Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

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My eyes cannot make out what that is. What is going on there?

 

[BY Bob]

This pic got in the wrong post earlier.... This is tonight's roosting, I think that's Tedi on the divider. She's got gumption!
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@BY Bob , @Ponypoor & @RoyalChick I know there will be shenanigans, I was just happy the Spuds knew two nights ago the coop is where to roost. Getting in successfully is the challenge now. Yes, Popcorn has set herself up as the coop bouncer and won't let the Spuds enter when they'd like to as long as it is still dusk. I slightly intervened tonight because I was around working on the run drain trench stones, and since I was between the run and the house the Spuds were wanting to go up to their old brooder perches in the house. I called them back, they readily jumped up on to the veranda. I then opened the back and from there urged them to come in to the coop.

I did stick my hand in once and coaxed Popcorn away from the pop door, she wasn't super intent on pecking them and turned away into the nestbox. Part of me feels I want to teach Popcorn too that this is the arrangement now, shared space. I know, likely a useless idea?

Anyway they eventually crept in far enough for me to close the outer manual pop door to make it darker in there, then I closed the back too and hung out awhile to hear if there was going to be trouble: none. Then I triggered the auto door and opened the manual outer door so it wouldn't block it in the morning.

Last night I watched and it was interesting. Tedi was quite determined and endured several pecks trying to stay in the coop, retreating and coming back in, finally standing her ground in a corner, head down but swinging side to side, refusing to leave, then suddenly making a run for the nestbox, squeezing past Popcorn and diving under her beak. The other two, Ida Diane and Anna, were too afraid and ran back to their run perch. I got them after it got a little more dark and put them in.

This all sounds perfectly normal. I have intervened in rare occasions when one of mine was abusing the little ones too much. Most of the time they work it out themselves.

 

[featherhead007]

My eyes cannot make out what that is. What is going on there?

At first I thought it was a raccoon attack!(glad to be wrong sometimes! )

 

[featherhead007]

So much for the movie !
When it turned dark in the room, Sir Jaffar went straight to sleep. I turned off the TV and am having a conversation with Dakota. So cute

 

[RoyalChick]

I know this is really a Thirsty Thursday thing but I was so relieved to see it I had to share.
Sylvie is a ditzy broody it seems to me.
My only other experience with a broody chicken was Eli and she clearly knew what she was doing.
She would come off the nest and dust bathe, eat, drink and poop. She puffed herself up and dared anyone to come anywhere near her.
Sylvie by contrast does come off the nest but I have not seen her eat, drink or dust bathe, and she runs around in a random fashion making a noise and charging into the others. Or she flies up to the roof.
When I pull her off the nest she is quick to eat what I offer so I know she is not starving but I worried she wasn’t drinking enough.
Then the coop cam caught this and I am much happier.

 

[BY Bob]

Pumpkin Time

I put out this year's pumpkin greatest and everyone ran from it in fear.

After 24 hours this is what it looked like.

Guess who was pecking their way to the delicious center.

Spoiler: Who Loves Pumpkin?

She is still hammering away it. She is going to have some funny poops.

 

[BY Bob]

At first I thought it was a raccoon attack!(glad to be wrong sometimes! )

That seems extreme.

 

[BY Bob]

I know this is really a Thirsty Thursday thing but I was so relieved to see it I had to share.
Sylvie is a ditzy broody it seems to me.
My only other experience with a broody chicken was Eli and she clearly knew what she was doing.
She would come off the nest and dust bathe, eat, drink and poop. She puffed herself up and dared anyone to come anywhere near her.
Sylvie by contrast does come off the nest but I have not seen her eat, drink or dust bathe, and she runs around in a random fashion making a noise and charging into the others. Or she flies up to the roof.
When I pull her off the nest she is quick to eat what I offer so I know she is not starving but I worried she wasn’t drinking enough.
Then the coop cam caught this and I am much happier.

Such a sweetheart.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I know this is really a Thirsty Thursday thing but I was so relieved to see it I had to share.
Sylvie is a ditzy broody it seems to me.
My only other experience with a broody chicken was Eli and she clearly knew what she was doing.
She would come off the nest and dust bathe, eat, drink and poop. She puffed herself up and dared anyone to come anywhere near her.
Sylvie by contrast does come off the nest but I have not seen her eat, drink or dust bathe, and she runs around in a random fashion making a noise and charging into the others. Or she flies up to the roof.
When I pull her off the nest she is quick to eat what I offer so I know she is not starving but I worried she wasn’t drinking enough.
Then the coop cam caught this and I am much happier.

Sigh of relief

 

[Ponypoor]

My eyes cannot make out what that is. What is going on there?

He was preening his back

Did you see this one of Fluffy