Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Who's ready for fall?
...
...
...
I am.
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Awwwww I love that photo!

 

[Ponypoor]

Here's the funny thing you have all been waiting for.
I really hope this thread wins because this is a very funny thread and here's who I'd like to thank:
Release the Kellies!
Looks like the two Kellies want to go outside.
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Yes, you deserve all the freedom in the world.
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And there they go.
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Grandma does not want to be a Kelly.
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At least she got out. Does she still deserve the Kelly title?
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The name Kelly mean ‘warrior, or friend of the land’ also in some cases ‘Bright-headed’ it’s a very old name.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_(surname)#:~:text=4 Fictional Characters-,Etymology,also mean warrior or fighter.

 

[Ponypoor]

Most have been resistant to fluffy bums pics this week. At best: profile bums.

View attachment 3642015Pear, has fresh tail feathers growing in, and is roaming far and wide for the best things to expedite the process. (I think she's in the pea tree hedge, southern end, most of the day).

View attachment 3642016Indigo's tail is looking thin. Only sign she has going that moulting is maybe happening. (She and Lark had a stash of eggs in the carport: 2.5 dozen, so either not affected or just getting started)

View attachment 3642017Lark (should have posted this yesterday, but life got bonkers) still in fine fettle.

View attachment 3642018Twirp, tends to moult later than the others, hoping she's actually sneaking that in now.

View attachment 3642019Jessica (and Mera) has done the quiet/subtle moult. Based upon all the tiny spots of lacing, is almost finished, and is currently the best groomed/most put together bird (aside from this year's 11 babies).

View attachment 3642020Storm's tail is looking much like Pear's did a week ago, but she's avoided having all the down poke through her feathers. Quartz is flashing her fluff (limp is gone). Granite as his tail just showing behind Storm, none of the fancy feathers yet. Cardhu is flashing those lovely breast feathers (and making me wonder if one of those brown eggs in the nest was Pear's, making her a Pear x Whiskey cross). Cumulo is behind Cardhu (Nimbus is behind the rock, I think).

And

Spoiler: shocker

View attachment 3642026The light downed trees back there have a dusting of snow. Most of the day rained yesterday, but the continental divide was just high enough to get dusted yesterday.

Oh no another 4 letter word!!! Snow!!!

 

[Sally PB]

They should make the wormer in the shape of a mealworm.

It makes sense to me!

 

[Ponypoor]

No nobody is ill. Up to this point I have not wormed them. Squirrel started me thinking the whole flock needed to be wormed, but it may be just her. She got off the roost the other day and pooped in front of me. She for sure needs it as her poop had several worms in it . To date that is the first and only poop I have saw with worms. I think now I may just treat her. No need for with holding eggs as she is mid molt and not laying.

If you are seeing worms in their poop then they are loaded with them; and those worms can be found in eggs - I worm because I don’t want to sell eggs that show worms in them.

I worm once a year in the Fall after a summer of outside eating bugs and slugs etc they pick up all sorts of worms from these weeds creatures. During the winter they are inside and only go out if it’s not too cold or snowy and when I am home.

With the horses I worm twice a year - at New Years as the bot flies that lay eggs on the horses coat in late summer (and when horses groom/lick themselves the eggs go into their mouths, hatch and the larva migrate to the horses gut), by New Years timeline the bots have made it to the gut - I worm with praziquantel and ivermectin which gets the bots and tapeworms. I also worm around May with a different wormer to get large and small round worms and any others they may have.

You can do a fecal test - I collect poop from various animals and do a ‘herd test’. If anything shows up then everyone gets wormed.

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 3642985

Great photo! Where did you get the costumes, those are great!

 

[RoyalChick]

If you are seeing worms in their poop then they are loaded with them; and those worms can be found in eggs - I worm because I don’t want to sell eggs that show worms in them.

I worm once a year in the Fall after a summer of outside eating bugs and slugs etc they pick up all sorts of worms from these weeds creatures. During the winter they are inside and only go out if it’s not too cold or snowy and when I am home.

With the horses I worm twice a year - at New Years as the bot flies that lay eggs on the horses coat in late summer (and when horses groom/lick themselves the eggs go into their mouths, hatch and the larva migrate to the horses gut), by New Years timeline the bots have made it to the gut - I worm with praziquantel and ivermectin which gets the bots and tapeworms. I also worm around May with a different wormer to get large and small round worms and any others they may have.

You can do a fecal test - I collect poop from various animals and do a ‘herd test’. If anything shows up then everyone gets wormed.

I have done a flock test - I liked that approach so may do that again at some point.

 

[Ponypoor]

My boys follow a strict schedule. Every 6 weeks farrier is out to trim and re shoe. Every 3 months to the day they get wormed. Wormer is also changed up with winter and spring/summer worms. The boys will tell you when you are a few days away from worming them, itchy butts and constant tails scratching. To be honest I never thought they chickens would need it. I assumed they were getting wormed with the horses through secondary exposure. I try not to think what my hens eat when I eat their eggs, but horse poop is a delicacy for them.

They will likely be getting more parasite from eating raw worms, slugs, bugs, etc. than the horses poop

There has been some anecdotal evidence that ivermectin can kill the insects that ‘eat’ manure of cattle, and sheep. And that it then prevents the natural decay of the manure. For this reason I only use ivermectin once a year.

It’s only anecdotal and I have not had any real chance to do my own research.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have done a flock test - I liked that approach so may do that again at some point.

You can do that once a year in the Fall, after a summer of foraging so it might show if they have any parasites.

Most chickens will be fine without worming, but it’s good to have a baseline of where the flock stands regarding parasite load.

The issue with going with studies of poultry is that 99% of poultry is in factory farms and are processed before any issues show, and they generally don’t forage outside so are not picking up parasite loads.

But our backyard pets live way longer and can get a heavy load from eating all those yummy bugs. The older they get they more load they will likely carry.

So while yea young birds will carry a low load fine, older birds are likely carrying a larger load.

 

[rural mouse]

Oh no another 4 letter word!!! Snow!!!

Currently getting ready for the OTHER 4 letter word: WORK.

How many chickens in this pic?