Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

My chooks have both feet firmly planted on the ground. It is a rule that has to be followed here in Cluckingham court

Hmmm, you named her AERO because she has big wings and likes to use them. How can she use her wings effectively if both feet are to be firmly planted on the ground at all times?????????

 

[BeastBaby]

We have battled mites the last 3 years. Elector did nothing for us (i think we may have a bad/old bottle), we had some luck with Poultry Protector and torching the coop via @Shadrach method. This year i used sulphur powder at the first sign of them and had instant success. I dusted mostly the wood where i see them the most and under the nest box pads i use then dusted chicken bums very lightly.

Oh my, well I hope I have better luck. Also, we don’t have the red mites that live in the coop. Those seem particularly tough to be rid of.

 

[featherhead007]

Hmmm, you named her AERO because she has big wings and likes to use them. How can she use her wings effectively if both feet are to be firmly planted on the ground at all times?????????

Don’t tease about little Aero. She’s a sweetheart. She’ll keep her feet on the ground right after landing!
My hanger guy loved her picture and her name!

 

[featherhead007]

Happy "pony" sunday
View attachment 3851183

Such a beautiful horsee. No need to bridle or saddle!

 

[rural mouse]

So now that I know for sure I have chicks developing I have just under 2 weeks to make some decisions.
Option A. Brood them myself. Clean out the spot beside my computer desk and set up the brooder like I have done in the past. Being silkies, the dog crate will be big enough for them for 3 to 4 weeks before I put them outside. This will allow me to be a helicopter parent. This will also ensure optimal friendliness in the chicks. Again, being silkies they are born human friendly.

Option B: Bunny and or Spooky. Conviently Bunny went broody the day I set the eggs on the porch. Spooky followed suit 2 days later in the other nest box. Bunny is beyond experienced and has adopted chicks before. Spooky is unproven, but Marans x Silkie so has the genes to be a good mother. If I attempted to foster any onto her I would hover and be prepared to remove them the first sign she was going to reject them. This is the smartest thing to do. Broody raised chicks are so much smarter and in the long run healthier and grow faster. The drawbacks is I cannot be outside 24/7 to constantly supervise those first critical weeks. This is my only planned hatch this year.

Right now I am letting the girls sit on nothing. Incase I do decide to use them I want them ready. My head is telling me to let Bunny have them for well adjusted already integrated chicks. My heart is saying do it myself and deal with integration at a later date.

That's a tough one. My set up, much as I love cuddling and playing with the chicks, they're better off being raised by the tribe, so even if not going under a broody (Jessica accepted 1 and changed her mind on the rest), need to go in tote out there. You have time yet to decide what is best for you.

 

[rural mouse]

Busted
After 7 hours happily scratching around in the undergrowth we have this.
View attachment 3850576

So it is back to jail for her!
View attachment 3850577

7 hours is good progress. She'll get there.

 

[rural mouse]

A new breed they call strait run. I can get five free chicks with the purchase of 50 lbs of feed

Do you get to pick the chicks? Or do they? You know chickens so...

 

[rural mouse]

We need to speak to Management.
Last Wednesday I discovered that my chickens had mites. Poor girls- I check them regularly, but it turns out the mites are not evenly distributed, and so had me fooled. Dottie and Fez were the hardest hit, while Whiskey and Albert had none detectable, for example. I ordered the demiter (elector psp), it arrived a couple of days ago, and today was Bath day! I used a first bucket of warm water to get them waterlogged/bums cleaned, then the second one was the medicated dip.

Enjoy! Soggy chickens galor:View attachment 3850972
View attachment 3850973
Becky

View attachment 3850974View attachment 3850975
Perry

View attachment 3850976View attachment 3850977
Quincy

View attachment 3850978
Dottie

View attachment 3850980
Albert

View attachment 3850985
Whiskey

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Quincy visiting with Fez, planning to drink her bath water.

View attachment 3850988
Quincy and Fez again

View attachment 3850991
Lmao they were so confused. They didn’t even have it in them to be mad at me- they didn’t even complain! Not once! It’s like their brains stalled out and they were just walking around, dripping, going “…what is going on?”.

Oh, the poor things look so miserable soaked!

 

[knoturavggrl]

We need to speak to Management.
Last Wednesday I discovered that my chickens had mites. Poor girls- I check them regularly, but it turns out the mites are not evenly distributed, and so had me fooled. Dottie and Fez were the hardest hit, while Whiskey and Albert had none detectable, for example. I ordered the demiter (elector psp), it arrived a couple of days ago, and today was Bath day! I used a first bucket of warm water to get them waterlogged/bums cleaned, then the second one was the medicated dip.

Enjoy! Soggy chickens galor:View attachment 3850972
View attachment 3850973
Becky

View attachment 3850974View attachment 3850975
Perry

View attachment 3850976View attachment 3850977
Quincy

View attachment 3850978
Dottie

View attachment 3850980
Albert

View attachment 3850985
Whiskey

View attachment 3850986
Quincy visiting with Fez, planning to drink her bath water.

View attachment 3850988
Quincy and Fez again

View attachment 3850991
Lmao they were so confused. They didn’t even have it in them to be mad at me- they didn’t even complain! Not once! It’s like their brains stalled out and they were just walking around, dripping, going “…what is going on?”.

Oh goodness!
On a serious note I am sorry they and you are dealing with this. Seems like it’s a matter of time thing, all of us are likely to have to deal with this or a similar issue at some point be it mites, lice, or worms.

On the pictures, those are funny and priceless and it’s because in this case they got so wet because you’re taking such good care of them. The looks you captured seem to be them saying “Why, oh why human, do you do these weird things!”

 

[rural mouse]

Oh, the poor things look so miserable soaked!

@BeastBaby I'm sure they're MORE miserable with the mites, but oh, they remind me of a cat who has just gotten a bath...