Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

Maturity

Based upon comb color and physical size of the New Girls I figured they were not quite mature. Probably several weeks to go. I mean look at Sydney's comb. It's not exactly red and she is still smaller than Lilly.

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This is despite the fact that she is nearly 25 weeks old.

Yesterday, Sansa squatted for me. A sure sign she is getting older. (They are the same age). No one had inspected nesting sites that I have seen. I had no heads up so what happened this morning shocked me.

What happened when Farmer Bob let them out at 0 dark thirty this morning? Only 5 hens emerged to free range.

Sydney was missing.

A search immediately ensued. Let ne zoom out on the above photo.

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So thought, OK, she's getting warmed up. I need to get the prefab out of the run today anyway. Isn't that cute. So I let her be and started catching up on all of the posts here from overnight.

While I was still doing that, you all were very busy last night, I hear the escort call.

I am still thinking how cute. She is practicing.

It was no practice!

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I actually took a photo of her nest assuming it was empty. It was only when I looked at the photo that I realized she had laid a tiny egg.

I am stunned!

They grow up so fast!

But woohoo! More eggs!

That's wonderful!

 

[micstrachan]

OK, I swear I’m going to catch up on all the other awesome posts… But right now I’m chicken supervising on my second glass of wine. LOL!

So in the second level of the coop, the girls on the lower roosts, that’s Millie and Ruby, kept getting poop on their feathers. So I finally broke down and re-did the roosts. Let’s see how they do at bedtime tonight. I hope they can figure out how to rearrange themselves. This is where Coop Cam would come in super handy!

 

[BY Bob]

Integration Complete

The new girls entered the big coop of their own accord tonight, Integration is officially complete. I did not need to intervene at all.

Lilly went to roost first. Then Phyllis started running around telling the other Newbies it was time to go to bad. However they were having none of it. So Phyllis went in with Lilly alone. No pecking occurred and the two of the were roosted comfortably.

The problem was she beat Hattie to the roost. Hattie's step is at the far end of the roost. I now know that I must move it to the middle. Unfortunately tonight it was not. Hattie got and Phyllis was in her way to her spot.

It was complete chaos after this. Hattie went off on Phyllis. Even standing on her tail on the roost at one point. I cant even describe the pecking that started. It was so bad at one point that Aurora left the coop as Hattie was after her as well.

If Phyllis is not going to get on the high roost I am not sure how I am going to help her.

Sydney went in got on the extension of the main roost and hopped up on the high roost. No problem.

Sansa tried to go all the way to the high roost form the main roost bar, not the extension. She did not make it. In the end, Hattie, Phyllis and Sansa all wound up together at the far end of the roost.

Here are the final positions.

The roosting itself needs work but everyone knows where to go with no crying tonight. I will work on trying to improve the roost itself to facilitate more peaceful roosting. I am considering putting a divider on the roost itself to break up the long run and make it harder for them to go back and forth. Certainly moving Hattie's step will help a lot as well.

Good new, the Big Coop is home for everyone! I'll take that.

 

[BY Bob]

I’m on a roll!

More videos. I love them.

 

[LozzyR]

She looks like she has a fur stole around her neck. She is really pretty!

Don't you just love pullet eggs? I use those to boil for Queen Victoria right now. Just the right size for her. I'm still having trouble getting her to eat much. Going to try making a mash today. She eats the berries that contain her antibiotic and she'll eat a little egg, but is not eating much of her crumbles. She needs that nutrition, so I need to figure something out for her. Happy to report she is perky and talkative. Good signs of recovery!

Chickie's not eating her layer feed either. I need to see what I can give her that's nutritious and will keep her healthy. Might have to hit @Shadrach up for his 'de-treeing' snack again!

 

[micstrachan]

 

[micstrachan]

Integration Complete

The new girls entered the big coop of their own accord tonight, Integration is officially complete. I did not need to intervene at all.

Lilly went to roost first. Then Phyllis started running around telling the other Newbies it was time to go to bad. However they were having none of it. So Phyllis went in with Lilly alone. No pecking occurred and the two of the were roosted comfortably.

View attachment 2046376

The problem was she beat Hattie to the roost. Hattie's step is at the far end of the roost. I now know that I must move it to the middle. Unfortunately tonight it was not. Hattie got and Phyllis was in her way to her spot.

It was complete chaos after this. Hattie went off on Phyllis. Even standing on her tail on the roost at one point. I cant even describe the pecking that started. It was so bad at one point that Aurora left the coop as Hattie was after her as well.

If Phyllis is not going to get on the high roost I am not sure how I am going to help her.

Sydney went in got on the extension of the main roost and hopped up on the high roost. No problem.

Sansa tried to go all the way to the high roost form the main roost bar, not the extension. She did not make it. In the end, Hattie, Phyllis and Sansa all wound up together at the far end of the roost.

Here are the final positions.

View attachment 2046385

The roosting itself needs work but everyone knows where to go with no crying tonight. I will work on trying to improve the roost itself to facilitate more peaceful roosting. I am considering putting a divider on the roost itself to break up the long run and make it harder for them to go back and forth. Certainly moving Hattie's step will help a lot as well.

Good new, the Big Coop is home for everyone! I'll take that.

Holy drama. LOL!
But in all seriousness, congrats on complete integration!

 

[BY Bob]

Is that a leghorn in a tree? How did that happen? I don't get it?

 

[micstrachan]

Is that a leghorn in a tree? How did that happen? I don't get it?

LOL! Right???

 

[LozzyR]

I think I've read everyone's posts. Apologies if I skipped something, it wasn't on purpose. I got all mixed up

I know, they're going off today! Have to refresh the page every time I post!