Back Yard Farming: April 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

Highlands Ranch Coop Cont.....

Our chicken coop is coming along and should be ready for the chickens to move in by the second week of May. We live within an HOA so our coop needs to somewhat look like our house, although I don't think we would have done anything different.

I can't wait to post the finished coop pictures!

Image by: Back Yard Farming

Image by: Back Yard Farming

Image by: Back Yard Farming

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Ready For Coop

All my chickens are ready for their new coop! They are getting so big and can come and go from their brooder as they please. They seem to like staying in one place so we're not worried about them roaming around the garage. Although they now all look the same, they have different personalities and you can tell them apart.

Image by: Back Yard Farming

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Highlands Ranch Chicken Coop

All framed out!! I've had so many requests for information on our Highlands Ranch Chicken Coop that we will soon be selling the plans. For more information on how to purchase the plans please send me an e-mail backyardfarming411@gmail.com .

Plans will be available for sale May 7, 2012.

Image by: Back Yard Farming

Monday, April 2, 2012

Pasty Butt

One of our chick's (Sarah) has been having problems going to the bathroom for the past couple of weeks. She has what is known as "Pasty Butt".

What is Pasty Butt?

Chickens only have one hole called a “Vent” or “Cloaca” of a chicken which is used for laying eggs, pooping, urinating and mating. Their vent can become clogged and in nature the mother hen will keep her chicks’ vent clear but since humans raise chicks they can end up with “pasty butt.” I have read that this can happen while being shipped, dehydration, and some say that it could be due to stress. Pasty butt can prevent a chick from going to the bathroom and the poop can back up into their system and cause infections and even death. It is extremely important to keep an eye on all your chicks and take care of the problem immediately.

Sarah’s Symptoms and Care

Sarah has been going to the bathroom but she has been struggling, she seems to be constipated. She will get the poop half way out and after some painful chirping and feather fluffing she eventually gets it out. Her vent was swollen, red, and pulsating. We have tried several ways to help her but I think we finally found something that works. We give her daily lukewarm baths in the sink. She doesn’t put up a fight she actually seems somewhat relieved. She will stand there for a while and every so often will start floating to the side when she falls asleep and scares herself awake. After the warm bath we make sure her bottom is clean and wrap her in a hand towel and hold her until she’s completely dry. Making sure she is dry is important because they can get a chill and get sick. After the bath and sometimes while we are holding her we give some olive oil in a dropper. We started out with plain yogurt but it did not seem to help her. We gently rub the dropper along the side of her beak until on her owns she swallows it. The olive oil seemed to have helped a bit but she was still having problems. We purchased mineral oil and switched to that instead of the olive oil. We also bought some preparation-h to help her swollen bottom. Originally we would rub olive oil on her bottom to help her with no results.

Yesterday we went out to buy a second heating lamp, feeder, and waterer and put Sarah in her own brooder. Since her bottom did not seem to be looking better we suspect the other birds were picking at her bottom. We also purchased Rooster Booster to put on her bottom. Now, since she has her own waterer we put a little extra electrolytes (Quik Chik) in her water and in a separate small container I put a little bit of her food mixed in with a tiny bit of olive oil and water in it. She seems to like it once she finds it in her brooder.

Today Sarah seems to be doing a lot better and hopefully continues to get better until it’s all gone. Funny, but I’ve gotten quite attached to these little chicks and losing one would suck!!

Image by: Back Yard Farming

I hope this helps, let me know. J

References:

Pet Chicken
The Pampered Pullets Farm

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Chick Shop

This weekend my husband and I wen to Murdoch's to purchase larger chick supplies since they are outgrowing everything.. The store had just received new chicks and of coarse I'm not going to go home without looking! Here are the chicks they had, I almost died from cuteness!!!

Standard Sultan