Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

The new Buckeyes have been getting 20% all flock and treats of layer pellets from the Bigs’ feeder, and what’s in there is the last of the 20% layer feed, now I’m mixing the all flock in there. Will see how the BO’s do on that, they are still laying well. Hazel is not, and of course the new Buckeye pullets are not yet. Now with Roo Shehnai there, assuming all goes well, I will keep them on all flock even into the spring. See if they run into shell problems with just free choice oyster shell and eggshells.

We have been on either all flock or starter all year. The oyster shell seems to have kept their shells hard. We will likely be on all flock for years to come with my older girls slowing down their laying.

 

[BY Bob]

Of course they did - you are a good rooster!

The senior girls have earned first choice. Of course they eat theirs and then want to eat the Phyllistines' food as well.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

An article I read on toenail trims is to cut at an angle while facing the cutter towards the toenail end rather than cutting the nail straight across the nail grain/blood vessels. I've also trimmed a little at a time daily rather than take a lot of nail off all at once.

Anyone else have experience?

This was my toenail girl Mini ~ she had so many health issues & we realized at her 6-1/2 yrs upon her vet euthanization it was all due to her reproductive issues over her lifetime. Her health issues were mainly due to low immunity & she ultimately had to be put down for a bleeding ovarian tumor otherwise she would have bled to death anyway. A hysterectomy early in her lifetime would have prolonged quality life if I had any idea such operations were possible. Every egg she layed agitated her since her 1st pullet egg but I never knew why. Here she is w/ one toe missing on one foot & half a toe missing on the other foot from her scratching so violently in a wooden nestbox that she tore off toes/toenails she was so agitated whenever laying eggs. We switched to plexiglass liners so she wouldn't splinter the wood & tear off toes/toenails. This girl's health issues caused us more vet visits than all our other chicken vet visits combined!
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Poor Mini! How tragic. You can’t easily know what’s going on.
Wouldn’t a major operation like a hysterectomy be a really big deal, maybe not even survivable? Do people do them on birds these days?

 

[BY Bob]

Caturday

Wild water

 

[Ikslo]

Caturday

 

[Sylvester017]

Poor Mini! How tragic. You can’t easily know what’s going on.
Wouldn’t a major operation like a hysterectomy be a really big deal, maybe not even survivable? Do people do them on birds these days?

If there is it would probably cost $1000's .

 

[Sylvester017]

I heard a bunch of noises on my porch. I tried to ignore the ruckus, but I knew exactly what was happening. I had given some cooked rice with cauliflower to the birds earlier today. But it seems that was not enough! I had mama hen and her eight babies, both Orpingtons, three game roos, Mr Wyandottey, and Elsa all on the porch at the same time. Wow what a noisy group!!

Has Nacho resolved her issue at losing her chick & back to normal yet? You may need to do more nest searches on your property before you get overrun w/ any more surprise hatchesunless you actually want more birds...?

 

[Sylvester017]

I’m concerned now that she is attacked / harassed by one or two pullets also, they will block her escape and then pile on while Shehnai does his business and chase and peck her afterwards too. There’s no blood drawn yet that I see, but it’s distressing to watch. It’s a lot for her to deal with at once. She really scrambles and often stumbles as she tries to get away and runs. Some Tylenol for her maybe? She wasn’t able to jump up on an end table yesterday, as if her legs were tired or hurt. She is doing more running in these last two weeks than she’s done in her whole five years!

Do you think she may need a saddle to protect her back if he is mounting Hazel often? The weather is turning colder & she doesn't need a bald back, poor dear