Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ValerieJ]

The breeder I got my satins from says that the loudest complaining chicks are always girls. I have a Karen and a Chatty Cathy for sure, and one of the satins was hollering for a while too. I think Cadet maybe.

That's a good sign! I really do not need another little cockerel.

As I was standing in line, waiting my turn to see and pick out the chicks, I was thinking I could just incubate my own, but decided against it because of the cockerel factor. Not sure what I would do with another one.

Speaking of which, are any of you witnessing a run of chicks this year? All the farm stores are having trouble keeping them in stock. As soon as they come in they are gone. They've never seen anything like it.

I hope all those new chicken owners aren't thinking they will be saving money on eggs.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

After-lap-nap

Maybe some preening is a good idea too

 

[Sally PB]

Speaking of which, are any of you witnessing a run of chicks this year? All the farm stores are having trouble keeping them in stock. As soon as they come in they are gone. They've never seen anything like it.

I hope all those new chicken owners aren't thinking they will be saving money on eggs.

I haven't asked at my local TSC. I wouldn't be surprised if people are buying chicks "to save on eggs." This is very similar to 2020, when a lot of people got "pandemic" chickens.

To be honest, we got chicks in March of 2020. But I'd wanted them for a long time and when hubby said, "Maybe we should get some chickens....?" I jumped on that and drove to TSC.

 

[ValerieJ]

After-lap-nap
View attachment 4065909
View attachment 4065910
Maybe some preening is a good idea too
View attachment 4065911

She is such a sweet looking hen!!! I love her face.

 

[Marie2020]

How is your arm doing? How is physio going?

I'm waiting for an update to .

 

[ValerieJ]

Sleeping beauties.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Ok, so I believe these are my two "crested legbar" hatches, the brown one does look like a male legbar chick, the black and white one does not. However, I am 90% sure these were my legbar eggs, aqua blue.

This one has a cream patch. Either a tan or blue egg, not 100%


This one 100% came from a blue egg, it hollered the whole dang time it was zipping and coming out. However, it looks a lot like the barred rocks from when I was a kid (that was like 25 years ago or longer so maybe not accurate)

I told hubby to pick up bedding without me. Local Family Farm and Homes apparently are putting out bantam cochins today and I would not be able to pass them up. I NEED cochins goshdangit. Big ones, little ones, I need my bowling balls of love.

 

[ValerieJ]

Ok, so I believe these are my two "crested legbar" hatches, the brown one does look like a male legbar chick, the black and white one does not. However, I am 90% sure these were my legbar eggs, aqua blue.
View attachment 4065937
This one has a cream patch. Either a tan or blue egg, not 100%
View attachment 4065938
View attachment 4065939View attachment 4065940
This one 100% came from a blue egg, it hollered the whole dang time it was zipping and coming out. However, it looks a lot like the barred rocks from when I was a kid (that was like 25 years ago or longer so maybe not accurate)

I told hubby to pick up bedding without me. Local Family Farm and Homes apparently are putting out bantam cochins today and I would not be able to pass them up. I NEED cochins goshdangit. Big ones, little ones, I need my bowling balls of love.

They are all so cute!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Hazel's had another symptomatic episode of whatever she's carrying - probably some kind of mycoplasma. She is back to normal as of two days ago. Here's her right eye, all bubbly but it looks worse because she was foraging for treats and the dust and tiny bits of litter were sticking there too and she couldn't shake it off.

Seeing this I called the vets but they couldn't take her for three days. I wiped her eyes, the other was only a little bubbly, and within a day she wasn't exhibiting symptoms anymore. Held off on any antibiotics that day, I have some on hand - Amoxy-Tyl for starters, because I was hoping to get a PCR /culture test. Then I was reading that the best time to get an accurate test is when symptoms start, to get the heaviest DNA load swabbed. I'd like to know what I'm dealing with here (pretty sure it's not HPAV), in order to treat the symptoms properly when it gets bad.

I don't want to cull the entire gang, that's out of the question. I also want to add chicks but do it considering this endemic situation. This might be what almost took Annie down when I began intermittent integration at around six weeks. She started behaving unwell around then.

Here's Hazel yesterday, on her game and looking much better

Possibly the breathing/pumping tail she was doing when at rest, and the extra long eggs with thin shells could have been symptomatic or this flare-up? The weather and temps here have been a stress probably; but other than the drastic temperature changes I'm not sure what else could be a trigger.

 

[ValerieJ]

Hazel's had another symptomatic episode of whatever she's carrying - probably some kind of mycoplasma. She is back to normal as of two days ago. Here's her right eye, all bubbly but it looks worse because she was foraging for treats and the dust and tiny bits of litter were sticking there too and she couldn't shake it off.
View attachment 4065926
Seeing this I called the vets but they couldn't take her for three days. I wiped her eyes, the other was only a little bubbly, and within a day she wasn't exhibiting symptoms anymore. Held off on any antibiotics that day, I have some on hand - Amoxy-Tyl for starters, because I was hoping to get a PCR /culture test. Then I was reading that the best time to get an accurate test is when symptoms start, to get the heaviest DNA load swabbed. I'd like to know what I'm dealing with here (pretty sure it's not HPAV), in order to treat the symptoms properly when it gets bad.

I don't want to cull the entire gang, that's out of the question. I also want to add chicks but do it considering this endemic situation. This might be what almost took Annie down when I began intermittent integration at around six weeks. She started behaving unwell around then.

Here's Hazel yesterday, on her game and looking much better
View attachment 4065925

Possibly the breathing/pumping tail she was doing when at rest, and the extra long eggs with thin shells could have been symptomatic or this flare-up? The weather and temps here have been a stress probably; but other than the drastic temperature changes I'm not sure what else could be a trigger.
View attachment 4065947

I hope she is better soon! Is this effecting the whole flock or just Hazel? I would take her to the vet, even 3 days later. I wish I had an avian vet here!!