Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Scrambles83]

Happy fluffy butt Friday!!
(My first contribution, I remembered this week!)

 

[BY Bob]

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.



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.

A "discussion" eh. Was it one side?

 

[RoyalChick]

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.
View attachment 2497876View attachment 2497877

How is his foot Shad? And Rip and Oswald??? I don't think I have heard of them before!

 

[MaryJanet]

Happy fluffy butt Friday!!
(My first contribution, I remembered this week!)

I've been saving one for Friday too

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Oh Fat Bird. I know I’m well behind in the story but I just love your birds @Shadrach. I’m hoping this all ends well

I appreciate your comments, @Scrambles83 . I could not both catch up from the beginning and keep up with the present, so I find it nice that you bring these in as you do. It is informing and helpful actually to learning some history of the various tribes represented here. Thank you!

 

[featherhead007]

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.
View attachment 2497876View attachment 2497877

It's hard being a "Chicken Daddy", Sometimes, Isn't it Shad?

 

[LozzyR]

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.
View attachment 2497876View attachment 2497877

I love how Cillin is sitting on an egg.

 

[BY Bob]

The Roosting Chronicles continue.....

I filmed about 30 minutes of roosting last night. Don't worry, I cut it up into significant events. My top observation is that Hattie is much more active on the roost. While frequently sitting and resting, she was very active patrolling it.

This first cut involves Sansa and Phyllis. Hattie has "encouraged" Sansa to leave the main roost. Hattie, Phyllis and Lilly are all settled and Peaceful while Sansa eats. Sansa then goes after Phyllis who, in trying to get away, runs into Hattie who then pecks her before she jumps down.

This second cut shows what happens to Sansa after Phyllis has gotten back on the roost and Sansa thinks she can eat in peace. Someone else has another idea. Watch how she methodically corners Sansa.

The third cut shows the results of Phyllis being knocked down. Does she get back up and onto her spot?

Nope!

For some reason Phyllis goes to the other side of the roost. Now she is the meat in a Hattie/Sansa sandwich with that dill pickle Aurora on the side. Despite the challenges facing her, it's Phyllis dismayed? No way! She rises to the challenges and runs the gauntlet finding a clever way around Hattie. (watch closely and you can see Sydney sneak onto the high roost while everyone else is occupied)

In this cut, just when you think everything is settled, Hattie and Aurora decide things are not yet settled. Sansa and Sydney are the targets. You will not see Sydney get down as Sansa is blocking the view.

This final cut shows Sansa in a nest box having given up on roosting and Sydney trying to get back on the high roost. Sydney waited over 5 minutes for Aurora to be distracted before she jumped up. It worked and after a few pecks, roosting is finished for the night.

I need to watch more but it seems that Hattie and not Aurora is responsible for Sansa in the nest box. An active Hattie is certainly a new development.

 

[BY Bob]

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)

Shhhhhhhhhhh

 

[BY Bob]

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.
View attachment 2497876View attachment 2497877

Given time anything can happen. He's a good rooster. The hens won't forget him. Once he is better he will get his mojo back. Keep him safe and buy him time.