Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Very sorry, but none of the chickens want their fluffy butt picture taken today.

Here too, it was a bit of a inside day with rain on and off all day, daring out to take care of mammas and all sorts of fun with aggressive geese. Now, they may join my flock, but only if they stop attacking me and the girls, and stop arguing with Sammy. They can keep chasing the sausage cockerels all they want, but we need to establish some better boundaries

 

[Kris5902]

I have a serious question for those of you who have multiple boys and let the hens hatch chicks. Do you think the rooster know which chicks are their own offspring? For that matter I wonder if hens know as well if another hen hatches one of her eggs. I started pondering this when Baby was raising her adopted babies. Butter took serious interest in one of the white chicks. At times I felt she was threatening to steal it. I moved Bunny and her 2 chicks out to the coop this afternoon. Branch who has been good with the chicks already this season is obsessed with Twig. He is ignoring the other chick and is constantly tid bitting and trying to feed it outside the pen. I'm going to keep Bunny and the babies separate for a few days. I'm really curious to see how Branch behaves once I let them outside, but I swear he knows that Twig is his baby.

Yes! Thank you I’m not crazy… or at least not for thinking this too. Sammy is a great Dad and he and Dean are about equal in the Rooster Hierarchy here… Sammy will parent “his” hens chicks regardless of what they look like, and will adopt any chicks. Dean however doesn’t generally give a hoot about chicks, however once his boys started to show clear signs of their parentage he started to favour them, breaking up “discussions” between his boys and other cockerels by driving away the other boy, not his, tolerating his sons mating hens but stopping other boys if they try. Of course there are ohysical similarities between him and his boys, so it could also be the whole racist chicken thing as well… and not actual parental preference, but more based upon just the physical appearance similarities.

 

[Kris5902]

Rats! I should've got married when I had the chance! i guess the neighbour can fill in if needs are desperate, otherwise they're weighed twice a year at their checkups

But how do you manage without a “here, hold this chicken” guy??? have you recruited a local small human? They are less proficient, but so sometimes work with more tractable hens

 

[fuentemoon]

A late peek at a fluffy butt

 

[LozzyR]

Managing to hang on at 60+ pages behind....

Me too, we’re probably up to the same posts!

 

[BY Bob]

Recent pics of one of my Roos and his ladies, for Taxes for all my recent ant and wine talk:
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P.S. Yes, my Roos have had a few 'discussions' with each other these past few months...esp. the younger ones @ 1 yr. old....feeling their oats the young'uns are! They are starting to settle down more now...hopefully next year there will be less 'discussion' and more 'protecting the girls from predators' action! The first pic of the Roo shows some comb & wattle 'discussion' results.

Love those stripes!

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks that was interesting, my chickens haven't been exposed to ants yet... Last year it was tent caterpillars which freaked them out and they wouldn't eat.

Japanese Beetles though were a huge hit!!!

I actually have a little bug catching machine that I will turn on for them during beetle season. Tons of free protein for them. They love The Beetles!

 

[RoyalChick]

Haha! That’s the best! Go get Meanie Minnie, Bernadette!

It is Dotty who is the aggressor. She attacked Minnie’s (and my) feet and then gets spooked by Bernadette.

 

[BY Bob]

Coco said “Dad says I’m beautiful!”
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Tell her I agree!

 

[BY Bob]

Hello everyone. This has been a busy and stressful week and I am over 100 pages behind. I marked where I left off and will go back and catch up but I wanted to share 2 things with you.

First off, she did it, my baby girl is now in high school. I did not think we would survive as she came down with a ear infection and sinus infection Sunday with so many pre grad activities left. Thankfully we pulled through and she is on the mend. Nerves was also getting to her as she and 3 of her classmates had to do the pledge during the ceremony. There were 63 students in her graduating class and she was 1 of 8 with a 4.0. I've told her besides taking care of her horse, she has the whole summer to relax and enjoy herself, she's earned it.
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Next, Bunny is a momma again. 2 of her 3 eggs hatched yesterday afternoon. I also got a shock when I was checking the chicks. I would have swore to you all that Branch was not able to breed the big girls. He tries but always falls off unsuccessfully or they girls shake him off and chase him. Well, I was wrong, and to Rosie's delight he got lucky once and we have a "Twig". No mistaken it is a Branch baby as it has the 5 silkie toes. The other chick is a full Marans and a Holly baby. Due to her history, and what I'm seeing, I'm taking a chance and calling it a boy.
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Twig is in front and a very suspicious boy looking Maran in the back.
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Wonderful news all around. Congratulations to you, your daughter, Bunny, and of course, Branch the acrobat!