Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Darn that Dorothy - she has turned into a savage beast in one day, she has never ever bitten me. Now she about took the fingers of me tonight - broody broody broody. That’s likely what she is.

And that darn Whiskers is even more broody than ever.

And then there is the wee silkie chick with the spraddle legs I don’t have a good feeling about her odds.

What is it this year? So much stress with the chooks and the horses, and add in my lack of sleep with my restless leg spasms.



Ok well I need to be up in a few hours so I will try for some sleep.

 

[Ponypoor]

Then get busy & train another little buddy to ride along since you indicated you train from chicks! No, just messing! I know how hard it is to lose a special bird. Either a bird makes a special connection or not -- very rare.

Our chickens today are not for meat or eggs but as pets -- eggs are just a bonus. I asked DH after our property remodel that we now had room for one dog, or one cat, or a couple pet Silkies so choose -- and he chose chickens. I'm a farm girl so any animal he picked was fine w/ me! We're zoned for 5 hens/no roos. We have 6 backyard birds -- one aging standard Dominique and 5 Silkies (each Silkie counts as 1/2 a chicken -- right?) We've cycled thru a couple dozen different breeds in almost 14 yrs but now our last birds will be Silkies again in our twilight years

Chickens and all types of livestock and Sunkist citrus groves had turns growing on my folks' farm:

Chickens, ducks, & geese were a staple on the farm cuz Mom baked a lot of breads and cakes w/ their eggs.

Am I not a fancy farm girl? Use magnifiers to see antique pic!
c. 1940's
View attachment 3852609

That’s awesome What a great memory

 

[bgmathteach]

And then there is the wee silkie chick with the spraddle legs I don’t have a good feeling about her odds.

@Ponypoor what has worked for me in the past when I had a splayed leg chick was this:

Get a short tumbler/glass that is a bit narrower on the bottom/base than the chick....think maybe a whiskey glass or short water glass. Put the chick in it for 10-15 minute intervals (as it gets stronger, up to 30 min.) a couple times a day. Within a few days (or up to a week if it has it really bad) it should then be okay. The 'tight bottom' of the glass 'holds' the feet in proper position and the slightly sloped sides that are slippery will give the leg a workout (PT) as it tries to hop/climb it's way out of the glass.

I have had to do this with 3 chicks (2 mine, one was a friends - all at different times). 2 of the 3, within 2 days (did do it a 3rd for good measure, though, and 3X a day) the two were running around normal - you would never know!
the third was older when the friend asked for help - and the splayed leg was quite bad - couldn't stand up even if you manually set the feet correctly on a paper towel. That one it took the full week. I wasn't sure it would work on her, as I didn't see any improvement at all the first 3 days, but at the end of the 4th, she could stand (still splayed - but had the strength to actually hold herself up. Walking still not so good at that point...but by the end of the week, she could walk on her own - and a few more days of PT in the glass did the trick!

I wish I had known this sooner, as the 'bandaid strapped to the two legs' really doesn't work great - they are always pecking it off themselves - or 'with help from a friend'!

Neither of these were the actual video I watched - but you get the idea.

 

[Sylvester017]

They are so pretty! Are they house chickens? If my dogs were good with other animals, I’d have multiple house chickens

Our chickens are not house chickens except when they are brooder babies or need care when ill/injured. But we do let them in for visits in the kitchen. Here are a few visitors over many years:

If there are storms or high Santa Ana Winds we'll let them hang out in the kitchen with us.

 

[Sylvester017]

W.H.A.T.H.A.V.E.I.D.O.N.E.T.O.D.E.S.E.R.V.E.T.H.I.S.???

We've dealt with broody Silkies for several years. Some are easy to break in 2 or 3 days. Others were hard broodies and we had to be tenacious to keep them locked out of the nest boxes. It's like playing musical chairs letting a laying Silkie go into a nestbox while locking the coop door to keep out a hard broody.

Add to that hens will peck or chase broodies around the yard. Oh boy! Can't wait for the fun to start -- NOT!

We never had more than two Silkies in a flock so it's been easy to deal with. However this year we have 5 Silkies -- 3 of them pullets and 2 that will be 4 yrs old so we'll have our hands full sequestering the broodies while still allowing the layers access to the coop. We never used "jails" before but we may have to bring out the 4'x4' dog pen.

 

[Sylvester017]

@Ponypoor what has worked for me in the past when I had a splayed leg chick was this:

Get a short tumbler/glass that is a bit narrower on the bottom/base than the chick....think maybe a whiskey glass or short water glass. Put the chick in it for 10-15 minute intervals (as it gets stronger, up to 30 min.) a couple times a day. Within a few days (or up to a week if it has it really bad) it should then be okay. The 'tight bottom' of the glass 'holds' the feet in proper position and the slightly sloped sides that are slippery will give the leg a workout (PT) as it tries to hop/climb it's way out of the glass.

I have had to do this with 3 chicks (2 mine, one was a friends - all at different times). 2 of the 3, within 2 days (did do it a 3rd for good measure, though, and 3X a day) the two were running around normal - you would never know!
the third was older when the friend asked for help - and the splayed leg was quite bad - couldn't stand up even if you manually set the feet correctly on a paper towel. That one it took the full week. I wasn't sure it would work on her, as I didn't see any improvement at all the first 3 days, but at the end of the 4th, she could stand (still splayed - but had the strength to actually hold herself up. Walking still not so good at that point...but by the end of the week, she could walk on her own - and a few more days of PT in the glass did the trick!

I wish I had known this sooner, as the 'bandaid strapped to the two legs' really doesn't work great - they are always pecking it off themselves - or 'with help from a friend'!

Neither of these were the actual video I

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. !!!!

watched - but you get the idea

 

[Marie2020]

That sound of contented chickens having a snack is one of the most lovely and calming sounds I know.

Unfortunately Tassels is doing the “I am a broody straight out of Hades and you all better stay away or I will do life-altering damage” sound.

Bless her she can't help her hormones

 

[Marie2020]

Chickens catch on quicker than people give them credit! Our "Mini" heard me call for DH so much we heard her often calling for him w/ the same tone inflections as me. Rather than us learning their language they pick up ours faster!
View attachment 3852821

What a gorgeous ball of fluff

 

[Marie2020]

Hi All,

I am still so far behind! I think I am making progress...only to log on the next day and see that there were 16 pages since I was last logged in.

I've been around more but miss heaps of pages anyway.

What I really, really wanted to share, though, is this:
View attachment 3852882

This is from a colleague of mine - she left it on my desk Friday when I was remote, with a very sweet card. I never knew she painted - she didn't realize that BRs are my favorite breed!

What a sweet caring person, and really artistic . I'm really pleased you have such people to support you. Life can be cruel and it's all to easy for us to slip up and feel low. It's surprising how easily a kind act or word can build us up again. This shows your inner strength

(( no worries, @rural mouse, DCs are a close second - but for very different reasons, with very different personalities)

I post this/say this because: I have been having some personal issues - and the wonderful warmth from some I have confided in - both here and 2 at work - has just brought me to tears - in a wonderful way.

Thank you all - just for being the wonderful people you are. The way you all rallied around Alex and others when they were/are down. Please - all of you - every last one = give yourself a hug and be kind to yourself. You are wonderful people that make others feel loved - even if you don't know you are doing it at the moment. I wish the world was filled with more people like you all on here (FBA). I suspect there wouldn't be anymore wars (maybe a skirmish or two - but all things that would be resolved once people had a chance to reflect.)

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart - just for being kind 'you'.


Mushiness tax:

View attachment 3852889
A heritage BR

View attachment 3852891
Dark Cornish. (80+% of all my DC girls have a broodie tendancy!)

 

[Marie2020]

Darn that Dorothy - she has turned into a savage beast in one day, she has never ever bitten me. Now she about took the fingers of me tonight - broody broody broody. That’s likely what she is.

And that darn Whiskers is even more broody than ever.

And then there is the wee silkie chick with the spraddle legs I don’t have a good feeling about her odds.

What is it this year? So much stress with the chooks and the horses, and add in my lack of sleep with my restless leg spasms.



Ok well I need to be up in a few hours so I will try for some sleep.

I hope you're having a restful refreshing sleep Kelly.