Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Some of our noisy visitors

 

[Marie2020]

Have a good Caturday

 

[Ponypoor]

Caturday Saturday

Good morning all!

Missy says good morning also

And looks like the Tweens and school chicks are ready to get up

Oh and Mr P has started the crow, ok well that’s my cue to go do chores!

Catch every later!

 

[Ponypoor]

I'll check it tomorrow. I will say I'm pretty unhappy with how fine the crumble of this is. But it also was relatively cheap. I can always but something different.

You will want the crumble to be small for the wee chicks to be able to eat. I just bought 25kg of Purina start and grow which truly is dust!

I have been mixing it with my layer feed to make a mash twice a day.

My medicated Floradale Starter Feed

Purina start and grow - just dust!

I like the Floradale feed but I can’t get a Grower ration without Amprol.

 

[rural mouse]

Which legs go where?

 

[Ponypoor]

What if you made a broody house? That way, you wouldn't have to feed the whole flock chick starter when the chicks were growing up. You wouldn't have to deal with the drama. When the chicks are old enough to be sexed, pop the pullets in and put the cocks in a cock tractor. That's how I'll do mine. Tomatilla is not in the big coop.

Not practical here, everyone runs as a herd - that is less drama, they run outside as a group and inside too.

Mamas have been staying with chicks about 10 weeks, till weaning, that is way too long for mama and babies to be separated from the herd.

Everything is inside the barn here, I have the Hen House (4’x10’) that the grups and Penne reside in at night and the girls nest boxes are in there.

The Summer House (10’x20’) is a ‘good weather’ only temporary housing that I initially have mamas and babies in for their first week.

I also have the Tweens, and School Chicks in the Summer House at night as there is limited space in the Hen House at night. In the morning all doors are opened and everyone runs freely in the barn.

When I do chores I let the whole gang out into the outside run (16’x95’), and during the afternoon they all can free range outside the run if I am able to sit out with them and keep any eye out for foxes etc.

So everyone runs freely together during the day.

 

[BY Bob]

Maybe you should video conference.

I am proud to report I have three lovely grandchicks! Mama is not inclined to let them pose just yet. She promptly clicked and tucked them under her when I started to take pictures. But I managed to get a couple when the little ones wiggled out the back. I'm not sure if this is one or two.View attachment 3576069
I am sure this is two.View attachment 3576070
I can't wait to find out what colors they turn out.

And just because it's Thirsty Thursday, here's Mama Eenie, who got room service since she refused to budge. View attachment 3576076View attachment 3576074

Congratulations!

 

[BY Bob]

Darn more weather whining tax and it isnt even winter!

My pretty boy Floyd

View attachment 3576194

Beautiful.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

This all sounds like progress!

I suspect, given the turn of events, that her lethargic behaviour is a lack of energy due to not enough food, given this post. I know you have the vets coming, so barring some contradiction by them - I would try to keep feeding her to be sure she is getting enough nutrition to survive - even if it is maybe once a day and doing what you are doing above with the tempting her. I suspect as she gets stronger (with more nutrition/calories going in), she will slowly start to eat better on her own - if for no other reason but as competition to get the 'good stuff' before popcorn does.

Hoping all goes well with the vet (well, WENT well), and that Butters continues to improve. I suspect a bit of depression might have sent her over the top (with Peanut passing), though seems like the reduced eating has probably been going on for a while, I wonder is sadness/depression kicked it up a notch???

For you and Butters.

The vet did not want to tube feed any more at this time, until we see what the blood work shows. I asked her if she could do one while she was here. But the stress of getting blood was as much as either one of us really wanted to put her through, though. She did think she was eating a small amount of something.

She was eating less and less over time, and Peanut’s condition got critically apparent as that was happening. Coincidence or not, what you say could be true, I don’t discount that, considering they know more about themselves than we do.

Thanks for the hugs!

 

[BY Bob]

Wasn't that a wrestler?

@Ponypoor @GregnLety @rural mouse

This has to be corrected. Pretty Boy Floyd was a gangster. Charles Arthur Floyd, nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s.

Here is one of his exploits direct from the FBI website.

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/kansas-city-massacre-pretty-boy-floyd

Gangster Tax