Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

I’ve put a tarp over the canteen so they’ve got a bit more dry space, plus their food is there. I’ve moved their water there too and I am going to put Amprolium in the water tomorrow. I will also see if I can get a fecal float done. I work tomorrow, which is inconvenient but I’ll see if I can fit it in around work.

They were pretty miserable here when storm Gloria hit us; three and half days of rain.

 

[Shadrach]

See, I wasn't game to be that blunt.... I really had to work to keep Lottie out of trouble in the beginning & it's caused jealousy 'cause everyone knows she gets special treatment. And she doesn't have a crest or other stuff to make her a target. Could you get a 2nd Polish
& run them separately?

Well Ribh, I would rather be know for being an honest man rather than a nice man.

 

[Shadrach]

my husband could learn a thing or three from you!

I think I might like your husband.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks. Another page turns in the story.

Yup, good luck Bob.
I hope you get gooduns.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you for sharing this! In nature there wouldn’t be just one Rooster... and seeing how they establish their own hierarchy is very helpfully. (Granted, that blurry pic does remind me a bit of Chickie Hawk and my leg some mornings!) I usually intervene at the posturing phase.

Yup, I've had legs like that. Most of the time now I get listen to. When I say "that will do chaps", they do tend to back off. Of course, the minute by back is turned they're off again.
Todays been good. I haven't seen a fight all day.
I think we should post this type of content. I would like to get a few shots of the hens fighting but their fights tend to be over very quickly.

 

[Kris5902]

I have definitely heard that beneficial nematodes may be the way to go (and in the meantime, recreational chicken treat excavation) of this pest, which seems for our area to be a Japanese Beetle. Thanks for the insight!

I’m pretty sure they are related... nasty little things, I’m not really a squeamish person but they give me the creeps. Next time, toss a coin in the photo shoot for size comparison... the chaffer beetle larvae are about the size of the first two joints of my little finger. We don’t have as large a problem with the Japanese beetles here, but it’s a slightly different climate.

 

[Shadrach]

In my rooster rantings on the main board where I try to say to those who state roosters don't really do much for the flock, that they are wrong; it's just that in many keeping conditions you don't get to see what they do, I've mentioned sheltering a hen when she makes her nest in the open.
I've seen it a lot but not when I've got my camera.
This is Notch and that black and white patch he is standing over is Donk. Donk has just come into lay and being Donk couldn't possibly lay in the coop.
What makes getting pictures of this difficult is the whole business is conducted very quietly. There is no escort call to be taken to the nest. I see couples wandering about often but it would be a full time job following them all.
The rooster stays there throughout. This means there is no escort call after either.
I think this is very close to natural jungle behavior. It makes sense to establish the nest drawing the minimum of attention.

 

[Kris5902]

Yup, I've had legs like that. Most of the time now I get listen to. When I say "that will do chaps", they do tend to back off. Of course, the minute by back is turned they're off again.
Todays been good. I haven't seen a fight all day.
I think we should post this type of content. I would like to get a few shots of the hens fighting but their fights tend to be over very quickly.

It’s good to see, and to better understand the behaviors. It happens, and is a normal part of chicken life. With my breeding goals, areial predators, and current housing/lack of decent cover in many areas, I tend to only free range one group at a time. But then, there are the occasions when another group will get loose at the same time. It all depends on who is out together how the interaction goes. For a while Sammy and Barney could get on together as long as everyone keeps their distance. Telling them to knock it off was usually effective. Granted, when they did square off it gave me the perfect opportunity to nab Barney and pop him back into the tractor, and there has been very little actual damage. Sammy has managed some lightly torn Wattles, earlobes, and comb pecks, nothing serious; and with his huge all of the aboves, it’s no wonder... and he’s the instigator for the most part.

DH was shocked with Chickie Hawk my human “aggressive” Rooster the other day. He was lowering the feed for me in the run and Hawk just watched him, watched him suspiciously, and watched him some more. Once DH was fully out of the tractor and the door was closed the “attack” finally came. At the hardware cloth. He literally is just showing off for his girls 96% of the time! The other 4% I think is mostly testosterone poisoning.

 

[Kris5902]

In my rooster rantings on the main board where I try to say to those who state roosters don't really do much for the flock, that they are wrong; it's just that in many keeping conditions you don't get to see what they do, I've mentioned sheltering a hen when she makes her nest in the open.
I've seen it a lot but not when I've got my camera.
This is Notch and that black and white patch he is standing over is Donk. Donk has just come into lay and being Donk couldn't possibly lay in the coop.
What makes getting pictures of this difficult is the whole business is conducted very quietly. There is no escort call to be taken to the nest. I see couples wandering about often but it would be a full time job following them all.
The rooster stays there throughout. This means there is no escort call after either.
I think this is very close to natural jungle behavior. It makes sense to establish the nest drawing the minimum of attention.

View attachment 2022165View attachment 2022168

This is exactly like what Sammy did when the owl attacked in the barn! Pretty much completely covering two of his hens with himself... Good Roosters are awesome. Granted they don’t fit with everyone’s keeping arrangements, and I understand that; But I am so glad I have mine, even when they are being little jerks!

 

[RoyalChick]

@RoyalChick re Maggie itching... any possibility of a bug bite? One of my hens got tagged by something last spring and her face puffed up something awful around her eye.

If it were not the depths of winter I would say definitely a possibility. Admittedly it has been weirdly mild most of the time but some very hard freezes so I don't think there is much out there bug biting-wise. The symptoms definitely match that thought - the area above her eye was a bit swollen but isn't any more. There must be some bugs alive because the ladies find plenty to dig up when I add another barrow-full of leaves, so maybe there are bugs over-wintering in the leaf pile. If it was a bug that bit her, I can guarantee she bit right back. She loves her bug snacks!