Confounded by Sicilian buttercup chicks shunning their heat cave

[azygous]

The Buttercups were a little shy about going into the adult coop tonight, but they eventually wandered inside, and I helped clear their space for them on the perch beside Millie.

More than getting the Buttercups used to roosting in this coop, it's going to be getting a few of the hens who normally roost on the perch I'm putting the Buttercups on used to using other spots. The Buttercups are catching on very quickly, and I believe they are happy with this arrangement.

 

[azygous]

My Buttercups are awesome. As I predicted, they had no trouble coming inside the coop tonight and hopping up onto the perch beside Millie. The problem was another hen wanted their spot, and they surrendered it.

Since I was there, and I'm the boss of the flock, I pulled the offensive hen off the perch and put the two Buttercups in their assigned spot. It's going to take longer to train the hens to accept that the Buttercups are in that spot now and to move on.

 

[azygous]

Fearless. Determined. I'm amazed. Especially since the Buttercups are roosting next to Ladybug, the most notorious thug of the flock. Ladybug is a six-year old EE/Legbar mix. She was broody raised as a single chick, only one of two chickens to live past one year after being hatched from my LL flock. (Lymphoid leucosis)

So, yes. This hen is formidable. She's mean. She pecks every chicken that gets within range. She pecked the Buttercups. But the Buttercups don't give a f#@k.

 

[Blooie]

I was just sitting here wondering if any of this fun saga would have happened if you’d gotten your chicks, stuck them in a box or plastic tote (can you say “Easy Bake Oven?) under a heat lamp until they were fully feathered and practically old enough to lay eggs in the brooder?

 

[azygous]

The Buttercups say, "Plastic totes should be toted to the dump".

 

[Blooie]

Amen!!!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The Buttercups say, "Plastic totes should be toted to the dump".

Yes, but your Buttercups felt the same way about the heating pad.

 

[azygous]

I know you all have been waiting patiently yet excitedly for an update on the life of the Buttercups. No? You're getting it anyway.

The two Buttercups' appearances couldn't be any more stark. Scotty has perfect plumage. Saffron does not. In fact, Saffron looks like a bear came along and decided to eat her, swished her around in his mouth, decided he couldn't hack the taste, and spit her out.

The reason is that Scottie has developed a taste for Saffron's feathers, dessert on the move. It even looks like Scotty has eaten most of Saffron's polka dots. So, it became apparent that something needed to be done about. Not sure pinless peepers would even fit on the petite little beak, I installed them yesterday on Scotty. She's adjusted well to them, and even learned to navigate the waterer nipples.

So far, I haven't seen any of Saffron's feathers leading across the run to Scottie, so maybe this will stop it.

 

[AntiqueB]

And yet they STILL look like 2 troublemakers caught in the act! I hope Scotty stops, although the peepers look like cute mini chicken glasses.

They're very alert girls, and beautiful even with plucked feathers.

 

[rjmyooper]

What a beautiful bird.