Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

Haha! YES. I’m not sure what happened there. If I typed it in or if my phone corrected. Sorry about that.

Your phone corrected you because supposedly it knows better.

 

[micstrachan]

You have such a beautiful flock - each one is gorgeous

Thank you!

 

[micstrachan]

So which is it? Baytril or Benadryl and what do they do for reproductive issues? Inquiring minds need to know

I’m so sorry, everyone. BAYTRIL.

 

[Sylvester017]

Can't Stand

Glynda's Polish chick doesn't seem to be able to stand. Any idea on what might be going on?

Wry neck, or also called star-gazing in newly hatched chicks. If removed from the nest and treated a wry neck chick may survive. There are BYC threads and youtube videos explaining treatments. Its a lot of work treating special needs chicks but sometimes treatments wind up successful if caught at hatch. Glynda knew on its own it wouldnt survive and pecked at it.

 

[Ponypoor]

Flockservation
Interesting observation on Hattie.

She has been fine sleeping alone in the nest box of the Cluckle Hut. Once Phyllis started sleeping in the main coop after she was hurt. Prior to that Phyllis had roosted in the Cluckle Hut with Hattie.

Since Phyllis passed Hattie has been sleeping in the main coop again, and roosting. Aurora is still nasty to her at bedtime But Hattie has been dealing with it.

Funny how the dynamics change isn’t it. I noted this also with my horses and the cats.

 

[Sylvester017]

Pony Sunday

The spicy honey bees are everywhere now.
View attachment 3884536

And this pretty creature was on the loft floor in the doorway, I tried to put it in a safe place but it fluttered away, fell into the run and Sharpie was quick to make it lunch.
View attachment 3884537

It wasn’t flying too well so it likley had something wrong with it..

We find dying or dead honey bees all the time cuz people use pesticides on their foliage plus bees have short lifespans too.

 

[Ponypoor]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned... pure breed Bielefelders are autosexing at hatch.

Yes! That is true I forgot that.

 

[Ponypoor]

We find dying or dead honey bees all the time cuz people use pesticides on their foliage plus bees have short lifespans too.

My neighbour has half a dozen hives on his front field. I am very happy with this so my fruit trees can flourish.

 

[Ponypoor]

I tamed a feral kitty at almost a year old. She stayed an outside kitty but would come when we called, snuggle with us, moved 3 times with us and put up with the puppy when he joined the family a couple of years later.

That’s wonderful! I have tried with feral cats but the best I could do was make a barn cat out of one. He refused to come in the house.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yay Mr Little Chicken. Sing the song of your people to the world loud and proud!!!

Marans are considered dual purpose. In their native country they are considered a delicacy. They are one of the top 3 breeds used for fine dining. Do not ask me how they taste, cannot do it, will not do it with my own birds. Now, if you are feeding your family they will not be ready as early as meat birds. Both hens and roosters get good sized, just not as quickly. Spare roo's the youngest I would send to freezer camp would be 5 to 6 months, closer to 6 if I did process my birds. You would have a really nice sized bird if you waited until they were a year. The boys finish maturing at around a year and a half. Now, as far as crosses go. I have several Marans cross hens and have kept some cross boys until they were 4 to 5 months old in trying to place them. With the exception of the Marans x silkie crosses they grew faster and the ones I kept are actually bigger then their parents. It is something to think about. You could either invest in a Marans roo who I personally have found to be well mannered to cross over some large fowl hens. You could also get a different roo and find a few Marans hens to achieve the same result.

Now another option, and this is coming from other people and what I have read as this would again never ever happen with me. If you and your family enjoy dark meat, in china silkies are a delicacy. If I am correct in my thinking the entire bird is considered dark meat which I personally hate. My friend up the road who I got my first silkie eggs from, she ordered 15 silkies from a hatchery. 9 of them were cockerels. She sometimes processes her own chickens so she ate 8 of them. She claimed while small they were delicious. She at the time was feeding a family of 6, 4 teenage boys. To make a nice meal and have leftovers the following day she cooked 2 at a time.

Oh no! Silkies are not very big for eating!