Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Well, it's doing it again. West Yellowstone, Montana is currently getting snow and forecast low tonight and tomorrow night is below freezing. That's snow falling somewhere in the state 6 months so far of 2023.

My temps are supposted to drop down to upper 30s F (2-3C) the next couple of nights. I'm glad the babies are so feathered out, but "mama" isn't leaving the coop any time soon. Wonder if snuggling with the adults will be allowed?


2fers (just 2) are difficult)
View attachment 35492052 cuddled, 3rd snuck in
Havoc, Shan, sneaky Chia

View attachment 3549206Zoom zoom: Tuff and Zulu

View attachment 35492072 fit in my hand....barely....end of last week....
Tuff (comb not as red as sun makes it look) and Enigma

Tuff looks like maybe a Bielefelder? At any rate I love that barred pattern

Snow in Alberta and British Columbia here also. Meanwhile forest fires here in Ontario and Quebec - crazy!

 

[rural mouse]

That's a little frightening. Any thoughts of bringing them inside? That's not a chance I would want to take. Has this happened before?

2018 got snow somewhere in the state all 12 months of the year. Thermometer this morning reading about 40f (not much warmer). "Mama" heating pad is still out there and I turned the temp back up so they have the warmth. Chia and Shan were perched on it last night. It looks like they're more interested in staying out of the wind. They do cuddle up to it and/or each other when they want to warm up.

Being as they've integrated so smoothly, I hesitate to mess with that. I will be home tomorrow, so will see how they're doing when I get home tonight. "Mama" may get moved to top of nest boxes so they can cuddle pile on it....hmmm....will ponder today.

 

[featherhead007]

I'm not certain she is actually a white chicken. If she is she is definitely missing the dirt repulsion sauce.

White chicken with dirt repulsion sauce
View attachment 3549192

How’s about a white chicken on super sauce?

 

[featherhead007]

Never mind

 

[rural mouse]

Tuff looks like maybe a Bielefelder? At any rate I love that barred pattern

Snow in Alberta and British Columbia here also. Meanwhile forest fires here in Ontario and Quebec - crazy!

Alberta needs the snow. So does BC.

I'm pretty positive Tuff is out of my genetics, so no Bielefelder. Havoc looks just like several chicks at the in-laws (black spot on head is more snipe/stripe on several). Only 2 of the 5 eggs from their birds hatched when I brought them home. The 1st one out was one and the niece was glued to the incubator window the whole time. That one is hers.

That leaves me the puzzle of Tuff's genetics. Tuff has muffs/beard. The only ones I have with that are Thing, Pippa, and Maizie. Whiskey and Kren both have Papa with the muffs, but don't sport it themselves. I've read that it's a mostly dominate trait so I think that it's unlikely to skip a generation, leaving the 3 girls as Mama. Thing has a crest and 5 toes, neither of which Tuff has. That makes Mama either Pippa or Maizie (both buff tones, so will likely never know which one).

Tuff has a straight comb. Cheetah is rose comb, and I know from last year is double for rose, so will ONLY throw rose comb babies....unless crossed with pea comb which should be walnut comb then. That eliminates him as papa.

Hector is black, which is dominant over everything except dominate white (which neither mama option is). Unless he's got something else hiding under the black (unlikely due to zero leakage), then he's not Tuff's papa either.

Kren had green legs. Tuff's are YELLOW. Mama options are white or yellow. Leg color isn't as studied as feather or shell colors and I don't know as much as I need to about it (more research coming). Kren also had a pea comb. Both mamas are also pea comb. Now I think that all 3 are 1 copy of pea so if both contributed the NOT pea comb, then a straight comb is possible. This does mean that Kren is unlikely the papa.

Leaving Whiskey and Horus. Whiskey is straight comb. Horus was single copy rose comb (cheetah 2 rose, Nellie straight). Mama contributed the not pea. Horus contributed the not rose or Whiskey the not pea not rose (only thing he could do from straight comb). Means that either one could be papa. Unless Tuff develops strong leghorn/Mediterranean body build, likely won't be able to fully determine that either.

Edit: If we miss counted on the eggs and Tuff is from the in-laws eggs, then Bielefelder x with whiskey, Pippa, maizie, Kren papa is very possible.

 

[Sally PB]

Awwww so adorable more like little chickens than chicks now. Is that a little Roo do you think?

I don't think so. I bought them as Bielefelder pullets, and those are auto-sexing at hatch. None of them looked even remotely cockerel colored when I got them.

If they weren't Biels, yeah, I'd be worried!

 

[rural mouse]

No idea how the babies got down. They were down and came out in the middle of the mass exodus this morning. No pics yet.

 

[Donolson]

Introducing the current residents of Fluffy Butt Acres

As you can see from the front of the coop, we currently have 4 residents. Patsy, Lilly, Hattie & Jabber.
View attachment 1633815

Patsy & Lilly have been here the longest and we ar enot really certain what kind of birds they are but they are likely Black Sex Links. Hattie and Jabber have just joined the flock this summer as they were chicks we got back in April. Here are their individual photos.

Patsy
She is our alpha hen and is extremely friendly. While not a big fan of being picked up she comes right up to you and will talk and visit.
View attachment 1633817

Lilly is currently #2 in the pecking order and intends to stay there. She has become our little enforcer and she defends the flock from such terrors as squirrels, rabbits, doves, and most importantly, ducks.
View attachment 1633823

More to come on our newbies.

Beautiful hens, all!

 

[RoyalChick]

Awake…

03:24hrs, so I slept from 12:35am to now. (sigh), my RLS has me awake as usual. So what’s a gal to do? Well check the barn cams. First up, the back barn cam to see the horses outside, start panning….

WTH!! OMG! Nothing like watching a raccoon climbing up the back barn door to put an instant stop to one’s RLS leg spasms. Instant awake and a scramble for my other phone so I can view the inside alleyway cam…. Nope didn’t come in the alleyway; darn it’s in the loft then.

Quickly turn the babies cam I have set up by the front door, pan the camera around, tilt up the ladder into the loft… ok don’t see. Now quick as a bunny dress, and stagger put to the barn. Quick quick quick!!!! Hurry hurry hurry!!!

I hate going to the barn at night disturbing the animals in their sleep, I grab my winter toque with the headlight and do a quick headcount, 11 grups, 2 broodies, babies hiding I guess, 2 no 3 white ones, were is the 4th? Is that 3 black chicks ? Ok yea… one grey, 3 Tweens. We’re is that 4th white chick , the 3rd one is roosting in a nest box… oh hey is that it? Yes! It’s in with curly snuggled up with her and her babies, brave chick.

Ok so all chooks accounted for, I close the outside door to the hen house - I will need to double secure things today - between rats, mice and coons I am going bonkers!

Ok well as secure as I can get it right now. Check the horses - all ok. Head back to bed - 5:30 will be here soon enough.

EDIT - but will the RLS let me sleep ??
View attachment 3549150

I really, really, really dislike having them around.
They are pretty and cute but they are smart as anything and very capable. That whole thing sounds terrifying.

 

[RoyalChick]

I think someone was saying put a bowl with ice water in front of the fan, I am going to try this today, it’s back to being hot hot hot.

I did have the fan on in the hen house last night but it was still hot with the sun shining on that wall.

Yes, or hang a wet towel in front. Or put a wet towel in the freezer and then hang it in front. All amazingly effective!