Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Bad Habits

It appears that Ned has left behind an interesting legacy. He has taught one hen something that is going to make things difficult for me.

Of all the hens I have, the one that does not fly is Hattie. In fact because of her size I did not think she could get more than a foot of the ground any more.

I was wrong

We were trying to have breakfast on the deck. Miss Hattie was tired of waiting for her share.

As she learned from Ned, if you fly up on the table, Mrs BY Bob will reward you with bacon, and so she did.

And so a bad habit was rewarded and ingrained. How I ever trained a dog to behave with Mrs BY Bob as a partner is a small miracle.

Ned would take his bacon and go. Once Hattie was up she was going no where. I had to physically remove her from the table.

Time to Molt
Having been up close with Hattie recently and I have to say her feathers are looking the worse for wear. She is rather dull and a little dusty brown right now compared to everyone else. I expect her molt will be coming soon. I hope it is earlier than last year. Her butt barely filled in before it dropped below freezing last year.

 

[RoyalChick]

I was trying to figure out how to never move again and where would I put Lucky? On my shoulder?

Minnie prefers my shoulder to my head. I think my head acts like the tree trunk and protects her from one side.
I love when she snuggles up against my ear.
But at night I have lost out to the window.

 

[BY Bob]

Minnie prefers my shoulder to my head. I think my head acts like the tree trunk and protects her from one side.
I love when she snuggles up against my ear.
But at night I have lost out to the window.

You saw in the one picture, Maleficent roosted on my shoulder and snuggled my neck. Does Minnie purr? Mal purred while she was there. It was one of greatest moments. I will never forget it.

I'm sorry the window has become a more attractive roosting space than your shoulder. It is a special thing to be so accepted into their world.

 

[RoyalChick]

Cautious Optimism
I have been quite anxious about the integration of the Young Ladies with the Princesses. Not because anything seemed terrible but because I have never done it before.
Mostly the Princesses ignore the Young Ladies except Maggie who ‘patrols’ (queue Jaws theme music), and at bed time when they get run off the main roost and go up to the window.
And the Young Ladies seem to prefer to stay away from the Princesses and do their own thing. This morning they seem to be mingling a bit.
It helps that Maggie is going through her multi-hour contemplate life process of laying an egg. Minnie even snatched a shrimp tail from Elizabeth and Elizabeth didn’t chase or attack. She just looked. That was enough for Minnie to drop the shrimp tail (though I noticed she had already chopped it in two, so she got a half. Clever Minnie!).
I haven’t dared let them all free range together as i can’t trust the Young Ladies to come back in when I call. And I don’t yet know that they would follow the Princesses. They look too much like a fox fun-size snack for me to risk it. So I have used a dog playpen time give them all a bit of grass time.

 

[BY Bob]

Cautious Optimism
I have been quite anxious about the integration of the Young Ladies with the Princesses. Not because anything seemed terrible but because I have never done it before.
Mostly the Princesses ignore the Young Ladies except Maggie who ‘patrols’ (queue Jaws theme music), and at bed time when they get run off the main roost and go up to the window.
And the Young Ladies seem to prefer to stay away from the Princesses and do their own thing. This morning they seem to be mingling a bit.
It helps that Maggie is going through her multi-hour contemplate life process of laying an egg. Minnie even snatched a shrimp tail from Elizabeth and Elizabeth didn’t chase or attack. She just looked. That was enough for Minnie to drop the shrimp tail (though I noticed she had already chopped it in two, so she got a half. Clever Minnie!).
I haven’t dared let them all free range together as i can’t trust the Young Ladies to come back in when I call. And I don’t yet know that they would follow the Princesses. They look too much like a fox fun-size snack for me to risk it. So I have used a dog playpen time give them all a bit of grass time.
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I'd say it's going really well. They need to be fully grown to be fully accepted. The interactions will increase slowly over time. It is likely they will always remain the bottom of the pecking order. They will get stares and have to back off of food and pecks in the back. That will never stop.

It is also likely they will remain a pairing to themselves. In my experience chickens tend to have 1 best friend and spend most of their time with their besty.

 

[RoyalChick]

You saw in the one picture, Maleficent roosted on my shoulder and snuggled my neck. Does Minnie purr? Mal purred while she was there. It was one of greatest moments. I will never forget it.

I'm sorry the window has become a more attractive roosting space than your shoulder. It is a special thing to be so accepted into their world.

My Princesses purr (but not on my shoulder). Minnie and Dottie are still little really, and they just peep peep.
I do remember that picture of Mal on your shoulder.
Very special.

 

[BY Bob]

Flipping Phyllis

We all know that chickens have flexible necks and can get their heads into amazing places. This photo of Phyllis from the roost right after she moved here is proof of that.

Phyllis and I have little routine. Every couple of days I will go around and move planters bricks, anything that might have insects under it. She follows me and eats whatever turns up.

I wish i had the phone video running the other day. I moved a large flower pot and there were a couple of little bugs which Phyllis quickly dispatched and 1 large cricket. The cricket hid at first and might have survived had he not decided to make a break for it but running straight between Phyllis' legs.

Startled, Phyllis missed on her first stab but her head kept tracking the target. This led to the funniest thing.

As the cricket made its hop between her legs Phyllis stabbed out with her beak. She used so much force on the stab she flipped herself over! No kidding. She flipped!

I was certain the cricket would escape but I did not see it. Once Phyllis righted herself I saw the poor cricket. It was in her beak!

It may not have been very gracious but Phyllis had gotten her man!

Quickest beak in the west!

 

[Shadrach]

Oh! Poor thing. Ok, I'm confused. I thought I saw some progress posts.... something about scaly leg mites, but there was a bump s where spurs would be. Was that a different hen and issue?

Yes, that was a different hen. Her name is Lock and she thinks she's a rooster. She doesn't lay eggs and she crows and is quite lovely.

 

[ChickenGirl300]

1!

The Grapes of Ned

This rooster loves to roost. No one has ever roosted in the grapevines before. View attachment 2298172View attachment 2298173
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I am thinking about entering this in the calender competition. Which of the 4 do you like better?

 

[Shadrach]

Cillin's last bandage I hope. He's very good about it. I woke him up this evening because I was late having to deal with other chicken dramas. A walnut and a few grapes got me forgiven.
Very difficult to give Cillin treats during the day. 90% of what he gets given, or finds he gives to the hens.
He's still got a large bump where the wound is, but it's clean apart from the new scab. I filed a bit more of his spur to put some shape in, which is growing, but very very slowly.