Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Aussie-Chookmum]

The way I check the bottoms of their feet is by holding them like a football with their face under my armpit. I grasp their legs with the hand on the arm holding the football, leaving my other arm free to inspect feet, part feathers, trim, etc.

This is how I ended up by accident with Hazel when I got her to wash her fluffy butt. She's much more flighty than Butters (who got washed first). I had her in a forward facing hand scooped under her position with my other arm over her, and Hazel would not settle, and walking toward the house we were suddenly doing a scramble of my hands, her chicken legs and wings, and then she ended up there and immediately stopped struggling, though she probably got hot & tired. I wasn't clamping her much though I had a firm grip on her legs, supporting her with that arm. She fit my body really well that way.

So, are they being held upside down in this position?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Major progress with Blueberry and roosting last night. For the first time she came around back on her own to the roost instead of trying to sleep on the porch. I've had to bring her from the porch to the roost every night since her siblings left. She also came to bed at a respectable 8:45 while there was plenty of daylight left and was one of the first ones up. Normally I'm having to track her down about 9:30 when everybody else is already in bed. Here she is roosting next to Raven with Creamy and Pumpkin underneath them. Butter is doing her job staying between them and Bunny so no pecking can occur.

 

[BY Bob]

Have a wonderful Friday everyone.
Here is Dotty with her silly fluff.

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I feel like in a few months my Friday bums might be dominated by a certain white bum. Your roadrunners have amazing bums.

 

[BY Bob]

Major progress with Blueberry and roosting last night. For the first time she came around back on her own to the roost instead of trying to sleep on the porch. I've had to bring her from the porch to the roost every night since her siblings left. She also came to bed at a respectable 8:45 while there was plenty of daylight left and was one of the first ones up. Normally I'm having to track her down about 9:30 when everybody else is already in bed. Here she is roosting next to Raven with Creamy and Pumpkin underneath them. Butter is doing her job staying between them and Bunny so no pecking can occur.
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Nice Friday bums as well!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Desperate to get to that Nesting Box. It is that much better.

I could not let Phyllis go any longer. She was not coming off of the nest at all. I find it scary right now so I will intervene.

I'm glad you did, she obviously needed the break. Perhaps she didn't realize that she can get off the nest occasionally because she's new to nesting?

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

If only I could "hypnotize" my girls to give them a check up.

 

[BY Bob]

Happy Friday

From Sansa's special bum.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm glad you did, she obviously needed the break. Perhaps she didn't realize that she can get off the nest occasionally because she's new to nesting?

That's what I think. I'm about to pull her off again this morning.

 

[BY Bob]

If only I could "hypnotize" my girls to give them a check up.

I have seen this before. When I was young and we were butchering the meat birds I would hold the rooster while my Dad would draw a line across the stump we were using with the axe. The rooster would relax and not move while my Dad did the deed.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Do new hens start out laying smaller eggs than regular "medium, or large "? Does ANYBODY know the answer? My five new BR's are laying now (but are the same size as my five year old "Rocks-Ann" but their eggs are small?

That's how it happened with my girls.

August 2019
You can see from the photo how much smaller Alice and Edwina's eggs were compared to Tsuki and Deana's when the youngsters first started laying at about 6 months old.