Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

This is what I struggle with right now. Do I at some point lock them in together for a week? Do I try to force Phyllis to reset her coop?

I'd really prefer that she roosted in The Hut, where she can be boss hen. The only way I know to try and make that happen would be to force the issue. I did not want to force anything. I thought after 3 or 4 nights of waking up together a new home base might be set but it did not happen.

I could go back to moving her in every night regardless of where Phyllis roosts........

Gosh, Bob. This is a tough situation. I just don’t know. Are the bigs still being mean to Phyllis? I do sort of agree that you need to decide and go with it. Even if that decision means letting Phyllis decide. I wish I could say what I would do in your shoes, but I just don’t know. I suspect I’d lean toward letting Phyllis decide, which isn’t that helpful.

 

[micstrachan]

I would also be clueless on how to handle that. That is some different behavior.

No clue hear, either, as I’ve never had a rooster. I think I’d defer to Shad here. I can’t even predict what he’ll say!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It is sad. I hope I didn’t offend anyone by posting it. I was so impressed with the hens standing together, which is why I posted it. I thought it demonstrated more complex socialization; a coordinated effort to protect each other. Smart birds!

The chickens defending each other was very interesting. I was just on tenterhooks while the cat had hold of the chook and annoyed with the cameraperson for not rescuing them!

 

[micstrachan]

Very good thoughts and things for me to consider thoughtfully. Thanks.

Honestly, Bob, I worry about Phyllis being an outsider in both groups, too. I’m not sure what the best way to handle it is. I will say this: Sometimes Ruby seemed to choose/like to hang out with the lower ranked hens. In hindsight, I have to wonder if it was because she felt lousy or vulnerable. Maybe hanging with subordinates gave her confidence. Her issue was obviously physical, and not necessarily social. I never saw anyone else pick on her except Roxy, and only ONCE did Bridge attack her when she was unwell. I just have to wonder, in a social situation, might Phyllis choose to hang with the babies for similar reasons? (not that I actually know what Ruby’s reasons were). I’m still leaning toward letting her decide.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I am indeed vacillating. It has never been my way to impose my will on them.

However, it does appear that I may need to in this case. Or at least push it along.

What action to take? I need to think on this. How many nights in the Cluckle Hut would be needed before Phyllis switches her roosting place. That is probably where I need to start.

Think of it as letting them know what you want so they can please you rather than imposing your will. Kind of like obedience training with dogs.
It is for their own good in the long run.

 

[micstrachan]

Yes I saw that, sorry I didn't quote it. Are your cats' play-fights really this intense to start? Though Eowyn is new to your house, that may influence things. The expression on this cat I've not seen in ordinary play-fights in my experience, I've never had housecats look quite so mean! That really fierce look was always reserved for intruding cats.

Hmm… interesting!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

This is Lima. She's has a defomed throat and possibly trachea. I don't think she has gapeworm. I can feel the deformation. What this seems to mean in her case is she won't eat anything much larger than 2mm diameter. She's my favourite hen.
For such a frail little thing she's super fiesty and I have no idea why, but the others, bar two, do not bother her. She's mostly on her own, or with Henry who seems to look out for her. I've watched her fight one of the other hens that do try to bully her.
We made her some quinoa soup and she ate/drank this with great enthusiasm. If I mash rather than break walnuts she'll eat that as well. She desperately needs some high carb and protein food. She's a bag of bones and moulting and regrowing feather damage I assume she got when at the battery. She forages and eats grass tips, tiny bugs and I've seen her eat a few rather thin worms. I sat her on my lap this afternoon and had an exploratory feel along her throat, her crop and gizzard. Somehow she has filled her crop. I'm going to try her on a chick feed mash.
View attachment 2867008View attachment 2867010View attachment 2867011View attachment 2867014

Poor thing. She looks kind of miserable with her half closed eyes, hunched shoulders and moulting on top of that!
I'm glad she has you to look after her and build her up. I hope she likes your special offerings.

 

[micstrachan]

I got some pictures and did some research.
Wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta) is this stuff in the first two pictures that's around here. It's tangy and tasty and we ate it as kids but this isn't what we called sourgrass, although some people call it that. The seed heads, shaped like okra pods, pop open when they're ready, scattering out the sticky little seeds. It grows well in part shade, I'm weeding it out all the time in the garden, it loves being under other things. I've never come across tubers but I'll investigate more. Research is preliminary but I didn't find any reference yet to edible tubers with Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta). ("They may form colonies arising from slender but tough underground stems (rhizomes), but more often are individual, seed-grown plants." https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/common-yellow-woodsorrel-oxalis-stricta/ ) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/oxalis-stricta/

View attachment 2867070

View attachment 2867068

I also found what we used to call sourgrass as kids, and someone told me years ago this was sorrel. This below is called Red Sorrel, or Common Sheep Sorrel (Rumes acetosella). It has tall thin spiky red-flower stems. It is not in the oxalis group but does have oxalic acid in it. The arrow-shaped leaves are very tasty. Larger cultivated kinds are made into sorrel soup. The only ones I could find today are growing on big gravel, making it hard to dig, but I'll keep looking.
It has "creeping rhizome roots" https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rumex-acetosella/.
https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/rumace/all.html
What the chickens found were individual tubers/bulbs, not rhizomes on roots.

View attachment 2867078

I am doubting that what the chickens were eating is either of these. But I don't really know. Best to try to find and grow some tubers like @rural mouse? or @fuentemoon? suggested!

Wow, your Oxalis Stricta looks much like my Oxalis, except here, the flower stems get long. It’s the sour flower stems we used to chew on as kids (sour grass). I think what we have is Oxalis pes-caprae, but I’m not totally sure.

 

[micstrachan]

Yes. I thought the comparison between the two Australorps might give everyone something to think about because it's so stark.

It is stark!

 

[micstrachan]

Belle update.
She’s breaking my heart! Put her on a roost last night, got her out of the nest box this morning and shut off the coop.
Just had to open it for Snow to lay and then of course…
View attachment 2867191


My poor baby girl, I feel so dreadful. I’ve left her in there until Snow is finished then I’ll collect the egg and get her out again.
She sat up on my shoulder for a bit prior to this when I squatted in the run to chat, I told her I’m sorry but she just can’t be a mumma right now

I’m sorry. I had to do this with Little Mill. It’s heartbreaking and feels unnatural to break them, but sometimes it must be done. And for the record, she wanted to kill the chicks I broke down and got her. Point being, don’t feel too bad; she may not have made a good mother, anyway!