Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Walking up the sheep field track this afternoon I see these two having a bath. This is a very dangerous spot. You can just see past the dogs and accross the field the bottom edge of the West ridge. This is where the Goshawk sits watching the field below and of course the bank opposite where the hens are bathing. I'm about to climb down and move them when I see Cillin standing guard.
View attachment 2001552
Why is he standing so far away I wondered.View attachment 2001553
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Walking a bit further I understood his problem. There are two bath sites!View attachment 2001555
Cillin shouting. View attachment 2001556
Along comes Treacle who tries to herd the hens out of the bath. View attachment 2001557
Cillin moves to the other bath and herds the hens out of that one. View attachment 2001558
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You can see from the pictures that the bank is quite steep and there are lots of trip hazards. Get it wrong and you roll on to the track at the bottom of the bank. Needless to say I've done the full journey.

This series of photos is so interesting. I love seeing the roosters do their job like this. Thanks so much for posting this series. I have deep respect for roosters and what they do for their hens and just enjoy seeing examples of them being their best.

 

[Shadrach]

This series of photos is so interesting. I love seeing the roosters do their job like this. Thanks so much for posting this series. I have deep respect for roosters and what they do for their hens and just enjoy seeing examples of them being their best.

I think part of the problem perception of roosters on this forum in particular, is when they are kept in a coop and run they can't show what they can do and do do day in and day out. I'm constantly amazed at how hard some of them work, especially when the hes are laying. It also gives a much better understanding of why the professional chicken tenders keep trios and quads. A single rooster just cannot look after any more properly. Many here will just not believe this but a little while spent observing roosters with larger female groups compared to a trio should show anyone why 3 hens is the magic number.
I get incredibly annoyed when the 'educators' here write complete nonsense regarding rooster behaviour and rooster to hen ratios. I find it impossible to believe they've ever seen a free range flock in action.

 

[MaryJanet]

This series of photos is so interesting. I love seeing the roosters do their job like this. Thanks so much for posting this series. I have deep respect for roosters and what they do for their hens and just enjoy seeing examples of them being their best.

That's a good point, I focussed on the intelligence and collaboration without really thinking "roosters being roosters" but then I have no rooster experience at all. @Shadrach, are the hens frequently split up for bathing? Is it something the roosters have adapted to or was this a one time event?

 

[Shadrach]

That's a good point, I focussed on the intelligence and collaboration without really thinking "roosters being roosters" but then I have no rooster experience at all. @Shadrach, are the hens frequently split up for bathing? Is it something the roosters have adapted to or was this a one time event?

They usually bathe as a group. I don't know why they split this time.

 

[BY Bob]

That's a good point, I focussed on the intelligence and collaboration without really thinking "roosters being roosters" but then I have no rooster experience at all. @Shadrach, are the hens frequently split up for bathing? Is it something the roosters have adapted to or was this a one time event?

I was thinking of poor Treacle the other day.

Take me to go lay somewhere.
I want to lay here.
Nope, come get me. Take me somewhere else.
I'm going to lay here.
Nope, come get me.

I know the phrase hen pecked does not actually come from this but it sure felt like it. He was very understanding.

Maybe was getting the old "hen-a-round"!

Hens can be real Divas!

 

[Shadrach]

I was thinking of poor Treacle the other day.

Take me to go lay somewhere.
I want to lay here.
Nope, come get me. Take me somewhere else.
I'm going to lay here.
Nope, come get me.

I know the phrase hen pecked does not actually come from this but it sure felt like it. He was very understanding.

Maybe was getting the old "hen-a-round"!

Hens can be real Divas!

It's funny how misused the term hen pecked is. Cillin was hen pecked by Ruffles. She was constantly tidying him up. You could almost hear her saying 'you can't go out with that spot on your comb and your ears need cleaning. Let me just adjust those feathers around your neck' etc, He loved it.

 

[MaryJanet]

I was thinking of poor Treacle the other day.

Take me to go lay somewhere.
I want to lay here.
Nope, come get me. Take me somewhere else.
I'm going to lay here.
Nope, come get me.

I know the phrase hen pecked does not actually come from this but it sure felt like it. He was very understanding.

Maybe was getting the old "hen-a-round"!

Hens can be real Divas!

Poor guy really had his work cut out for him! Just as well he has a deputy.

 

[MaryJanet]

It's funny how misused the term hen pecked is. Cillin was hen pecked by Ruffles. She was constantly tidying him up. You could almost hear her saying 'you can't go out with that spot on your comb and your ears need cleaning. Let me just adjust those feathers around your neck' etc, He loved it.

That's such a lovely image.

 

[Shadrach]

That's such a lovely image.

She really was like that. Ruffles liked her men. I don't think if it had just been down to Fat Bird Tribe 1 would have had another rooster after Major died.

 

[MaryJanet]

I think part of the problem perception of roosters on this forum in particular, is when they are kept in a coop and run they can't show what they can do and do do day in and day out. I'm constantly amazed at how hard some of them work, especially when the hes are laying. It also gives a much better understanding of why the professional chicken tenders keep trios and quads. A single rooster just cannot look after any more properly. Many here will just not believe this but a little while spent observing roosters with larger female groups compared to a trio should show anyone why 3 hens is the magic number.
I get incredibly annoyed when the 'educators' here write complete nonsense regarding rooster behaviour and rooster to hen ratios. I find it impossible to believe they've ever seen a free range flock in action.

@Shadrach you might be interested to know there's a class called breeding trio at the big agricultural show where I live. So perhaps some of that wisdom is retained?

One of the highlights of my year is looking at all the different chickens at the show