Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ValerieJ]

I could see myself popping in.

Yay! I'll tag you over there!

 

[Shadrach]

It doesn't take them long to grow up, does it?

I don't have a clue what sex they are.
Unfortunately the males are going to get eaten. Tribe 2 has two roosters already. There were three for a while but the third led a miserable life getting chased off by the other two.
With Knock's chicks if half are male I can and the tribe can cope for a while. 3 females and a male would be ideal.
It's unfortunate that without building new coops 8 roosters is all I can house. I'm not prepared to lock in a rooster flock.

 

[Ribh]

I don't have a clue what sex they are.
Unfortunately the males are going to get eaten. Tribe 2 has two roosters already. There were three for a while but the third led a miserable life getting chased off by the other two.
With Knock's chicks if half are male I can and the tribe can cope for a while. 3 females and a male would be ideal.
It's unfortunate that without building new coops 8 roosters is all I can house. I'm not prepared to lock in a rooster flock.

This is where I come unstuck on roosters. Why should they die for the misfortune of being born male? I do get it. After a certain number they are pretty useless & in the wild they would probably do for each other anyway. All they want is a happy, accommodating harem...

 

[ValerieJ]

This is where I come unstuck on roosters. Why should they die for the misfortune of being born male? I do get it. After a certain number they are pretty useless & in the wild they would probably do for each other anyway. All they want is a happy, accommodating harem...

If only there were enough hens to go around!!! ☹ I've decided I'm keeping a bachelor pad when that happens to me. I have the space, and don't mind keeping them "caged" up as long as they have plenty of space to be happy!

 

[Ribh]

If only there were enough hens to go around!!! ☹ I've decided I'm keeping a bachelor pad when that happens to me. I have the space, and don't mind keeping them "caged" up as long as they have plenty of space to be happy!

See I can't do that. Technically I do have the acreage to do that. Realistically I don't have the space. I do have my neighbours to consider ~ all of whom are not in favour of a rooster, let alone a whole bachelor pad! The perinial cry of the backyard chicken keeper: I need more land!

 

[Shadrach]

This is where I come unstuck on roosters. Why should they die for the misfortune of being born male? I do get it. After a certain number they are pretty useless & in the wild they would probably do for each other anyway. All they want is a happy, accommodating harem...

I had to agree to a chicken limit here of 30. I am trying a sub flock with Tribe 1 atm. Coop space is the problem. With enough coops I could have a ratio of 1:2 without too many problems with rooster trying to kill each other. 1:1 which is the 'natural' arrangement is way out of my funding unless they live in the trees. I'm okay with that, the others here aren't.
I've had roosters in the trees a few times here and the early morning crowing doesn't bother me.

 

[micstrachan]

I’ve been a bit hesitant in sharing this, given that we are from all walks of life and at least a couple of generations, but in light of poor Malificent’s demise, I thought I would. I’m not suggesting anyone else go out and do the same, only that it was right for me.

I mentioned a while ago I got a book for Christmas on chickens and there was a lady in there who lost her previous girls to a fox. To commemorate them, she got a tattoo of five feathers on the inside of her upper arm. It was a beautiful tattoo and I thought it was a lovely way to remember them. I have never had tattoos, although all my younger siblings do. I have been going through some stuff recently (mentally) and felt the need to do something radically different (for me, anyway). I have kept some of Bessie’s feathers and went and found two Isa Brown ones. I went and got my own tattoo done, to commemorate Emily, Penny and Bessie. Now my dilemma is; do I get a feather for each of my girls when they pass (in which case I may end up with so many feathers I’ll be able to fly ), or do I just get a feather for each breed? Or are the three feathers enough for everyone? I suspect they might be.

This is my commemoration for my girls who flocked their way into my heart.

View attachment 2010898

This is beautiful!

 

[Ribh]

I had to agree to a chicken limit here of 30. I am trying a sub flock with Tribe 1 atm. Coop space is the problem. With enough coops I could have a ratio of 1:2 without too many problems with rooster trying to kill each other. 1:1 which is the 'natural' arrangement is way out of my funding unless they live in the trees. I'm okay with that, the others here aren't.
I've had roosters in the trees a few times here and the early morning crowing doesn't bother me.

I like a rooster's crowing. Sadly not everyone appreciates their early morning greetings.

 

[ValerieJ]

See I can't do that. Technically I do have the acreage to do that. Realistically I don't have the space. I do have my neighbours to consider ~ all of whom are not in favour of a rooster, let alone a whole bachelor pad! The perinial cry of the backyard chicken keeper: I need more land!

I totally understand that. I do have neighbors here too, and it they complain to me I'll accommodate them. That probably wont happen though. This is a pretty rural area. If the two I have aren't driving them crazy, I think I'll be okay.

 

[Ribh]

I had to agree to a chicken limit here of 30.

I am aiming for about 1/2 that number. Another month or so, as we head into cooler weather, I'll be looking to get another few POLs. My older girls have now passed the 2yr mark, though still laying well, & I want to keep egg production relatively high. Hopefully it will then stabalise for a few years until the older girls start passing on.