Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

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.

I get that from some of the cockerels.
They get seriously told off by the senior rooster if he sees it. I've been quite surprised by this.

 

[RoyalChick]

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!

Honestly, directing the chickens to the area is going to be the most efficient. I used to go around picking Japanese beetles off all my roses and drowning them in a bucket. This season I don't think I saw a single one!

 

[LozzyR]

Wow. I guess the rainy season has arrived. Is it always like this?

No, this is extreme stuff. The wet season relates to up north; Qld, the Northern Territory etc where they get monsoonal rain. We’re a lot further south and this isn’t the norm.

 

[Ribh]

No, this is extreme stuff. The wet season relates to up north; Qld, the Northern Territory etc where they get monsoonal rain. We’re a lot further south and this isn’t the norm.

Why do you have our weather? And yes, this is normal for us. My girls aren't enjoying it either.

@BY Bob : anxiously awaiting 3 [THREE] portraits. Such pretty additions. I am so looking forward to actually seeing them.

 

[micstrachan]

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.

I have only had two hen fight in my flock in four years:
1. Margo attacked Rusty when I reintroduced her (after Rusty has been out with EYP. Note: Later on, Margo, flock leader, sat shoulder to shoulder in the run beside Rusty while she rested, even though the others were running around for free range time. Also, when Rusty got too weak to get up on the upper roost, Margo stayed down and rooster beside her the last several nights. After Rusty passed, Margo reclaimed the top roost that same night. Complex emotion I got to witness there.)
2. Buttercup went after a chick last spring and Cashew beat the crap out of her! Buttercup is by far the largest bird in the flock and Cashew had grown weak from the broodiness, but her mothering hormones made her a fierce protector!)

 

[RoyalChick]

In building the Chicken Palace there has been much debate about the rafters and whether the chickens will want to go that high up (it is over 9’ in some places). If anyone was in any doubt here is Diana answering the question definitively and I think rather beautifully. I love the whole ‘tippy toes’ thing she has going.

 

[micstrachan]

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.

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What an awesome rooster he is!!!

 

[Shadrach]

What an awesome rooster he is!!!

I would love to agree with you but the truth is they all do it; some are more attentive than others.

 

[Shadrach]

In building the Chicken Palace there has been much debate about the rafters and whether the chickens will want to go that high up (it is over 9’ in some places). If anyone was in any doubt here is Diana answering the question definitively and I think rather beautifully. I love the whole ‘tippy toes’ thing she has going. View attachment 2022196

That is a fantastic picture!

 

[Ribh]

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

Your honesty is appreciated. I suffer from the: what will happen if I don't interfere? syndrome. This is going to be a very interesting integration but I'm sure @BY Bob is up for it.