Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Here’s some fluffy butts from over the fence: stealing the feed from my birds

 

[Lilion]

Well I could cry right now. The white silkie chick hatched out overnight or early this morning. It has already passed, it did not fully absorb the yolk sac before hatching. 2 of the remaining eggs are pipped and I heard cheeping coming from them. All I can do now is monitor the situation and pray for no more disasters.

I'm so sorry! Sending you best wishes on the others.

You will get opinions from more experienced people, I hope, but here's my two cents. I had four chicks and a bantam broody last year in a crate about that size, maybe a bit smaller (80 cm x 60), in the coop's run. Be aware that the chicks make an awful mess with food and water (think poop in it) so you will need to clean more than once a day. It's best if you can access food and water easily.

Do you intend to not let them out at all ? Mine were out after five days. I think after ten, the crate would definitely have been too small. When they were three weeks their broody brought them to roost in the main coop, in one of the higher nest. So no, I don't think you will be able to keep them only in this space for three weeks - they grow fast !
It depends on the broody. But once they're out, they're out for the day - they won't come back before sleep time (which in the beginning is earlier than for the adults).
View attachment 3576838
I also had a "box" shown on the picture and they loved it, they all nested under it. If heat is an issue however I would make yours more open / ventilated, because it will get hot under there.

If they are not on medicated feed you can try to put a bit of soil in a small plate, it's supposed to help build immunity for when they will come out.

This year our chicks were in a small coop about twice the size and the broody still took them out after a week. The difference was, she used it as a place to bring them in to rest during the day or when it was raining. After two weeks though she took everyone to the main coop .

1 inch netting is big for chick's heads, they could get tangled in there. You could put something like a baseboard of cardboard along all the bottom sides. Even wet it will work okay and is easy to replace.

I never even thought of them getting tangled! Only of them getting out. I have it where they are now too, but mom's keeping them close.

We're switching them to the larger area tomorrow, so I can still change up and put cardboard. I'll figure it out. Mom's liable to pitch quite the fit when we start handling them. There is a door in the fence so I can easily reach in for water and food. I'll give a thought to the box. Maybe cut some holes...Eenie is my most submissive hen and I'm quite worried about the other 3 being mean to her and her chicks, which is why I want them secure and with somewhere to run to.

Worse... for the first time ever, I saw what I'm pretty sure is a rat dropping. Not once have I seen a spot of anything larger than a mouse! We haven't even had a mouse in either trap for aweek! But of course, now I have babies to worry about...

 

[Lilion]

But...on a bright note: BABIES!

I call this one, "We want mealworms too Mom!"

 

[Ponypoor]

These are the chicks I got. I was told the light ones were the blue Bells (but the lady called them Azure Blues…? I know Hoovers doesn’t have Azures though I think she meant bells), and the others are supposed to be Bielefelders.

The two lighter ones

View attachment 3576893View attachment 3576894

The two darker ones

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The one in the front
View attachment 3576898

@Lilion

These chicks at 2.5 weeks old and have been out and about since about day 5. They are already integrated during the day with everyone - Roos hens and my nieces old hens.

I keep mama in the Summer House (a separate coop/roost area) at night, they sleep in the large crate still, and she puts herself and the babies to bed

Your mama and babies will fast put grow that pen, is there anyplace they can run around in during the day?

 

[Lilion]

@Lilion

These chicks at 2.5 weeks old and have been out and about since about day 5. They are already integrated during the day with everyone - Roos hens and my nieces old hens.

I keep mama in the Summer House (a separate coop/roost area) at night, they sleep in the large crate still, and she puts herself and the babies to bed

Your mama and babies will fast put grow that pen, is there anyplace they can run around in during the day?

No. There is no other place unless we bring the old coop over. Then they will be completely separate from the others.

 

[Lilion]

It's not like I can't open the pen door. I just want them to be able to escape. The other chickens have been so mean to Eenie while she was brooding...

 

[BY Bob]

Oh yes I agree, didn’t mean to give the impression I am fine with what happened to her. Not at all. I believe it was the result of her genetics, the efforts to “improve” the Buckeye breed. You will find much agreement on this thread about the horrible results of breeding / selecting only for food production.

Butters is similar to BBQ in that she never got nice new feathers for her back half with the last Fall moltand she has carried ragged cover feathers around all winter. Now she seems to be in a molt again with her behavior and appetite loss, and a few leg fluff feathers looked out of place recently. But I see no progression of it, if that’s what’s going on.

This is starting to sound similar to what happened with Sansa. I did not realize that Butters' molt did not finish right last time.

Here was Sansa's process:

1. The feathers from Sansa's second molt did not come in right. They were incomplete.
2. Then she suffered the weight loss.
3. We treated for a sibclinical infection and she gained the weight back.
4. Then she just passed away.

Is that similar? I can find photos of Sansa's incomplete feathers if you would like.

 

[notabitail]

Was there just the one boy? How old are they now, I think we need update photos on all of them

I forget how old they are. 14 according to my phone. There was one extra in the box. The puller we paid for died but the extra, who turned out to be a cockerel, survived. He has the sweetest crow on earth.

 

[Marie2020]

I'm so sorry! Sending you best wishes on the others.



I never even thought of them getting tangled! Only of them getting out. I have it where they are now too, but mom's keeping them close. View attachment 3576900

We're switching them to the larger area tomorrow, so I can still change up and put cardboard. I'll figure it out. Mom's liable to pitch quite the fit when we start handling them. There is a door in the fence so I can easily reach in for water and food. I'll give a thought to the box. Maybe cut some holes...Eenie is my most submissive hen and I'm quite worried about the other 3 being mean to her and her chicks, which is why I want them secure and with somewhere to run to.

Worse... for the first time ever, I saw what I'm pretty sure is a rat dropping. Not once have I seen a spot of anything larger than a mouse! We haven't even had a mouse in either trap for aweek! But of course, now I have babies to worry about...

@RoyalChick knows all about rats

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm so sorry! Sending you best wishes on the others.



I never even thought of them getting tangled! Only of them getting out. I have it where they are now too, but mom's keeping them close. View attachment 3576900

We're switching them to the larger area tomorrow, so I can still change up and put cardboard. I'll figure it out. Mom's liable to pitch quite the fit when we start handling them. There is a door in the fence so I can easily reach in for water and food. I'll give a thought to the box. Maybe cut some holes...Eenie is my most submissive hen and I'm quite worried about the other 3 being mean to her and her chicks, which is why I want them secure and with somewhere to run to.

Worse... for the first time ever, I saw what I'm pretty sure is a rat dropping. Not once have I seen a spot of anything larger than a mouse! We haven't even had a mouse in either trap for aweek! But of course, now I have babies to worry about...

Mama should protect them from rats as long as they are close to her.

Rats freak me out