Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

She grew up big and beautiful, didn’t she?

She is lovely and quite heavy compared to Glynda.

 

[featherhead007]

Jaffar is moving a little slow today. Maybe he wanted to sleep in this morning.

 

[ValarieF]

Commercial feed is designed for commercial farming operations in general. It will provide a good basic nutrition. We have often discussed on this thread how chickens, when given options, will change what they eat based upon what they see their needs as being.

Molting being the biggest example. In most cases, chickens who are molting are looking for higher protein feed and may sun commercial layer feed for other foods sources.

The 90/10 rule really applies if you are their only source of feed. If your chickens can scratch for worms and bugs, eat grass, etc. then you are actually only providing a small amount of their nutrition via chicken feed. There is no realistic way to judge a 90/10 ratio as they may spend the whole day eating nothing but seeds.

I give my chickens a lot of credit for knowing what they need to eat. There is feed available at all times. They eat very little feed outside of the winter. They seem to know not to over graze any one food source in the yard. In fact, they will leave corn and meal worms for later if I do give them some.

In short, I have learned to provide options and trust them to eat what they need. I think it has worked for me on the most part. I do think Aurora is a little over weight but that is her choice. I can't really stop her from eating. And now that she is queen, she has dibs on everything.

View attachment 3289964

I leave feed for mine at all times and scratch and give them corn in the evening. I dont care if they get a little chunky which they arent but I dont follow any feeding rule and they also forage, They know what and how much to eat and dont spend all day eating.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Bunny and Raven have 1 chick out each! Raven's is blue and Bunny's chick is a little chipmunk colored cutie.

 

[ValarieF]

Bunny and Raven have 1 chick out each! Raven's is blue and Bunny's chick is a little chipmunk colored cutie.

 

[featherhead007]

Bunny and Raven have 1 chick out each! Raven's is blue and Bunny's chick is a little chipmunk colored cutie.

Raven’s a mama?
Well let’s celebrate

 

[featherhead007]

And they are all little roosters waiting to hatch!

I’m going to regret saying that!

 

[BY Bob]

Kicked into Action

Gucci's death gave me a push I needed to rectify an oversight on my part. Three ladies have passed on without ever having their bum silhouettes put up on the house. Sunday, in Gucci's memory, I put up the bum silhouettes for the three surviving ladies and rehabbed Phyllis' messed up one. I still need to rehab Sydney’s and Aurora's.

Up close

 

[RoyalChick]

Commercial feed is designed for commercial farming operations in general. It will provide a good basic nutrition. We have often discussed on this thread how chickens, when given options, will change what they eat based upon what they see their needs as being.

Molting being the biggest example. In most cases, chickens who are molting are looking for higher protein feed and may sun commercial layer feed for other foods sources.

The 90/10 rule really applies if you are their only source of feed. If your chickens can scratch for worms and bugs, eat grass, etc. then you are actually only providing a small amount of their nutrition via chicken feed. There is no realistic way to judge a 90/10 ratio as they may spend the whole day eating nothing but seeds.

I give my chickens a lot of credit for knowing what they need to eat. There is feed available at all times. They eat very little feed outside of the winter. They seem to know not to over graze any one food source in the yard. In fact, they will leave corn and meal worms for later if I do give them some.

In short, I have learned to provide options and trust them to eat what they need. I think it has worked for me on the most part. I do think Aurora is a little over weight but that is her choice. I can't really stop her from eating. And now that she is queen, she has dibs on everything.

View attachment 3289964

I really try to trust them - but Maggie is hard to trust because she is so extreme. She had a choice of ground beef, scrambled egg, corn, Rice Krispies, and potato hot dog roll. She is molting so she needs protein, so clearly the beef and the egg are the right answer.
Nope! She worked her way systematically through the carbohydrates and then, not surprisingly after all that, went for a nap!


I never get over how luxuriant Aurora's beard is. Just love it!

 

[featherhead007]

Kicked into Action

Gucci's death gave me a push I needed to rectify an oversight on my part. Three ladies have passed on without ever having their bum silhouettes put up on the house. Sunday, in Gucci's memory, I put up the bum silhouettes for the three surviving ladies and rehabbed Phyllis' messed up one. I still need to rehab Sydney’s and Aurora's.

View attachment 3289994

Up close

View attachment 3289998View attachment 3289999View attachment 3290000View attachment 3290001

I like it!