Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

A good flock dog! A pullet strutted up to her today and pecked her. She grunted, got up, stared at the pullet, and moved to another spot. So cute! Also Pups just likes to hang with us wherever we are. But she does chase off the coyotes at night. She can be fierce when she needs to be.

LOVE it! Some dogs are naturals & surprise/please us

 

[Sylvester017]

Afternoon at 1 week

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Playtime under a daddy's supervision


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Mama PITA demonstrating the proper digging method

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Nap time.

I can't get enough of these little buggers

 

[Sylvester017]

I also love my brick pavers in the barn, the chooks will rest on them when it’s been really hot and humid.

I used to have dirt floors in the horse stalls as it was supposed to be better for the horses. But it was such a miserable mess I dug out the dirt and put brick pavers in there also. So much cleaner and easier to clean.

Can you imagine what the chickens would have done to the stalls if I still had dirt floors?!

Our hens have made proper holes in our fallow garden bed. They prefer the shady sandbox for hanging out or an occasional dustbath but if DH runs the soaker hose in the bed the hens love dustbaths in the damp soil.

I wanted to seed parsnips & radishes & possibly black seeded Simpson in the fallow bed but I still have too much yard cleanup from all the freeway maple leaves & palm fronds scattered so thick in the chicken yard the hens can't walk thru all the debris. It'll take me at least 2-3 weeks for cleanup plus this old lady has to take it slow & careful in my old age. If parsnips, radishes, & lettuce can survive a late planting maybe I'll still do it ~ but we'll see.

 

[Marie2020]

A couple of days ago

This morning, 1 week +/- a day

I love the way those little ones just run along with their flock. They are so adorable

 

[BY Bob]

I never heard fireflies were an issue for chickens.
Sadly there seem to be fewer and fewer each year.

Some firefly news for you.

https://www.goerie.com/story/sports...nia-with-recent-weather-patterns/84510011007/

Tax

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Rooster Experts - I have some questions for you.

So in many ways I feel like I won the “straight run lottery”. Out of 11 potential roosters I am now fairly confident I only ended up with two cockerels. But….that also means I ended up with two cockerels. I know many of you have multiple roosters without any major issues. And with 31 hens/pullets I think I am ok as far as rooster-to-hen ratio. I have read many helpful articles and posts on this site over the past three years. But I definitely still have some questions and concerns. I know y’all will most likely have several different opinions on things, but here is what I would like some advice on.

First of all, I have one full size (Chocolate Orpington) and one bantam (silkie) cockerel. If I continue to keep everyone as part of the same
flock, how much risk is there of the full size rooster hurting the bantam hens? Especially the Sebright and Duccle, since they will be small even for a bantam. We really don’t want to have to split the flock. Of course we will if we start having too many issues, but it definitely wouldn’t be the easiest thing to do.

How do you decide when it is just “hormonal idiot phase” and when it is a bad rooster? I know we will have to draw the line if one or both of them become people aggressive. I am hoping we will be lucky since both breeds are know for fairly even-tempered roos, but obviously there can always be exceptions. What other things do we really need to watch it for? So far Nestle, the Orpington, is fairly calm and backs down pretty quickly with both us and all the girls. He is 13 weeks old, and has been crowing for a few weeks but we haven’t seen him try to tidbit, dance, or breed yet. Cotton, the silkie, is another matter altogether. He is 12 weeks old, started crowing a week or so after Nestle, isn’t tidbittng or dancing yet, but has been caught trying to breed a few times. Every time I catch him it is with one of the Cochin bantams. They are still only 13 weeks old, are not interested, and squeal pretty loudly. But he does not back down and I have to go knock him off of them. After which I pick him up and tote him around under my arm for a while. I also have caught him pecking at the other young ones on occasion, including the Lavender Orps who are only 7 weeks old. That also earns him some well placed “pecks” from me or my husband and some more time getting hauled around under our arm.

We have handled both the boys almost every day since we got them. And as it became apparent they were males it has been much less “cuddly/affectionate” and more about establishing who is in charge and that we decide when they will be held and whether or not they get any treats.

Another concern I have with there being two males is the space we have them all in. The coop is 10’ X 12’, with 20’ of upper roost and about 10’ of lower roost, which has mainly been used as a way to get to the higher one. We have also added some wider shelf areas to the upper roost, and a large “silkie/bantam” shelf at the end of the lower one. There are at least two waterers and two feeders in the coop, and a little bit of clutter.

The coop is open every day, and the run is about 16’ x 50’. There is another feeder and several water sources out there, and some more clutter. I know that compared to where some chickens live that is a lot of space. But am worried it will be a little small with 33 chickens that include two cockerels/roosters.

Thought? Suggestions?

Space Space space! If you need another coop, build one for the little ones.roosters will be roosters, unless you are willing too spend the time necessary to train your Roos, like i do.

So how do you train them? I am spending time with them every day. My husband or I pick them up every day and hold them, sometimes giving team a few treats and sometimes not. We are “firm but friendly” with them, except when Cotton misbehaves and then he gets carried around or locked in the hospital cage for awhile.

Any other rooster advice? @RebeccaBoyd or @Ponypoor ?
Anyone else?

I may have woken my flock checking on them when we got home at 2 am last night…

I am happy to say all are healthy and accounted for. Boy did they get big in 2 weeks! And we definitely have a crowing cockerel. He was happy to show off his new skill to me multiple times today.

Pictures of some of my flock:
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They are beautiful, and love the puppy.

 

[rural mouse]

Thirstyday

wild water (babies too) is preferred

finally caught a hummingbird. New feeder location, and the territorial war is on. Other spots are very active, so no good pics

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Some firefly news for you.

https://www.goerie.com/story/sports...nia-with-recent-weather-patterns/84510011007/

Tax
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Ours are picking up too. I’ve even seen some in the front yard (blasted by a bright streetlight), visiting the wildflowers!

Here’s a visitor from last month:

 

[featherhead007]

So how do you train them? I am spending time with them every day. My husband or I pick them up every day and hold them, sometimes giving team a few treats and sometimes not. We are “firm but friendly” with them, except when Cotton misbehaves and then he gets carried around or locked in the hospital cage for awhile.

Any other rooster advice? @RebeccaBoyd or @Ponypoor ?
Anyone else?


They are beautiful, and love the puppy.

You have to treat them as you would a human baby, or at least humanize them. And cannot neglect their time with you. Roosters seem to respond more favorably to a man than a woman. Might be a guy related to respect bonding thing.

 

[featherhead007]

You have to treat them as you would a human baby, or at least humanize them. And cannot neglect their time with you. Roosters seem to respond more favorably to a man than a woman. Might be a guy related to respect bonding thing.

Sometimes there is just an untrainable rooster. Human aggressive roosters have got to go!