Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

I bury too. I can't just toss away friends as though their lives didn't matter. They bring so much joy into my life it's the least I can do.

 

[Shadrach]

Those studies I linked to above; they're worth reading.

 

[Ribh]

Those studies I linked to above; they're worth reading.

I've bookmarked them for when I have a little more time. I'm alternating here with chatting with my girl in Chile.

 

[mixedUPturk]

I bury all except the ones we eat. Don't ask me how I can make the distinction because I don't have a rational answer.

I bury all the ones ive had for over a year. Anything thats for eating doesnt last that long and anything thats for sale is gone by then too.

 

[BY Bob]

Sorry, Bob. I answered there. Do you want a repeat here? The short answer is: No idea.

If what you are worried about is salt content I can't imagine that the grass holds more than the seaweed. It's still a form of grass, however it is not porous like normal grass. That also would lead me to think no worries. It can't be full of salt.

I actually don't like to give cut grass to my flock because they can't easily control the length they eat as they can when plucking it off the rooted plant.

I think it would make great compost. Have you thought about piling it up and every so often letting them have at it. Not to eat the grass but to eat what is living in the pile of grass?

 

[BY Bob]

I bury all the ones ive had for over a year. Anything thats for eating doesnt last that long and anything thats for sale is gone by then too.

We bury as well. It's the least we can do for all they have done for us.

 

[BY Bob]

Take any flock of hens. Establish how the pecking order is. Introduce a rooster. The few times I've done this here, the pecking order of the hens doesn't change, not even if the roosters favorite is not the senior hen.

This is exactly the situation we had last year when Hattie and Jabberwocky joined the flock. I had an established pecking order that Jabber stood outside of. Hattie was his "sister" and his favorite. That didn't matter, she was last in the pecking order. Frankly he spent more time trying to win over the other two hens than he did with Hattie.

Most entertaining was how Patsy, the alpha hen, would knock him off the other hens as he tried to mate with them. She even knocked him down once. There is video of it here somewhere. If anyone would like to see it who missed it the first time I can repost.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'd like to see that Bob!

 

[BY Bob]

Patsy takes Jabber Down!

@MaryJanet asks and so she gets. This video takes place just after Patsy had knocked Jabberwocky off of Hattie. Jabber was angry and thought he would challenge Patsy. This video contains Patsy's response to that challenge.

 

[BY Bob]

Late to Bed

I have always noticed this in deer and my flock exhibited the same behavior today. They day before a big storm, deer will be out during the day (instead of just at night) eating in anticipation of a day huddled up.

We are due to have a nasty day of weather tomorrow. So tonight the girls stayed out extra late eating, all of them. They stayed out so late that Hattie and Lilly had just gotten into the coup when the automated coop door closed. They are always comfortably on the roost long before the door closes.

The door beeps to warn them when it closing. Maleficent and Aurora were out in the yard when it beeped. They turned at the same time to watch the door close, locked in place. Then Maleficent walked over to the coop and looked at the closed door and they looked back at me. I went over and reopened the door for her. In she went. A few moments later in went Aurora. Here they are looking at me to come open the door.

@Shadrach this is not the best example but Maleficent did not patrol the door tonight. I will keep watching though add tonight was not normal.