Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

I think names have to wait until I am allowed (by Tassels) to get to know them a bit better.
Only Piglet was named the moment I met her and for an obvious reason.
Geronimo similarly.
But for Chippy I would have to name him like the rooster I want him to become, because all I really know about him right now is that he sneakily hid his gender and he loves blueberries!

By the way, him being a him does remove a worry I had about him when he was a she. Remember Chippy had a prolapse which I treated in the first few days? Nagging away in my mind was what would happen to the prolapse once she started laying eggs. Guess I can check that worry off my list!
View attachment 4219688

The prolapse worry is definitely eased with this.

Names: I had 20 chicks running around, 5 (at most, and only 1 boy) I was keeping....depending upon gender....Koonj, Tundra, Jax and Arabel were known keepers fairly early on. Only Tundra stuck the first name. I played with all sorts of ideas (Quail for Koonj at one point). And decided not to share names until the others moved out.....Mortimer, Arabel, Matilda and Hawthorne didn't get names to stick until after that. None of those names had been on the play with list until after the move out....then they weren't play with names. They clicked.

Names still on my use when the right one comes include Odysseus, Minnow, Garibaldi and Ozone.

 

[rural mouse]

Is there anything natural to remove pine sap? P-nut butter? Olive oyl? Pine tar soap? Or...?

Does the sap drip year-round or just seasonally?

Olive oil works really well for just a little bit.

 

[Sylvester017]

I’ve thought he was likely a roo for a few weeks now.

Freaking out, not exactly, because we aren’t experiencing any negatives in the situation yet. Calls and talking during the day, unless he crows incessantly, isn’t bad. Would young Roos be expected to calm down if they do crow all day long, at first? We had a neighbor who had a new young rooster, and seriously, he crowed every minute of every day, nonstop for 2-3 months, until one day he was killed (found dead). That kind of incessant crowing, with the run so near the house, that would be hard to take. DH harder than me probably, I generally like the sound of crowing otherwise.

The ladies here regularly go at it and create a wonderful cacophony of egg songs, boks, and whatnot. DH doesn’t mind that, he’s interested in what’s going on with them, and likes animals generally.

I heard some owners keep their roos in a garage w/no windows/no light which keeps them from crowing so much at night. Someone made a padded closet to keep their roo from crowing at night but how that affects roo status in a flock during the day is another question... We weren't zoned to keep either two of our accidental cockerels so it will be fun to follow your story

 

[Sylvester017]

@SimpleJenn ~ synop TY

 

[Marie2020]

Caturday. These were the resident cat and kitten from where I was staying.

 

[Marie2020]

Can I have some more please

 

[SimpleJenn]

Baby jail

Baby jail

I will start integration during the week. The guinea pig cage is nice but was a pain to set up.

 

[Sylvester017]

Do you have some flat kitchen scales, or even bathroom scales if they're sensitive enough, that they might be persuaded to stand on for a second if there were blueberries on offer?

Digital bathroom scales works well. Stand on the scales to get your weight, then hold the chicken in your arms... the digital scales difference before & after holding the chicken will be the bird's weight.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Digital bathroom scales works well. Stand on the scales to get your weight, then hold the chicken in your arms... the digital scales difference before & after holding the chicken will be the bird's weight.

I once did that to weigh a cat, and I weighed less holding him than I did before, guessing I was not standing properly because he was wriggly

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

@RebeccaBoyd

Check out Mr P’s black spots that he has acquired with this moult!

View attachment 4219681

And his head feathers are finally growing in! Yay! Keeping him away from those naughty hens is working!

Oh Mr. P, You are such a lovely, lovely lad.

I will say it both hurts and brings me joy in looking at you. I know you are not fond of handling old sir. Please allow your momma just one brief bear hug for me please. In hugging you she is also hugging my dear George who I miss dearly.

Are my eye's deceiving me, or do I spot a few spots in his topknot as well? Those were the only spots dear George had on his entire body. I'm sure now with age more would certainly have come along.