Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

The fabric will rip apart (under the vigorous scratching of chicken feet) especially if they decide to dustbathe somewhere....

Oh I didn’t even think of that myself!

And they sure can excavate dirt!

 

[notabitail]

You should try for a photo of those birds maybe someone can identify them for you

I think I have a photo of them, and I definitely have video. They are my friends now. They don't come up to me, but they skitter away, wait for me to dump some oatmeal down, and then they come back once I walk off. At first it was just one and now all his friends come.

 

[Ponypoor]

I think I have a photo of them, and I definitely have video. They are my friends now. They don't come up to me, but they skitter away, wait for me to dump some oatmeal down, and then they come back once I walk off. At first it was just one and now all his friends come.

Yes I bet all his friends have shown up a free meal is always welcome!

 

[notabitail]

Yes I bet all his friends have shown up a free meal is always welcome!

I imagined Gaby standing on my head, saying, "A free meal is always welcome", and then, putting her eyes and beak as close to my eyes as possible, in a low, deep, slow, voice, "ALWAYS".
I was able to eat my PBandJ without being stormed by chickens today, thankfully.

 

[notabitail]

Oh I didn’t even think of that myself!

And they sure can excavate dirt!

In Albis and Agathae have a illegal hole digging construction site here.

 

[rural mouse]

It’s states right on the bag ‘shell product’ in the ingredients, so I have to go with it being a shell product.

Maybe I’ll give them a shout and see what they say, just to make sure what it is, but it is packaged in Mobile Louisiana so I would think they have access to a lot of shells.

If they like it and aren't having soft shell issues then stick with it.

 

[Sally PB]

it doesn't process into eggshell as well as oyster shell flakes do. Many of the "oystershell" are actually Limestone pellets.

Uh oh.

appears much whiter and looks like chicken grit or tiny gravel. Now I’m having doubts about it!

Uh huh, me too.

My birds won't eat the limestone "oyster pellets" unless they have no other choice. Twirp has the toughest time with fragile shells and the stuff does nothing for her. If she has access to oyster flakes or crushed egg shell, she lays eggs with mostly decent shells. The rest don't like the pebbles either.

They rarely eat the pebbles. They do chow down on the crushed egg shells.

This is what it looks like,

Yup, mine too.

I get the Manna-Pro 50lb. bag at TSC. It is actual oyster shells chopped/flaked into smaller pieces.

I really don't want to get 50 lbs... but I'll do it for my chickens.

That's the Limestone pebbles

Dang. That's what I have.

A trip to TSC is in my near future. Thanks, @rural mouse, for the info. My chickens' eggshells are thin-ish. I wish they were thicker, and I'll see if I can get better OS for them to help with that.

 

[Ponypoor]

If they like it and aren't having soft shell issues then stick with it.

Well don’t know about ‘like’ but they pick at it.

There isn’t any real stats on how much they should ingest; my original chooks eggs seem fine, but my niece’s BR, Larry, was laying soft shelled eggs. And I think Sharpie has been laying brittle shelled eggs, at least I think it’s Sharpie, Larry is molting and I don’t think she is now laying.

The only one of my niece that is laying is Raven and she is laying eggs with good shells. I find this laying business to be stressful, I am constantly worrying about these hens, and now Mr P with this calcium stuff. It makes me wonder how chickens ever survived even 25 yrs ago….!

 

[Sally PB]

This is Robin. She has the reddest comb and wattles of the 5 pullets. I'm hoping she is going to lay soon, as Stormy is going to stop any day now, and all the other hens are motling.

Since it's Tuesday, I have a second picture of Robin.

I guess my phone thought the subject to focus on was the sheet on the line.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Butters is failing today. I'm not sure she'll live through the night. Yesterday she was eating and drinking and fairly active, but today mostly resting, not wanting to move much. It seemed she wasn't steady on her feet, especially one side, and I wondered if she hurt something. Her comb and face is normal red. Later when I gave her some walnut bits, she wanted them, but it seemed her beak was pretty dry and ate some then stopped eating. She went over to the feeder and tried to eat but the crumbles were very dry in her beak too. So she got herself over to a sunny protected spot and rested. When the sun moved she moved too, but not very well. I felt her crop and decided to tube-feed her some baby bird mix thinking it would give her nutrition and fluid, and I syringe-fed her 3ml of water & electrolytes too, all right there in the sun. She stayed where she was for a couple of hours.

So at 6pm I got her and sat with her by the coop and said my goodbyes and just hung out with her on my lap for half an hour. She slept and looked around a bit. I put her in the nestbox, because that's where she puts herself to bed and it feels safe, and the others would soon be in, and she would have her usual company. I fluffed the hemp so it would be soft.