Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

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

Poor baby Hope she gets better ~ older birds keep us on our toes too.

Do you use any kind of feather fixer feed for your flock? Since we've been using a feather supplement for our birds 2 to 3x weekly we haven't had any bald birds. Each bird of ours seem to molt at different times of the year so we keep up the supplement regimen year-round weekly & it's been such a help. Seems to help keep up their appetite a bit during moult ~ a time when they really shouldn't lose nutrition. Now we don't even know a bird is moulting till we see some dropped feathers in the yard. Wish I knew this decades ago!

Again, here's our flock supplement but I'm sure there are more brands in feed stores or on Amazon.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh her husband is a builder he has built the flock a palace. Heated, lights and everything!

Shirley’s kiddos are still living in their basement - they started flying out of their crate and were found hanging out on the chesterfield relaxing…. Watching tv

Her husband covered the crate though so no more watching movies, this weekend they are being moved to the new Palace to their own home, next to the Bigs.

Babies will then go down to the basement crate when they are big enough to leave the smaller crate they are currently in.

Works great as her kids like to handle them.

Lucky chickens!

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you. This helps. I think I'm going with vaccination in the future.

I would. I have a mixed flock now. Aurora, Hattie, Lady Featherington, and Tilly are vaccinated. Sydney may have been. Aster and Niamh are not.

 

[Sylvester017]

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.

I'm no expert on roo's but Mr. Chips actually sounded pretty good to me. As for crowing my research said it's an "all's well" crow to let the flock know from time to time that his area is safe as well as let others know where his territory is.

As for crowing into things like wishing well roofs to hear an echo?... I have no idea on that kind of crowing behavior? I've seen parrots stick their heads into bags or bowls to hear their own echo's too?

 

[kattabelly]

As for crowing into things like wishing well roofs to hear an echo?... I have no idea on that kind of crowing behavior?

Here, crows echo back off the hill/buildings/? across the way. I'm honestly not sure if they realise they're sometimes having crowing matches with themselves

 

[Sylvester017]

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.

When I researched it decades ago it was reported there are also 5 different strains of Mareck's. I guess viruses have a way of mutating, darn it. But so far, we've not had any more Mareck's issues here & since going thru it several years ago w/a couple shipped birds, we never got unvaccinated birds ever again.

One good thing is that our summer mosquitos didn't bring fowl pox this summer. Really blazing hot heatwaves seem to bring on our 'quitos!

 

[Sylvester017]

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

And here I thought of you as a youngster

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you. This helps. I think I'm going with vaccination in the future.

For ourselves ~ after receiving a couple Mareck's-sick shipped birds in the distant past ~ we only bought/buy vaccinated birds whether from a hatchery or private breeder. Even then, we extend quarantine on new birds/chicks far beyond the suggested 2-week minimum. Everyone does what works best for them & that's what has worked best for us.

Extending quarantine has helped us catch the silent killer ~ avian leukosis ~ the breeder shipped us Mareck's-vaccinated chicks but unaware of the leukosis which is a cancer virus passed down from an infected parent to the egg/chick embryo. That extended quarantine was useful to alert the breeder about their breeding program & clear out that line. Avian leukosis doesn't always show immediate outward symptoms so our extended quarantine observation paid off & helped us pamper sick/dying birds.

Our avian leukosis infected bird managed to survive to 6 months old before passing. Her sister passed the 1st week we received them. This sweetie loved sitting & sleeping on my desk chair. It's so sad to watch them deteriorate but she would look at me w/such sweet eyes I didn't have the heart to willfully euthanize her... but in hindsight we should have cuz there was no cure or vaccine.

 

[Sylvester017]

Jelly-bean then

That's cute too !!!

 

[featherhead007]

Fairly jealous here, no bugs - just cold but the snow is melting mostly. Hope to get the gang outside a bit tonight.

All your bugs are wearing down jackets. Not good for chickens to eat. Nylon and feather fill, (no nutrients)!