Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Yes, I did! @Ponypoor gave it to me! Thank you!

I need to update it.

 

[Sylvester017]

13+ yrs saga cont....

For a small backyard flock ordnanced for only 5 hens/no roos we suffered too many losses in 2016 and every time we got more birds they died unbeknownst to us because of a rare lack of hardiness in the USA BBS Breda gene pools. We also lost two more Blue Breda pullets in Spring 2017! When we lost our sweet Silkie "Mini" 6yrs old in Autumn 2017 to a bleeding ovarian tumor we were down to two birds left! Believe me when I say we were ready to call it quits!

MINI -- RIP

It was a good thing our local feed store ordered Dominique chicks for us. We prayed this breed would be hardier than the Breda chickens we lost. And since Doms are a breed that once almost went extinct (The American Dominique by Mark Fields) is still considered a rarer breed. Although hatcheries don't breed for SOP the sweet Dom temperaments are desirable in a backyard flock.

3 Dominique chicks dust bathing in their grit!

We once had a Dominique chick years before that lived only 3 weeks so we hoped to get at least one or two full adults from these chicks. On my folks' farm it was expected some chicks never make it to adults. Two birds were left outdoors while the chicks were indoors.

Two birds left in the flock -- Autumn 2017
CHAR - Cuckoo Breda/VIOLET - Partridge Silkie

Cont later.....

 

[BY Bob]

You should read the primer. It's linked in my signature.

SHRA Tax

The happy family

 

[Sylvester017]

11 years, wow! The oldest chook(s) in my flock are 7, going on 8 years old now. I hope mine live that long!

We just never know the health or hardiness of a bird. I read an article by a rescue farm that said a chicken's lifespan is 25 years! WTH?! I know it's been recorded that the longest lived Silkie reached 17 years but then smaller birds usually have longer lifespans. But 25 YEARS?! I wish I knew where they got that info?

 

[bgmathteach]

Happy Hatchday

Someone is 6 today.

Spoiler: Who is 6?

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Her party will be on Thursday. Eve wants to be here for it. I will toss her some special foods today as well.

More photos to come in celebration!

Yay Hattie! Happy 6th Hatch Day

Treats for your special day:



P.S. You should ask Big Rooster for some Blueberries and walnuts as a special Hatch Day treat! He has some blueberry bushes - nothin' like FRESH blueberries!!

 

[bgmathteach]

The chicks run with both the Roos, I have no worries about the chicks being out and about with them. Mr LC is the only one who terrorizes them, and if he sees me he runs off - I have thumped him a couple times for being a bad boy hunting them down chasing them.

Mr LC is turning out to be a little terror! He has extremely high energy and just looks for trouble.

I’ll have to keep a close eye on him.

typical teeneager! high energy, looking for trouble/excitment, thinking they are invincible....humans, chickens, horses, all the same -high energy, frisky, no thought to consequences T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

 

[Sylvester017]

6.5 weeks for Silkie visual gender ID'ing is still too young. We went thru the painful process of giving up our Silkie cockerel in 2011 -- so we were never able to get a future guaranteed female Silkie till she was 5-6 months old and identifiable. When later DNA-sexing was established on Silkie chicks we were able to get DNA-sexed Silkie babies from local reputable breeders. There is a wait of about 1 to 2 weeks for DNA test results but we still received our babies young enough to play and socialize with them. They are fast little runners!

DNA-sexed female Silkie chicks

 

[Ponypoor]

I liked seeing Mr. P at the end of the video.

He likes to check things out that’s for sure.

Today he is showing the ladies good nest boxes and making them a nest

 

[Ponypoor]

6.5 weeks for Silkie visual gender ID'ing is still too young. We went thru the painful process of giving up our Silkie cockerel in 2011 -- so we were never able to get a future guaranteed female Silkie till she was 5-6 months old and identifiable. When later DNA-sexing was established on Silkie chicks we were able to get DNA-sexed Silkie babies from local reputable breeders. There is a wait of about 1 to 2 weeks for DNA test results but we still received our babies young enough to play and socialize with them. They are fast little runners!

DNA-sexed female Silkie chicks
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Yes the gender dna testing is wonderful.

Last time I used the egg membrane for ID. Since I only had the two chicks it was easy to know which one was which.

The first time I use blood, I clipped a toenail short and used a few drops of blood on a special card they sent me.

I will just wait with these two I have here now. What will be will be.

 

[BY Bob]

We just never know the health or hardiness of a bird. I read an article by a rescue farm that said a chicken's lifespan is 25 years! WTH?! I know it's been recorded that the longest lived Silkie reached 17 years but then smaller birds usually have longer lifespans. But 25 YEARS?! I wish I knew where they got that info?

Not in my experience. And we had long lived hens on the farm.