Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I'll take a look at that. With respect to bedding...how do you mist the roosts without getting bedding wet? Inquiring minds want to know!

I need to take all the bedding out and put fresh...but what do i do with Eenie?

I asked a couple days ago but no one answered...if we decide to move her to the little coop (once it's cooler) is it best to do it early it close to hatching? Or wait for chicks?

I'm pretty sure they'd decline to stay there. No door. LO

I'll take a look at that. With respect to bedding...how do you mist the roosts without getting bedding wet? Inquiring minds want to know!

I need to take all the bedding out and put fresh...but what do i do with Eenie?

I asked a couple days ago but no one answered...if we decide to move her to the little coop (once it's cooler) is it best to do it early it close to hatching? Or wait for chicks?

I'm pretty sure they'd decline to stay there. No door. LOL

Sorry I likely missed that message.

If you have a crate you can transfer her into, I would do it either really early in the morning when it’s dark, or at night - again dark.

So tomorrow I will move Sophia to the crate with her new chicks. And hope she is good with the move, I will put a blanket over the crate to make it darker. That’s not really an option with you due to the heat.

Also regarding the mist on the roost, do you have a mist cooler? Or is it just one of those most machines and not an evap cooler.

Try the ice jugs and place in front of the fans, what sort of fans do you have btw? I use box fans similar to this - you can get cheaper at walmart

https://www.amazon.ca/PELONIS-PFB50A2ABB-V-Full-Force-Circulation-Conditioner/dp/B087C2LJ25/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=29V34ZGR0YSI5&keywords=box+fans+24x24+quiet&qid=1688015402&sprefix=bax+fans,aps,256&sr=8-2&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.b06bdbbe-20fd-4ebc-88cf-fa04f1ca0da8

But I also have a vey high volume fan for the barn alleyway.

 

[Ponypoor]

Ok back to trying to sleep for me, my RLS is acting up bad tonight.

Just checking my chicklets on the cam, they are all sound asleep.

Even the grups are asleep

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Where has BY Bob Been?
I'm sorry I have been absent but this past week was the Alfa Romeo Owners Club national convention. We go when it is close and this year it was in Concord, NC.

The convention presented me with a chance to drive my car at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A chance to drive very fast safely so I jumped on it. You can find the story of my drive here.

Thread 'A Chance to Drive Fast' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-chance-to-drive-fast.1587356/

I posted elsewhere because it is not about chickens, except that my Daisy was there in spirit through this.....
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I figure by the time we were done she felt like this.

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We have missed you, but glad you were out having some fun!

I've been super busy and not on BYC for various reasons, some of that is tending to Butters I've been worried about. She's not been right, she has not wanted to eat pellets and she's lost weight (by feel, I haven't weighed her), and last week was resting a lot, not standing or acting normally, standing away from the other three often, and not wanting to be in any food or treats scrum especially. She's had normal-looking but very loose poops, no blood, but the last couple of days I have not seen her poop. I trimmed her fluff in the back and damp-washed with a rag last week because it had really collected on her fluff. Her abdomen / belly feels empty, no bulging or tightness. Lots of keel bone toward the front. Crop is soft and barely there. No one has laid any eggs for over a week.

She's drinking bowl water and wild water regularly but become very picky in eating, in tiny, tiny bits - putting it down and looking at it and biting off a bit is her normal way, but this is extreme; it kind of looks like she's chewing her food before swallowing it. Often she is not actually hiking it back, just chomping on it in her beak before letting it drop. I've been separating her a little, like on one side of the wire gate with the other three on the other side, in order to give her anything I'm trying to tempt her with, because she will eat a couple small bites and then walk away, but then come back. Got her to eat some soupy baby bird formula the last two+1/2 days, which may be helping her. But she's not been eating nearly enough. She does respond to the others eating so I'm trying to keep them together while protecting food for her (Popcorn and Peanut have been big hogs, the first day I put out baby bird formula Popcorn had a baseball-sized crop by the end of the day).

She'll be interested in a novel thing to eat and eat some, then later turn her beak up at it. She'll take a collard leaf piece from me but let the next one drop from her beak. She is very keen on foraging and exploring, often far away from the others, and three days ago she went way back in the yard where she's never gone before, just strolling around. I discovered following her walk-abouts (for her safety) that, like when pecking at pellets in my hand, she was often not actually eating, even though she's pecking a lot and picking things up and mashing them around. I observed a few injured worms and an upside-down pill bug she left in her wake. But sometimes she does eat. Today she ate something white that she nabbed from a green plant today, either a moth or a piece of blossom.

Frankly she's behaving as if she is molting, but I don't see any evidence that is happening. I think of Bob's Lilly and her suspected metabolism problem, because Butters has this shredded feathers situation going on with her back half. Also she's been sporting a feather sticking out like an outboard paddle since her last molt last fall, which was not a very complete molt and left her with these shredded feathers.

Today she has had more interest in actually eating and she has been more alert and spending much less time resting and hunched. Earlier this morning she ate some soft-boiled egg. Later a half a walnut in tiny bits I broke up, eating them all in one session before she didn't want any more. Then a couple tiny wild strawberries tossed in front of her. The third one she rejected.

Then this afternoon she actually expressed some zeal for raw no-shell sunflower seeds, actually going at them with relative gusto, a little bit of sewing-machine eating which I haven't seen from her in over two weeks. She even made a sound that may have been a growl at Popcorn who was trying to shoulder in to get some too. That's been the most I've seen her eat (at once) in over two weeks, about a tablespoon and a half of seeds. I didn't want to ration anything she's willing to eat.

Sorry this picture is kind of dark, it was dusk. There's Butters front left, hunched again tonight. Hazel next to her, Peanut in the dustbath pool in back, Popcorn at the waterer.
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Sorry that she is not doing well.

These are difficult times when they seem unwell but there is no definitive course of action to take. As to the heat stopping laying overall, I've not seen that but I've never had Buckeyes. But they are getting older and you will start to see laying gaps from time to time.

The heat is having an effect on laying here. Early in the spring we were getting about 2 dozen a day and now we are getting less than 15 a day. We don't mind getting less eggs, mainly concerned with the comfort of our birds. I believe we have done all we can do as far as ventilation goes and we keep water in the pens and various shady spots in the yard. So far we haven't lost any birds to the heat.

I live only an hour or two from Greg. Our heat wave the past few weeks definitely has mine skipping more days, even my ISA Browns, and they are only one year old. Day before yesterday I only got 5 eggs when it is usually 9-10. So far they only seem moderately uncomfortable. The thermostat controlled fans kick on any time it is over 85F. And I have been adding ice to their water every day around noon.

Oh that’s great! So very very glad you have both eye done it makes such a difference

My husband is going to get his done in a few weeks. Starting with his left, it is much worse than his right. Hopefully he will get the right one done a few weeks older, if he manages to make it through the healing process. He is very sensitive about his eyes, it is an act of Congress just to put a few eye drops in them.

I'm making a list with all these excellent suggestions. Between RVing, home reno, and covid, I have lots and lots of disposable gloves. lol

It's going to hit 99 today and I thought I'd put out some of the electrolyte solution. It says to mix fresh every day. Has anyone mixed and left it refrigerated? I hate to throw it out, but my 4 chickens are unlikely to drink a gallon a day.

I do that. It should be fine. It is minerals and salts.

I refrigerate mine for several days. And also freeze it into ice cubes. I figure it might kill the probiotics, but I am mainly using it for the electrolytes.

2 Bielefeld (hopefully)
2 cream legbar (hopefully)
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The golf balls!

Peavey Mart had an order in today from Hoovers - hence my questions the other day

But I have since figured out that Hoovers doesn’t have legbar, and their coloured layers selection doesn’t include Bielefelders.

So I have no idea what the kiddies are, likely Americana or Prairie Blue Bell Eggers. I do t care as long as they get Sophia off the nest and they all thrive.

So what did the store have them labeled as? The darker chipmunks look a lot like Jasmine and Coco did, and the lighter ones are similar to Scarlett/Dottie/Ruby. They were all a mystery colored egg layer assortment. Basically all Easter Eggers with designer names for the diffeeent need ding sticks they use. Jasmine looks like a traditional Easter Egger and lays a pale greenish-blue egg. The triplets are created so likely have some cream legbar in their breeding, and they may cream/mint/light olive eggs. Coco’s tail looks Leghorn, but she is much heavier bodied. She is my biggest girl at about 6 pounds and also lays a light olive egg.

I asked a couple days ago but no one answered...if we decide to move her to the little coop (once it's cooler) is it best to do it early it close to hatching? Or wait for chicks?

I think I have seen people say the sooner you move them the better. @RebeccaBoyd may have some advice in addition to what Ponypoor said about moving her and the eggs when it is dark.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

@Ponypoor

My girls in their box (along with my five ISA Browns).

Ruby

Dottie

Jasmine

Scarlett

Coco

She usually holds her tail straight up, but didn’t know what to think of this “first egg picture” business.

 

[Ponypoor]

I've been super busy and not on BYC for various reasons, some of that is tending to Butters I've been worried about. She's not been right, she has not wanted to eat pellets and she's lost weight (by feel, I haven't weighed her), and last week was resting a lot, not standing or acting normally, standing away from the other three often, and not wanting to be in any food or treats scrum especially. She's had normal-looking but very loose poops, no blood, but the last couple of days I have not seen her poop. I trimmed her fluff in the back and damp-washed with a rag last week because it had really collected on her fluff. Her abdomen / belly feels empty, no bulging or tightness. Lots of keel bone toward the front. Crop is soft and barely there. No one has laid any eggs for over a week.

She's drinking bowl water and wild water regularly but become very picky in eating, in tiny, tiny bits - putting it down and looking at it and biting off a bit is her normal way, but this is extreme; it kind of looks like she's chewing her food before swallowing it. Often she is not actually hiking it back, just chomping on it in her beak before letting it drop. I've been separating her a little, like on one side of the wire gate with the other three on the other side, in order to give her anything I'm trying to tempt her with, because she will eat a couple small bites and then walk away, but then come back. Got her to eat some soupy baby bird formula the last two+1/2 days, which may be helping her. But she's not been eating nearly enough. She does respond to the others eating so I'm trying to keep them together while protecting food for her (Popcorn and Peanut have been big hogs, the first day I put out baby bird formula Popcorn had a baseball-sized crop by the end of the day).

She'll be interested in a novel thing to eat and eat some, then later turn her beak up at it. She'll take a collard leaf piece from me but let the next one drop from her beak. She is very keen on foraging and exploring, often far away from the others, and three days ago she went way back in the yard where she's never gone before, just strolling around. I discovered following her walk-abouts (for her safety) that, like when pecking at pellets in my hand, she was often not actually eating, even though she's pecking a lot and picking things up and mashing them around. I observed a few injured worms and an upside-down pill bug she left in her wake. But sometimes she does eat. Today she ate something white that she nabbed from a green plant today, either a moth or a piece of blossom.

Frankly she's behaving as if she is molting, but I don't see any evidence that is happening. I think of Bob's Lilly and her suspected metabolism problem, because Butters has this shredded feathers situation going on with her back half. Also she's been sporting a feather sticking out like an outboard paddle since her last molt last fall, which was not a very complete molt and left her with these shredded feathers.

Today she has had more interest in actually eating and she has been more alert and spending much less time resting and hunched. Earlier this morning she ate some soft-boiled egg. Later a half a walnut in tiny bits I broke up, eating them all in one session before she didn't want any more. Then a couple tiny wild strawberries tossed in front of her. The third one she rejected.

Then this afternoon she actually expressed some zeal for raw no-shell sunflower seeds, actually going at them with relative gusto, a little bit of sewing-machine eating which I haven't seen from her in over two weeks. She even made a sound that may have been a growl at Popcorn who was trying to shoulder in to get some too. That's been the most I've seen her eat (at once) in over two weeks, about a tablespoon and a half of seeds. I didn't want to ration anything she's willing to eat.

Sorry this picture is kind of dark, it was dusk. There's Butters front left, hunched again tonight. Hazel next to her, Peanut in the dustbath pool in back, Popcorn at the waterer.
View attachment 3557200

How is Butters doing?

 

[Ponypoor]

We have missed you, but glad you were out having some fun!


Sorry that she is not doing well.



I live only an hour or two from Greg. Our heat wave the past few weeks definitely has mine skipping more days, even my ISA Browns, and they are only one year old. Day before yesterday I only got 5 eggs when it is usually 9-10. So far they only seem moderately uncomfortable. The thermostat controlled fans kick on any time it is over 85F. And I have been adding ice to their water every day around noon.


My husband is going to get his done in a few weeks. Starting with his left, it is much worse than his right. Hopefully he will get the right one done a few weeks older, if he manages to make it through the healing process. He is very sensitive about his eyes, it is an act of Congress just to put a few eye drops in them.



I refrigerate mine for several days. And also freeze it into ice cubes. I figure it might kill the probiotics, but I am mainly using it for the electrolytes.



So what did the store have them labeled as? The darker chipmunks look a lot like Jasmine and Coco did, and the lighter ones are similar to Scarlett/Dottie/Ruby. They were all a mystery colored egg layer assortment. Basically all Easter Eggers with designer names for the diffeeent need ding sticks they use. Jasmine looks like a traditional Easter Egger and lays a pale greenish-blue egg. The triplets are created so likely have some cream legbar in their breeding, and they may cream/mint/light olive eggs. Coco’s tail looks Leghorn, but she is much heavier bodied. She is my biggest girl at about 6 pounds and also lays a light olive egg.


I think I have seen people say the sooner you move them the better. @RebeccaBoyd may have some advice in addition to what Ponypoor said about moving her and the eggs when it is dark.

Sure hope your husband’s shoulder is doing ok; my grandmother was the same trying to get eye drops in her. But she had her cataracts done with no problem! Go figure!

What sort of switch are you using for starting your fans? I have mine on a timer but a temperature gauge startup would be my bucket list!

The chicks where “Assorted Colour Egg Layer”
https://www.hoovershatchery.com/assortedcoloredegglayers.html there is a list in that link on what they might be.

The staffer at Peavey Mart told me they were a mix of Americana, Cream Legbars, sapphire olive egger, and Bielefelders. So I asked for 2 legbar and 2 Bielefelders.

Once I got home I checked out Hoovers and their coloured egg layer package doesn’t have Bielefelders (but they do offer them) but they do not offer Cream Legbars at all! They do have Prairie Blue Bell blue egg layer.

I am not worried what they are really - I will keep till they start laying and then make a decision on whether to keep or not.

 

[Ponypoor]

@Ponypoor

My girls in their box (along with my five ISA Browns).
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Ruby
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Dottie
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Jasmine
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Scarlett
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Coco
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She usually holds her tail straight up, but didn’t know what to think of this “first egg picture” business.
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Yes! My wee ones look like them, that colouring is lovely and the eggs are nice also. I think they just throw them into these boxes and don’t segregate them by breed - I am not so hung up on the breed, but would be nice to have an idea of when they might start laying. I am going to go with 15 weeks, esp if they have production breeding.

They sure are cute they were out eating this morning

 

[Ponypoor]

Thirsty Thursday

Took this photo a couple days ago

It always make me laugh when they drink from the waterer I cleaning out.

 

[Ponypoor]

….and chick update.

I put water and some of the morning mash I feed everyone in with Sophia. It took her a bit to get going but she finally started drinking thank goodness! And eating a bit yay! she was calling the chicks but they were not coming out, so I went and finished up morning chores.

When I came back three of the chicks were out eating with mama I dug the fourth out and all of them were eating, Sophia chuckling and talking to them. They were so funny nipping at her wattles and comb. She was soooo very quiet with them, then when they had enough they all snuggled under her, she wiggled to get them all tucked in

I am going to go ahead and move her and her little family to the crate seeing as how those babies are so active!

 

[Sally PB]

Thirsty Thursday.

They're growing so quickly, I've already removed the top brick, and will take out another soon.