Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

He looks pure scamp!

He is exactly that. He's been chasing the big cats today. He's having great fun. He was just biting my toes a minute ago. Another of his favorite things.

 

[BY Bob]

I love this.

I normally have those voices this time of year as well, but not this year. I have several things going against me and that voice.

#1. every hen except the barred rock Judy is on strike. Judy should be too. I love those eggs girl but you need to take a break. She has not stopped laying since she started up about this time last year.

#2. incubator and turner are locked up and stored in grandma's building. Oh it is clean and ready to go, it is just not here at the moment.

#3. I cannot believe I am saying this. I need a rooster. I want to incubate silkies. Finally I have enough hens to really get into the silkies, Branch is gone. The chicks are 6 months old, you would think if there was a cockerel in the group he would have let himself be known by now. Nothing, and they are all now screaming pullets to me. If I am right I have 7 silkie hen/pullets. Considering the struggle is has been to get the silkie girls, and only ever having 1 adult silkie hen at a time. This is a slap in the face. I am giving it until the middle of January. If there is a sneaky boy in the group he has until January to show himself. 2nd week of January I am going rooster shopping. I have saw several lovely silkie cockerels be posted on facebook locally. I have let them pass by in hopes for a Branch son. I am now starting to kick myself for letting the splash boy pass by 3 weeks ago.

How ironic that you can't get a rooster when you want one.

 

[Sylvester017]

I wish you were closer. Clyde ticks all the boxes in what I will be looking for in a silkie rooster.

My silkies are pet quality, but I have a look I am going for so I will be picky.

He must have a head poof and a plus if he is bearded. I would take a smaller head poof if he has a nice beard. All of my silkies have a really nice poof now. I do not want to loose that. Thanks to Branch 3 of the chicks have a fabulous beard to go with that poof.

I want a nice walnut comb. No single combs. None of mine have a single comb, and they should not. Half of the ones currently listed have single combs, bright red single combs I might add. Automatic passes.

I also need to pay attention to color. I have blacks, partridges and silver partridges. Therefore I should look for a male that is one of those colors. Honestly if I found another nice black male I would be happy.

Now saying that, if a nice bearded blue, or white or even paint boy is listed he is not out of the question. I would jump on a blue or white boy before a paint though unless the paint is straight up eye candy.

No naked necks or show girls. I just cannot with them. A lot of people like showgirls, I am not one of them.

The last part is going to be the hardest for me to find. I want a friendly nice roo. I have raised up all my boys myself. I have never had to buy a rooster. I will need to rely on the seller being honest about the boys temperament.

Temperament leads me to thinking about plan b.

Plan B.
I wait until February and buy a few day old silkie chicks. I brood them myself and pray my previous luck returns and once again I'm overrun with a clutch full of boys. This way I would have months to have assessed their personalities for the best fit.

You are searching the same parameters show people are looking for also. Having been this route myself wanting quality Silkies for enjoyment & not for show I ~ in the end ~ had to resort to a reputable NPIP & DNA-sexed Silkie breeder & locally so I could easily pickup my order.

Backyard breeders or feed store Silkies doesn't cut it when you are fine-tuning to a specific sex in particular color-line histories unless you want to waste time & don't mind disappointment ~ been there, done that. My last set of 3 Silkies took me a 9-month wait to fill my order but it was so worth the wait to get exactly what I was looking for.

Here's a list of breeders who may even have available roo's to pick from w/ your requirements. Roo's are surplus & you may find a reasonable or free one. I even saw some Midwest & a KY breeder on the poultryshowcentral list:

https://www.poultryshowcentral.com/Silkies.html

Silkie cuties are so worth the wait & search. I get so tickled when people catch the Silkie bug as they are truly a remarkable chicken one never realizes till they have them.

 

[ManueB]

I hope I can find the fire from the electrical bus. That wasn't right and so dangerous for public transport and the people around when the explosion happened.

Spoiler: personal rant on bus driving

My partner has been working as a bus driver for 15 years now ; before that and before I met him, he was fleet manager for a tourism travel bus company. He does say things have really changed for the worse. In many european countries bus driver is one of those jobs that no one wants to do anymore. Not enough drivers means they ask managers, mechanics, just anyone who has a bus licence to fill in for driving..and then those people don't do their usual job anymore, no one takes care of how things are running. My partner keeps reminding his company of the mechanics issues on his bus ; he has to manage on his own his driving schedule limits and his days off with his colleagues drivers because no one takes care of it ; he's been working for five years now on his line and he's the driver in his company who's been there for the longest time. All the experienced drivers quit from burn out.
I also keep worrying when he drives in snow conditions. He needs to pick one or two people who call to make a reservation in the mountain villages, with a huge bus meant for 50 people that doesn't even have snow tires - just what we call four season tires, which is legal, but really not safe.
The one reason my partner stays is because he only works two days a week. But I can assure you I think twice now about taking those mountains valley bus.

On a more cheery note...some ponies for Sunday.

The old horse Gribouille is still with my neighbour's cows, and doing really good for his 32 years. They are now back at home for the winter so I see him almost every day. My neighbour renamed him Mojo but I still call him Gribouille ! I don't know if I mentioned it before but he is a Merens, an old breed of sturdy ponies from the pyreneese mountains.

I also saw See you, the arabian stallion, in his mountain pasture this morning. His owner finally was able to get a competent farrier to come up here and manage his foot problems, he has white line disease. She had special therapeutic rubber shoes fitted for him, but she has more or less given up riding him since our trails are so rocky.
See you was a rescue horse she only paid a few hundred euros, but caring for him has been so expensive and discouraging... I'm glad she was able to sort things out. I can see why a pony makes you poor, Kelly !

And as usual his buddy Trot-trot the dwarf monkey had broken out of the pasture and was just across where the grass is greener.

 

[Sylvester017]

Spoiler: personal rant on bus driving

My partner has been working as a bus driver for 15 years now ; before that and before I met him, he was fleet manager for a tourism travel bus company. He does say things have really changed for the worse. In many european countries bus driver is one of those jobs that no one wants to do anymore. Not enough drivers means they ask managers, mechanics, just anyone who has a bus licence to fill in for driving..and then those people don't do their usual job anymore, no one takes care of how things are running. My partner keeps reminding his company of the mechanics issues on his bus ; he has to manage on his own his driving schedule limits and his days off with his colleagues drivers because no one takes care of it ; he's been working for five years now on his line and he's the driver in his company who's been there for the longest time. All the experienced drivers quit from burn out.
I also keep worrying when he drives in snow conditions. He needs to pick one or two people who call to make a reservation in the mountain villages, with a huge bus meant for 50 people that doesn't even have snow tires - just what we call four season tires, which is legal, but really not safe.
The one reason my partner stays is because he only works two days a week. But I can assure you I think twice now about taking those mountains valley bus.

On a more cheery note...some ponies for Sunday.

The old horse Gribouille is still with my neighbour's cows, and doing really good for his 32 years. They are now back at home for the winter so I see him almost every day. My neighbour renamed him Mojo but I still call him Gribouille ! I don't know if I mentioned it before but he is a Merens, an old breed of sturdy ponies from the pyreneese mountains.
View attachment 4007434
I also saw See you, the arabian stallion, in his mountain pasture this morning. His owner finally was able to get a competent farrier to come up here and manage his foot problems, he has white line disease. She had special therapeutic rubber shoes fitted for him, but she has more or less given up riding him since our trails are so rocky.
See you was a rescue horse she only paid a few hundred euros, but caring for him has been so expensive and discouraging... I'm glad she was able to sort things out. I can see why a pony makes you poor, Kelly !
View attachment 4007436
And as usual his buddy Trot-trot the dwarf monkey had broken out of the pasture and was just across where the grass is greener.
View attachment 4007435

Beautiful photos. The dwarf I'm sure you meant "donkey" & not monkey ~ teehee. I really love your pictures!

 

[featherhead007]

I love this.

I normally have those voices this time of year as well, but not this year. I have several things going against me and that voice.

#1. every hen except the barred rock Judy is on strike. Judy should be too. I love those eggs girl but you need to take a break. She has not stopped laying since she started up about this time last year.

#2. incubator and turner are locked up and stored in grandma's building. Oh it is clean and ready to go, it is just not here at the moment.

#3. I cannot believe I am saying this. I need a rooster. I want to incubate silkies. Finally I have enough hens to really get into the silkies, Branch is gone. The chicks are 6 months old, you would think if there was a cockerel in the group he would have let himself be known by now. Nothing, and they are all now screaming pullets to me. If I am right I have 7 silkie hen/pullets. Considering the struggle is has been to get the silkie girls, and only ever having 1 adult silkie hen at a time. This is a slap in the face. I am giving it until the middle of January. If there is a sneaky boy in the group he has until January to show himself. 2nd week of January I am going rooster shopping. I have saw several lovely silkie cockerels be posted on facebook locally. I have let them pass by in hopes for a Branch son. I am now starting to kick myself for letting the splash boy pass by 3 weeks ago.

Oh, how much would I love to go rooster shopping with you!

 

[featherhead007]

They are grumpy

I told them no going outside

They proceeded to tear the place apart

So I relented

After all I am a good Hooman who knows my place.

You are a nut, just so fun. The way you love your chooks is so cute

 

[featherhead007]

You are searching the same parameters show people are looking for also. Having been this route myself wanting quality Silkies for enjoyment & not for show I ~ in the end ~ had to resort to a reputable NPIP & DNA-sexed Silkie breeder & locally so I could easily pickup my order.
View attachment 4007467
View attachment 4007471

Backyard breeders or feed store Silkies doesn't cut it when you are fine-tuning to a specific sex in particular color-line histories unless you want to waste time & don't mind disappointment ~ been there, done that. My last set of 3 Silkies took me a 9-month wait to fill my order but it was so worth the wait to get exactly what I was looking for.

Here's a list of breeders who may even have available roo's to pick from w/ your requirements. Roo's are surplus & you may find a reasonable or free one. I even saw some Midwest & a KY breeder on the poultryshowcentral list:

https://www.poultryshowcentral.com/Silkies.html

Silkie cuties are so worth the wait & search. I get so tickled when people catch the Silkie bug as they are truly a remarkable chicken one never realizes till they have them.

If the time comes when I needed a Silkie, … Walmart isle 12 next to the mops

 

[featherhead007]

Dakota has been enjoying her time with me in the house. She gets to eat without being disturbed, and she doesn’t shiver at night, sleeping soundly in with me. But she talks my ear off until she goes to sleep. So cute, I love it

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

You are searching the same parameters show people are looking for also. Having been this route myself wanting quality Silkies for enjoyment & not for show I ~ in the end ~ had to resort to a reputable NPIP & DNA-sexed Silkie breeder & locally so I could easily pickup my order.
View attachment 4007467
View attachment 4007471

Backyard breeders or feed store Silkies doesn't cut it when you are fine-tuning to a specific sex in particular color-line histories unless you want to waste time & don't mind disappointment ~ been there, done that. My last set of 3 Silkies took me a 9-month wait to fill my order but it was so worth the wait to get exactly what I was looking for.

Here's a list of breeders who may even have available roo's to pick from w/ your requirements. Roo's are surplus & you may find a reasonable or free one. I even saw some Midwest & a KY breeder on the poultryshowcentral list:

https://www.poultryshowcentral.com/Silkies.html

Silkie cuties are so worth the wait & search. I get so tickled when people catch the Silkie bug as they are truly a remarkable chicken one never realizes till they have them.

Like I said, mine are pet quality. It took time to get this look. I do not want to take a step backwards by choosing the first male I come across.

Older pics, I will get some new ones this week if the weather cooperates and it stops raining.