Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

Good for you! I have over 50 adult hens - guess how many eggs I have been getting?4-6. Yesterday only 3. i know you are molting, girls, but really???? I spend $250+ per week feeding you all - can you help with the feed bills just a bit???? At least I'm getting 5-6 duck eggs a day (out of 13 girls),

And, none of the pullets are yet laying to help with the slack. My oldest 2 groups, should be laying - or laying soon, but nope!, not yet 6 of those 4 +2 about 1.5 weeks apart.

And, for now, the young roos are still too young/skinny to process - one from the second hatch, multiple from later hatches (8, can keep at most 1)

So, at the moment, they are literally eating me out of house and home! and - at least I am hoping - the 2 older sets of chicks should start to lay this fall. I'm assuming all the others will wait until late Jan or early Feb.

Hmmm....this math just DOESN'T add up: presently about 125 birds (young, adult, chickens, ducks, geese) 6-9 eggs per day. Hmmm, maybe I need to rethink them as my retirement plan - 'cause now I am working to support THEM!

?maybe they though I said I was their retirement plan, not the other way around????

Wowee you are Servant to a village over there!

 

[SimpleJenn]

Good morning!
I got to give everyone but Ash and Liara hugs, those two were in a rush to do girl stuff haha.
Showed Thane how to use the nipple waterer, who immediately showed Shep and Samara. They'll show the rest!

I see she will be boss mare

Yeah Liara has been dethroned as flock queen. However, she won't be bottom rank with Ash having her back like she does. Those two are great partners.

 

[Marie2020]

We had a weather report informing us that we are due freezing weather here, apparently it's going to drop to minus 17 to 20c

 

[fuentemoon]

The frost killed them?

Yup. I picked 3 quarts of them this week knowing it was coming, but it has been a super bumper crop year. Probably at least that many green ones still on the plant.

 

[lightm]

My whole flock

 

[bgmathteach]

My whole flockView attachment 3670792View attachment 3670793

That is both a lovely AND a reasonable sized flock !

You have very sweet girls (with whom, your husband clearly have become their devoted servant - judging from the many picture you post of them being his lap chickens

 

[featherhead007]

I came home from church and opened up the run. The chooks all piled out quickly, except for Sir Jaffar. He was no where to be seen. I looked behind the feed bin on the back wall of the coop, and there he was, stuck in a sitting position between the bin and the wall. Barely any room for a chook to move. Poor little guy probably lost his footing and slipped into a problem situation. He’s out safely now and is having some breakfast.

 

[rural mouse]

Stormy weather visitors

From earlier this week

And some senic pics ineligible for the fall pic contest as I've hit the limit.

Lull in the storm

Next round

Energetic pup discovering the changes of a white blanket

Clearing off

And the crabapple are the reddest I've ever seen. Maybe I'll have time to make candied crabapple this year......

Moonset

And sunrise...

Horefrost and the sun breaking through didn't capture as well

The glittery sparkles didn't capture either.

More puppy fun.

 

[micstrachan]

Red Hen update

I attempted a draining of her abdomen but was unable to drain any fluid. At this point I am assuming she is in heart failure, I am just keeping her on pain meds and hopefully she is comfortable. She had a good day outside in the nice warm sunshine, but slept a lot.

She sure does love her grub, and treats and such. As long as she continues to eat then I will leave well enough alone. My hope is that she passes quietly in her sleep, she has had a great life and at 5 she is old for a production breed. I am quite cognizant of the Azurs and their laying eggs every day, my hope is that they will slow down or even stop over the winter, to give their wee bodies a break from laying. I am really happy with their energetic happy friendly personalities, and hope to have many many years with them

Poor Red Hen. You’ve done great with her. Yay to Azurs!

 

[micstrachan]

There was a Ruffed Grouse that flew in and went to the apple tree right near the run, and when it flew a brief alarm went out, so if it' had been hanging around earlier maybe that was it before. And the bucket got knocked over in the rush to get to safety.

Well - I am still concerned for the Spuds' health and watch them closely. I have been thinking about asking everyone's opinion: they appear to be acting well, eating a lot, not sleeping abnormally as far as I can tell, though they need more naps than the adults.

Anna's voice after the antibiotic treatment became more like it was before she got sick, clear and cheepy, but Tedi and Ida Diane both still have deep chesty peeps and boks, Ida Diane's in particular is very hoarse and rough sounding. Today Anna sneezed and Ida Diane did too. But other than how their voices sound they seem to be okay. Their nares are dirty, but no visible mucus or discharge, and no bubbles in the eyes.

I have been going by what I thought was the conventional wisdom in the case of respiratory illness, that they can live with it and have it the rest of their lives, it may wax and wane depending on stress and condition, but not to treat unless it interferes with them living their lives and they start behaving sickly.

I think it is also possible that the horrible exposure to mold in their first brooder shavings, which I think killed their two chick sisters, could have been the entrance for the bacterial infection Anna got, and maybe Ida Diane and Tedi are suffering from that mold exposure? But those two developed the chesty sounds and sneezes later, after Anna, so I'm not sure about this idea.

I hope that not treating unless sickly is the correct thing to do, and that their air sacs aren't all scarred and cause problems for them down the line. Or maybe all that is in the cards at this point anyway so I ought to look at it as battle scars and nothing to do about it now? If I were to give those two a course of antibiotics, what would be the goal? Would it help them, or maybe it is too late to treat now? If it is fungal- related, there would be no point (I think?). If I know they're okay as is, then when I note the way their voices sound I won't wonder, but since I'm unsure I keep thinking about it and doubting this path.

I agree not to treat unless they are sickly, with the exception of s clogged crop.