Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Then she closes her eyes and purrs! Rocks-Ann wants daddy and me time), so I brought her inside (she did jump up on my lap outside. All she wants to do is snuggle. What I need to do is plan my trip to Hawaii next month. But I’m taking time with her right now.

I have 12 very spoiled chickens. They all ate steak bits, and premium canned corn (no salt) this morning. Yes they have healthy non GMO feed. And much more! I wanted to punch “that guy” who let his chickens die from the heat, but when he told me what happened, I felt sympathy for him, not anger at the time. Note: to all you great peeps on BYC, I lack greatly LACK in the sympathy department. Too many years being a . Sorry I’m even like this today.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Hubby and I went to Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens last weekend where I saw this lovely sculpture carved out of the top of a basaltic column. It's not a chicken.....
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Here is part of the view from the top of the hill.
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What a beautiful sculpture! The little bit of feet you can see, and the way the wings are held. Precious!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

The caretaker of his birds was careless! I have seen his setup . Looked like a big BBQ coop and run. He’s one of those, who says “they are only chickens “

This is sad. What's a BBQ coop and run look like?

 

[Marie2020]

I have 12 very spoiled chickens. They all ate steak bits, and premium canned corn (no salt) this morning. Yes they have healthy non GMO feed. And much more! I wanted to punch “that guy” who let his chickens die from the heat, but when he told me what happened, I felt sympathy for him, not anger at the time. Note: to all you great peeps on BYC, I lack greatly in the sympathy department. Too many years being a . Sorry I’m even like this today.

It's a shame because some that worked in your field actually went in to actually care for people. I'm guessing and hoping that you were one of the mentioned. As he said only chickens I'd think if him as a complete waste in our human life

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Bob is right - very clever indeed.

Showing and then handing them little balls were just a way to get them interested in it to start. Then they seemed to like dealing with the more firm quality of them over the mash pile! But I don't think this is original, I think I saw a video of someone on BYC who was getting an ill hen to eat that way while she was in their house!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Good morning everyone. I'm so sorry to hear of some of your troubles with your hens, especially since they are so young. I really feel for the production breeds and those that own them. I do not have production breeds but still some of my girls will give me 5 to 6 eggs a week. Henrietta lays about 8 eggs before she takes her break. Old momma hen, when she is not broody and laying lays 6 days in a row before skipping and she is close to 7 at least. Only 1 of my girls has produced a soft shelled egg, and that was Butter, and it was her 2nd ever egg. I've been thinking, my chickens have access to layer feed, for the most part they ignore it, prefer grass, bugs, whatever they find in the manure pile and for some of them snakes and minnows from the creek. What I do different them most is if I have a broody hen, I do not break her, she either hides, or I intentionally let her set. I know being broody can be hard on the hen, but if I know where she is I see to it that she has fresh water available and food. On average after the chicks hatch *not counting momma hen* they care for them 5 to 6 weeks before they are done. That is a 8 or 9 week break their body gets naturally from egg laying. I wonder if where most of us chicken keepers for many reasons break up that broody we are doing more harm then good to her body. I know many of us can't have roosters, or are at our limits so we have no choice but to break them. I feel though that the broody break, plus the normal break they take through winter and molting helps the hens in the long run in preventing reproduction problems. Now I may be completely wrong on this, but its just my train of thought.

What happens if a broody hen sits on non-fertile eggs, or fake eggs? Will she go forever like that, and never end it, because they won't hatch? Is that a potentially viable strategy for broodiness?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

My plan whenever I encounter broodiness is to let them set on some duck eggs from my friends since their duck flock has a drake. After the hen is done raising them, I'll let my friends decide whether to sell the ducklings or not.

That's interesting, but do you have a plan for their feed? Don't ducklings need more niacin, or something, that chicken feed doesn't have?

 

[RoyalChick]

Pretty soon I'm going to have to go get pictures and do a formal introduction to Squirrels hatch mate Basil. I've been watching this little guy very closely now ever since momma hen weaned him and his sister. Basil is wicked smart and very respectful. He shadows his daddy imitating everything he does. In doing so he's learned that if his daddy doesn't have to get on the roost himself and waits for me to put him up, why should he? He and Squirrel sleep beside him and while Squirrel hops up by herself, Basil waits. He sits right beside Drummie looking at me expectantly every night for his turn to be placed up. He also has just started in the last few days trying his hand at nest building. When a new nest spot is made or a old one has the hay messed up Drummie is the one to build or fix it. While Drummie does this Basil has been right there sometimes with his head in the way watching everything he does. Now he's trying his hand at it, all the while making the same noises and calls that Drummie does. Right now, Squirrel and Remi are the only 2 that pay attention to him but he's learning. I will consider myself very fortunate if he ends up being half the boy Drummie is, but so far he has been the only one who when I observe them its like watching a baby Drumstick all over again in behavior.

Oh this is a fascinating and quite lovely observation. Do tell us how it evolves and of course video of Basil imitating Drummie would be most welcome!

 

[featherhead007]

Beethov-Hen bit me when I was holding little Xzit today. Very jealous chicken, but it made me mad.

 

[featherhead007]

This is sad. What's a BBQ coop and run look like?

His property, I don’t take pictures (Privacy)