Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Fresh pics, holding some for Friday

View attachment 3673426Top to bottom: Lark, Shan, Primula, Havoc, Twirp

View attachment 3673427Quartz

View attachment 3673428Storm and Cardhu

View attachment 3673429Cardhu and Nimbus (who is camera shy)

View attachment 3673430Nellie and Blanche

View attachment 3673431Havoc, Twirp, and Primula

View attachment 3673432Belladonna, still rough, but fully covered and moving better

View attachment 3673433Jessica (losing her tail feathers,), PITA, Whiskey, Cuckoo, Havoc

View attachment 3673434Mera, still filling in the fluff

Beautiful photos!

 

[micstrachan]

More pavers down, this pic is from standing at the door, south-west side, looking north. The trench I dug starts just a few feet to the west (left) and goes around the back, north side. Now with the sandy gravel gone in this doorway area (which was always damp) I saw some water from the recent rain seeping in here.

BTW I think that's Tedi looking around at the new pavers. Also looking at the fake eggs I just temporarily stored here while changing out the roost and nestbox materials...

The Spuds are just 13 weeks old now, and nobody is laying, Popcorn is molting and has lost her over-conditioned fat keel (maybe she gets that way because she anticipates the hard molt?) and Hazel is doing a slow molt too.

Here you can also see the dripping from the sad roof situation, I'm attempting to address it.
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Only good thing about the doorway seep is it's not a huge amount of water and it does drain away through the ground reasonably quickly. I don't think I have it in me to try to make a 20' trench going south the other way around the extended run and coop, over to the French drain, or alternatively extend the first trench up this way another five feet, is it deep enough to accommodate an extension?...I'm thinking of seeing how the pavers here at the door work for the winter and put off more major excavation. I think they will stay above the wet when it rains again, but I can deal with a bit of wet if they don't, by piling on more shavings. In the back in the picture, the north side floor, it's doing really well now with the rain because of the trench, I checked under the pavers.

The pavers look good. Sorry I have not kept up to know why you are installing them. To keep rats out? Some sort of insulation layer?

 

[micstrachan]

So, for Mugs Monday, a troublesome duo! The darker girl had gotten injured on her hind quarter - the one with more copper has been her 'friend/companion' while she healed. The two are a hoot (and yes, she is all better now). The one with more copper is very inquisitive (as you can probably tell by the photos0, but the injured girl is much more tolerant of 'mommy' wanting to hold her - ESPECIALLY if she is hold ing a mealworm while doing so!!!

Neither is cuddly, but they do tolerate mom's attentions. Now to reintegrate them back in with the flock!


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Speaking of 'flock' @RoyalChick , this is my take yesterday.

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The exact same for the past 3-4 days. I think I have 2 scabs in my midst that are crossing the picket line!!!! No one else is laying but the two chickens that laid these eggs. Even the ducks have only been laying 4-5 eggs - but considering that they are molting, and all but 4 are 4 +, then i'm completely fine with that. However, you 45+ adult girls - come on! Really - only 2 eggs a day??? If each of you only laid one egg a week - that would still be roughly 6 eggs a day!

So, I am unsure of how to proceed, as the AFCU - TSG local 13 hasn't answered my counter offer, nor have they stopped tree sitting, but they HAVE stopped laying eggs (again, all but the 2 'scabs'

(And, personally, the green egg layer - SHOULD stop - or at least stop laying jumbo sized eggs - she is fairly petite! I am pretty sure each of these last 3 eggs are double yolkers. She has only laid one double yolker prior to this - now, since molting - she has onnly laid 1 regular sized egg.

Those are cute pullets and I think they will be stunning hens!

 

[micstrachan]

I noticed yesterday I felt I was getting sprayed while checking Hazel's crop (and getting some stuck-on poop off one of her feet). Today she has terribly bubbly eyes, and her nares or lungs are rattling when she breathes. This morning I didn't see it, but in taking Mugs Monday shots this afternoon I saw she has been shaking and scratching the bubbles off, then they come back. So, I've started her on the Baytril 10%, for her weight of 5lbs 5oz, .25 ml 2x/day. I hope she responds as well as Anna did. Poor girl was trembling when I wrapped her and gave her the dose. I do handle them but she and Popcorn have always been the most nervous about it. Peanut and Butters were much more mellow. Despite her fear she was more compliant than fighting it.

Hazel
Her appetite is good, good crop before bed, but she did retire early
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The gang and any new chicks are doomed to this respiratory disease, whatever it is. I've read some people cull everyone, and that's just out of the question, beyond the pale to me.

Figuring this is a long-term issue, what do I do if/when the Baytril runs out? Go back to the vet? I also have Amoxy-Tyl powder, and that's it. The enrofloxacin is better?

Not sure what's triggered this for Hazel, the new pavers going down stressing her, or her molt, which isn't heavy and seems finishing, her feathers are looking great, or Popcorn's heavy molt and different behavior, or losing and really missing her close buddy Peanut, and then also her other companion and underling Butters?

Popcorn, her new feathers are coming in nicely (lower cozy panels are off)
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The Spuds preening on their upper level perch (btw the cozy panel up here is off too)
Diane-Ida
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Tedi
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Anna
Still smaller, maybe always will be, having lost at least a week-10 days of growth when she was sick and not able to eat on her own. She has a good appetite but tends to hang back a little timidly, so I make sure she gets a turn when I'm feeding everyone out of my hands
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Anna and Tedi and Diane-Ida's beak
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I know I’ve said this before, but Hazel looks so much like my Ruby did.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hey Marie ! It's good to see Princess is doing better and I hope you are as well.
You probably have given her the sardines by now, but here is my opinion. Fat in itself isn't necessarily an issue for chickens every now and then, just like for us, especially something like virgin olive or safflower oil which is usually what comes around the sardines. Excessive carbohydrates are much more likely to make chickens fat and unhealthy (corn..).But the oil in the sardines automatically multiply the number of calories by three or four so you have to take this into account and give Princess a smaller portion. I don't know what size your tins are ; ours vary from 90 to 110 grams, and if it's on addition to what the chicken usually eats and not instead of, I give about a fourth daily to a single chicken, more or less depending on it's size.

Or, you can maybe buy sardines without oil. I do that but you have to rinse them because they are kept in salted water. They have much less calories.
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So what would this be, a straight and rose hybrid ?
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I have another question for you people that are used to giving antibiotics. Up to now I was always prescribed the same one for wounds and bumblefeet and the chickens seemed otherwise healthy. Now I have just finished a ten days treatment for Lilly, who has bumblefoot, and because she has a heavy load of tapeworms I have also treated her consecutively with Panacur (fenbendazole) which did nothing, and Praziquantel a few days after (worm out gel) which I am hoping will be effective.
Anyway while she is not really unwell, she seems a bit down under, often resting, and just looking pale. I see people mentioning to use probiotics after a course of antibiotics, but we don't have any for birds here. Should I give her a tiny amount of yogurt for a while ? How about vitamins ? She used to hang out in the garden all the time but now she isn't so keen on going far, so i’m not sure if I should try supplementing her. Any idea ?

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Yes! Probiotics are just cultures in pill form. As long as the yoghurt is live it will have helpful cultures.
The benefit of the pills or powder is that they have more different strains in them (the more the better). It is why I like kefir for gut health (mine included) because it has many more cultures than Greek Yoghurt (which tends to be the best among yoghurts).
Yoghurts and kefirs tend to be much lower in lactose as are many aged cheeses.
I have no issue with lactose and I am not sure that the view that chickens can’t have lactose can be true as they were often fed bread soaked in milk in days gone by.

 

[micstrachan]

Poopy is so adorable!!
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And here is Wendy
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Poopy really is adorably! Wendy is lovely, too.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks. I'll soak them and place them in the fridge overnight. First hot water then cold.

See what others say but I would think draining them would be enough.
The oil isn’t bad for them. Just has calories. And washing often doesn’t remove oil.
I think I would put them in a sieve over a bowl and leave them to drip off over night.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

None, I only have Mr P here now for Roos. It’s way quieter and the hens are much happier.

Oh, did Penne and pretty boy Floyd and Rico go to Freezer Camp?

 

[featherhead007]

Veterans Day chickens:

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

View attachment 3680391I’ve spent the last couple of weeks (and the next few, as well) hauling buckets of mulch to spread around my yard. Alas, it’s too steep for a wheelbarrow. When we moved in I had to declutter a ton of invasive blackberry & ivy, so there’s lots of bare dirt to cover and protect while I put plants in.

The chooks of course are perfectly happy with mulch, bare dirt, or grass. A mix of all three, please View attachment 3680395
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Albert, the skinniest butt of the flock, is feeling very amenable to modeling for FBF.

That is a gorgeous chook. I want her/him!