Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Two best friends
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Omg smiling pups I love it

 

[rural mouse]

Another dirty mug...

 

[townchicks]

...carrying lice and avian flu to my chickens

Crapping on my head when I am doing chores or saddling horses...

Making me freak out when babies fall out of the nest and die....

If it wasn't for the fact they are a threatened species I would not let them in the barn!

As it is they are banned from the hay loft, I don't want them soiling the hay up there, and holy cow can they make a lot of poop for little birds!!!

On the up side, they do eat a lot of mosquitoes. Eye candy too, IMO. But then, I don't have any crapping on my head.

 

[bgmathteach]

Ouch, that sounds painful. Bad chicken for doing that. This is actually one of the few fears I have with my flock. I have a freckle on me cheek about a inch away from my eye. While they will peck the few freckles on my arm occasionally for the most part they ignore that one. Except for the hooligans. 3 of them show keen interest and have tried to go for that one. They get a look about them when they spot it and most times I can back or lean away quick enough before they go for it. One of these days though when I am being mobbed for their attention I'm either going to be too slow or their aim is going to be off and it will eventually happen.

I, too, have a freckle about 1/2 in below my eye...AND one in the center of that same eyelid. When I have a chick/chicken close to my face, I ALWAYS close the eye nearest to them, In addition to freckles, the young ones are frequently interested in the eyes, especially if the sun is just right, as it makes them shiny.

Hope @micstrachan 's eye heals quickly - that is painful.
@RebeccaBoyd , I hope they never get your eye!

FYI: It does still hurt when they peck a freckle on your closed eye-lid. However, only shprt term, as no damage to eye is done.

P.S. Michelle, when I first started reading your post, I was like 'oh, no...you just healed from the brush injury! NOPE: it was that I just READ about the brush injury early winter...so it seemed like it just happened....that's what happens when you are a latecomer to the thread.

 

[bgmathteach]

The solution is

Nope - THIS

Clear Safety Goggles

 

[bgmathteach]

Well I just saw something out of Ezzie that now worries me. The hooligans were all piled up resting under a bush when Ezzie came to join them. Ezzie grabbed one of the "Mystery" red girls on the back of the neck and stood on her back for about 2 seconds. This was 1 of 2 things, Ezzie wanted that spot and showed dominance as the red girl moved out of the way. Or 2, the unthinkable, Ezzie is a boy and was getting ready to attempt to mate. I want to think dominance, but that very clearly looked like a young boy starting to test himself with the girls. Excuse me a minute while I go off to cry, I will probably start hearing first attempts at crowing before too much longer.

Dominance Domiance...dominance...

chant with me now.....

 

[bgmathteach]

Hello everyone.
I have a little question that I'm sure some of you can answer, those who have both chicks and cats in their household.
How do you handle it, do you let the cats come near the chicks or keep them away until the chicks get bigger?

Grochatila and princess Hibou are both very good hunters, unfortunately they love birds ( love as in finding them delicious ). They are scared of my standard hens but the chicks mother is a bantam and they are definitely not scared of her.
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I have both, and it has worked well. The first time I had baby chicks, I introduced the cat by holding a chick and bringing it out of their 'safe' room, sat on the couch and called the cat over. I held it almost completely in my hand, letting it smell the chick's butt. she initially was very tentative, then started getting 'too interested'. I said a very stern 'NO'. Did this a number of times...better each time, but I still wouldn't trust her at that point. When the chickens were full size chickens & out...one day when free ranging (1 Roo & 7 hens) and the cat was out prowling, the roo didn't like where she was going/looking/something...sounded an alarm and next thing you know - ALL 8 started charging the cat! They ran her up a tree and stood their for about 5 minutes chastizing her. I have never had a problem since. She gives the adults a wide berth. I always introduce her to my new groups of chicks supervised and will pick one up in front of her and 'make of it' to reinforce that they are 'moms pets'. She has never bothered them since. She even got locked in the mudroom overnight once (where the chicks brood, with no cover on the brooder (thanks, hubby!), and she did not bother them...and they were exactly at songbird size at that time (about 4-5 weeks old) She has never been a problem with them...and she is an EXCELLENT hunter...squirrels, mice chipmunks, song birds, even rabbits!

I don't know if all cats can be trusted - even with the introduction/training...however, once you have full sized chickens, USUALLY the cat will pay them respect...and that plus training should cement as well as possible the chick's as 'no touch' for the cat. Again, know your cat, though!

 

[featherhead007]

Mugshot Monday pic:

 

[bgmathteach]

They will like that. Or...you can cut strips of the shell off. (Like you were partially 'peeling' it) and hang it. They will go after it like a cabbage tetherball (once they figure it out)

I have also partially cooked them (whole, either in microwave or oven). Not so that is it soft, like we would eat, but not rock hard either - somewhere in between. Then hang that, again with strips peeled (about 1.5 - 2 inch wide strips, & depending on size of pumpkin, 3 - 6 of them spaced around the pumpkin..top to bottom)

My chooks love them! I also do the same with butternut squash...nothing left but the skin...and not even all of that (when I partially cook it) If I don't cook it, I cut it in half vertically & hang like a cabbage tetherball, too! (large pumpkins I might cut in 3rds or quarters & hang if not cooked)

Pumkin is good for them, lots of fiber and nutrients (assuming grown on nutrient rich soil) Contains: vitamins A, B1, B6, and C, copper, fiber, folate, and manganese, and Pumpkin also provides calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Supposedly, pumpkin seeds (and other members of the cucurbitacaea family) are also a dewormer. Seems they have a moderate effect on certain species of worms common to poultry. That said, it would take quite a few pumpkins to get the needed amount of seeds into your flock for efficacy...over multiple days.

https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/veterinary/abstract.htm?id=24644

However, my take is: even if you only have a slight reduction in worm load (if they have worms...which they most likely do if they free range regularly), it doesn't hurt them, especially during molt time and going into winter. I grew some pumpkins (i.e. 'free' food for chooks), and they enjoy the pumpkin tether ball, so win, win, win

Yes, that is the post. Unfortunately, sites pull studies, and rotate in newer ones - looks like that study is no longer available. There were 3 types of worms it protected against.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yes, that is the post. Unfortunately, sites pull studies, and rotate in newer ones - looks like that study is no longer available. There were 3 types of worms it protected against.

My friend the research vet came back and said the Turkish study I posted was a well designed trial and although the numbers were small he thought the results credible. That is enough for me to give it a go as my maintenance plan.