Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Today they ventured to the other side of the yard and hung out under the lilac bush for a while. That's quite an accomplishment after the last few days of voluntary lockdown. They still want one of us "big people" with them before they will come out, though.

Good. They're viewing you as safety.

 

[Marie2020]

Heavy rains overnight here, which will make the corn and mosquitoes happy hahaha.

I was up at 5am and couldn't believe someone was out in the bush behind my back paddock shooting! My horses are out there, and just what i don't need is my idiot Neighbours out poaching deer and Turkey and accidentally shooting my horses. It's barely light at 5am....

Checked the barn cams and the horses where just milling about outside the back of the barn, the chickies were ok still sleeping.

View attachment 3183352

Guess I better get cracking do chores and get to work...

That's insane I'm worried for you

Does that happen often?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Here's the current tribe, The Buckeyes.
Congratulations, Bob! This is such a kind, welcoming, informative and interesting thread. As hard as it is to keep up - to be honest I have mixed emotions about the pace and reaching this milestone so quickly - but really, I am glad to have found this place. It has truly been a great experience for me and a comfort and joy through both hard and good times. Thank you for hosting!

The Buckeyes

Peanut
#1, Leader. Mild-mannered, calm and agreeable. Only steps in if something is really out of hand in the ranks. She prefers to let everyone do what they need to do. There aren't any nestbox fights, though loud complaining does happen. If someone is laying in the nestbox, she might join them if she really has to lay, but usually quietly lets them be. She's very talkative with me, always sticking around for a bit to say hello, sweetly toot-peeping and then grooming me /fixing my clothes.

Hazel
#2. The Keeper of the Rules and Sentinel. Generally sweet but no-nonsense and quickly fierce. Enthusiastically reminds everyone (except Peanut) of their place below her. Even Peanut has to keep her in line sometimes. Hazel takes advantage of her position by commandeering anything of interest to Butters (#3) and Popcorn (#4). Butters will often contest the challenge (and ultimately concede), but Popcorn just moves off to somewhere else when Hazel comes by. However, Hazel is often hesitant around food or treats I bring to them, and lets others eat first while she calls out excitedly. She is very talkative, and hangs out along with Peanut to say hello, but also to "groom" my pants, and lower back if I'm crouching. Any bare skin beware, she is rough and not gentle with her grooming. Luckily for me she is not interested in bare legs!

Butters
#3. Mellow and calm, Butters is sweet natured with a steady gaze. Though she is the biggest of the Buckeyes, she was the initial focus of a Red-Tail attack three times, maybe because she is too mellow and calm and thus unawares. She is much wiser and alert to the threats from above now. She gets along with everyone, but occasionally Hazel gets too overbearing and they have a short skirmish. Those two often forage together however.

Butters (left) and Peanut

Popcorn
#4. Popcorn is sweet and personable, but has been almost a "no touch" Buckeye. She will reluctantly let me pick her up and examine her, but I do not push it with her. She hangs around but generally out of reach. Inexplicably she has started squatting for me. She does eat from my hand and is the most gentle of all of them with my fingers, very delicate. She is more solo in foraging, but does go around a lot with Peanut. She is a very active and enthusiastic digger and seems to know that even if she gets pushed off a promising spot, there's always another to be found. She's smart about any food or treats and zips in and out skillfully when there's competition, and when there's not she will take full advantage and wolf it down with gusto. She will run down moths. Here she is wing spreading a bit in hot weather, but that hardly slows her down.

Popcorn on the right, Peanut on the left

 

[Marie2020]

Geez 10060 already this place sure does move on quickly

 

[WhoDatChick]

Hi der Brudda Bob! Looks like I happened to pop in at just the right time

I just went ahead and picked these three… these are fitting I think because these are three of my first group of eight chickens that I started with.. Rosemary, Maryn(my fave), and Ruby (the leader of the flock) who is no longer with us… I lost her this spring. The others are four years old
I hope I did this correctly
Congratulations on this! This has always been one of the few places that I have hung out on BYC… and I am thankful for the friends I have made and all the knowledge I have gained!! Love ya ma Brudda

 

[featherhead007]

B

Thing is, Bob and wife, do have a place close here to stay if they wanted to. My first question (when I see them) would be, “so where do you all want to go?” Bob knowing me as he does, means that we will probably head back to my airport. Take out Marie and Maybe have dinner in San Francisco? @ByBob’s choice!

Or anywhere else that they choose

 

[MaryJanet]

Gosh! All of my favorite photos. Starting with that darling Sandy at the beach photo. It always stirs my heart.

All your hens are beautiful but you know Ivy stole my heart the moment I saw her.

Thanks for sharing these my friend.

It was a genuine pleasure.

 

[featherhead007]

Xzit cracked the egg that she was supposed to be hatching. Nothing in it. So tomorrow she goes back home to the tribe. So what, she got some experience being broody.
I have learned in life, that experience, is what you get, when you don’t get what you want! So I move forward, and my chooks should too!

 

[micstrachan]

This was truly splendid. Thanks for taking the time to pull it together. Just wonderful.

Oh, here it is! Thank you, Bob. I wanted to make sure you saw my post. It took hours on my phone.

 

[featherhead007]

Yep? I’m somewhat disappointed but I could get her

Xzit cracked the egg that she was supposed to be hatching. Nothing in it. So tomorrow she goes back home to the tribe. So what, she got some experience being broody.
I have learned in life, that experience, is what you get, when you don’t get what you want! So I move forward, and my chooks should too!

a few chicks if I needed to.