Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Lilion]

So locking Manny out was a two person job. An hour and a half later, Meanie and Sheba are still having nothing to do with Eenie. Meanie remains firmly ensconced on the top roost. She spent the first 45 minutes or more screaming at the top of her lungs. Sheba never made a sound, ate all the treats, went to the nest, came back out, ate the treats I put to try to lure Meanie down, and joined Meanie on the top roost.

There were two minor dust ups at the very beginning, when Meanie jumped down on Eenie, who promptly handed Meanie her tail-feathers! I no longer fear for Eenie from the hens! She can clearly take care of herself.

So, in a few I'll reunite Manny with his girls. I'll put Eenie up with the chicks if that's what she wants. We'll see how it goes there. I guess we'll try again tomorrow.

 

[Lilion]

And she definitely wanted in. After about 2 1/2 hours later I checked and Meanie and Sheba were cowering behind the waterer while Eenie and the triplets were ignoring them totally.

I let Manny in. I didn't see it as I was at the pop door but in the few seconds it took me to get there, the chicks were all in the crate area and Eenie was about to scrape her feathers off trying to get on too. She's now locked up with the ladies again.

 

[Lexicon]

Such a handsome wee lad - I like him

Me too! He is really quite cute. I got a kick out of watching him try to get some of the very popular fermented feed. I could see him thinking, "Oh, I want some of that" and he would lean towards the bowl, but then he would abruptly pull back because Annie the alpha hen was right there watching. I could see his desire and indecision in his body language. Poor little fella trying to find his place in the flock!

 

[notabitail]

Bless her.

It's so heartbreaking to lose them I'm sorry for your loss

Thank you.

 

[notabitail]

I'm guessing we all miss those we lose.

I still do. I just can't get over not scratching her neck at bedtime.

 

[notabitail]

.

It's just good to know you have your other chicken's for comfort and they really need you, especially now. You're comforting each other

They are all preening in front of my door. Well, four of them.

 

[notabitail]

@Lilion : it's supposedly not supposed to happen, but my first hatch of chicks was also attacked by my rooster Théo. He attacked the broody Chipie as well as long as she kept the chicks, and she defended them fiercely, even though she was much smaller. I think he saw the chicks as strangers who had stolen his girl. They were not his chicks, so maybe he knew it. She was also like yours, being bullied by the rest of the flock, and I think her low status also played a part.
It was frightening enough that I let them live completely separated from him during the day; they were in the same coop at night, though. Real trouble for the chicks began when they were weaned at six weeks, and the rooster quickly took the broody back as "his" hen. She was no longer protecting them. But at six weeks they were sufficiently independent and clever to handle it.

I don't think a time out for your roo Mannie will necessarily change his behaviour, but it will allow the chicks to grow, be less fragile, and when you put him back the rooster will probably be at first more busy with the hens than thinking of the chicks.
On the other hand, I tried separating my rooster for just a few hours daily. I did it both with Théo last year, and again with my other rooster this year to protect his tiny hen Piou-piou who was wounded. They hate it absolutely. I couldn't do that to a rooster for days. It just makes them utterly depressed.

I’m not really legitimate to give advice, as i’m just beginning to see a way out of my rooster drama . But I agree with @rural mouse. Roosters mate, especially in the morning and evening, it's their main point in life. Why should they hide from you? You're not a dominant rooster. The only thing different I would add, is that for some of my older hens, coming to peck my leg is a way to protect themselves from being mated. So while I let the roosters mate in front of me, I don't let them do it close to the point of almost touching me, that feels like stepping on my foot.

There’s a lot of conflicting advice on how to handle roosters. But if something doesn't seem to make sense to you, you should take it with a grain of salt .
*******

@notabitail i’m sorry for your loss. You posted lots of beautiful pics of chicken Abigail here. I can't say I feel like I knew her, but I know she was very special to you among your chickens. If or when you feel like it you could post again some of those pics of her.
I feel like you that those moments when you count the chickens are one of the most painful after a loss. It takes time.

Thank you.

 

[notabitail]

@notabitail flexible pvc ducting exists, not too expensive. I would also consider that maybe it wasn’t the heat, or heat alone, but those dryer sheets people use. The chemicals in there for anti-wrinkling might be toxic for a chicken, even the scents might be toxic to them. Bird lungs are very sensitive, much more than peoples’ are. So something that passes government regulations for human use might injure a bird.

She had her hackles up and her comb was blue. My heart is she choked or something happened. Whatever it was she wasn't breathing.

 

[notabitail]

Yes, I’m sensitive too. There may not be a scent but there are other ingredients that coat the clothes to lessen wrinkles. Venting up and above is best, so that air will move away and not be wafted back, depending on the wind direction.

I don't think my Nana's load was in there. She is the only one who uses dryer sheets.
I think there were many other factors besides the toxic dryer fumes.
In the future the dryer is going to vent up and above.

 

[RoyalChick]

I don't think my Nana's load was in there. She is the only one who uses dryer sheets.
I think there were many other factors besides the toxic dryer fumes.
In the future the dryer is going to vent up and above.

And out. Right? It should vent to the outside.