I like big butts and I cannot lie...

Sir Mix-a-lot anyone? Anyone? Bueller?  Bueller?

Anyway, my chickens have big, naked butts.

 

I've researched and researched and I have determined what the problem isn't.   My chickens don't have mites, lice, bugs, prolapse, sour crop (more on this later), and they aren't "egg bound" (they don't have an egg stuck in their butt).  I've come up with the only logical answer.... too many hens in the hen house!!  If these chickens are anything like me they can't stand to be cooped up with a bunch of women!  It's a behavioral issue.  I've read stories from other backyard chicken keepers and they say the same thing... pecking order.  Since I haven't been able to catch them in the act, I'm 98% sure they are plucking out each other's feathers at night while they are on the roost.   I'm going to have to install another roost.  "Travis!..."

 

MB didn't get her picture taken because she was too fast that day.  Also, she has most of her feathers.  Hmmmm....the main culprit?  I think so. 

 

And in case you are wondering, Dottie still thinks that she is the boss of Littlefoot.  However, Littlefoot has grown out of her namby-pamby stage and can handle her own now.  I caught the attack on camera this time. 

 

WARNING! Photos may contain disturbing images and may not be suitable for all audiences!

 

I call this photo "The Attack"





"Gotcha!" 

Scramble - "And I think I'll take THAT feather right here..."

Don't worry, this lasts for about 2 seconds and its over.  They all move on and go about their business... and eat scrambled EGGS!  : )  Don't tell the girls they made them.  It was left over from breakfast.

Life After Chickens

The girls are trying to fatten up for this cold weather.  They are eating about 2 gallons of feed a week.   They are all still butt featherless, so I purchased gamebird feed to increase their protein intake.  Maybe they will have feathers by spring.  They are definitely not going to make me a blue ribbon winner at the Wagoner County Fair.  I guess my dreams were too big for them...sigh.

It's quiet around here since the days are so short.  I try to see the kids/chickens before I settle inside for the night, but I am afraid I am now just that human with the yummy meal worms to them.  (Ginger still loves me though.)   

How has my life changed since before we had chickens you ask?

I've given up Southern Living for chicken blogs and chicken mags....

I'm a regular at Atwoods...

I know the store hours to the farmers co-op...

I have chicken chores...(gather eggs, fill water, clean chicken poop, let the girls outside to play)

My new least favorite thing to do is refill their water before I leave for work in 25 degree weather. Brrr!!

I have a chicken babysitter...(thanks Kali)

I eat eggs ALL the time (egg salad, boiled eggs, soft boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, over easy eggs, quiche, egg fried rice, fried eggs etc...)

I know more about chickens than you do...

I don't buy store bought eggs... Never will again...

I love our feathered friends.

Rehab success

Dottie has successfully completed chicken-hater rehab.  Travis removed her blinders and she's been reintegrated into the group.  Killer and Littlefoot (aka the victim) are getting along nicely.  AND Littlefoot's head feathers and comb grew back.  She's beautiful again. 

Birds of a feather, flock together

The NEW (not so mean) Killer

However, I'm  not sure Miss Bunny (MB) is happy about Killer not having blinders  I think she thought they were some sort of crown or something. As soon as those blinders came off, MB attacked Dottie.  "Great." I thought, this is a never ending cycle.  I supposed there has to be a ruler of the roost in every flock and apparently, it's MB's turn. 

Since that day though, I haven't noticed anything too violent.  Everyone seems to be getting along.  Except for the lack of butt feathers.  Are they still being plucked or are they just not growing back?  Who knows?...

Ginger's butt

Poor Ginger, she's been missing feathers for months.  She looks awful, but she's still a pretty sweet chicken.  I think she remembers all those times I gave her warm baths to help her poop when she was just a few weeks old because she let me pet her for a really long time today. Ginger doesn't bite the hand that feeds her.   

Scramble now has a bare (cold) booty too

 

Oh, by the way, sorry there are no photos of the chickens in Santa hats.  I haven't figured out how to get them on yet.  It's a work in progress.  It's been hard to take pictures because the chickens are asleep when I go to work and asleep when I get home.  I despise these short days.  The weather is so back and forth. 

We did put the heater out the other night when it was 19 degrees and the north wind was blowing really hard.  We've Clark Grizwalled the coop with wires... Pray it doesn't go up in flames and we have fried chickens on our hands...

Look, I know this is dangerous, but we only have 5 chickens (not enough to hurdle together and stay warm) and the north wind blows STRAIGHT through those top windows on the coop (and they choose to sleep on the roost right by the window) AND they have no butt feathers.  Come'on man, these girls have got to be cold.  We unplug it during the day... no worries.

Yes, I know this is a fire hazard

Heat lamp and hazardous wires
 

We're still getting 4 eggs a day. Do the math, we've still got a slacker, but I'm happy. Its enough to make quiche everyday.  ; )

Santa is coming...

I am so excited for Christmas this year!!  Look what I just purchased...

Mini Santa Hats

PHOTO OP!  Stay tuned...

One, big, happy, family...

She's back.  Littlefoot is back in the game.  I think her biological clock stopped ticking.  She's out with her sisters and it seems as though Dottie has stopped picking on her.  I guess the blinders did help!

The garden is dead, but we leave the ugly pepper plants up because the girls like to eat the dried leaves.  This picture is not great as far as background, but the girls are all there playing... TOGETHER... like they are supposed to.  Littlefoot looks much better.  I guess chickens work out their problems on their own.   What do you expect with that many hens in a hen house?

In case you are wondering, Ginger's butt is still bare.  I'm not sure if the feathers aren't growing back or feather rehab isn't working on Scramble.

Blinders, Broodiness, Bare Butts, and Baths

Where do I start? 

Killer (her new name is almost official) aka Dottie is currently sporting top of the line, designer, peepers.  These "Pinless Peepers" are supposed to help with feather plucking and general pecking.  I was in Boston when Travis put the peepers on Killer.  Oh how I wish I was a fly on the wall.  He said it took him a while to get them on.  He steadied her between his legs and held her little, twitchy, neck still while he put these things on.  I wonder what he was staying during this process? "Hold still Killer!"..."I swear I will eat you."

 

 

 

 

 

So far, the peepers MAY be preventing Dottie from pecking, but I can't be sure.  Littlefoot has taken shelter in the nesting box.  My theory is that since everyone was picking on her, she had no friends, and decided to turn broody.  That's what these chicken people (I guess I'm one of them now) call it when the hen's biological clock starts ticking and she wants to have a baby.  She sits in the nesting box all day long... on the eggs... hoping one of them will hatch.  Obviously she's had no luck since we don't have any roosters (if you want to know about this process in detail let me know...).  

 

 

 

Every day I have to reach under her warm body to gather the eggs.  She isn't mean about it, but acts annoyed that I've disturbed her.  I have to force her out of the coop because I'm afraid she hasn't eaten all day.  She gets up, flaps her wings, takes a HUGE poop (because she's been holding it all day), eats, sometimes she takes a dust bath, but then goes straight back to the box.  I'm going to have to research whether chickens can get depressed if they can't have babies.  Poor Littlefoot.  I feel bad for her.

 

At least she still takes dust baths

Since we've still got naked booties in the flock, I'm pretty sure another chicken needs these designer peepers.  But I CANNOT figure out who is doing the plucking! I know who it's not...

 

Dottie's naked butt... not the feather eater

Ginger's naked butt... not the feather eater

 

I don't think Littlefoot is doing the plucking because, let's face it, she's a wimp (I love her, but she's just too dang pretty and not tough enough - her mother must have been killed and eaten really quickly).  It's got to be big mama Scramble or Miss Bunny.  They both have beautiful fluffy rear ends.  Look at them....they are discussing whose feathers have grown back the most so they can pluck them out again. 

 

 

 

 

These chickens, I swear.  They really have issues... like people.  I can only imagine what is going to happen when it gets cold out and they want to cuddle, but won't let Littlefoot join in the huddle.  I think I might get her a soft, stuffed, toy chicken to put in her box with her.  Maybe she will think she's made a new friend.   Or I could strap a chicken diaper on her and send her home with her grandma....

 

See... she loves her grand-chickens

 



To cull or not to cull...

... that is the question.  I thought that Miss Bunny's fame would dissuade Dottie from attacking Littlefoot...that maybe she would get jealous of Miss Bunny and pick on someone her own size.  Wrong.  Dottie could care less about Miss Bunny. She has a thing for Littlefoot.   I let Dottie back in the group last week.  I really don't think separating her is going to do the trick.  I don't have a large enough flock for another bird to pick up and become the new bully.  Littfoot is pitiful, she jumped on my lap and basically begged to get out of the coop.  (Yes, I speak chicken now.)  I let her little, pecked to death, head out of the coop by herself so she could peck and play in peace.  She was grateful.  She followed me around the garden and came to me when I called her.  The worst part of this story is that tonight I found her sleeping in the nesting box, all alone.  Breaks my heart.  I think my only option is to kill (cull) Dottie.....



You must die

My poor little victim

Or!.... purchase a chicken diaper!!  I have just discovered that they make chicken diapers for hens who 1) live in the house (yes this happens) or 2) who need to come inside to recuperate from being attacked and mauled by other mean chickens. 

Random chicken from the internet with a diaper

Seriously, check it out... http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Diapers-and-Saddles/Chicken-Diaper-Free-shipping-p494.aspx.  Littlefoot could come in and live inside with me!  Travis would love it, I'm sure.  In case you are really curious youtube has videos of people putting diapers on their chickens.  Hilarious. 

Ok ok ok, the other option is "Pinless Peepers" (these I bought and I am awaiting their arrival). They are little chicken blinders. They block their forward vision and it is supposed to help with pecking. We'll see. Not only is Dottie getting a pinless peeper, Scramble is. 



Random chicken with some pinless peepers

Random chicken with pinless peepers

These things are really to help prevent feather picking.  As you will recall from my prior post about "crack feathers" Scramble is still in rehab for her addiction to feathers.  Yesterday I noticed that not only is Ginger's butt (and back) completely bare from Scramble eating all her feathers, DOTTIE'S butt is completely plucked! 

These chickens.  I swear.