Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

and thats what i stick around for! I am a farmer and a certified poultry breeder with a stringent plan but i still appreciate pets and what theyre for and you are a great pet owner


Plus chicken tastes better when i raise it at home.

That is very kind of you to say.

 

[BY Bob]

Here are 2 photos of Pepper with her adopted "big sister" Edwina taking a break from preening
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Black chooks are hard to photograph, especially in the shade!

That just radiates sweetness.

As far as photographing black chickens, with my phone I can select the target by touching the screen and a white circle will appear. As long as I keep that circle on the black hen, the device will set the lighting and focus for me. That tends to bring out the black hen and make better pictures. I have a Samsung phone.

 

[BY Bob]

Still Friends?

Maybe we are still friends...

 

[WhoDatChick]

Wow Bob! If she’s really good to go then that didn’t take much at all!! I may try that next time if things are looking rough....

 

[BY Bob]

Wow Bob! If she’s really good to go then that didn’t take much at all!! I may try that next time if things are looking rough....

So far so good. She is back out with everyone bossing Aurora around.
That's her butt in the foreground.

 

[Kris5902]

Still pitch black out here now... but the boys are waking up slowly. They are all crowing back and forth despite the lack of sunrise. I am not letting them out until I can see what I’m doing, there are just too many bitey spiders and cow patties out there to be messing around in the dark if I don’t have to!

What everyone has said here about chickens as pets really strikes a chord with me this morning. Today will be the last feeding for my cockerels, Goose and probably one of my Barnvelder boys (I’m still conflicted in that). It will be both a relief and quite sad for me to let them go, even though I’m in a sort of grey area between pet and livestock with them. I’ve gotten attached to Goose, especially over the last several weeks since Roostie’s arrival and her relocation to the barn. She has been crated since then, and I’ve been hand feeding and watering her multiple times everyday, moving her out onto Grass and sun when the weather allows, and yes,meat chickens have personalities too. And even with the “I know they are going to be processed, I can’t keep another 13 Roosters”, they all have different personalities and characters. I like knowing my food had a happy life, but it still isn’t easy for me (and I hope it never will be) even after two years of raising meat animals.

 

[BY Bob]

Still pitch black out here now... but the boys are waking up slowly. They are all crowing back and forth despite the lack of sunrise. I am not letting them out until I can see what I’m doing, there are just too many bitey spiders and cow patties out there to be messing around in the dark if I don’t have to!

What everyone has said here about chickens as pets really strikes a chord with me this morning. Today will be the last feeding for my cockerels, Goose and probably one of my Barnvelder boys (I’m still conflicted in that). It will be both a relief and quite sad for me to let them go, even though I’m in a sort of grey area between pet and livestock with them. I’ve gotten attached to Goose, especially over the last several weeks since Roostie’s arrival and her relocation to the barn. She has been crated since then, and I’ve been hand feeding and watering her multiple times everyday, moving her out onto Grass and sun when the weather allows, and yes,meat chickens have personalities too. And even with the “I know they are going to be processed, I can’t keep another 13 Roosters”, they all have different personalities and characters. I like knowing my food had a happy life, but it still isn’t easy for me (and I hope it never will be) even after two years of raising meat animals.

@Kris5902 back when I was young and raised the meat birds I never named them. All of the "permanent" members of the flock had names. That doesn't mean I didn't notice their unique personalities and appreciate them for who they were. No one told me to not name them. I guess I just inherently knew not to get too attached. They had great lives but the end purpose was pre-ordained. I think I understand a little of what you have to deal with.

This site is great in that we're have pet owners, people only interested in eggs or meat. And those like you that find themselves in a little bit of a grey area. We all benefit from everyone's point of view.

I would say that you are an exceptional chicken steward. All you do for sick ones is beyond what someone simply interested in meat and eggs would do. You are simply amazing. Then the concern you show that they have a great life, however long it is, is inspiring.

Keep up what you are doing. The chickens in your care are truly fortunate.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Still pitch black out here now... but the boys are waking up slowly. They are all crowing back and forth despite the lack of sunrise. I am not letting them out until I can see what I’m doing, there are just too many bitey spiders and cow patties out there to be messing around in the dark if I don’t have to!

What everyone has said here about chickens as pets really strikes a chord with me this morning. Today will be the last feeding for my cockerels, Goose and probably one of my Barnvelder boys (I’m still conflicted in that). It will be both a relief and quite sad for me to let them go, even though I’m in a sort of grey area between pet and livestock with them. I’ve gotten attached to Goose, especially over the last several weeks since Roostie’s arrival and her relocation to the barn. She has been crated since then, and I’ve been hand feeding and watering her multiple times everyday, moving her out onto Grass and sun when the weather allows, and yes,meat chickens have personalities too. And even with the “I know they are going to be processed, I can’t keep another 13 Roosters”, they all have different personalities and characters. I like knowing my food had a happy life, but it still isn’t easy for me (and I hope it never will be) even after two years of raising meat animals.

i really feel for you, sorry its coming down on you. Ive grown a bit callous toward the extra boys when theyre young but i find in breeding for the sop it is more difficult. Your not sure if theyre good enough or not so they need to stay longer so you end up more attached cuz 1 in 20 Will stay. When i first started with birds ~5 years ago i would get about half way thru processing and cry and wanna put em all back together. Then id have to Force myself to eat them, so their lives didnt go to waste. First couple of times it did Not taste good. Really helped that i had done all my research like a good girl though and i knew if i was raising babies id have extra males who needed to be dealt with. That way i decided i would take this route from jump and now i know that that decision has greatly benifited me. I still post ads for them and try to find them good homes but in the end like in your case it becomes a problem for quality of life for the ones im(your) keeping and we cant have that.

 

[Kris5902]

@Kris5902 back when I was young and raised the meat birds I never named them.

I would say that you are an exceptional chicken steward. All you do for sick ones is beyond what someone simply interested in meat and eggs would do. You are simply amazing. Then the concern you show that they have a great life, however long it is, is inspiring.

Keep up what you are doing. The chickens in your care are truly fortunate.

Thanks Bob, that really means a lot to me! And @mixedUPturk I know I shouldn’t, especially with CX (even the ones I am trying to keep), get attatched, it just sort of happens. Somehow I just can’t help but name most animals somehow, even if it’s just their “number” (23 & 24 were my favorite cows in 2017/18). It was a little easier with the larger numbers and similar looking birds, but I still appreciate the value of their lives being given to sustain us. I do like being connected to my food, even if it’s sometimes a little sad for me.

 

[Ribh]

@Kris5902 back when I was young and raised the meat birds I never named them. All of the "permanent" members of the flock had names. That doesn't mean I didn't notice their unique personalities and appreciate them for who they were. No one told me to not name them. I guess I just inherently knew not to get too attached. They had great lives but the end purpose was pre-ordained. I think I understand a little of what you have to deal with.

This site is great in that we're have pet owners, people only interested in eggs or meat. And those like you that find themselves in a little bit of a grey area. We all benefit from everyone's point of view.

I would say that you are an exceptional chicken steward. All you do for sick ones is beyond what someone simply interested in meat and eggs would do. You are simply amazing. Then the concern you show that they have a great life, however long it is, is inspiring.

Keep up what you are doing. The chickens in your care are truly fortunate.

X 2 I'm a terrible woos. Back in the day [before the man had a broken back] when it was just possible we might have a small acreage I told the man I would not do animals. [yeh, I know...]. I get it. No~one wants hordes of cockerels running around or paddocks full of bulls or all rams & no ewes. I appreciate those who can not only do the culling for us wooses, but do it ethically. That is a rare & wonderful thing in this world.