Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Prisoners in the Palace
In all the excitement of everything, I forgot to let everyone know about my rodent battle. I think I explained I was using the coop cameras to identify rodent super-highways into the Palace and I have been closing them up.
This is the activity that led to me have a dust bathing experience with the Princesses.
Well it seems I did too thorough a job and there are a couple of prisoners trapped inside the Palace.

I am not really sure what to do!

Live trap if you don't want to kill them. Otherwise they are now permanent residents.

 

[BY Bob]

Bunny may not be special needs after all. Went out this morning to feed and water and let holly out for a bathroom break. Look for bunny to help show her where the food was and cant pick her out. Why is that, because i have all 5 of the marans huddled together staring at me with both eye's open. I did manage to find her eventually as she also was the only chick who hatched with a slight hernia that is now almost completely resolved on it's own. There is vision in that eye as she is reactive with it and closes it when you get your hand close to it. I don't know she has full vision it in, but its a huge relief knowing that she is not going to be completely blind in one eye.

Even better news. and i wish i had brought out my camera, Holly ended up sitting beside me for a chest rub and i ended up having 4 of the chicks hop up onto my lap. I got pooped on but oh well, these will be friendly chickens when they grow up.

They sure will. That is outstanding news all the way around!

 

[Shadrach]

Mel has gone broody again.
This is Mel off her clutch for something to eat and drink a poop and a chat.
Treacle, as I believe I've mentioned before, works hard for the hens. It's usually Treacle that shows up for any escort calls. I don't know how, but he knows when a broody leaves her nest and often he is there while they are out.
Mel is the mother of Treacle. She went through a lot for him. The bottom picture give you a very slight idea of just how much. The pictures were taken after Mel had fought off a Goshawk to save Treacle. 14 stitches, a lot of pain and a long recovery.
Just to make it absolutely clear, that little ball of feathers in the last 3 pictures is Treacle.

 

[micstrachan]

Mr. Squirrel can be happy he lives with you. This morning I saw a Bald Eagle swoop down and snatch a hit squirrel on the road!!

I was driving and couldn't get a picture, but the bird was just beautiful and huge! It's only my second time seeing on in the wild.

I love her dark eyes. What breed was she @micstrachan?

Bagheera was a Black Australorp. Total Sweetheart.

 

[micstrachan]

I believe so.
I don't really follow 'breeds' if you see what I mean, and I have so much to learn just about caring for the chickens and building (and of course tweaking) the Chicken Palace, that I haven't invested the time to learn about breeds beyond knowing that they will be OK in my climate. These young ladies came from a farm near me and that is what I was told they are but I don't know if they are thoroughbreds (if that is the word for pure bred chickens) or some kind of mutt.
I am not very discriminating - I think they are lovely whatever they are!

Agree! I asked because Flash is a Creme (Cream?) Legbar. Mine are all hatchery stock, so that’s my perspective. Anyway, she dhould lay blue eggs!

 

[micstrachan]

Oooooh - I remember you posting Bagheera previously - a while back when I was just joining. I remember because I also love her name. She might possibly be the source of my thing for black chickens - I think she looks so perfect!

Awww... THANKS! Bagheera (named by my son) was very special for sure!

 

[RoyalChick]

Agree! I asked because Flash is a Creme (Cream?) Legbar. Mine are all hatchery stock, so that’s my perspective. Anyway, she dhould lay blue eggs!

I will be excited to see that for sure! Right now I am just totally taken with their silly black hats and the fact that the two of them go everywhere together and do the exact same thing at the same time. Up the step, down the step, look to the left, look to the right, run up the ladder, run down the ladder. As @BY Bob said, they are BFFs!

 

[BY Bob]

A New Article

I've written a new article Why are my Chickens Mean to each Other? Most of the stories you may know but Mrs BY Bob thought it was fun.

 

[RoyalChick]

A New Article

I've written a new article Why are my Chickens Mean to each Other? Most of the stories you may know but Mrs BY Bob thought it was fun.

A really good read - thank you for doing that.

 

[Shadrach]

kiaa has posted more pictures of Iranian chickens. Given how little known these breeds are and how much kiaa knows about them I would have expected a rather more enthusiastic response.
I don't want to dwell on why this doesn't happen.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...andi-gara-marand.619465/page-71#post-23167830
Some great pictures of chickens out foraging in the snow at -15C or about 5F in foreign money.