Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

I could make it work if I had to, I have a old dog house plus dog crates that can be modified. Technically if the potential chicks grow at the rate Branch and Poppy did, they would be good with a couple chicks in my current brooder set-up for at least 4 weeks, if not longer. It is workable brooding them myself and I enjoy raising chicks. But lets be honest, by 3 to 4 weeks when you are brooding yourself you are ready to kick the poop machines outside. Yup, if I want chicks Chiquita needs to get her act together. If she is comfortable enough to quickly adjust to a new home and begin laying within her first week, hopefully she'll be comfortable enough to go broody.

Let's hope she goes broody! But my little poop-machines were dearly missed when they were old enough to go out fulltime. They were heating-pad brooded so were with the natural day-night cycles, and just off the bedroom. I loved waking up to their quiet peeps as they talked to each other and the sounds of eating and pecking and scrambling!

 

[featherhead007]

They do I agree, but, a person can only have so many personal roos before chaos reigns and the crowing becomes annoying. I personally love the boys crowing, but, I do not love it when they decide to not eventually shut up. The nasty weather this past week has made for some bored chickens, so the boys are crowing non stop. It warmed up the past 2 days to melt everything and allow exploring only to have the next snow system move in tonight.

I have only one rooster. My neighbor right next door has seven. Of all the roosters around here, Jaffar (my rooster) is the calmest, most careful of his hens and loves his “Chicken Daddy “ too!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I have only one rooster. My neighbor right next door has seven. Of all the roosters around here, Jaffar (my rooster) is the calmest, most careful of his hens and loves his “Chicken Daddy “ too!

My boys are normally quite, most of the time. But when you refuse to walk in the snow, and limit yourself to the horses stalls, they get bored. Ok, mostly Branch got bored and crowed his fool head off. I solved that by bringing him in for tv time. Honestly I think he is a spoiled brat who wanted nothing to do with the snow. I cannot blame him, snuggle time on his warmed towel watching tv is far more entertaining.

 

[featherhead007]

I have been working outside all afternoon today. All the chickens were helping me weed out the yard. Lots of fun for all, but I sure missed Beetov-Hen not being out there with us. (I really miss her)

 

[featherhead007]

My boys are normally quite, most of the time. But when you refuse to walk in the snow, and limit yourself to the horses stalls, they get bored. Ok, mostly Branch got bored and crowed his fool head off. I solved that by bringing him in for tv time. Honestly I think he is a spoiled brat who wanted nothing to do with the snow. I cannot blame him, snuggle time on his warmed towel watching tv is far more entertaining.

Jaffar gets plenty of TV time with me too! And actually it’s TV night tonight

 

[Ponypoor]

I have been working outside all afternoon today. All the chickens were helping me weed out the yard. Lots of fun for all, but I sure missed Beetov-Hen not being out there with us. (I really miss her) View attachment 2966148

Awww such a lovely gal, I am sure u miss her greatly.

 

[featherhead007]

Jaffar decided not to come inside with me tonight. He refused to hop on my arm. I never force my birds to go anywhere with me, unless it’s for checking on their health. But Arizona is inside with me, she’s too stubborn to stay in the coop with the others. She’s probably asleep in the chickens room already. (I will ask Jaffar again in a few minutes)

 

[BY Bob]

So silkie egg number 2 was just laid. I happened to be walking by and peeked in on the girls and saw Chiquita lay it. I'm going to assume the first egg was hers also. Now the agonizing part. Do I or do I not save up a few and incubate them. If I incubate them and they hatch I will have to take into consideration the miserable February and March weather we could get. I cannot predict how it will be that far out, but it has already been colder this year then last and we've had more snow as well. I do have my new Christmas present the brooder plate here and ready to go, so I will not have to worry about using a heat lamp. If I just hatch silkies, they will not grow as fast as my previous chicks so if I limit myself to 5 or 6 eggs, they wont outgrow their indoor brooder as quickly. The practical side of me is saying wait, but, these are Chiquita's eggs, and when I picked her up she was housed with her previous owners Buff and White silkie males. Assuming they are fertile, this could be my only shot with her to hatch out the greatest chance for Buff chicks. When she is put with Branch, odds are her chicks will be black. What to do, what to do. Help fluffy butt friends.

Hatch and keep inside of course. Duh.

 

[BY Bob]

Come over and mow my yard anytime my friend!

I would love to do so. You are so far away though.

 

[BY Bob]

I read that embryos in fertile eggs start developing immediately! Honestly, people write utter nonsense on the internet.

How long can a fertile egg wait for?

Way longer than you think. Hatchability holds reasonably well up to seven days, but declines rapidly afterward. After about 21 days, hatchability drops to almost zero.