Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

So I was looking at my chooks last night and seeing if that rat was in there . There were 3! OMG so we are cleaning out the coop and putting hardware wire down around the coop so the rats cant dig back in We are getting an electronic mouse zapper out there too. I cant put the silkie babies out there with rats on the coop floor Im afraid the might get hurt or killed. Anyway there will be no rats and mice after this weekend! LIttle F'ers!

Yup. There is probably a whole colony. They are terrible blighters.

 

[Ponypoor]

The visitor

Couldn’t load these yesterday

Even the 3 week old school chicks had a good look

 

[BY Bob]

They are smitten with princess and Tina

As we all are.

 

[BY Bob]

Hello, FBA ! Warning for a long update . I didn't share many chick pics up to now. I have had several health issues happening within my flock, just the week before the chicks hatched. I was worried not all the chicks would make it. They have been healthy up to now, their 11th days, I'm still worried but enjoying how incredible it is to see them being taught the chicken world by their broody mama, Léa.
They are not named yet except the yellow chick, who at 11 days is a most likely potential roo, named Max (after the grand son of the neighbour who gave us four of the eggs).
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And that same week, four days before the chicks hatched, we got four new point of lay pullets. They have been quarantined until this tuesday and have now integrated the coop and chicken yard. We got them hoping that having more adult hens will allow our roosters Théo and Gaston to coexist without trying to kill each other. Introducing Kara and Lily, and Alba and Nieva.
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Alba and Nieva are leghorns. One of them has started laying, not certain which, tiny eggs. They didn't arrive here in very good condition but I think they are doing a bit better now. They are both quite sure of themselves and daring, so they had no trouble integrating with the other chickens. Good flyers and jumpers, although it shows they have not been used to having the space to do so . Gaston is in love with them, and they also like him a lot. Nieva even began grooming him and sleeping next to him yesterday. They are still rather weary of humans that try to come near, and we didn't spend a lot of time with them during quarantine. But we have a very effective bribe at this time of year : few chickens can resist cherries !

PS : my partner chose the name Lily. So if it wasn't meant as a tribute to @BY Bob 's Lily, it will still make me think of her. He chose it for this song (I'm not including the video for nudity / potentially offensive content).

Oh gosh. How sweet. One is named Lily. That's wonderful.

I am excited to hear that they seem to have some of the same personality that American leghorns have. One question if that is ok, how big are they in relation to your other chickens? They look a little wider than our leghorns.

My Lilly

And just for @RoyalChick her shiny feathers.

 

[ValarieF]

Hi FBA.....Hubbies been feeding the big chooks every morning. I still have the silkies in the house until Im positive no more rats. They are gonna get their heads trimmed though lol they are so dirty. I gave them some yogurt for breakfast this morning. Only one tried it while i was in the room. It was the fizzle Rain. So my father in law called my hubby over there and gave him a bunch of stuff. He has been dividing it between his daughter and son. He has cancer all through his body so this will be the last year with us. I talked to him when he was over here doing something and he is gonna give me some expensive lighthouse pictures. I do hope he hangs on longer. He is my only dad right now and my dad also died of cancer so this has been traumatizing to me. And my brother in law just had his pancreas removed for cancer. I hate Cancer!

 

[rural mouse]

I believe that both of these are 1/2 cuckoo, but honestly, I do not know for sure. I have been straight out, and really didn't want her broody for a full week before putting eggs under her, so just grabbed some random eggs that were decent (i.e. not too small - pullet eggs, nor odd shaped nor funky shell, (calcium globs) nor dirty). I had already collected the eggs, and they were all in a basket, so not even sure where they came from (which coop), so they could be just about any mix. The ones with puffy cheeks obviously have at least part EE (either 1/2, or 1/4 from my last year's mutts) But they could also be form my route 66 coop, and be 100% EE?? While it is too early to be absolutely sure, both oft he barred ones look like they are part CM. That said, some of my mixes that were 1/2 BR and 1/2 DC or EE have has the more uneven barring like a CM. I won't be able to tell until they get a full set of feathers. I know a straight X pea comb should be a pea comb, but that isn't always what I have gotten...so I can't even rely on that 100%.

I don't have ANY social media accounts other than this and Pinterest, so I have no place to upload a video to, to then download it here. That's why I only post pictures. I hate the idea of 'Internet big brother' spying on me. It is bad enough that whenever I buy something online I start getting ads for related things! When I searched for Shade tarps to get links for @Ponypoor , I have since gotten non-stop ads for all sorts of tarps! (including ones for hauling/transporting Bees!!)

Thank you for putting the effort in for that reply. I should not worry/try to figure it out before it is time. It/they will reveal themselves to me in good time! Unlike others, while I would prefer pullets as I have enough roosters right now, it isn't a travesty if they are all roosters.

Edited to add: yes, they are my White Rock's chicks.

The white rock is a first time mama, right? Enjoy the antics, evaluate her mama skills and delight in watching them grow.

Slightly (more than) unrelated question. White rocks and dark Cornish are crossed for the cornish X fast growing meat birds. Does the cornish crossed with ANY Plymouth Rock have the same results (aside from feather color)?

 

[BY Bob]

Yes at the neighbors house she’s in a cage

Why a cage? What is going on over there?

 

[Ponypoor]

Morning all, been having some issues with loading comments on this site with all my devices. I can access other sites fine so not sure what’s with BYC.

Except early morning and late at night it’s difficult loading and reading comments.

Everyone is doing great, but I couldn’t find Sophia last night and was sure she was toast. I was upset as I was feeling frustrated trying to herd everyone and count everyone. I had thought I counted them all before I headed up to supper.

Then with everyone not heading to bed as usual when I check the barn cams… well I worried I had missed her outside and she was toast. And the others were not going to bed because they could hear a kerfuffle and were freaked out.

So I ran everywhere looking for her, and I was thinking I would have to tell my cousin her hen was gone

So with a heavy heart I went to close everyone up, and noted a movement above my head in the Hen House, SOPHIA!

What a brat she was up on top of the fan I put in the hen house! I could have cried she was ok - I could have also wrung her neck ha!

I hauled her down and triple counted everyone, closed up the Hen House and headed to bed.

Phew! Who knew chickens were so stressful.

The fan she was roosting on

 

[Ponypoor]

For @BY Bob @Kris5902

Saw this on the News, “Screeching In”

Kiss a Cod, down a shot of Screech, it’s all it takes to make you a fellow Newfoundlander

Only in Canada, eh?

Tax
School chicks

 

[Ponypoor]

Shimmering feathers

@RoyalChick took these pics last night

This is little Penne who hopped on my foot, she is 5 weeks old, regal purple for her

And Rico’s gleaming feathers, he is 7 weeks old, electric blue for him