Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Everyone this hen who drives me up the wall did it. She has at least 2 but I think several more. I can hear those sweet little peeps when I step out onto the back porch. I honestly thought that with the bone chilling cold she was wasting her time, but not my Momma Hen. Now I'm really nervous, how am I going to get this group safely off the hill and across the creek.

 

[BY Bob]

Do you think Betty feels the nest box is the only place she is safe ? Or maybe she doesn't mind so much sleeping there ?
Glynda is healing nicely, I hope the panel heater helps.

Betty wants to roost and wants to roost high.

Its strange but no one will share a roost here. When Aurora was on Daisy's roost that left the high roost for Sydney and the Maleficent's roost over the window free for Betty.

Here is what is going on. Let's start with how the roosts are set up.

With the recent remodel I broke up the one continuous roost and added Mal's roost over the window.

What has been happening was this arrangement.

And Hattie slept on the floor. I've given up on Hattie. She just gets down to eat every night. Why bother trying to get her to roost?

I was thrilled by this arrangement as Betty was finally able to roost in peace. This is because Mal's roost it too high for Aurora to reach. To understand the significance of that you need to know what happens every night.

Aurora is the last to roost. Prior to her roosting she terrorizes everyone who is trying to roost. So Betty being able to get up high and away from Aurora was essential to her ability to roost. When Betty tries to roost on Daisy's roost it is low enough for Aurora to grab her and pull her off while standing on the coop floor. No one will roost on the door roost because that is Aurora's step up to the high roost and therefore the last thing she does is pass through that roost. If anyone is there, like Phyllis who tries sometimes, she throws them off before going on to the high roost.

This is what we are now back to.

Why is this happening?

Betty and Sydney are roosting like before but Aurora is now going back to the high roost. This moves Sydney to Mal's roost and she knocks Betty to the floor. By the time this happens it is too dark for Betty to get on Daisy's roost and so she goes to a nest box.

So I have 4 roosts and only 2 chickens can use them. This frustrates me to no end but I am giving up again. I have to leave them to it.

While I love integration, I hate roosting. I causes me no end of angst. I have to accept that I can't solve it. Meanwhile three hens share 1 roost in the Cluckle Hut. The roost is split by wire but the three of them do share to a point.

 

[BY Bob]

Everyone this hen who drives me up the wall did it. She has at least 2 but I think several more. I can hear those sweet little peeps when I step out onto the back porch. I honestly thought that with the bone chilling cold she was wasting her time, but not my Momma Hen. Now I'm really nervous, how am I going to get this group safely off the hill and across the creek.
View attachment 3369283

OMG SHE DID IT!!!!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Everyone this hen who drives me up the wall did it. She has at least 2 but I think several more. I can hear those sweet little peeps when I step out onto the back porch. I honestly thought that with the bone chilling cold she was wasting her time, but not my Momma Hen. Now I'm really nervous, how am I going to get this group safely off the hill and across the creek.
View attachment 3369283

OMG! Soooo adorable. She is one clever Momma Hen! Do you think she will manage to bring them back home when she is ready?
I just love this chicken!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

OMG! Soooo adorable. She is one clever Momma Hen! Do you think she will manage to bring them back home when she is ready?
I just love this chicken!

I have studied this hillside and yes I think there is a way she can get them down safely when she is ready. Actually she knows that hillside better then I do as she loves to spend time on it. Where I may need to help her is getting them across the creek. That being said the creek is low right now so she may not need any help at all. Is that going to stop me from worrying, of course not. I do not think she is done hatching and will want to bring them off today. When she does though I feel I must be out there supervising so I can attempt to help if something goes wrong.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Brownie hops up on my lap for a rare close up inspection of the chicken tender. Hopefully I passed her inspection.

 

[ManueB]

Everyone this hen who drives me up the wall did it. She has at least 2 but I think several more. I can hear those sweet little peeps when I step out onto the back porch. I honestly thought that with the bone chilling cold she was wasting her time, but not my Momma Hen. Now I'm really nervous, how am I going to get this group safely off the hill and across the creek.
View attachment 3369283

OMG SHE DID IT!!!!!

I'm so amazed!
I think she should never be called an old bat or other names again, but something like your highness mother hen .
They are not of the woods yet and I sure hope this will have a happy ending .

Betty wants to roost and wants to roost high.

Its strange but no one will share a roost here. When Aurora was on Daisy's roost that left the high roost for Sydney and the Maleficent's roost over the window free for Betty.

Here is what is going on. Let's start with how the roosts are set up.
View attachment 3369277
With the recent remodel I broke up the one continuous roost and added Mal's roost over the window.

What has been happening was this arrangement.

View attachment 3369278
And Hattie slept on the floor. I've given up on Hattie. She just gets down to eat every night. Why bother trying to get her to roost?

I was thrilled by this arrangement as Betty was finally able to roost in peace. This is because Mal's roost it too high for Aurora to reach. To understand the significance of that you need to know what happens every night.

Aurora is the last to roost. Prior to her roosting she terrorizes everyone who is trying to roost. So Betty being able to get up high and away from Aurora was essential to her ability to roost. When Betty tries to roost on Daisy's roost it is low enough for Aurora to grab her and pull her off while standing on the coop floor. No one will roost on the door roost because that is Aurora's step up to the high roost and therefore the last thing she does is pass through that roost. If anyone is there, like Phyllis who tries sometimes, she throws them off before going on to the high roost.

This is what we are now back to.

View attachment 3369279

Why is this happening?

Betty and Sydney are roosting like before but Aurora is now going back to the high roost. This moves Sydney to Mal's roost and she knocks Betty to the floor. By the time this happens it is too dark for Betty to get on Daisy's roost and so she goes to a nest box.

So I have 4 roosts and only 2 chickens can use them. This frustrates me to no end but I am giving up again. I have to leave them to it.

While I love integration, I hate roosting. I causes me no end of angst. I have to accept that I can't solve it. Meanwhile three hens share 1 roost in the Cluckle Hut. The roost is split by wire but the three of them do share to a point.

Thanks for taking the time to explain and make the drawings. I understand the situation clearly now and I can get how sad and frustrated you must be. It seems no solution you offer will work if Aurora refuses.
I'll be honest - my chickens can roost together only because I spend half an hour at roost time every single day.

I've been meaning to look into night lights with movement sensor because I also have things going on once it's dark. I'm not sure the sensors are wide enough for a coop though.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I'm so amazed!
I think she should never be called an old bat or other names again, but something like your highness mother hen .
They are not of the woods yet and I sure hope this will have a happy ending .

Thanks for taking the time to explain and make the drawings. I understand the situation clearly now and I can get how sad and frustrated you must be. It seems no solution you offer will work if Aurora refuses.
I'll be honest - my chickens can roost together only because I spend half an hour at roost time every single day.

I've been meaning to look into night lights with movement sensor because I also have things going on once it's dark. I'm not sure the sensors are wide enough for a coop though.

Oh but you see, If I have to intervene and help she will once again live up to her name "Ole Bat." NO ONE and I mean NO ONE is allowed to look or touch her chicks when they are little without her flogging that person. She even beats you up when you are filling chick feeders and waterers in her presence. She also may only have 1 good foot, but she uses that stump of a leg like a club and it hurts. If I get flogged later, Ole Bat will be the nicest thing I call her.

 

[RoyalChick]

Betty wants to roost and wants to roost high.

Its strange but no one will share a roost here. When Aurora was on Daisy's roost that left the high roost for Sydney and the Maleficent's roost over the window free for Betty.

Here is what is going on. Let's start with how the roosts are set up.
View attachment 3369277
With the recent remodel I broke up the one continuous roost and added Mal's roost over the window.

What has been happening was this arrangement.

View attachment 3369278
And Hattie slept on the floor. I've given up on Hattie. She just gets down to eat every night. Why bother trying to get her to roost?

I was thrilled by this arrangement as Betty was finally able to roost in peace. This is because Mal's roost it too high for Aurora to reach. To understand the significance of that you need to know what happens every night.

Aurora is the last to roost. Prior to her roosting she terrorizes everyone who is trying to roost. So Betty being able to get up high and away from Aurora was essential to her ability to roost. When Betty tries to roost on Daisy's roost it is low enough for Aurora to grab her and pull her off while standing on the coop floor. No one will roost on the door roost because that is Aurora's step up to the high roost and therefore the last thing she does is pass through that roost. If anyone is there, like Phyllis who tries sometimes, she throws them off before going on to the high roost.

This is what we are now back to.

View attachment 3369279

Why is this happening?

Betty and Sydney are roosting like before but Aurora is now going back to the high roost. This moves Sydney to Mal's roost and she knocks Betty to the floor. By the time this happens it is too dark for Betty to get on Daisy's roost and so she goes to a nest box.

So I have 4 roosts and only 2 chickens can use them. This frustrates me to no end but I am giving up again. I have to leave them to it.

While I love integration, I hate roosting. I causes me no end of angst. I have to accept that I can't solve it. Meanwhile three hens share 1 roost in the Cluckle Hut. The roost is split by wire but the three of them do share to a point.

Hmmm. Frustrating!
I had not internalized that nobody will share a roost with anyone else. That is quite strange I think and definitely complicates life.
Do you think that if Betty had light after Aurora went to bed that she would hop up on Daisy's roost?
The other thing going through my head is that is a lot of roost length devoted to helping Aurora up to the high roost. Does she use it all? Could it be divided in some way so that some of it was safe to actually roost on?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Indeed I do.

They haven't here. We have five, all raised within the flock (though not all genetically related, as two were hatching eggs bought in) so the older roos think they're offspring. They work as a team, most of the time.
Why do you assume @ChicoryBlue that the flock dividing into 2 (or 5, as there are 5 roos here) would be a) natural and b) a good thing?

I stand corrected! I assumed less work for each rooster to watch each of their hens and less competition and fighting for hens if they’re “spoken for.” I’ve heard of senior and junior roos working out together when the second roo is an offspring. But bringing in a strange cockerel can work out? That’s why I’m thinking division causes less strife, the new roo would have no reason to work with the existing one, would he? Maybe it depends on the personalities? What you describe sounds wonderful!