Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Good morning all. It’s an unusual rainy day in our part of Arizona.

Verna and Nancy
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Ethyl
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What a nice tree to roost in. Is that an orange tree?

 

[BY Bob]

Yeah you're not gonna sneak a goat past LP township let alone the HOA...

That is the absolute truth! Thankfully. If I could not sneak the rooster by them, a goat has no chance.

 

[FransGran]

What a nice tree to roost in. Is that an orange tree?

Yes it is. They have tangerines over the coop but this is where they love to hang.

 

[LozzyR]

I have nine hens and I am getting on average seven eggs a day! I am thinking it’s because they are all young (under a year old). I imagine that as they mature they will take breaks.
Meanwhile, my husband and I eat eggs almost every day and they still add up. We’ve given a few dozen eggs away!

None of mine are laying at the moment. My Australorp was broody so her egg-laying cycle switched off and I think the Faverolles stopped in sympathy!

 

[Kris5902]

Mrs BY Bob wants to know how much she eats in a day. She is adorable. I just love the photo on the rocks.

She is both adorable and spoiled rotten!!!
Out of curiosity, does she eat solid food? When is a kid normally weaned?

I have been offering goat texture, some pilfered alfalfa, and organic salad greens, she loves the leaves if hand fed and is starting to show more interest in them now. She will also eat spaghetti noodles, wet catfood, and licked our plates clean (post sausage dinner) last night. She has a mineral/salt block she ignores. I have read that weaning can begin between 30 and 90 days. Right now she is drinking about 1.5~2L of formula/milk a day. I am hoping she will mostly browse as she gets older and moves outside, requiring less supplemental feed.

Goats are adorable, and I would think one should have at least two of them (so they have companionship).

100% agree, she needs a friend to live outdoors with. My cats are not impressed with the head butting, jumping games at all. And DH and I just had a little “discussion” about how much bed space she is taking up. As house pets go, not the best choice, but I’m a sucker.

 

[Kris5902]

Yeah you're not gonna sneak a goat past LP township let alone the HOA...

Unless you get it registered as an “emotional support animal”... they are just as valid as seeing eye dogs! (I’m going to go hide in a corner now for a little bit)

 

[featherhead007]

The trouble with having a house rooster: Jaffar is quite accustomed to being in the house at night, (His prior owner did the same thing with him) But in the mornings, he winds up like a top, and when I bring him back to the barn/coop, he gets all "rooster"on his ladies. Chasing them around the run, thru the coop, and over the feed bowls (He gets crazy)
BLU just stands there, shaking his head, as if he's laughing at all the commotion! . Just another day in paradise!

I desperately need more hens.

 

[featherhead007]

None of mine are laying at the moment. My Australorp was broody so her egg-laying cycle switched off and I think the Faverolles stopped in sympathy!

If you have golf balls in there. Get rid of them. Chickens can’t play golf. (I have tried )

 

[Shadrach]

Treacle got most of it right today.
Mel came to visit in the morning and Cillin eventually ventured outside with her. He's just lost all his confidence. I can hopefully fix his foot and keep him warm and fed but I can't do anything about his confidence without being unfair to Treacle.
I have to try hard when watching Treacle chase Cillin away to remember that Cillin did this to Treacle for months. What Cillin didn't do was prevent Treacle from roosting with the tribe at night. I think this is what I find most difficult to watch.
I did find myself shouting at the pair of them in the middle of the driveway today while watching three roosters in Tribe 2 come to a working arrangement, "why can't you be like them!"
Cillin spent most of his day up with Jenny and Solomon and in the sheep shed.
Treacle cant get the hens to follow him during the day but tonight he waited and escorted them all back to the coop. Cillin came to the house as soon as he saw the rest had gone to roost.
I've started on the coop conversion, but secretly I keep hoping that Cillin will in time rejoin the tribe.
I have seen other roosters go through a similar experience and regained their confidence. Punch was intimidated for moths by Notch but eventually stopped running away. Much the same with Rip and Oswald.
Here is Cillin back with me for the night. He's eaten well and is safe and that in the end is what matters most.

 

[Shadrach]

None of mine are laying at the moment. My Australorp was broody so her egg-laying cycle switched off and I think the Faverolles stopped in sympathy!

I collected six eggs today and there are some left in two coops.