Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

Oh Rebecca, I am so, so sorry. I know how much you loved Branch.

Hi Lozzy, very long time 'no see' hope all is well with you, your family & flock!

 

[Sylvester017]

One should never pass up a Polish. Plenty of good sized white eggs and personalities to keep you entertained for years.

That's how we feel about Silkies too. There's a reason the Silkie larger bantams have become the popular teddy bears of the chicken world.

For a 2.5-lb chicken Silkies are smarter than anyone gives them credit, they survive heatwaves, great foragers without big bird digging damage, a bevvy of color variety choices, don't fly out of the yard or roost in trees, hide well in danger, trim each other's face feathers for vision control, possess a relatively gentle temperament, and they lay a good size egg because they are larger bantams. DH is making a spinach-mushroom quiche right now out of our skelter full of Silkie eggs.

We never had the opportunity to get Polish but I always envisioned Silkies and Polish would be good flockmates. If we hadn't had such bad luck years ago losing the weak Breda birds we would have chosen the mid-size Polish to mix with our Silkies. Cochin bantams were a passing consideration too but the slimmer physique of the Polish appealed to us more. On some European farms the Polish are so well-loved they keep flocks all Polish only.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

That's how we feel about Silkies too. There's a reason the Silkie larger bantams have become the popular teddy bears of the chicken world.

For a 2.5-lb chicken Silkies are smarter than anyone gives them credit, they survive heatwaves, great foragers without big bird digging damage, a bevvy of color variety choices, don't fly out of the yard or roost in trees, hide well in danger, trim each other's face feathers for vision control, possess a relatively gentle temperament, and they lay a good size egg because they are larger bantams. DH is making a spinach-mushroom quiche right now out of our skelter full of Silkie eggs.
View attachment 3894839

View attachment 3894848
We never had the opportunity to get Polish but I always envisioned Silkies and Polish would be good flockmates. If we hadn't had such bad luck years ago losing the weak Breda birds we would have chosen the mid-size Polish to mix with our Silkies. Cochins were a passing consideration too but the slimmer physique of the Polish appealed to us more. On some European farms the Polish are so well-loved they keep flocks all Polish only.

I resisted silkies for so long. Now I cannot imagine not having them. If they can see, silkies are wicked smart. They may not fly well, but give them steps, they can get up high when they want. You do not even have to offer steps, they will make their own. Before we redid Russ's stall and the roost Branch used the stall boards to get up onto the big roost. I never showed him, he taught himself the way up. He was hands down the best rooster I have ever had around chicks. He KNEW when a hen was hatching and before the first external pip would be right there in front or beside her. Even if he had ignored her the entire incubation process, he was there when those chicks hatched. I may have never had hens co-parent, but Branch was involved with every gang of broody raised chicks. They hopped on him, huddled under him for warmth, he found food for them. When the momma's were done, he took over parenting himself for a few more weeks every time. He watched the skies and was always first to spot a hawk. It still shocks me that I lost him to a hawk. The devil bird either had to catch him totally by surprise or went after a hen and he tried to intervene. I lost my best buddy, but in truth my flock lost so much more. He was irreplaceable. I hope I have a son of his. Honestly though, it might be best if I don't. Branch set that bar high. If I do have a son, I will love him but I will unfairly judge him against Branch. If he is even 1/10 of the boy his daddy was he will be great. It is to be seen if he is special.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Glad the boys have settled down. Tuff is firmly in his idiot phase. Whiskey keeps thumping him....and then Tuff runs to me. I'm NOT going to rescue him from a deserved thumping. He keeps it up, and I'm likely to thump him too. Having a spring without a hormonal idiot will be nice next year.

I am downright relieved. I think it was a first spring hormone moment. I hope your little man finds his inner gentleman soon.

I passed on the Polish not long after I hatched out Branch. I was just falling for the silkies. I still do not have a Polish, I have a polkie. A Polkie who looks like more polish then anything else. She is confident, bold and I do love her/him. I will not rule out a Polish one day though now. My brother, my new partner in crime as far as chickens are concerned saw a short on tick-tock. A Polish rooster that had something about "feeling Puerto Riccan" on it. He came charging into my room the other evening to show me and demanded I get a "Puerto Riccan" chicken . You have Adele who you fight me over in claiming is yours, half polish. You will get the same vibe from him/her. Oh no, Adele needs a full "Puerto Riccan" friend. I told him he finds one, I'll raise it. He works beside Tractor Supply. I do not think I will have to sneak home a Polish, he will be the one to do it.

Carlos! The rooster that hides from the hens for alone time by sticking his head into the weeds by the fence or wedges himself between hay bales. His owner has to do well chicken visits regularly to make sure he is still alive. My kids make me check on him fairly regularly.

 

[SimpleJenn]

I am home...with 5 new babies.
Porcelain d'uccle

(Watch this be a boy, right?) One of my top 5 wants because we met one last saturday and he was gorgeous.

Golden sebright

Had to get a laced wing cutie. There were no wyandottes marked down but I've heard sebrights are excellent at predator patrol as well, even though everyone is in a run it'll be nice. Plus tiny bantam eggies.

And introducing...K F C the buff orpingtons.


Dad asked me to get a third for his freezer. Honestly though, one of these girls is going to stay here most likely for eggs and beautiful orange chicken-ness.


They had a whole bin of bantams marked down and the orpingtons were 50 cents EACH. I passed on the silkies because they were all white and I didn't want Samara to have an evil twin. If everyone settles in well, they will go out to the grow-out pen in the run Sunday.
Everyone is doing well, peepy and cheepy have adopted one of the orps as their friend.

Dad and I also took Fenix in the store with us, and it must have been the after-vet-exhaustion or something because he was so well behaved. I got him a pork roll thing and a toothbrush.

Poor bubby has a tooth infection.

 

[Marie2020]

Mrs BYBob lives this story. She says good dog!

Tell Mrs. Bob
My laughter was so completely out of control that tears flooded my eyes and I couldn't stop, even too tell my neighbour, and friend. She had to read what I wrote because I couldn't speak. Firstly I was embarrassed then in the total grip of uncontrollable laughter

 

[Marie2020]

I am home...with 5 new babies.
Porcelain d'uccle
View attachment 3894906
(Watch this be a boy, right?) One of my top 5 wants because we met one last saturday and he was gorgeous.

Golden sebright
View attachment 3894905
Had to get a laced wing cutie. There were no wyandottes marked down but I've heard sebrights are excellent at predator patrol as well, even though everyone is in a run it'll be nice. Plus tiny bantam eggies.

And introducing...K F C the buff orpingtons.
View attachment 3894902
View attachment 3894903
Dad asked me to get a third for his freezer. Honestly though, one of these girls is going to stay here most likely for eggs and beautiful orange chicken-ness.

View attachment 3894904
They had a whole bin of bantams marked down and the orpingtons were 50 cents EACH. I passed on the silkies because they were all white and I didn't want Samara to have an evil twin. If everyone settles in well, they will go out to the grow-out pen in the run Sunday.
Everyone is doing well, peepy and cheepy have adopted one of the orps as their friend.

Dad and I also took Fenix in the store with us, and it must have been the after-vet-exhaustion or something because he was so well behaved. I got him a pork roll thing and a toothbrush.
View attachment 3894907
Poor bubby has a tooth infection.

Stunning little chicklets

Hello bubby, you are so brave

 

[BY Bob]

I passed on the Polish not long after I hatched out Branch. I was just falling for the silkies. I still do not have a Polish, I have a polkie. A Polkie who looks like more polish then anything else. She is confident, bold and I do love her/him. I will not rule out a Polish one day though now. My brother, my new partner in crime as far as chickens are concerned saw a short on tick-tock. A Polish rooster that had something about "feeling Puerto Riccan" on it. He came charging into my room the other evening to show me and demanded I get a "Puerto Riccan" chicken . You have Adele who you fight me over in claiming is yours, half polish. You will get the same vibe from him/her. Oh no, Adele needs a full "Puerto Riccan" friend. I told him he finds one, I'll raise it. He works beside Tractor Supply. I do not think I will have to sneak home a Polish, he will be the one to do it.

Awesome. You have tried my, Marans and Leghorns, next up are Polish. Polish are the only chickens I have ever seen hover like a helicopter. Don't worry though. They are not tree roosting chickens. They can't see up well enough to fly into a tree.

 

[Marie2020]

Yep he sure is grumpy this week.

I'd forgive Mr P anything at all

 

[BY Bob]

That's how we feel about Silkies too. There's a reason the Silkie larger bantams have become the popular teddy bears of the chicken world.

For a 2.5-lb chicken Silkies are smarter than anyone gives them credit, they survive heatwaves, great foragers without big bird digging damage, a bevvy of color variety choices, don't fly out of the yard or roost in trees, hide well in danger, trim each other's face feathers for vision control, possess a relatively gentle temperament, and they lay a good size egg because they are larger bantams. DH is making a spinach-mushroom quiche right now out of our skelter full of Silkie eggs.
View attachment 3894839

View attachment 3894848
We never had the opportunity to get Polish but I always envisioned Silkies and Polish would be good flockmates. If we hadn't had such bad luck years ago losing the weak Breda birds we would have chosen the mid-size Polish to mix with our Silkies. Cochin bantams were a passing consideration too but the slimmer physique of the Polish appealed to us more. On some European farms the Polish are so well-loved they keep flocks all Polish only.

Their size and body shape are very much like my beloved Leghorns. They are sleek fancy chickens with goofy hairdos.