Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

My gang used to run and hide when they flew overhead, but since I never panicked they figured the vultures were ok, like the bluejays and crows.

Mr P still eyeballs them when they fly over but he doesn’t growl.

But a squirrel was in the spruce tree the other day screaming up a storm which had the chickens all freaked out!

Lilly considered squirrels food.

 

[BY Bob]

Update on Wendy
She keeps improving, eating more and gaining more strength. I already have vitamins and electrolytes in water. Will try to feed her yogurt today. Yesterday she still won't accept any food from me, but she was eating on her own. She hates us a little bit because she does not like to take her meds.

Thirsday
Yep, yucky water in the lotus barrel is the best.
View attachment 3457349View attachment 3457348

That is so great to hear.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

She is so big and her pecks really hurt. I can’t see hauling her off a nest to make her eat without injury!
But indeed, if that is what happens I will lean on my FBA friends to help me through it.
If I had to guess I would guess Babs would be first to go broody. She seems the motherly type, and more concretely she always sits in her egg for a long time after she has laid it.

Before you start panicking, if Bernie goes broody and is a no touch hen you really may not have to interfere with her at all. Yes, we need to make sure our broody girls get off daily to eat and drink it is true, but those first 2 or 3 days and the final 2 or 3 days I do not enforce that rule. I am as hands off as possible the first day or so as to no aggravate the future momma and to reinforce that desire to sit. I will check to make sure no additional eggs have been added, but I will not force her to get up if she chooses not to those first 48 hours. Now, if we are nearing the end of day 3 and she has not gotten off yet then I will intervene and pluck her from the nest and walk a good distance away so as she will at least potty and then hopefully eat and drink before returning. After those first 3 days you should notice that she will get off on her own daily. Depending on the hen they can stay off just a few minutes only to relieve themselves and stuff as much food and water into them as they can. Some will stay off a little longer to throw a dust bath in the mix and for good measure whip a hen or rooster who looks at them the wrong way. If you are allowing her to incubate eggs, those final 2ish days or 3 she will not budge. Do not make her move either, those chicks have internally pipped and she knows it and she will stick like glue. Think of this time as lock down if you are using a incubator. They all seem to know this as well. That final day they come off the eggs, they can and some will spend a hour or longer off the eggs. They are eating more, drinking more and mine will usually take a good long dust bath. I watch for this, it is my sign chicks are on their way. All this being said, Bernie may not be thinking of going broody at all. One sure fire way to check, get your hands on her and see if she is plucking out her chest and belly feathers. If she has, yup, she has it in her head she is going broody.

 

[BY Bob]

I really love your chickens. Glynda is so pretty.

What is this chicken math, is it also like ask aurora?

I'm going to gamble that someone else has answered your question. If not I will come back to this.

 

[LhickenChicken]

So there was one day I was checking for eggs and I noticed a white hen on the roost bar and there were a bunch of hens pecking at something on the ground (I later found out it was blood.) So I went in there and said, "what are you guys pecking at?" and then I saw that the white hen's vent was bleeding so I went to get some polysporin to put on there (I have had positive results with polysporin when Rosilia's toe fell off.) I came back and looked around and there was one hen in the nest box with a gray hen pulling her (guts ) out and so I called my friend in a panic and said that I had three chickens that really needed to be culled, so he comes over and says, "what's wrong?" and I hold up the chicken that has the guts coming outta it and he says "wow."

After it was all over I saw poor Mrs. Clean-egg standing on the nest box ramp with a prolapse. I was really feeling bad about those three chickens so I decided to try saving her. Every morning I would take a paper towel, wipe down her vent, and put some polysporin on there. She started laying eggs again properly, but she was not ever going to poop the same. Hence why I have to give her baths now and then.

Now she is in her cage in the barn. She has access to acv water and fermented feed and limestone and oyster shells. and just some plain old food.

 

[BY Bob]

I noticed a lethargic chicken this morning. She is a survivor of cannibalism, and she has been pooping on her butt feathers. I gave her a bath this morning. She is drinking a lot and just standing there. I was thinking electrolytes. Do you have any substitutes for elecrolytes that I can give her?
I am really nervous please help...

Nutridrench and Gatorade can work. I don't want to repeat advise from others and only have a moment right now. I promise to check back.

 

[LhickenChicken]

Nutridrench and Gatorade can work. I don't want to repeat advise from others and only have a moment right now. I promise to check back.

She is right now in a cage in the barn separate from everyone and she has ACV water and a feeder of fermented feed and some plain old feed.

 

[LhickenChicken]

She is right now in a cage in the barn separate from everyone and she has ACV water and a feeder of fermented feed and some plain old feed.

All right I posted a thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/possible-coccidiosis-case-please-help-emergency.1572658/

 

[LhickenChicken]

I am thinking it is coccidiosis.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Finally caught up again, it has taken forever.

Allergy testing is done and Rosie is home and first thing she did was run to grab her clariton. She is allergic to dust, some molds but the biggest ones are Trees. Highly reactive to 7 trees which are in full bloom at the moment and we are surrounded by. Negative on animals, grasses, and weeds.

Poor thing. Thankfully she has “some” things she isn’t allergic to. When I was young they tested me for 130 items. I was allergic to all of them, including just about everything that grows, cats, dogs, horses, mold, and house dust. Took allergy shots twice a week for about five years. Now I “try” to manage with OTC meds. It can be a struggle, but she will find a way to manage.

For the vulture lovers, here are some assorted pics of Black Vulture adults/babies. We have a breeding pair that has laid for the past four years in an old culvert on our property.

Mom or Dad (they take turns sitting on the eggs and caring for the young)

Eggs (two, look like speckled rocks)

One hatched, one egg just behind it

Babies

Babies that recently fledged and are still staying close to nest

And Thirsty Thursday as tax