Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sally PB]

@Ponypoor, here are side views of the two different colorations of my Bielefelders.
Also tax for ranting about weed block fabric.

Robin the Red

Squeaky

Robin and Sunny are the Red girls. Squeaky and Pip are the Blondes. Robin's comb and wattles are the most red of the pullets, and I have seen her looking into the nest box.

Sunshine shows the barring on their backs better, but today we have rain and grey skies. Pip has the most barring, but she was busy with a dust bath when I was out there, so I didn't get a picture of her.

 

[bgmathteach]

Butters has passed. She was still breathing when I checked her on camera at 5:40 this morning. Her body is stiff but still warm. No big spasm, her head and feet look like she was sleeping though she had moved forward from before. Rest In Peace dear Butters

It is a mystery what ailed her, her molt had been progressing with the tube feeding and then her own eating, but seemed to slow, and on Monday her weight was down again.

I am so sad to hear this - you tried so hard to help her! But I feel you did right by her to spend some quality time with her when she was failing, then put her in her usual sleeping spot with her flockmates - where she would be comfortable and it would be peaceful.

I am so sorry for you and your girls that you have been having such a tough run. I am way behind, but I hope Anna is picking up - one can only take so much heartache at a time!

 

[bgmathteach]

And I have some sad news. Had a call from the down below neighbor while I was in the shower early this afternoon. His pup (several months older than Sherlock) came up with a dead chicken. I went out to look around. Found feathers looking like possibly Cheetah. Found Cheetah under the Russian olives with Tuff, Havoc, Shan, Chia, and Enigma. Headed down to check the body. It was Zulu. Couldn't tell what killed him. Possibly the dog, possibly the other roos due to presumptive behavior. Ok, keep an eye out see if catch the dog chasing the chickens. Headed back up. Just above the fork in the track, found Nox. Headed back down to let the neighbor know. His pup is the culprit. He's charging up a shock collar for the pup and is planning on being out with the pup hence forth. We will see how that goes. At this point, I don't know how I feel. The boys started sounding all clear as I was taking Sherlock for another walk after clean up. Pear was doing some lookout duty with Cuckoo watching another direction.

Last pic of Nox, taken this morning. View attachment 3652048Fly high, darling. Now I'm in tears.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

No Pelargonium geranium. I've looked it up and it's a detox for chickens in small amounts.

I don’t know anything about “flushing kidneys”, human or otherwise, except that having enough fluids, as long as your kidneys are functioning as they should, is good for you, and that’s the real “flushing”, the kidneys “flush” themselves.

I never heard anything about not giving electrolytes when giving antibiotics. I don’t think they’re antagonistic.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Weed block fabric, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

That's a big ol' ZILCH, weed block fabric! Just like brome grass! You two are in cahoots with each other. WBF, you try to keep out the little, easy to pull weeds so that big ol' pain-in-the-you-know-where brome grass can take over the space!

Then, when I tried putting you out at the corner to keep the weeds down so they don't block the view and people can see an oncoming car (or hubby and me walking Freya), brome pushed you up, WBF, and you tried to choke hubby's mower!

Well, ha ha! The joke is on you! Both of you! WBF, you're now in itty bitty shreds! And brome, I'm coming for you! You will fall when the string trimmer cuts you off at your knees!

Whew. Thank you. I feel better now.

And @rural mouse and @BY Bob too, thank you all for weighing in with your experiences with landscape fabric! That certainly decides it for me, I’m going with litter right on top of the gravel sandy dirt stuff. I just need to have a good extra thick layer of the gravel sand below it. Tamped down some, so when I remove the litter 1x / 2x year it won’t lose much.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Perhaps the vet could supply the antibiotics and you could then save yours for a crisis. I might not tell the vet I'm treating with Baytril. I did not feel mine when I did.

You do realize the risk that the vet may discover bird flu and the consequences of that.

I did not think it was avian flu so I totally forgot about not being all open and frank with the vet when I updated them via email on what I was doing, and how the Baytril made a wonderful change for the good and seemed to be working. I don’t see other people and professionals as potentially adversarial, I’m a huge idiot in that regard.

I’m noting the points that came up in today’s visit and will post, I’ve been running on max today doing things and need to chill now by digging, hoeing and hauling in the run. But mainly because there’s chickens in there!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I've just come across this information and wanted to share

https://www.adelaidechickensittingservice.com/blog/molasses-for-chickens

I'll use the molasses after the amoxicillin treatment along with this electrolytes

You would not want to induce any diarrhea with molasses, it is often given as a way to move the crop and gizzard, whole intestinal system along with essentially a diarrhea. But here you’re looking to just supplement her, right? I wouldn’t “flush” with this, the antibiotics might be wiping out her good gut microbes, and could even give her diarrhea, so don’t do anything that also might give her diarrhea. That’s why you’d give electrolytes too, in case too much gets “flushed” out. So if the molasses is too much you’re going to counteract your good intentions…

 

[rural mouse]

If anyone can make a liar out of me it is Momma Hen, but here goes. I am now confident Momma Hen is done laying. Her last brood was sold I think end of April or the first of May. Years of experience with that hen I know her patterns, especially during the spring and summer months. She should have started back up laying within 2 to 3 weeks. This is a hen who hatches 3 to 4 clutches every year like clockwork. She starts laying. The first week and a half to 2 weeks lays in obvious places. Then she hides them, to build a clutch to go broody. If you find them and try to break her up she finds another hiding spot. She did not do that. Instead she went through a heavy hard molt that started immediately after her chicks were gone. Her molt was finished by the middle of August and she is just beautiful right now. I have not had one single egg from her. No interest in nest spots obvious or previous hidden haunts. No interest in anyone else's eggs either. I really feel she is done. I don't know how I feel about this to be honest. I am in no way upset that she may be done, if any hen has earned her retirement it is her. To be fair though I envisioned myself fighting that hen beak and nail over broody nonsense until her final days. She is my best broody hands down even though the sheer aggravation has made me want to throttle her. I should be happy I may no longer will have to deal with the demon. Instead I feel it is the end of a era and I am sad.

It's possible she's done laying her own, but will aid and abet others by still going broody.... only time will tell on that score.

 

[bgmathteach]

If anyone can make a liar out of me it is Momma Hen, but here goes. I am now confident Momma Hen is done laying. Her last brood was sold I think end of April or the first of May. Years of experience with that hen I know her patterns, especially during the spring and summer months. She should have started back up laying within 2 to 3 weeks. This is a hen who hatches 3 to 4 clutches every year like clockwork. She starts laying. The first week and a half to 2 weeks lays in obvious places. Then she hides them, to build a clutch to go broody. If you find them and try to break her up she finds another hiding spot. She did not do that. Instead she went through a heavy hard molt that started immediately after her chicks were gone. Her molt was finished by the middle of August and she is just beautiful right now. I have not had one single egg from her. No interest in nest spots obvious or previous hidden haunts. No interest in anyone else's eggs either. I really feel she is done. I don't know how I feel about this to be honest. I am in no way upset that she may be done, if any hen has earned her retirement it is her. To be fair though I envisioned myself fighting that hen beak and nail over broody nonsense until her final days. She is my best broody hands down even though the sheer aggravation has made me want to throttle her. I should be happy I may no longer will have to deal with the demon. Instead I feel it is the end of a era and I am sad.

She may still go broody once a year - older hens usually lay during the 'spring flush' as I call it. She may still have one broody batch a year left in her for another year or two!

 

[notabitail]

Am I the only one who feels bad for drinking something my chooks can't eat when they are watching me (even though I am supposed to watch them)?