Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I’m sure they loved that. My little cockerel is going nuts for it already, i don’t even see him in the corner of my eye and he swoops in, steals the corn and runs off into a corner.

Out of curiosity, do yours eat things like lettuce? I hear people talking about their chickens eating lettuce head but mine just shake their head at it.

Mine will eat it if it’s small pieces, but they would rather eat cabbage. They also like whole carrots the larger the better. Also spaghetti noodles and all types of pasta, Kraft Dinner, roast beef mash potatoes etc

 

[Ponypoor]

I see the doctor tomorrow, hopefully will get clearance to start putting some weight on it and start PT. Of course I have no idea how to get to PT, it will be so hard for DH to take off work to do it. And no chicken time lately. His schedule and the weather have made it too difficult to get out there during daylight.


Oh no! I hope you are wrong, because you already got rid of the others didn’t you?


I also think it is only the Marek’s vaccine that there is concern about mixing vaccinated and unvaccinated. It is considered a “leaky” vaccine, similar to the Covid vaccine. Meaning you can still get sick with the disease (and pass it to others) but it will be a milder case. So if you have chickens who have been vaccinated you could still have the disease in the property. Which means if you bring in unvaccinated ones they can catch it and be much worse. And on the flip side if none of yours are vaccinated and your property is “clean”, and then you bring in vaccinated chickens they could actually bring the disease with them.


Possible, just rarely happens. I can’t remember the reasons why it sometimes does.

An attenuated virus is a ‘live’ virus, meaning that if a bird were vaccinated with it then they would possibly give any unvaccinated birds the actual illness.

I think there is a ‘killed’ virus for Mareks but not 100 percent sure.

Flu and Covid vaccine is a ‘killed’ virus unless it’s an mRNA vaccine which are what most all vaccines are these days as they are faster and less expensive to create, and have far better efficacy.

There has been incidence of Polio outbreaks here in North America in persons vaccinated with attenuated Polio vaccine (which is not used here in NA at all), they then can possibly infect a person not vaccinated for Polio. And that is what has happened here in NA, children from 3rd world countries are vaccinated with the attenuated vaccine, they ‘infect’ someone who hasn’t been vaccinated or ever had Polio and then pass it on to anyone here who haven’t been vaccinated, usually children who are not vaccinated poor wee things.

By_bob can speak to Mareks and other poultry vaccine more that I can - though I am thinking I should get myself educated on the subject. If this were horses we were talking about I could tell you everything about what they should get! But with my chickies I am sadly uninformed, there doesn’t seem to be that much info for backyard chickies

Sooo cute! I'm so glad they're doing okay.


Just got back from checking my chicks and...either Manny's been hiding something or someone's been overactive! I got 3 eggs yesterday. I don't think I missed any before that. Is it even possible for a hen to lay 2 in one day?
View attachment 3431813

The little monsters act like they don't have two full feeders in the coop! I sat the little bowl of leftover greens down while i was opening the gate and they practically hit the fence like the raptors in Jurassic Park! I finally managed to get a couple pics of my camera shy Meanie - who's beard is certainly nothing compared to the glorious Aurora - maybe that's why she avoids photos? View attachment 3431815View attachment 3431816

Those are beautiful eggs, lovely colours

 

[bgmathteach]

Oh how sad.

Does anyone else have issue with Vet Care or getting meds? How about vaccinating - anyone get their chickens done, or purchase chicks who are vaccinated? Just curious as to what chickens can receive for preventive measures.

I can't get any vet care for my chickens. My primary vet (dog/cat) won't see chickens.

I generally purchase chicks through a hatchery (or get reduced ones through TSC - which is Hoover Hatchery - and still vaccinated) Mine are all vaccinated for Marecks. Some - depending on hatchery, if offered - are vaccinated for coccidosis. However, I do have a number that have hatched on site and aren't vaccinated. The smallest vial of Vaccine I could find for Mareck's vaccinated 1000 birds, and is just too expensive for only needing it for a few. Especially, like last year, when I had 2 broodies hatch chicks and then about 7 weeks later another broody hatch some. The first vial would have been no longer good, and I would have had to buy 2 separate vials -for 13 chicks!

Getting anti-biotics for my chickens is impossible. The only reason I was able to give Crop Girl some post surgery is because I had a knee replacement (recent) and have to take a prophylactic anti-biotic before dental cleanings - which I do more often than average due to issues...and I opened one of those capsules, mixed with water, and dosed her accordingly from that.

You are absolutely correct - the veterinary and pharmaceutical world needs to get on the stick and accommodate Chickens/small farmers and backyard farm animals/pets.

 

[bgmathteach]

Possible, just rarely happens. I can’t remember the reasons why it sometimes does.

Is it even possible for a hen to lay 2 in one day?

Highly unusual, but it is possible, just ask @RoyalChick

I have on occasion had a hen lay one early in the morning...then around bed time drop one while on the roost. Usually that one was very thin shelled, and it was almost always when something was going on with the flock. (i.e. introducing new chickens, or a predator coming round at night - basically a stressful time for them...and the second egg clearly 'shot through' the shell gland much faster than it should have.) Considering the number of hens I have...and now the length of time I've had them, it is pretty uncommon/rare, but does happen. I'll let RC tell her story around 2 eggs...when she is up for it.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Dixie and baby photos.
I feel horrible. I left the brooder open since i was supervising and the babies came out, walked around, and went in the pet taxi where Dixie hatched them and fell asleep in the nest scoop she made.. My hearts broken, poor things.

 

[knoturavggrl]

An attenuated virus is a ‘live’ virus, meaning that if a bird were vaccinated with it then they would possibly give any unvaccinated birds the actual illness.

I think there is a ‘killed’ virus for Mareks but not 100 percent sure.

Flu and Covid vaccine is a ‘killed’ virus unless it’s an mRNA vaccine which are what most all vaccines are these days as they are faster and less expensive to create, and have far better efficacy.

There has been incidence of Polio outbreaks here in North America in persons vaccinated with attenuated Polio vaccine (which is not used here in NA at all), they then can possibly infect a person not vaccinated for Polio. And that is what has happened here in NA, children from 3rd world countries are vaccinated with the attenuated vaccine, they ‘infect’ someone who hasn’t been vaccinated or ever had Polio and then pass it on to anyone here who haven’t been vaccinated, usually children who are not vaccinated poor wee things.

By_bob can speak to Mareks and other poultry vaccine more that I can - though I am thinking I should get myself educated on the subject. If this were horses we were talking about I could tell you everything about what they should get! But with my chickies I am sadly uninformed, there doesn’t seem to be that much info for backyard chickies

Those are beautiful eggs, lovely colours

Right, exactly. I read about the leaky Mareks vaccine on BY chicken initially and people were going back and forth like a verbal tennis match.

So, knowing I had unvaccinated chickens I dug deeper. I am not a scientist but I love to read and research. Ohio State Ag department and a few other academic sites I looked at had published some studies on the subject and I dug into them. I read through several papers, I am far far from an expert but the jist of what I read said that yes its leaky BUT the chances of a vaccinated chick giving the virus to an unvaccinated flock is very, very low according to the studies I happened upon.

So, low risk but no one is willing, and rightfully so, to say there is no risk. It is a hard decision but so far I have been in the camp of future chicks should be unvaccinated just to play it safe.

There does indeed seem to be a gulf of missing easily accessible answers for chicken keepers on a multitude of subjects not just this one. I have found many poultry studies but they are typically geared more towards mass production solutions and risk analysis vs backyard beloved pets. What a production farm or hatchery should do doesn’t necessarily always apply to a backyard environment. So, it ends up being quite the quandary and we are left doing what we feel we can live with and afford a lot of the time.

BY_Bob is an expert and is well versed in chicken issues, but also I know he is super busy right now. If and when he has time to type about it, it would be lovely to hear his explanation/ take on the Mareks vaccine, I agree.

 

[knoturavggrl]

It was a snowy cold day here in Southern Ohio. I had taken out the ester heater but had to put it back in to keep the water from freezing. Winter is not quite ready to leave just yet. I failed to get any pictures today but I do have a different twofer picture then I would typically post.

Two eggs I had washed for my breakfast this morning, one pretty pale green one from Biscotti Silverrudds Blue and a really weirdly beautiful paint job from one of my Wellsummer pullets. They are normally speckled so this was definitely a ink jet clog of some sort

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

It was a snowy cold day here in Southern Ohio. I had taken out the ester heater but had to put it back in to keep the water from freezing. Winter is not quite ready to leave just yet. I failed to get any pictures today but I do have a different twofer picture then I would typically post.

Two eggs I had washed for my breakfast this morning, one pretty pale green one from Biscotti Silverrudds Blue and a really weirdly beautiful paint job from one of my Wellsummer pullets. They are normally speckled so this was definitely a ink jet clog of some sort
View attachment 3432032

That egg

 

[knoturavggrl]

View attachment 3432021View attachment 3432022
Dixie and baby photos.
I feel horrible. I left the brooder open since i was supervising and the babies came out, walked around, and went in the pet taxi where Dixie hatched them and fell asleep in the nest scoop she made.. My hearts broken, poor things.

I am so sorry for you and for the chicks. It must be very hard.

 

[RoyalChick]

View attachment 3432021View attachment 3432022
Dixie and baby photos.
I feel horrible. I left the brooder open since i was supervising and the babies came out, walked around, and went in the pet taxi where Dixie hatched them and fell asleep in the nest scoop she made.. My hearts broken, poor things.

Heartbreaking.