Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Yep it’s nuts!

Meanwhile your Pretty Hen is wearing her pant legs rolled up I see and she is colour coordinated with your deck

Camouflage for her!

 

[BY Bob]

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Raven here everyone. I hope Queen Aurora does not mind but I thought I would take a minute to pass words of wisdom and warnings to those hens out there gunning to become a future Queen one day.

First off let me state. If a Queen does not want to give a mugshot to your human, you no loner have to. I now have 1000 other duties I MUST perform. Looking at a humans black box is way down on my list of priorities.

So all you young pullets and hens of any age who aspire to one day be leader of your flock, this is to you.

Do you have energy and stamina in spades? I only ask because as I have shockingly found out, a Queens work is never done. I do not know how Butter did it. She settled spats between flock members. Protected and still kept in line troublesome teens when their mothers let them loose. Made the roosters toe the line while still letting them believe they were in charge. Was first and got the tastiest bits to any food offered or found. Threw a hen off the nest when she needed to lay, and then to assert her dominance sat in the nest spot for a hour napping because she could. If a hen is dust bathing, I now have to go sit on her to make her move over to dust bath there because it is my responsibility. I am now a Better, THE BETTER in fact. There is simply not enough hours in the day and those days are getting shorter. No wonder The Great Queen Aurora throws her minions off the roost at night. She is tired, she is cranky, and as I have found out, sometimes you just have to throw a minion off the roost or you will loose your mind. It is greatly stress relieving if you wait until everyone is settled on the roost and you decide to charge several hens off at once to watch them scatter. You do not need to physically touch them, just charge, they get the point.

Future Queens, if you truly aspire this role I want you to think long and hard in the meantime if you aspire to also be a mother. You see, I am a mother, and I was happy in that role under the good Queen Butter. My children did not need to be mine or even hatched by me. I had love and guidance to give and gave it freely to the little ones. I protected them fiercely. I was and am called a troublemaker, I shared with my children the love of pranks and I hung onto them longer then some of the other mothers. If it were not for the Good Queens passing I would probably be plotting on my next brood of children and could have lived blissfully in that role much to my humans ire. I am no longer just a mother now you see, I am also their Queen. I have had to let my brood go and earn their place among the flock. Now I am torn. I desire to protect them, but, I must now also put them in their place. I tell myself as I peck them for eating before me that I am doing for their own good, yet their confused looks hurt me. I am fully aware now why Good Queen Butter never reared chicks of her own. She was able to both protect and discipline the youngsters without any guilt. Think of this future Queens. While you can be both, and do a good job, it will come with heartbreak.

Future Queens, another piece of advice. Before you assume your role you need to know who your allies are. Who can you trust to do your bidding when you are not present. As much as I try I cannot be everywhere at once. One would naturally assume the other hens who challenged you but you put in their place would be good at seeing to things. You would be wrong. They cannot be trusted with this responsibility. You see, they too wanted your role. Too much authority and they may get it in their heads they can do the job better and once again challenge. Holly and Squirrel sometimes try to act in my behalf. They wanted my spot so I must remind them I am their better each time and I do not need help. Truthfully I do need help and am carefully recruiting my helpers. Butter had Chiquita as her main enforcer and now both are gone. I am eyeing the 2 cinnamon Queens. They do not wish to lead, but have proven in the past they can break up a spat if needed. They also love to give a good peck to a unsuspecting flock member if the mood strikes. I admit, I may have taught them that when they were younger. They have joined me many times in our games of chase the Squirrels and defended the yard from songbirds. They have proven they can follow my directions without question.

Take heart though future Queens, once you rise to the top you will find it all worth it. I may be tired, I may be grouchy but I have proven to myself and to the flock that I am truly their better. In time I will figure out how to lead and relax like Good Queen Butter. I am quickly learning who I can depend upon. The rooster Branch is the best with child care, and I already knew this. I will soon take a step back and let him continue to teach and reprimand the youngsters as needed. Momma Hen and the Marshmallows have proven their expertise in spotting and evading predators. Very soon I will relent and rely on them for lookout duty. That just leaves my other great joy brooding and teaching the next generation my ways. I do not need to brood to ensure future generations, we have more then enough hens who desire to raise chicks for that. They are all very good at their jobs but as in everything else I feel I am better. Actually I feel I am the best and if Good Queen Butter had not passed I would have proved it and out-brooded Momma Hen. Can I take a page from Good Queen Butter's book and step away from the call of motherhood. That future Queens, I have yet to decide.

That is all for now my fellow future flock leaders. I know you follow The Great Queen Aurora's words to heart and do not wish to step on her toes. I just thought I would throw these thoughts out to those striving to be a better. Being a better and queen comes with responsibilities one could not dream of before finding oneself a Queen. Before you take up that role of a better, prepare yourself and make sure you are truly worthy.

The newest better and queen.
Raven the troublemaker.
P.S.
I earned the title "troublemaker" as a young pullet. I worked hard for it and I perfected it. Queen or not I shall not let that title go.
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Just marvelous!

 

[BY Bob]

@Ponypoor
Outside today! Bought a folding dog pen and set it up on a grassy half-shade, half-sunny spot. Wondered if the bars were small enough. Nope. They can wriggle out between the bars if they really try (one did in today's first run, with the Buckeyes locked away). Need to put something along the sides low down, cardboard...Or maybe easy to wrap it with some plastic poultry netting on hand. Cause maybe the Buckeyes might try to peck them, put their head through the bars, unless I make the protection high enough? I have a length for along the top, in case someone (looking at you, Hazel) tries to fly over and in (like she did with Queenie, she took her enforcer & lieutenant role very seriously there)....

The Spud's first day out. First I was outside the pen, putting food and water and a familiar item in there, but they had no interest in exploring, just wanted to be near me. So I sat on a piece of cardboard on the ground in the sun in there and they relaxed and just crawled over and around me and explored from the "home base."
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Two definitely ate some grass and beaked other greens. Showed them the grit again and freshened it when we got back, they pecked and scratched in it. Hope they're going to be okay. They've had some sod in their brooder for a few days now, since Sunday.
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Sunbathing, and later a nap in my cupped hand. Then the other two also cuddled up and dozed. Then it looked like they were all getting cold, trying to snuggle together so back inside we all went.
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What a wonderful day that must have been!

 

[BY Bob]

The 21st is last treatment date for the trial. Then surgery will be on 31st. I am not looking forward to the 21st as I got very sick from the large amount of vaccine. Thankfully it was short lived about 24 hrs of feeling icky. I will be glad to get the surgery behind me and to find out whether or not its invaded my lymphatic system or not. The constant worry of the unknown is beginning to weigh on me.

Ive been keeping as busy as possible, out with the chickens a lot , crocheting a lot, and I learned how to make sourdough bread. Distraction is the name of the game at the moment.

Thank you for checking on me

 

[notabitail]

My Parrot is Too Big!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Poor things look like they are in prison. I know they are not, but those photos do not paint it in a good light.

Poor little jailbirds!
I'm afraid their expressions are of wanting to be out with me, or climbing on me I think, I've been trying to get them used to handling and that's the result, they're getting attached, with that as one of the consequences! The other brooder setup was better for leaning into it at waist-height and being more "with" them. If I could I'd have a "chicken room" like @featherhead007 does.
I might be able to raise the brooder plate up, they are instinctively wanting to go up to roost now, and if I'm around, I could open the panel and usher them into it the way I did with the table-top setup.

Sorry to laugh but I can just see them using that netting as a ladder!

Exactly my thought - they've been getting daily outings over to the tote and window shelf next to it and the tote cover is that netting rolled up. I also make a "gang way" from the playpen panel with the netting hatch. They've become confident experts at jump-fly-climbing all over the stuff!

Chickatraz, dreaded inescapable playpen!

I like that! Frankly it looked to me like some Ultimate Fighting setup, or something out of Thunderdome! They do use the round ledge and scramble around on it, also jumping up to the pole and down to the commode arms and seat.

 

[featherhead007]

Poor little jailbirds!
I'm afraid their expressions are of wanting to be out with me, or climbing on me I think, I've been trying to get them used to handling and that's the result, they're getting attached, with that as one of the consequences! The other brooder setup was better for leaning into it at waist-height and being more "with" them. If I could I'd have a "chicken room" like @featherhead007 does.
I might be able to raise the brooder plate up, they are instinctively wanting to go up to roost now, and if I'm around, I could open the panel and usher them into it the way I did with the table-top setup.

Exactly my thought - they've been getting daily outings over to the tote and window shelf next to it and the tote cover is that netting rolled up. I also make a "gang way" from the playpen panel with the netting hatch. They've become confident experts at jump-fly-climbing all over the stuff!

I like that! Frankly it looked to me like some Ultimate Fighting setup, or something out of Thunderdome! They do use the round ledge and scramble around on it, also jumping up to the pole and down to the commode arms and seat.

Thunderdome! “Remember, where ever you go, there you are! “

 

[featherhead007]

My poor one eyed rooster buddy! He has a little trouble pecking at his chopped steak . He doesn’t have depth of field anymore. So I take him aside and help him with his eating.
One things for sure (he loves me)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Thunderdome! “Remember, where ever you go, there you are! “

That's not Thunderdome, that's Buckaroo Banzai isn't it?
Here's the fighting cage

 

[Ponypoor]

Why can’t they keep both feet firmly on the ground?

I think she was cold - molting and all, she was trying to warm up her wee tootsies