Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Yes coach. I will do my best.
Of course I am such a softie I feel so bad for him when he is scared of tiny little Pooh!
Cookie is still too small to work the feeders so she pops in between his legs when he opens it. Must say it is very cute!
I give her mash during the day so she doesn’t rely on the feeder - but I wish she would get bigger!
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His courtship of her may eventually involve him standing on it every time she's hungry. They'll figure out that when she's getting ready to lay...or a bit later. That would be a sweet thing and should go into the calendar contest.

There. You have a long ish term goal.

Meanwhile, re the ladies thumping him....


stay out of it!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Happy Tuesday everyone
Here is a 2-fer for Tuesday. Technically two 2-fers.
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Mr. Chips did not try to crow yesterday (I think maybe he was ridiculed for his first attempt), but he gave it a go this morning.
Getting better, but still quite odd. He will get blueberries as a reward for effort.

His crow got a strange look from the hen next to him

 

[BY Bob]

Update on Jaffarra and Betty

This morning Betty's crop was down normal - I was so eggstatic to see this - I was prepared to do crop surgery on her this weekend. Now if only Eli-too would clear her crop.

Today I let Jaffara out with the main gang, she has been doing ok, she is definitely more perky. My worry was that her crop was not down this morning, I had her out last evening roam about so I am worried I didn't see her eating something she shouldn't.

I am praying her crop goes down tonight, If not she gets to stay in the crate tomorrow and a dose of docusate. I am hoping Betty's crop also goes down tomorrow morning again. If so then I will feel much better about her, she has lost too much weight. I have been keeping both of them in the feedroom where it's warm so they don't waste valuable calories trying to stay warm.

Eli-too is my big worry. She seems to have a huge mass in her abdomen, but I will do a crop surgery on her this weekend her crop needs to be cleaned up.

Marty also needs her abdomen drained again, I have noted that she is not moving so fast and her abdomen is distended again. It's a quick fix to drain her so I'll do that this weekend, keep her comfortable.

Other than this I guess everyone else is doing well, Petra is not so attached to me the past few days, she still likes to snuggle when I pick her up, but she's moulting now and her new feathers have to be tender - oh and she is honking right along with the Noirans so I am putting her hatch date the same as theirs.

Gosh, I was hoping for some better news. Fingers crossed things improve tomorrow.

 

[BY Bob]

So sad losing her... yet good news it wasn't Mareck's. I just hate losing birds... the older ones we expect it... it's the young ones that's hard to accept. I always went thru guilt trips of what could we have done better... & then I remember my farm Mom weathering her experiences & sharing pros/cons in raising her farm birds. Wish she was still around to consult with

Mom taking a farm stroll w/nephew ~ funky '50's rolled up jeans ~ anyone remember those?
c. 1952
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It always seems to be the young ones. Why does it have to happen in the first year.

Something to say for them to reach 5 years old. It feels like they have had a good life and as a bonus, they seem to keep going.

 

[BY Bob]

His courtship of her may eventually involve him standing on it every time she's hungry. They'll figure out that when she's getting ready to lay...or a bit later. That would be a sweet thing and should go into the calendar contest.

There. You have a long ish term goal.

Meanwhile, re the ladies thumping him....


stay out of it!!!

Wow big font! Watch out @RoyalChick She means it!

 

[Labsandchickens8]

My Peavy mart chicks were vax for that and coccidiosis. Here though the hatcheries don’t sell vax chicks and they couldn’t give me a good reason why! The vaccine isn’t all that expensive, about $90 for 2000 doses.

The factory farms vax for all sorts of things with their laying hens. But backyard flocks nope.

Of course it’s too late for me to do anything with my gang now.

I have a question about vaccinating. I got my first three chickens from a local breeder. I didn't know much at the time and didn't ask if they were vaccinated. I suspect not.
I bought my next 7 chickens as hours old chicks from Ideal Hatchery. I was able to drive over and pick them up. In the ordering process, I selected "vaccinated' but the website cautioned that I have never had Marek's on my property, this would introduce it. Does anyone have knowledge of what I should do when buying chicks? Do I never get vaccinated chickens in the future, or do I just keep them separated for a few weeks...or what?

 

[rural mouse]

2fer Tuesday

Back to just a pair.
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They're such a contrast! Tilly's poor tail, too.

 

[Sylvester017]

I know, I know. But it is how I prepare.
I am perpetually happy because things are rarely quite as bad as I imagine they might be!

Shhhh! don't tell anyone but after 14+ chickeneering yrs, DH & I still worry about the "what if's" & relieved when they don't happen.

 

[Sylvester017]

You're welcome!

Dominica would also like to let you know that she still has a beef with that rooster. It's scared of her now.

Our Dominique girls kept peace & order in the flock too... they never tolerated bad behavior from other flockmates ~ we never worried having them around our Silkie littles who are a peaceful bunch too for the most part. A Dom fluke? We don't believe so... all 4 Doms we've had were good temperaments yet not pushovers either & dealt w/bullies that picked on the Silkies. Our Doms liked things orderly

 

[Labsandchickens8]

Shhhh! don't tell anyone but after 14+ chickeneering yrs, DH & I still worry about the "what if's" & relieved when they don't happen.

I just overreact and assume the worst is happening to my chickens all the time. One embarrassing example: This summer some of my big chickens had runny poops. I wormed them, then gave them rice with yogurt to replenish their gut bacteria and some banana to firm things up. The runny poop persisted. So I sat in the run and watched to see who it was, made a vet appointment and had to catch my chicken who most thinks I'm the Antichrist ( of course) because I saw her have 2 bad ones, and they said bring the worst one. I was convinced they had worms or something even more nefarious.
Took her on a car ride in the dog crate, walked in and put her on the examine table ( still in her crate) and she has a normal poop. To top things off, a cat wandered into the examining room and poor Olivia went berserk. The vet tech said that chickens fine.
The good news is, no charge for the conversation with the vet tech. I CANNOT imagine doing crop surgery like Ponypoor is doing. My chickens apparently were just eating too many fresh vegetables and drinking too much water in the heat. And some smart people on this forum even told me that.
Here's Olivia on her great adventure.