Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

This is why I buy eggs at the store in the winter. I will not provide supplemental light in order to keep them laying. I feel they need the break. Let them lay as nature intended.

Although, I would kill for a good egg right now. I'm tired of store bought eggs with their icky yellow yolks.

 

[LozzyR]

There was what looked like egg innards in the henhouse this morning where Chickie had been sleeping. I don’t know if she has expelled what was causing an infection or she has laid another shell-less egg. If the Superlorin injection wasn’t so expensive, I’d get the vet to give her a dose.

 

[LozzyR]

What I am not doing is mixing in something like Wyandottes with this present mix. The BRs are bad enough.

Are Wyandottes not docile? The Backyard Poultry breed chart lied to me then!

 

[Ribh]

Are Wyandottes not docile? The Backyard Poultry breed chart lied to me then!

I've found you need to define your terms when it comes to chooks. Wyandottes are people friendly & docile so far as I can work out. I have a bantam, who is wonderful & no problem in the flock, but the standards are a dominant breed & can be quite aggressive towards other flock birds. There seems to be quite some variation in behaviour. Some people have very docile birds. Others have aggressive nightmares. @WhoDatChick rehomed her Wyandotte due to aggression, so check with the breeder you buy from on her birds behaviours.

 

[LozzyR]

I've found you need to define your terms when it comes to chooks. Wyandottes are people friendly & docile so far as I can work out. I have a bantam, who is wonderful & no problem in the flock, but the standards are a dominant breed & can be quite aggressive towards other flock birds. There seems to be quite some variation in behaviour. Some people have very docile birds. Others have aggressive nightmares. @WhoDatChick rehomed her Wyandotte due to aggression, so check with the breeder you buy from on her birds behaviours.

Apparently Wyandottes are broody so that crosses them off my list. I could get a Faverolles and a Barnevelder.

 

[BY Bob]

Santa

I was picking up some supplies today in tractor supply and there were a bunch of dogs in the store. Now people bring their dogs but never like this. So I asked at the checkout line and they told me that today was the day where they take pictures of your pet with Santa Claus.

I thought maybe......

Then she told ne Santa was done in 20 minutes so I would have to hurry.

I got to the car and asked my wife, what do you think? She said, why not. So we rushed home and developed a plan.

We would drive to the side gate, I would go in and grab a hen, any hen. She would grab a towel from the trunk for poo control, I would hop in the car and off we would go. No crate, just me holding the hen.

We pull up and I go in the gate. For the first time in forever they are not hanging out by the gate, they are over on the other side of the yard. I don't have time to mess around. I go in the house, grab some pasta, and come back out. They can see the pasta bag from the other side of the yard and take off running as fast as they can to come to me.

I have them trained so that they now line up for their pasta. I reach out and pick up Lilly. She had finished molting and has a beautiful red comb. Everyone else's comb is pink and they are missing feathers. I drop some pasta for the others and head for the car.

Quick as can be, we are in the car and on our way.

Lilly loved the ride. It was amazing. Here's the proof.

My wife drops me at the door and goes to park. Lilly and I are in before the 4:00 cut off. They ask me to fill out some paperwork and I decline. I have to hold Lilly, no crate. I politely decline and say my wife will complete it when she comes in.

Now Santa had never held a chicken before. He was game and asked if he could pet her. I said of course and he started getting to know her. I proceeded to instruct him how to hold her and he did a great job.

The photographer remembered Lilly from the Fathers Day photo shoot back in 2018. They were all excited to photograph something other than a dog!

Lilly was amazing throughout it all. The dogs that were around never phased her. She took instruction from Santa and the photographer, helped us pick out the best shots, carried on conversations with everyone, and let many people pet her.

The following are the actual photos from her time with Santa. This is not photoshop.

There was a lot of whispering between her and Santa. I have no idea what she asked for and frankly I'm just a little concerned at what it might be.

On the ride home I told her that she was such a good girl the she could bully anyone on the roost tonight and that I would not intervene.

I should have thought of something else. She was a complete terror on the roost tonight. Knocking Hattie off over 4 times and chasing both Maleficent and Aurora out of the coop completely.

I did nothing, she earned that "fun".

Just like my children when they were small, as long as they are good when they are in public.

 

[LozzyR]

Santa

I was picking up some supplies today in tractor supply and there were a bunch of dogs in the store. Now people bring their dogs but never like this. So I asked at the checkout line and they told me that today was the day where they take pictures of your pet with Santa Claus.

I thought maybe......

Then she told ne Santa was done in 20 minutes so I would have to hurry.

I got to the car and asked my wife, what do you think? She said, why not. So we rushed home and developed a plan.

We would drive to the side gate, I would go in and grab a hen, any hen. She would grab a towel from the trunk for poo control, I would hop in the car and off we would go. No crate, just me holding the hen.

We pull up and I go in the gate. For the first time in forever they are not hanging out by the gate, they are over on the other side of the yard. I don't have time to mess around. I go in the house, grab some pasta, and come back out. They can see the pasta bag from the other side of the yard and take off running as fast as they can to come to me.

I have them trained so that they now line up for their pasta. I reach out and pick up Lilly. She had finished molting and has a beautiful red comb. Everyone else's comb is pink and they are missing feathers. I drop some pasta for the others and head for the car.

Quick as can be, we are in the car and on our way.

Lilly loved the ride. It was amazing. Here's the proof.

My wife drops me at the door and goes to park. Lilly and I are in before the 4:00 cut off. They ask me to fill out some paperwork and I decline. I have to hold Lilly, no crate. I politely decline and say my wife will complete it when she comes in.

Now Santa had never held a chicken before. He was game and asked if he could pet her. I said of course and he started getting to know her. I proceeded to instruct him how to hold her and he did a great job.

The photographer remembered Lilly from the Fathers Day photo shoot back in 2018. They were all excited to photograph something other than a dog!

Lilly was amazing throughout it all. The dogs that were around never phased her. She took instruction from Santa and the photographer, helped us pick out the best shots, carried on conversations with everyone, and let many people pet her.

The following are the actual photos from her time with Santa. This is not photoshop.
View attachment 1977126
View attachment 1977127
View attachment 1977128

There was a lot of whispering between her and Santa. I have no idea what she asked for and frankly I'm just a little concerned at what it might be.

On the ride home I told her that she was such a good girl the she could bully anyone on the roost tonight and that I would not intervene.

I should have thought of something else. She was a complete terror on the roost tonight. Knocking Hattie off over 4 times and chasing both Maleficent and Aurora out of the coop completely.

I did nothing, she earned that "fun".

Just like my children when they were small, as long as they are good when they are in public.

That’s ADORABLE!!

 

[BY Bob]

That’s ADORABLE!!

Thanks! If anyone ever doubted that my hens are pets, I have proof now.

 

[Ribh]

What a good girl she was! They are lovely photos!

 

[Ribh]

Apparently Wyandottes are broody so that crosses them off my list. I could get a Faverolles and a Barnevelder.

I have 2 favorelle Xs...not my favourites. One is so needy she's a PITA. The other is wonderful.