Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Guys I got some exiting news! I reached out to a California Valley Quail breeder who was ready to be done and he was selling everything. His huge breeding cage, his pair, his two remaining males from his last hatch, and all of his supplies! I'm going to start breeding them in April or May once they start laying! Here they all are on their way to the aviary!
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My quail army is growing! Mwah ahahaha

Congratulations!

 

[featherhead007]

We manage to get over the loss, but we never forget who she was and what we lost!

 

[BY Bob]

For a moment there I thought you had picked up chicks already

And a cat?

 

[featherhead007]

Tax for the memories:

 

[BY Bob]

I posted poo pics on the other thread. THey seem really normal. Here she is now
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And a bit earlier
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She definitely does not seem well. Give Corrid and get to the vet is the best I got.

 

[BY Bob]

Is he molting? When they molt - especially if is ISN'T really slow - they want to avoid contact and are miserable - so they tend to avoid others and can be irritable. Hens absolutely do this, and Some of my roos do this as well - again, especially when they are molting in the abdomen and sides where they tend to rub and the pins irritate them.

My hens frequently will hide in a nest box or be off by themselves with back pins, too, to avoid mating. For some reason, it seems chickens are molting earlier this year - and most of mine are molting HARD. (versus late Nov & December the past few years, and Sept - October for many years before - with straggles/consistently hard molters late Oct. or Nov.) This year, my early molters started in August!

I am wondering if we are in for a herd winter - or if the wonky weather and lots of rain (i.e. less sun than usual) is prompting the early molt?????

This is my fear as well. An early hard winter is coming. Hattie does not usually molt until late October. She is in full molt right now!

 

[notabitail]

This is my fear as well. An early hard winter is coming. Hattie does not usually molt until late October. She is in full molt right now!

My family's bees are making tons of honey and whatnot. Means the winter is probably going to be a hard one.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Mugshot Monday
I had a few mugshots so I chose this one.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

This is my fear as well. An early hard winter is coming. Hattie does not usually molt until late October. She is in full molt right now!

Grandma started her molting around late August. Tony, Parmesan and Mozzarella are still in their feathers, not losing one. I don't know if this happens to older chickens but perhaps not since Tony is just a year younger than Grandma.

 

[RoyalChick]

This is my fear as well. An early hard winter is coming. Hattie does not usually molt until late October. She is in full molt right now!

My family's bees are making tons of honey and whatnot. Means the winter is probably going to be a hard one.

You guys are worrying. Neither Bernie nor Babs is showing any signs of molting.
I hope they don’t molt when it gets really cold!