Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Me, too, Bob. I’d love a lavender hen someday. I secretly obsess about ygem a bit, kind of like you with white hens. But my last two batches of chicks I got because of broody hens and, well, when timing is of the essence, you just get what’s available.

That is the truth. Timing is everything

 

[Shadrach]

Okay, I cheated a bit. It's been pissing down all day so no current pictures.
But, I did save this for my fluffy butt entry.

 

[BY Bob]

Okay, I cheated a bit. It's been pissing down all day so no current pictures.
But, I did save this for my fluffy butt entry.
View attachment 2357409

It is good to plan ahead. I've been known to save a butt pic or 2.

 

[Shadrach]

You may remember Tackle suddenly developed a very noticeable limp and I developed another stress level.
I kept her here in the house for a couple of days but since then she's been out with her tribe. Her limp has improved slowly. Watching her run across the sheep field today the limp is almost gone.
I think I know how she got it now. Jenny and Solomon the Muscovies eat from the same bowl as the chickens. Normally this isn't a problem. The ducks are out before the chickens in the morning and generally are not interested in the commercial feed until long after the chickens have moved on.
It's rained hard today and the bowl which contains the food got flooded. I went up with food a bit after mid day because Tribe 1 was sheltering under the hay rack.
I put one large tray of food under the hay rack for them, but Jenny was hungry apparently and headed under the rack to get some of the food.
One doesn't mess with Jenny. Even the most aggressive roosters I've had here give way to her. I've had a few pecks from her and they've drawn blood through a leather glove. She like a hammer.
Fudge got in Jenny's way this afternoon and got a wallop just below her shoulder. Needless to say she's limping now.
To be fair to Jenny, she gives plenty of warning but the hens are generally greedy by comparison. The roosters not so much and they'll wait.

 

[MaryJanet]

You may remember Tackle suddenly developed a very noticeable limp and I developed another stress level.
I kept her here in the house for a couple of days but since then she's been out with her tribe. Her limp has improved slowly. Watching her run across the sheep field today the limp is almost gone.
I think I know how she got it now. Jenny and Solomon the Muscovies eat from the same bowl as the chickens. Normally this isn't a problem. The ducks are out before the chickens in the morning and generally are not interested in the commercial feed until long after the chickens have moved on.
It's rained hard today and the bowl which contains the food got flooded. I went up with food a bit after mid day because Tribe 1 was sheltering under the hay rack.
I put one large tray of food under the hay rack for them, but Jenny was hungry apparently and headed under the rack to get some of the food.
One doesn't mess with Jenny. Even the most aggressive roosters I've had here give way to her. I've had a few pecks from her and they've drawn blood through a leather glove. She like a hammer.
Fudge got in Jenny's way this afternoon and got a wallop just below her shoulder. Needless to say she's limping now.
To be fair to Jenny, she gives plenty of warning but the hens are generally greedy by comparison. The roosters not so much and they'll wait.

Duck bites are nasty! I had several as a kid.

 

[RoyalChick]

The day I have been waiting for!
The young ladies are not at the top of the window tonight and are roosting - next to Maggie no less!
They started the evening up on the window as usual. Maggie had missed her favorite spot by the wall and was at the open end. I was late to lock up so went out with my headlamp and in the light Dotty jumped down.
But then the trouble started because Maggie gave her a sharp peck and Dotty couldn’t get back up without getting too close to Maggie. So she paced up and down the roost making pathetic peeping sounds. Eventually Minnie jumped down to keep her company and here we are!
I am going to clean and close that window in the morning and everyone can sleep on the big-girl bed/roost from now on.
In other news, Elizabeth caught and ate a mouse today.

 

[MaryJanet]

The day I have been waiting for!
The young ladies are not at the top of the window tonight and are roosting - next to Maggie no less!
They started the evening up on the window as usual. Maggie had missed her favorite spot by the wall and was at the open end. I was late to lock up so went out with my headlamp and in the light Dotty jumped down.
But then the trouble started because Maggie gave her a sharp peck and Dotty couldn’t get back up without getting too close to Maggie. So she paced up and down the roost making pathetic peeping sounds. Eventually Minnie jumped down to keep her company and here we are!
I am going to clean and close that window in the morning and everyone can sleep on the big-girl bed/roost from now on.
In other news, Elizabeth caught and ate a mouse today.

View attachment 2357833

Awww look at those big girls on the roost with the hens

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Fluffy Butt Friday! I will try to set my phone to take smaller meg pictures but this one is about 5 megs, the next one 4 megs. So I chose "thumbnail" here, is that best?

Don't know who this is, but her butt is perfect! They are almost 13 weeks old.



And here's a two-fer! I think that's Hazel inspecting my hardware cloth in progress. Luckily no one pooped on it while I was working...

 

[RoyalChick]

Awww look at those big girls on the roost with the hens

They young ladies are all fluffed up because it is getting cold at night now. They look almost as big as the Princesses - but in reality they are still much smaller.
I was thinking of closing some of the windows anyway - there is an absurd amount of ventilation in the Chicken Palace, so for the winter I will close the lower parts so the wind doesn't blow right on the Princesses while they get their beauty sleep.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

They young ladies are all fluffed up because it is getting cold at night now. They look almost as big as the Princesses - but in reality they are still much smaller.
I was thinking of closing some of the windows anyway - there is an absurd amount of ventilation in the Chicken Palace, so for the winter I will close the lower parts so the wind doesn't blow right on the Princesses while they get their beauty sleep.

What are your little(r) ones called if the big ladies are Princesses? Will they all be Princesses eventually?