Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

It is so Beautiful here Today

A quiet morning with warm sun and chickens milling about.
I got this wonderful video of Phyllis eating corn. She ran right to me when I came out.
It does have a surprise ending....

You can't leave us hanging! What happened next? Was there a full-on chase? Did Phyllis manage to sneak back?

 

[BY Bob]

You can't leave us hanging! What happened next? Was there a full-on chase? Did Phyllis manage to sneak back?

Phyllis circled back once Lilly left.

 

[RoyalChick]

Phyllis circled back once Lilly left.

Of course! Such a clever chicken.

 

[BY Bob]

Calming Influence

I did not realize the calming effect that Hattie apparently has on Lilly. Earlier I showed video of Lilly sneak attacking Phyllis.

Since Hattie went in to lay her egg, Lilly and Aurora have been working together to harass the Newbies. Lilly has really been her old vicious self. She is not playing favorites. She is after everyone. Although she has caught Phyllis twice, standing on top of her after having already pecked her twice while chasing her both times. After the first time Phyllis would not leave my side for quite a while.

I need the pacemaker to finish laying that egg.

And just as I'm about to post, she comes running out. Whew!

 

[LozzyR]

Every flock needs one, right!

But I’ve already got one! Actually, Tegan had settled down a bit yesterday; when I got home, River and Nyssa were outdoors! And they put themselves to bed with her, so we seem to be getting somewhere.

And on another note, Chickie is eating again! When we came back on Sunday I gave them some wheat and she started tucking into it! So I made them some oats and yoghurt, with some mealy worms and baby food stirred through it, just so she’d eat some more.

 

[LozzyR]

Unlike Maleficent, I cannot touch Aurora. She always under foot but will not let me touch her. Always coming around and staring at me but no touch.

That was the same with Penny. I had to herd her back into the run, she would not let me pick her up. She’d come and sit with me though!

 

[LozzyR]

Omelette Time

Every Sunday my wife and I go out for breakfast after church. We tend to order omeletes with lots of things in them. We also never finish them.

"Can we get a to go box for these omelete pieces? Our chickens love them."

We even cut the omeletes into beak sized pieces.

Yesterday's omeletes had a large array of stuff in them.

• Broccoli
• Cheese
• Sausage
• Bacon
• Mushrooms

So as usual I put the leftovers out for the Big Girls on the deck. They never finish any leftovers but rather save some to pick through all day.

Sad for them this Sunday.

When they were done, I took the remainder over to the newbies who had not yet found the deck.

Sydney knows food and she was the first to try it.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement. But that did not deter Phyllis.
View attachment 2039945

By the end of the day, it was all gone.

I love the gratuitous fluffy butt shot in Phyllis’ photo!

 

[LozzyR]

Good link. Where did you find it?

I originally found it posted elsewhere, then I noticed it was written for theconversation.com. There is a professor of nutrition and diatetics who writes regularly for it, so it seems like it has a good reputation.

 

[LozzyR]

I've found it's the containers that put them off initially. Even with the commercial feed which I've been feeding in the same type bowls for ages, they'll prefer to eat off the ground.

Yes, what is up with that?! Same goes for drinking. Is that because food doesn’t come naturally in a bowl? If I want Charlie to drink when it’s hot, I have to tip water on the ground.

 

[Shadrach]

That was the same with Penny. I had to herd her back into the run, she would not let me pick her up. She’d come and sit with me though!

Most here are like that. Strangely Moon isn't at all bothered if I touch her while her sister Tap will let me stroke her beak and that's it. Major melt down if she even thinks you might try to pick her up.

I originally found it posted elsewhere, then I noticed it was written for theconversation.com. There is a professor of nutrition and diatetics who writes regularly for it, so it seems like it has a good reputation.

It was the notion that chickens may feel some sort of contentment and/or be emotionally effected by their environment that I like about the article.