Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I have plans to do a bachelor pad for roosters once I buy land. I love roosters!!

You have wonderful roosters. I'm so glad that Ned got to be taught by Stanley. I have high hopes for our little man.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Queenie Update

@ChicoryBlue Aren't we coming up to the end of Queenie's quarantine? What is the latest on the search for the rest of her flock?

Well it'll be two weeks on Wednesday and there's no word from anyone in the family who has part of her old flock, or the person who told me she would pass my numbers on to them. I twice texted the fellow where she came from, asking if there were any more lost chickens there, and no word back (pretty sure she was the only one because of the tracks in the snow, but not entirely). I am really attached to this hen now, and am not anxious to pressure the lady who said she'd pass on my numbers. But should I?

Now I'm not sure I want her to go! She is very friendly, even let's me cuddle her while she's standing on the edge of her brooder, one arm over her and gently holding, and the other petting her. Stroking her little wattles. Fixing her breast feathers. Today she was fixing my hair while I did that. I've been spending lot of time with her, scratching around with her in the brooder. She is digging a hole to China but gets to the bottom fast, she's a very vigorous scratcher (I've got about 6-10 inches of stuff in there).

I've been reading quarantine should be like 30, and 60 days even. That's a long time for her to not be with other chickens.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Gertrude must like the boys.

Has he not been crowing until now?

Nope! Not a peep from him. This is the first I am seeing any rooster behavior from him. So far it seems to be going well without Stanley.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

You have wonderful roosters. I'm so glad that Ned got to be taught by Stanley. I have high hopes for our little man.

Yes he had an excellent teacher!

 

[Shadrach]

Just beautiful! I hope you had a good day, Shad.

I lived through it.

 

[Kris5902]

Does everyone see the size difference between Hattie and Sansa? I amity that both are fluffed out and that certainly makes Hattie look larger and as her feathers are normally very sleek and next to her body but come on, look at that difference in size. Last I weighed Hattie she was right around 7 lbs. A GLW should be a dual purpose bird between 6 and 8 lbs. Sansa is essentially the same size as Lilly. The last time I weighed Lilly she was 5 lbs. I need to weigh everyone again but there is no way that Sansa has reached 6 lbs.

I point this out because both her and Sydney just seem really small for their breeds. They have not grown as I expected them to do. For example, there is no way Sydney is going to grow to be Soda's size.

Although I don't know much about the GLW, as to Sydney’s size I have a possible idea. Sydney is a Barred Rock, a Dual Purpose breed that is more often (I think?) reared for meat than the GLW. I know that there are several different Barred Rock lines in my general area, and one or two of them emphasized the dinner portion of the DP over the breakfast option, to put it more delicately.

This year I will be looking into a joint purchase with a farmer on another local Island of Mistral Gris (larger numbers of chicks drops the price per chick significantly, and if we can get enough small farmers together...). Anyway, I ramble, this big meat-type Hybrid is heavily influenced with BR genetics. There is one line of BR a little north of us that was very heavily focusing through line breeding on the Meat aspect of pure BR birds as well.

Most Hatchery BR, and many small lines as well have focused on egg production, lighter bodied birds that are more thrifty on feed and on larger and more frequent eggs. I would guess that Sydney is from one of these less “Dual” DP breeders, and a line that has lost a lot of the “desirable” meat traits, because TBH, how many backyard and small keepers are actually planning on putting their chickens in a stew pot when they slow down laying, or are willing to rear up a batch of (sometimes troublesome) smaller DP cockerels for the freezer?

 

[Shadrach]

Hmmm. That is a mystery. You would think any kind of heart problem severe enough to reduce oxygen to his comb would limit his activities in other ways.
Is it possible he ate something toxic?

It is, but I would expect after this amount of time he would have recovered or died.

 

[Shadrach]

It is worth taking the chance. How did you determine the dosage?

I guesstimated. It's on the high side compared to the blood volume for a human compared to a chicken but it's only for a few days.

 

[micstrachan]

Ester slept in the coop last night, but this morning she only came out for a couple seconds and then went back in. I currently have a little table and electric heater positioned outside the coop door and blowing in. She perked up a little bit after being in there for a while, so I brought a special meal of baby bird formula mixed with mash from their pellets. Dorothy and bridge were in there with her and shared in the feast. Now half the flock is in the coop enjoying the heat. LOL! When it gets just a couple degrees warmer out, I’m gonna shut off the heater, cause I don’t want tonight to be a shock for them. It did freeze last night, it is going to be colder tonight. I may bring Ester indoors tonight at roasting time and then let her out with her friends first thing. This is a tricky one, because she gets stressed out when handled. I don’t wanna stress her out anymore than necessary, but I need to make sure she is safe.

 

[Shadrach]

Alex, would you consider phasing out hens over time (once they pass on their own, of course) and keeping roosters only? It seems there are always roosters in need of good homes. But if you were keeping several, I think there cannot be ladies involved. Unless it’s a full free-range situation with seperate coops, like Shad has.

Ladies! Where have you found hens that behave like ladies?