Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Are they Buff Orps? Have to say I am happy with the ones I picked up. Nice temperament on them.

One thing i remember you sayin about Hattie’s feathers were they had something going on..? I have notes that the feathers on Laverne are almost like a frizzle, the barbs are not stuck together like on other feathers - is this an Orpington thing? Is this why they look so fluffy? The Buff Orps are not like that.

It's a lavender thing. Frequently lavender birds have a feather shredding gene with it.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Are they Buff Orps? Have to say I am happy with the ones I picked up. Nice temperament on them.

One thing i remember you sayin about Hattie’s feathers were they had something going on..? I have notes that the feathers on Laverne are almost like a frizzle, the barbs are not stuck together like on other feathers - is this an Orpington thing? Is this why they look so fluffy? The Buff Orps are not like that.

I saw a video on this. It seems to be connected to the Lavender color. She was breeding Lavender Ameraucanas and experienced the same issues, so I think its less a breed issue and more something specific to the genes associated with producing the stunning Lavender coloring.

 

[knoturavggrl]

I saw a video on this. It seems to be connected to the Lavender color. She was breeding Lavender Ameraucanas and experienced the same issues, so I think its less a breed issue and more something specific to the genes associated with producing the stunning Lavender coloring.

SHRA tax -
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27864488

 

[featherhead007]

Hetty (australorp) wasn't willing to be photographed last. Ight but has comb and wattles about the same size as Kate and Focus. Blurr (the true blur in the pics) was slower to feather out than the others (although both Blurr and Focus took their time compared to Kate, Jane, and Hetty) and still has almost nothing for a comb. My added challenge is that tomorrow, I won't be able to keep an eye on the coop to see who's trying out nest boxes. Got an invite to go haul wood....which will also lay in supply for us.

I can’t count how many times I helped my friends in town haul firewood to their homes.
It’s good to be helpful to others.

 

[micstrachan]

Awww, glad to hear Lil Mill is doing better. Poor Bridgie! It looked like, in the video you posted a while ago - that she didn't seem to have any control of the foot at all. I hope that the toes don't curl in - she might be prone to sores on them if they do. Poor dear - glad she is doing well otherwise, and coping. Seems they manage to cope most of the time, though. For them (or at least - for them if they were in the wild/so jungle fowl roots "them") it would be manage or perish. That said, I'm glad she has a good home with you, as you treat your girls well and take good care of them, so I know Bridge is in capable and competent hands - and she will have the best possible life with you. While I like all of your flock, Bridge and Little Mill have always had special places in my heart

Thanks so much. That means a lot! You might recall Bridge is the alpha, the only one left from my original four, and was MY special chick when we sort of assigned one chick to each human. Little Mill is one of three still with us from the second batch of chicks, which was a group of six.

 

[micstrachan]

Here’s the whole tribe out and about on a hot day. For you Bridge and Little Mill fans, they’re featured toward the beginning. If you’re more into Flo and Minnie Minnie, they’re at the end. Everyone else is there, as well.

 

[featherhead007]

They are just a plague here. Seems every year something new arrives to drive me bonkers.

Now there is talk of these large Joro spiders. I don’t mind spiders, think they are amazing, but not sure how I feel about such a large one crawling on me!

Here’s a large spider for you: (never gets old)

 

[micstrachan]

I am glad that they are fine despite foot/leg issues.

I have been dealing with a lot of reproductive issues. One hen died almost a month ago but the rest seem fine for now. I posted it on other threads but I am going to copy/paste some details here.

All three hens are production birds and are now 3 years and 4 months old.

Honey (recovered but blind)
In late Aug 2023, Honey became very ill due to reproductive issue. She was first put on Amoxcilian with no success. As a last attempt we put her on Baytril and she recovered! She even laid eggs for a little while after that.

Early of this year, she was having trouble laying with soft shell issues or trying to lay without producing anything. Early February, she laid lash material. In March, she didn't feel like her complete self, but is coping. In April 4th, she went blind all of a sudden! Since then, she has become a house chicken. We are so baffled by Honey's case because ever since she moved into the human coop (or ever since she went blind), she has been doing great, and she has a monstrous appetite.

Light (90% recovered)
Light has no history of reproductive issues. She laid a perfect egg June 1st of this year, but a couple days later she got an egg stuck in her as she was internal laying. (An X-ray revealed this later when we took her to the vet on June 25th.) It wasn't until June 20th she started to be quite lethargic, so we started her on Baytril.

When we took her to the vet on 25th, she was already on Baytril for 5 days. Vet also subscribed metacam. Vet suggested surgery as well, but the cost may be close to 2000 USD. We are also worried about the risk of the surgery. At the end of the vet visit, the vet gave Light a hormone implant.

Today, Light had the best appetite since two weeks ago and she is well on her way to recovery, at least for now.

Poopy (seems recovered)
Poopy has been laying weak shelled eggs for a long time. More recently, within the half year, she does a lot of "going to the nest to lay but nothing comes out". She must have been internally laying but was able to wall the gunk off.

About 6 days ago she didn't seem to be at 100% capacity. Three days ago her crop was not empty, and she completely lost her voice! I think it is a secondary issue of her EYP. Two days ago her crop was still not cleared. She felt like crap and was drinking a lot of water. Two days ago she also pooped out soft shell-like material. We put her on antibiotics yesterday morning and she was already looking good by afternoon!

Today she behaved quite normal!

I’m so sorry. I missed this reply. Wow, lots going on in your flock/tribe. The reproductive issues are so brutal and heartbreaking. Sounds like you’re doing a great job! I agree Benadryl is the way to go for reproductive issues. An avian vet tell me reproductive infections “laugh in the face of anything short of enrofoxacin”.

 

[RoyalChick]

I agree Benadryl is the way to go for reproductive issues. An avian vet tell me reproductive infections “laugh in the face of anything short of enrofoxacin”.

Baytril??

 

[RoyalChick]

Here’s the whole tribe out and about on a hot day. For you Bridge and Little Mill fans, they’re featured toward the beginning. If you’re more into Flo and Minnie Minnie, they’re at the end. Everyone else is there, as well.

Love your girls!