Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LCG Chicken Coop]

In case someone isn't aware of this if you click on the image it will enlarge.
Cillin and his son Treacle have been scrapping. I've had roosters here for ten years and one thing I've leaned is if you have more than one they'll fight here. There is absolutely nothing one can do about it unless one is prepared to imprison one, or more. I'm not willing to do that. It doesn't resolve the problem, just postpones it. The majority of the scraps are over in seconds. They are more face saving than anything.
There is a rooster scrap here every day, sometimes more than one.
I get in between many of those I see and, in general, that's enough to put a stop to it. You get to know the regular scrappers, where and when, who most likely started it, and if you're there, the cause of it. The problems that cause the fights are pretty constant.
You also get to understand a bit about how each rooster fights. I'm interested in everything chicken and while it can be very upsetting and hard to watch at times, it's part of free range chicken life.
So, not wishing to be gratuitous, but illustrate a point these are just two pictures I took.
View attachment 2021506
So, this is the fight start posture. Notice the position of their feet. They can take a step to defense or attack. Notice each has a different foot preference. I've watched them swap foot opposite foot so their foot will meet their opponents.
There are lots of fighting styles, some peck, some turn side on for an attack like karate, some stay on the ground more than others.
What I want to make clear is this is rooster fighting rooster. They often don't do any of this when attacking a human.
View attachment 2021510
Looking at the rather blurry picture above You can see why the foot placement is important. While in the air, both roosters will try and rake his opponent with the other foot after he has pushed himself off the ground. So it's block your opponent with one foot and if you can, gain lift off him so the other foot is high enough to strike at the comb and wattles.
Both this comedians have ripped ears now. Fortunately not all the way down.
I cleaned them up and used a cyanoacylate based skin repair (super glue basically) on both of them.
I checked them both over today. This is Cillin allowing an inspection. Both are fine btw.View attachment 2021517

Those are fascinating, in addition to your descriptions. I very much enjoy your analyses of chicken life. As roosters age, I imagine it’s a bit like life in the wild—rotation out of active duty or boss status?

 

[dirkandlorie]

Gardener’s Affliction=Chicken Bounty
Warning: graphic photos of revolting insect larva
So I have two raised beds and I’m just a beginning gardener so while I’m adding compost and amendments and turning the soil I’m finding these moth larva —cabbage moth, maybe? Like three or four to every.single.spadeful of soil. I’m not terribly squeamish and I knew the chickens I tend would love them, so I threw them on top of my fermented feed, alfalfa pellets along with some greens and boy you would have thought I was the Guy Fieri of the farmyard set. The chickens loved it. But like I said, it gives some people the creeps...
And if anyone knows how to get rid of the grubs, I’d be interested! Although now maybe I should treat it as a chicken treat crop!

View attachment 2021405

These look like Japanese beetle larva to me. If so, the beetles will attack your fruit trees, roses, green beans, e tc. Good thing your chickens love them as treats!

 

[LCG Chicken Coop]

These look like Japanese beetle larva to me. If so, the beetles will attack your fruit trees, roses, green beans, e tc. Good thing your chickens love them as treats!

That’s a good call—I do have roses nearby. If only I could have the chicken treat supply without the actual beetles...

 

[RoyalChick]

Gardener’s Affliction=Chicken Bounty
Warning: graphic photos of revolting insect larva
So I have two raised beds and I’m just a beginning gardener so while I’m adding compost and amendments and turning the soil I’m finding these moth larva —cabbage moth, maybe? Like three or four to every.single.spadeful of soil. I’m not terribly squeamish and I knew the chickens I tend would love them, so I threw them on top of my fermented feed, alfalfa pellets along with some greens and boy you would have thought I was the Guy Fieri of the farmyard set. The chickens loved it. But like I said, it gives some people the creeps...
And if anyone knows how to get rid of the grubs, I’d be interested! Although now maybe I should treat it as a chicken treat crop!

View attachment 2021405

I am not 100% sure but I think they are Japanese Beetle. Nasty things that destroy a lot of shrubs including roses and hollyhocks. They also attract moles to the lawn which can totally destroy the lawn. Very yummy to chickens and they will completely clear a bed of them if you let them. I had a really bad Japanese Beetle situation and now I almost never see them. What I do is temporarily fence the chickens in a bed and let them go at it for a few hours and then move them on to the next bed.

 

[RoyalChick]

These look like Japanese beetle larva to me. If so, the beetles will attack your fruit trees, roses, green beans, e tc. Good thing your chickens love them as treats!

Oh - didn't see you already answered. Agree - get the chickens snacking on them!

 

[Ribh]

Lucky girls! Around here, the crows will destroy a lawn to get at these. I’d keep ‘em for your flock!

Yep. My girls love 'em.

 

[micstrachan]

In case someone isn't aware of this if you click on the image it will enlarge.
Cillin and his son Treacle have been scrapping. I've had roosters here for ten years and one thing I've leaned is if you have more than one they'll fight here. There is absolutely nothing one can do about it unless one is prepared to imprison one, or more. I'm not willing to do that. It doesn't resolve the problem, just postpones it. The majority of the scraps are over in seconds. They are more face saving than anything.
There is a rooster scrap here every day, sometimes more than one.
I get in between many of those I see and, in general, that's enough to put a stop to it. You get to know the regular scrappers, where and when, who most likely started it, and if you're there, the cause of it. The problems that cause the fights are pretty constant.
You also get to understand a bit about how each rooster fights. I'm interested in everything chicken and while it can be very upsetting and hard to watch at times, it's part of free range chicken life.
So, not wishing to be gratuitous, but illustrate a point these are just two pictures I took.
View attachment 2021506
So, this is the fight start posture. Notice the position of their feet. They can take a step to defense or attack. Notice each has a different foot preference. I've watched them swap foot opposite foot so their foot will meet their opponents.
There are lots of fighting styles, some peck, some turn side on for an attack like karate, some stay on the ground more than others.
What I want to make clear is this is rooster fighting rooster. They often don't do any of this when attacking a human.
View attachment 2021510
Looking at the rather blurry picture above You can see why the foot placement is important. While in the air, both roosters will try and rake his opponent with the other foot after he has pushed himself off the ground. So it's block your opponent with one foot and if you can, gain lift off him so the other foot is high enough to strike at the comb and wattles.
Both this comedians have ripped ears now. Fortunately not all the way down.
I cleaned them up and used a cyanoacylate based skin repair (super glue basically) on both of them.
I checked them both over today. This is Cillin allowing an inspection. Both are fine btw.View attachment 2021517

Crazy boys. They are beautiful. LOVE the photo with the flared hackle feathers!

 

[micstrachan]

@MaryJanet this one’s for you!

 

[Ribh]

I am not 100% sure but I think they are Japanese Beetle. Nasty things that destroy a lot of shrubs including roses and hollyhocks. They also attract moles to the lawn which can totally destroy the lawn. Very yummy to chickens and they will completely clear a bed of them if you let them. I had a really bad Japanese Beetle situation and now I almost never see them. What I do is temporarily fence the chickens in a bed and let them go at it for a few hours and then move them on to the next bed.

Round here they get called witchey grubs & some people eat them...

 

[MaryJanet]

If I see a chicken napping a lot here I have concerns about their health.
The first thing I check for is coccidia. A poop check can help.
I would give a general health check, mites, egg laying etc.
Chickens do nap, it's where and when that give health clues.

When I looked in the henhouse after dark last night, I was surprised to see two of the hens standing while sleeping. It made me think there must be mites in there. So this morning I sprayed all the wooden surfaces and tonight I'll spray the hens.