Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[TOMTE]

She's a buff orpington, 6 or 7 years old.
This was end of August, she's been getting rattier since then
View attachment 4254031
She's had rough feathers the whole time she's been here

Maybe she could use a little extra protein... Tuna, scrambled eggs, chicken, every couple days, all just for her? Poor old girl!

 

[RoyalChick]

I have another cockerel/rooster question.
Crowing.
When? Why?
I understand it can be day or night.
I understand that first thing in the morning when he is feeling frisky he needs to announce to the world that it is morning and he is ROOSTER!
I also understand that if he hears another rooster he needs to assert himself and crow louder.
But for example is crowing ever a summons, or an alert, or a sign of aggression?
Today Mr. Chips stood on the raised top of their little open run and crowed a dozen times. One after the other. I caught just the last one on video below.
Was he practicing maybe?
The ladies all stood and stared up at him like they were watching outdoor theater. All except Nutmeg who happened to be standing next to him. She looked the other direction and shuffled away a bit like ‘this is so embarrassing’!

Also, do chickens molt around 15-16 weeks? Pooh laid into Mr. Chips and he let go a whole load of feathers. Way more than she could possibly have pulled out with her short peck.

 

[Ponypoor]

Metcam (metacam) is an NSAID pain reliever for animals.

It’s also known as Meloxicam. It’s a good anti-inflammatory and pain med.

Not as hard on the stomach as Naproxen and Ibuprofen (not that chickens use those that I have any dosages for!).

 

[RoyalChick]

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?

I meant to weigh in on this earlier but was traveling and got distracted.
I am not an expert, but I did research this quite extensively when I first got a Marek's diagnosis in my flock, and this is my understanding:
- If you have no Marek's in your flock then no, your vaccinated chicks will not introduce it.
- If you do have Marek's in your flock, or it gets introduced (remember it is quite ubiquitous and can travel miles on wind), then your vaccinated chicks will likely do just fine, but they may become carriers for life
- There is some belief that on a population basis all those vaccinated chickens who are doing just fine but are carriers of Marek's may enable the Marek's vaccine to evolve and become more deadly. I would say the science on that is not a 'for sure' thing though factually more deadly strains of Marek's have emerged over time. The evolutionary biologist in me can't quite get comfortable with the theory (why not evolve to be less deadly so you can keep replicating without killing your host?), but more informed minds than mine will no doubt figure it out - and in any case it doesn't seem of huge relevance to one backyard flock.

Hope that helps.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have another cockerel/rooster question.
Crowing.
When? Why?
I understand it can be day or night.
I understand that first in the morning when he is feeling frisky he needs to announce to the world that it is morning and he is ROOSTER!
I also understand that if he hears another rooster he needs to assert himself and crow louder.
But for example is crowing ever a summons, or an alert, or a sign of aggression?
Today Mr. Chips stood on the raised top of their little open run and crowed a dozen times. One after the other. I caught just the last one on video below.
Was he practicing maybe?
The ladies all stood and stared up at him like they were watching outdoor theater. All except Nutmeg who happened to be standing next to him. She looked the other direction and shuffled away a bit like ‘this is so embarrassing’!

Also, do chickens molt around 15-16 weeks? Pooh laid into Mr. Chips and he let go a whole load of feathers. Way more than she could possibly have pulled out with her short peck.

He’s getting good at this!

My neighbour’s rooster crows non stop (though this year he has been less vocal) - my guys give up listening to him I think!

Mr P and my boys crow first thing in the morning, then a few times during the day, and maybe in the evening. Though lately they have been more quiet in the evening.

I feel that the youngsters crow more that the older Mr P. Definitely Mr LC crows more than both the other boys.

Just waiting on Gomer Pyle to start up

 

[rural mouse]

I have another cockerel/rooster question.
Crowing.
When? Why?
I understand it can be day or night.
I understand that first thing in the morning when he is feeling frisky he needs to announce to the world that it is morning and he is ROOSTER!
I also understand that if he hears another rooster he needs to assert himself and crow louder.
But for example is crowing ever a summons, or an alert, or a sign of aggression?
Today Mr. Chips stood on the raised top of their little open run and crowed a dozen times. One after the other. I caught just the last one on video below.
Was he practicing maybe?
The ladies all stood and stared up at him like they were watching outdoor theater. All except Nutmeg who happened to be standing next to him. She looked the other direction and shuffled away a bit like ‘this is so embarrassing’!

Also, do chickens molt around 15-16 weeks? Pooh laid into Mr. Chips and he let go a whole load of feathers. Way more than she could possibly have pulled out with her short peck.

He's sounding better. Early on, they practice. Generally speaking it's an all is well call, used after warning alerts as part of releasing the flock to go on about their day. it's also used to communicate general area to other flocks. Alerts and warnings aren't the loud "I'm here" sort of think that a crow is.

Moult: the one when they start growing in the gender specific hackle and saddle feathers does mean they're dropping feathers. It doesn't usually appear to be a moult like the annual adult moult, but they do drop them easily.

 

[RoyalChick]

He's sounding better. Early on, they practice. Generally speaking it's an all is well call, used after warning alerts as part of releasing the flock to go on about their day. it's also used to communicate general area to other flocks. Alerts and warnings aren't the loud "I'm here" sort of think that a crow is.

Moult: the one when they start growing in the gender specific hackle and saddle feathers does mean they're dropping feathers. It doesn't usually appear to be a moult like the annual adult moult, but they do drop them easily.

Thanks. Super helpful.
I think he was practicing.
I wasn’t too worried about moulting but it really was an impressive cloud of feathers that flew off him all at once as he moved to escape Pooh.

 

[Ponypoor]

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?

There is this theory (as @RoyalChick has explained) that the Mareks vax being an attenuated virus (a very weak strain, one that won’t cause illness), can mutate into a more virulent strain.

As RC has stated the science doesn’t hold up for this. But I am sure these situation are being investigated because there is one thing scientist like to do, and that is solve puzzles.

I now have about a third of my flock vaccinated for Mareks, and there is some suggestions that those vaccinated birds can actually help protect the unvaccinated birds. Again it’s not been scientifically proven, but the theory is the weakens vaccine causes a mild illness which the others catch. Fine by me if that is so! But again sketchy science.

What scientist do know is that the vaccine challenges the birds/chicks immune system which creates antibodies that can then in the future detect the virus when the bird come in contact with it. This is what prevents the bird from getting sick with full blown Mareks (or whatever other vaccine), and what keeps me up at night worrying about with the other 2/3 of my flock not being vaccinated.

I am not worried about my older birds but, they likely have been exposed and built up immunity. But it’s the real youngsters I worry about.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thanks. Super helpful.
I think he was practicing.
I wasn’t too worried about moulting but it really was an impressive cloud of feathers that flew off him all at once as he moved to escape Pooh.

Sorry to laugh, but the visual of the POOF cloud of feathers was too funny!

Poor Petra is just full of pin feathers and dropping them also. The Noirans also, someone pecked at one of the Noirans and came away with a beak full of feathers. Yummy….

 

[featherhead007]

Wacky Wednesday

No wattles yet…. I would put her at the same age as the Noirans. 11 Aug 2025 so 14.4 weeks old.

So do we still think a pullet?
View attachment 4253801

Hatch day, same as my birthday. Only the year is different.