Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Mugs Monday.
Yes, I'm late. @Ponypoor , don't hoard this just for yourself:
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I had wondered where you were

 

[Ponypoor]

Thirsty Thursday
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Wow getting so big! What a beauty too!

 

[Ponypoor]

Her colours are very fashionable indeed ! Also between the plumage and the haircut, I find she gives off native american vibes on that picture.

I have a question related to the risks of getting adult chickens and the necessity of a long quarantine. For context, here in France while it is possible to buy days old chicks, it is rather unusual. Hatcheries for backyard keepers don't exist. The two most usual ways to buy chickens are getting adults from breeders that may also come to sell them in AG stores ( usually point of lay or just younger for hens), or buying fertilised eggs.

I've had a bad experience myself buying point of lay pullets from a local breeder who sells to many people around here. The hens don't have any serious viral disease that I know off, they were vaccinated in fact for Marek's among other things, but they arrived in a very poor condition and keep having health issues, which I suppose come from both genetics and how they were raised the first months.

What I don't understand is why buying chicks would pose less of a risk of introducing a disease, than adult chickens. Sure, the chicks will be kept separated from the adults for at least six weeks, which is more or less the same as what many folks on BYC do for quarantine. But if they are carrier of a disease that doesn't reveal itself in that time like Marek's, avian leukosis, IB or IL could do, they would still introduce it just like adults would ? Or am I missing something ?

I had such a bad experience that if I decide to get more chickens one day, I think I will do mostly closed flock or eventually get again eggs from close neighbours where I know more or less what the chickens keeping conditions are and would have heard if they had some serious infectious disease.

Also, I realise it's a cultural thing and that I am just not used to it, but I still find buying days old chicks as pets a bit strange, especially in stores. You would never buy days old kittens or pups. For mammals there is an obvious physical reason that they are not weaned but still I'm not sure any other pets are sold so young ?

Thirsty tax from a year ago (BFTP right ?) the day Chipie had a sip of coffee.
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I have not quarantined my chicks for more than a week or two, by the time they are two weeks old my chicks are usually integrated into my flock, at partially….

Mr P I did quarantine, he came from a flock I was not sure of and I was very paranoid.

I tried to quarantine the 3 Azurs I bought last year, but Fluffy broke that quarantine when she ran between my legs into their pen! I figured I was likely safe for any disease but still you never know.

As for getting day olds, it’s a money thing. Day olds are less expensive than POL pullets. One can get 50 day olds for what you can get 10 or 20 POL pullets for depending on breed. And for the more exotic breeds up here like Lavender Orps you might pay up to $50/pullet, if you can find them. At $11/chick the day olds are less expensive.

 

[BY Bob]

Nobody seems to appreciate my stale jokes anymore.
It’s not easy to find new material to be funny. The world is not a fun place lately. Fires, heat, floods, volcanic activity, etc. the list goes on. Maybe I should just crawl under a Rock, but I can’t. They always seem to move away when I try. View attachment 3907989

Note that was clever.

 

[Ponypoor]

13+yrs saga cont... (2018)

Southern Californians might remember our brutal earlier-than-usual heatwaves in 2018. We lost a Dominique pullet "Opal" as she died in the nestbox from heatstroke while laying her egg. She never made it to 1-yr-old . 2018 was our fist 2 cases of bumblefoot which was an education to experience!

We were devastated to lose precious Opal to heatstroke and now the backyard flock had dwindled down to 4 birds ~ 2 Dom pullets, one aloof Cuckoo Breda "Char" who continued to stalk the little Silkie "Violet". We didn't have concerns about obnoxious Char so long as the two Dom sisters kept Char away from Violet. So interesting how the Doms protected little Violet -- or maybe the Doms just wanted to keep a peaceful environment. However, from the Doms' first integration into the flock they immediately submitted to Violet honoring her as alpha until the day she passed at 11 yrs old.

DANA and JEWLZ ~ the 2 Doms
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VIOLET never alone w/ a closeby Dom following
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VIOLET
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Char was a rare Breda chicken and we wanted her to continue a forever home with us.

CHAR - triangle crest and no comb
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...to be cont'd

Char was very unusual looking! Love her eye colour, and no comb how novel!

Can’t wait for the next instalment.

Hey how’s your arm doing?

 

[BY Bob]

Actually, I know of an outlet that sells high end clothing for yard sale prices. But I’m kinda about that. My Maui Jim sunglasses cost me $40

That's a steal. Well done! Maui Jim has the best lenses. Crystal clear vision.

 

[Sylvester017]

Char was very unusual looking! Love her eye colour, and no comb how novel!

Can’t wait for the next instalment.

Hey how’s your arm doing?

Sweet of you to say . Char is a very rare and unusual breed indeed. She was cuckoo feathered like the Doms but had feathered feet, vulture hocks, tall tail feathers and no comb. She blended well with the Doms in her cuckoo appearance. Her feathered feet made her unusual.

Still in an arm splint/brace and typing left-handed w/ 1 finger which is very annoying since I've clocked at 80 wpm on manual typewriters in my youth !!!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Ok friends, especially those with Polish and Polish cross experience. Little Adele or Julio is now officially 6 weeks old. I have noticed in the last week wattles are starting to appear. Now to me and my experience with chicks 5 to 6 weeks old does not mean I panic, it is normal. I took these pictures a few minutes ago. With great difficulty I might add. My little chicken nugget was determined sitting on my hand was not good enough. Tonight she/he was determined to sit on my head. All I have to go by at the moment is the head poof and appearance of wattles. Her tail feathers so far scream pullet.

So friends, what do we think? Are we looking at Adele or are we looking at Julio?

If you think boy, let me have it. I can take it. It has long been determined boy or girl this one is a keeper. I cannot believe I'm saying this but it is pulling the same stunt Branch did when I lost Drummie. It has always been the friendliest. While the silkies have warmed up to me finally, this one. This one is proving to be special.

 

[SimpleJenn]

@RebeccaBoyd I was told this one is a boy by the polish chicken lady...he is 5 weeks

 

[SimpleJenn]

@Ponypoor
Please excuse my gross "it's hot and I've been outside all day" look haha

Who is more proud? Morinth is soooo sweet to me.

One of her blue eggs is currently unzipping! Samara was very much not letting me look under her, thanks but no thanks.