Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Lovely picture Bob.

Thank you. She is a lovely subject.

 

[BY Bob]

With regard to roosting behaviour. All that aggressive pecking does not happen when they roost in trees from what I've seen here.
I believe some of it has to do with light levels. When they roost in the trees here it is at the start of dusk. When they roost in the coops it's towards the end of dusk.
Watching them go into the coops. it's quite apparent the the transition from relatively good light to bad light makes them hesitant to venture in. Once it has got dark (bear in mind there is very little light in the coops here) there isn't any of that pecking.
This is partly why the juniors tend to go in as late as possible; they don't get pecked at.

Except for some reason Phyllis goes first, it used to be Lilly and Aurora goes last.

It is quite dark out when Aurora roosts.

 

[ValerieJ]

Lilly is Doing Better Today

She's moving a little better. Check it out.

That's great news!

 

[BY Bob]

With regard to roosting behaviour. All that aggressive pecking does not happen when they roost in trees from what I've seen here.
I believe some of it has to do with light levels. When they roost in the trees here it is at the start of dusk. When they roost in the coops it's towards the end of dusk.
Watching them go into the coops. it's quite apparent the the transition from relatively good light to bad light makes them hesitant to venture in. Once it has got dark (bear in mind there is very little light in the coops here) there isn't any of that pecking.
This is partly why the juniors tend to go in as late as possible; they don't get pecked at.

Maybe I should put in a skylight?

 

[Shadrach]

For some unknown reason Mel has taken to getting onto the window ledge and looking in through the window. The door is open.

 

[Shadrach]

Except for some reason Phyllis goes first, it used to be Lilly and Aurora goes last.

It is quite dark out when Aurora roosts.

Here it's not who goes in first, it's who stays in.
Myth will try and go into the coop before Knock but knock will drive her out when she goes in.
Similar with chicks after mum is finished caring for them. They'll try and go in early as they would have done with mum but get thrown out when the adults go to roost.
It's not an absolute rule, but most evenings it's what I see here.

 

[MaryJanet]

26 Weeks

@MaryJanet Sansa was just over 26 weeks old on Tuesday when I confirmed that she laid an egg. I checked the spreadsheet this morning.

Thanks Bob

 

[LozzyR]

Lilly is Doing Better Today

She's moving a little better. Check it out.

That looks much better! She’s putting weight on it, which is great.

 

[goldenfingers]

The snow has melted a bit so I'm out with the girls. They are very happy to be out in the yard. This is Ginger.

 

[LozzyR]

It's very difficult to tell.
Rightly or wrongly I go by how much the close their number two eyelid (the opaque one)
When Blue Spot was dying she spent a lot of time with those eyelids shut resting as the tribe moved around her. I probably should have killed her sooner but it's hard after ten years of friendship.

Bizarrely, Chickie seems a lot more animated today! She’s moving quicker, seems more interested in things, I even saw her having a peck at the commercial feed! I gave her a breakfast of shredded cheese, blueberries, grapes and rockmelon cut up and some oats. She ate most of it. If she seems more normal today I will cancel my appointment with Dr Nikki tomorrow morning.