wheezing sound when she speaks. I don't know what I could do to help her because there's no outer wound I can see anymore.

Sorry about this! I hope some of her tips heal. Were the temperatures the coldest one you've had since you've kept chickens ? Or is there any chance that changing the coop's roof have affected the level of humidity inside ?
****


Here are some french butts for Friday.

Gastounet's tail feathers tend to do strange things when it's damp.
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These are my two bigger ex-batts butts : Brune (first) hasn't molted whereas Nougat has. Makes a difference in feathers quality even though Nougat didn't grow hers back completely normally.
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Cannelle's butt is now perfect and she is doing great. Demonstrating once again that chickens looking very sick can survive.
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Léa's fluffy butt
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And Piou-piou the terror.
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Wonderful butts!

 

[Cold-Blood]

How sad! Why is the dog considered a livestock guardian? Or is it guarding something other than chickens?

It guards a goat and the chickens- and the general property. She is bred to be wary of strangers, not be food motivated so that strangers can't bribe or lure her. She is also huge and only 8 months old- when she is full grown she will be massive- mainly to deter the bear.
She is a mix between two LGD breeds, I've forgotten the names- they are rather complicated names. Her mom and dad she was raised with guarded animals.

 

[BY Bob]

Phyllis looks like she is back to her 'zippy' self! Full recovery after a night on the town.

She is. Right back at running around by lunch. She's a pro.

 

[BY Bob]

Bet they enjoyed it!

Seemed like they did.

 

[BY Bob]

….sure - for the horse! Hahaha!

One day I will dig out some old show photos and post.

Any Sunday will be fine.