Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Everything takes advantage of good-natured Silkies ~ kids, roos, bully chickens, predators, people, etc! Silkies are smart & manage to avoid these obstacles but I figured why put them thru it? It's why I'm happy we're now sticking to an all-Silkie good-temperament flock for them to just enjoy each other's good natures.
View attachment 4079703

Smart Silkies ~ yesterday a juvenile hawk was doing its screeching in nearby maple trees & the little fluffies 1/2 of them hid inside the coop while 1/2 were hiding between the block wall & heavy leafed Pomegranate tree. Every Spring the Cooper's hawk juveniles are abandoned by the parents & we go out to chase them off plus the Crows come around to attack them too. Love love our Crows!

I laugh at the one crow ls here - it likes to come swooping in start cawing like crazy then perch in the tree and watch the chooks run for cover - it then gives a series of 4 or 5 caws when they are all under cover, and flies off. Don’t know if it’s laughing or telling them off.

My older chooks ignore it. They know the difference between its harassment and when it is serious about a predator.

 

[Ponypoor]

So that means the geese will think you're "cracked"?!

Oh ya, I a certain! The horses couldn’t figure why I was running screaming down the paddock and came running up to see what was going on! The chooks just ignored me. Guess they are used to my cracked behaviour!

 

[Sylvester017]

What i think about in my older age is that eventually we will move out of this great country setting and get closer to city and medical facilities. (My new doctor is 70 miles away and my oncologist is farther than that!!)

When that time comes, what do I do with my beloved chickens??? I let them retire here. Who will want old retired hens when they didn't ever get to know what special girls they are?

I don't even like thinking of it. And I have new chicks.

My concern has always been that we don't want our birds outliving us cuz like you say "Who wants old birds?" So we made the decision not to add any more & let these birds live out their lives here ~ at least that's the plan & hope we don't pre-decease them....

 

[ValerieJ]

Hesitantly, I give the post a because he’s a good boy.
But Silkies are not chickens

But they do sound like fun little velociraptors.

 

[ValerieJ]

I laugh at the one crow ls here - it likes to come swooping in start cawing like crazy then perch in the tree and watch the chooks run for cover - it then gives a series of 4 or 5 caws when they are all under cover, and flies off. Don’t know if it’s laughing or telling them off.

My older chooks ignore it. They know the difference between its harassment and when it is serious about a predator.

I'm positive it's laughing. They are such fun loving birds.

 

[Ponypoor]

One stall at a time. Is the summerhouse finished to your satisfaction? Only then can you start converting another stall.

Hush you! No enabling! I already almost caved last evening when I stopped in at one of the local feed stores, they had the chicks to order from Freys at the cashier. Seems they have already had chicks brought in! Silly me opened my mouth and said ‘if you ever get any more of those Azur no one wants let me know’ - bad Kelly!

 

[ValerieJ]

My concern has always been that we don't want our birds outliving us cuz like you say "Who wants old birds?" So we made the decision not to add any more & let these birds live out their lives here ~ at least that's the plan & hope we don't pre-decease them....

completely understand

 

[Ponypoor]

I’m doing my research, but I’m getting the same results every time I look.View attachment 4079832

I can attest to Buff Orps being super friendly. My knee caps also attest to this. They get very jealous when I don’t pay them any heed. Brats!

 

[Ponypoor]

But they do sound like fun little velociraptors.

I watched my 8 month old silkie pullet stomp a snake into the dirt and eat it! Yummy!

 

[Sylvester017]

I’m doing my research, but I’m getting the same results every time I look.View attachment 4079832

Another missed breed mention is the kid-friendly, unafraid, people-friendly, calm adult temperament, good flockmate chick/adult breed is the smaller medium size Dominiques. Barred Rocks are similarly reported in temperament; however are a slightly larger size breed than Doms.