Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

But many of them would die from Marek’s.

I knew this, I am sorry for the memory lapse.

 

[rural mouse]

Oh no! Is that an issue? I never even thought of that. Meaning they wouldn't run under her to warm up and could die of cold? Yikes!

I think I have nearly got my mind around the vaccine thing and could risk 5 days.
A weirdly interesting finding is that if I got eggs or newborn chicks from a Marek's infected flock I could actually introduce them immediately because maternal antibodies give as good protection days 0-5 as the vaccine does from day 5 on. I feel this finding should be immensely useful, but can't figure how to make it practical.
I could call around local farms and get them to admit they have Marek's in the flock and do vaccinate and then ask them for chicks!
Hmmmm.

Not entirely sure on that, but chicks hear mama while still in the shell. My only experience with giving incubator chicks to a broody was Jessica. She hatched either Indigo or Lark while the other hatched in the incubator. I gave her that one and Pippa, Maizie and Horus. Initially, she seemed to accept them all. By day's end, just the twin of the hatched baby. However, I'm not sure if that was because she initially turned them away or they ran off and wouldn't respond to her.

I do know that if they had all bonded, I wouldn't have Whiskey as he and Kren hatched the next day in the incubator (along with several more chicks. I went back and collected those 2. All the chicks (except the one she hatched) were 1-2 days old. Hers was about 3 days older, so could have been a factor.

I'm set up to duplicate that again this year (dunno if incubator is getting used yet)....provided someone goes broody (cough, cough, Mera ). Not really interested until next month, so have time yet.

 

[featherhead007]

That's sweet . I love how you treat your birds. I wish you could post a pic of one of them eating w/you.

Personally I detested grape jelly since I had one PB&J as a kid in the 1950's. I preferred mom's homemade apricot jam w/pnut butter! Actually, I skipped the pnut butter most of the time cuz I really didn't like it. Supposedly we're not to give chickens pnut butter or sugar but everyone has different opinions.

We use blueberry jam ~ better antioxidants. I figure if I give our hens a "little" taste of sugar at least make it w/good berries ~ blueberry, strawberry, boysenberry, raspberry, or blackberry & organic w/ no added "natural" flavors or chemicals that we can't pronounce!
SAMPLES
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I get my jams and jellies from my church ladies. Homemade is the best

 

[Ponypoor]

Chicken in a bucket!

And yes, I have gone deeply down the rabbit hole of Marek vaccines and time to develop immunity. A topic made more complicated by the fact that there are different vaccines available. Small hatcheries use Turkey Herpes virus whereas the big industrial outfits use an attenuated Marek's disease virus. Both are live viruses so the time interval is to allow the virus introduced in the vaccine to replicate.
Looks like the 4 days assumes vaccination with Rispens (the big hatchery vaccine), whereas the turkey virus looks like 7 days but meaningful immunity at 5 days.
Just another couple of research papers to read and then I am going out to cuddle my broody chicken because it is the only time I get to handle her.

I’ll send you Georgie - jealous brat! She gets very jealous when I cuddle her dumplings. She jumps up on me and wants the attention for herself!

Or maybe you want Goldie or Sweetie Pie? Two more jealous brats. Who like to peck my knees when I don’t pay them attention they are due. And they seem to know eggsactly where my kneecaps are located even through my heavy barn clothes! But snuggle them and they melt in your arms - brats!

Oh I know Laverne - I’ll send you Laverne - she is just a big old softy, she likes a cuddle, and will sleep in your arms

But the one you really need is Shirley - he’s is a big old turkey and doesn’t mind in the least being carried around

Silly Georgie Girl

 

[Ponypoor]

The added challenge is getting the chicks to accept her....

Yes my worry with the dumplings, at a few days old I was worried they would want to run around sand not stick with Georgie.

But they were good and behaved. Helps that Georgie was a hormonal broody brat.

 

[Ponypoor]

The silkies new nest condo. The egg was not actually laid in the middle shelf. I found that one out in the middle of the coop and just set it there so I did not step on it.
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The bench I brought home to sit on. They have taken over it, 2 of them roosted on it last night.
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Everyone is fighting over the bottom nest this morning. Patsy and Martina have made it a mission to throw out all of the bedding I placed in.
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I moved the bench closer so they could use it as a step ladder to get to the middle box. Martina, don't you dare toss out all the bedding.
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Davy, I brought that in there for me not you. He does not care and pooped on it some more....brat.
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Barbosa. With his silver leakage I do not know what color he is. He and Davy both came from BBS eggs. Branch also had leakage, his was just gold. I suspect seeing as how Branch carried the partridge gene Barbosa does as well.
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Davy doing his best to impress Siri from inside the cage. Little man, even if I let her in she is too big for you.
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Barbosa again. There is something about him. It is his behavior now that he has settled down. I'm having Branch flashbacks.
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After that picture he came up and hopped in my lap on his own and did this. Branch did this as does George. Davy will sit beside me and let me pet him. I can pick him up and hold him but he has yet to hop in my lap willingly. Branch is hard at work on the other side sending me the roosters I need to keep his memory alive.
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He purred, snuggled in and took a nap. I did not move until he woke up. Little man, I have not felt this much happiness and peace in 10 months.
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George is by no means being replaced. I still love that little turd. He let me hold him for a few minutes as well. George just has a purpose now. He has grown up and when a hen sings the escort call, he drops me like a hat and has places to be and laidies to serve. He has turned into a excellent flock rooster and leader. I very much look forward to sometime this spring/summer when the time is right to see him as a father as well. I know he will not let me down.
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Gosh he is a handsome boy

Oh Barbosa is quite the charmer! I can’t wait to see babies from them

 

[Sylvester017]

I get my jams and jellies from my church ladies. Homemade is the best

Absolutely! Positively!

 

[Marie2020]

Tonight he got into it again with Shirley, I had him out for some sunshine, turned my back for 2 min and they were fighting again; and this time he completely broke his beak off.



On the bright side it likely would have fallen off anyways, it didn’t bleed when the tip fell off. Gosh he is gonna give me grey hair!

Mr. P. You're a very silly boy.
I'm sorry Kelly

 

[RoyalChick]

The silkies new nest condo. The egg was not actually laid in the middle shelf. I found that one out in the middle of the coop and just set it there so I did not step on it.
View attachment 4076790
The bench I brought home to sit on. They have taken over it, 2 of them roosted on it last night.
View attachment 4076794
Everyone is fighting over the bottom nest this morning. Patsy and Martina have made it a mission to throw out all of the bedding I placed in.
View attachment 4076797
I moved the bench closer so they could use it as a step ladder to get to the middle box. Martina, don't you dare toss out all the bedding.
View attachment 4076801
Davy, I brought that in there for me not you. He does not care and pooped on it some more....brat.
View attachment 4076803View attachment 4076804
Barbosa. With his silver leakage I do not know what color he is. He and Davy both came from BBS eggs. Branch also had leakage, his was just gold. I suspect seeing as how Branch carried the partridge gene Barbosa does as well.
View attachment 4076810View attachment 4076811View attachment 4076813View attachment 4076815View attachment 4076819
Davy doing his best to impress Siri from inside the cage. Little man, even if I let her in she is too big for you.
View attachment 4076821View attachment 4076822View attachment 4076824
Barbosa again. There is something about him. It is his behavior now that he has settled down. I'm having Branch flashbacks.
View attachment 4076826
After that picture he came up and hopped in my lap on his own and did this. Branch did this as does George. Davy will sit beside me and let me pet him. I can pick him up and hold him but he has yet to hop in my lap willingly. Branch is hard at work on the other side sending me the roosters I need to keep his memory alive.
View attachment 4076830View attachment 4076832View attachment 4076833
He purred, snuggled in and took a nap. I did not move until he woke up. Little man, I have not felt this much happiness and peace in 10 months.
View attachment 4076834
George is by no means being replaced. I still love that little turd. He let me hold him for a few minutes as well. George just has a purpose now. He has grown up and when a hen sings the escort call, he drops me like a hat and has places to be and laidies to serve. He has turned into a excellent flock rooster and leader. I very much look forward to sometime this spring/summer when the time is right to see him as a father as well. I know he will not let me down.
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Just wonderful. All your boys are doing you proud!

 

[BY Bob]

I wonder is she could hatch the eggs under the broody, vax the chicks when hatched (herself or a vet if not), then keep mama and chicks inside away from the main herd, for 10 days. To let the vax take effect. By then the chicks would be ready for outside anyways.

Just a thought…

The problem is that momma probably is carrying Mareks so she herself would likely negate the vaccine.