Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

They have about 7 square feet. Maybe a bit more. And I am giving them more vertical space with perches and ladders. They perch up on the ‘roost proof’ (ha ha) lid of their hot plate very happily.

Yes, Jabber and Hattie lived the top of their heart plate a little too much. I had quite a mess too clean up.

They were about this size when I started mixing them together.

 

[LozzyR]

Hanging with my girls in the winter sun.

 

[featherhead007]

I had the extreme privilege of checking on @BY Bob chooks, including Sydney and babes, today.

As soon as I opened the door to go outside I heard Phyllis!! She was protesting the grave injustice of no free ranging!! I made sure I heard her complaints loud and clear!!
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Sydney and babies look amazing!! She is a super mom and very protective of her babies. I was able to quickly see each one and they are all the picture of absolute health!!!

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Each chick is different, which will make for easy identification!! I can't wait to see how they change as they grow.

And you got to hold Phyllis.. I'm so jealous!

 

[micstrachan]

Fat Bird just laid an egg! Bear in mind she's ten years old! The egg was elongated but in one piece.
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I was just about to grab it when she trod on it.
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The shell was very thin and this was a problem last year. It's not a lack of calcium apparently; it's one of those getting old things.

Wow, fat bird!!!

 

[micstrachan]

Omelette the Hen - Mayor for a Day

Today we went bike riding.. there is a really nice trail near my sisters that runs for miles.. when we came to the town we stopped at a cafe and got snowballs.. and that’s when I met Omelette! She has been living here at the cafe for 5 years... and she is 10 years old! Of course when I saw a chicken I had to go see her... I sat down to talk with her and even shared my snowball with her ... she was adorable! She must be pretty special here as the local college kids came and built her coop! Oh, and she was declared Mayor for a day in the small town of Abita Springs, Louisiana!View attachment 2177406View attachment 2177407View attachment 2177408View attachment 2177409View attachment 2177410View attachment 2177411View attachment 2177416

How adorable!

 

[micstrachan]

You Have All been Waiting for It

It's been very hard to get, but here it is finally, the Phyllis Selfie!

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FABulos Phyllis!!!!

 

[Kris5902]

@CrazyChookChookLady : I know you can sex barred rock chicks @ hatch. Males have that big white spot on their heads. I noticed Sydney's darker chick has a big white spot on their head & I was wondering if Bob has got himself a cockerel...? Does it work the same with Xs?

I believe so because it has been true of the 3 dark ones Anna hatched in school.

Catching up... current story of my life I thought I should maybe chime in here too, my Sapphires have a barring gene from their Crested Cream Legbar parent and a dominant white gene from their leghorn one, when I cross them to my BCM (maybe 1/2 Blue Copper maran?) Rooster I get three colours of hens: almost completely white with a few stray black feathers, iridescent black, and a beautiful grey with a hint of copper around her collar. The chicks start out either black or yellow, and the black boys also all have the head dot. The yellow chicks are indistinguishable for the first few weeks, but the boys show their comb development quite early on. It’s Really easy to keep track of these crosses because of the combination of lightly feathered feet or legs and the distinctive little crests and the patterning in the dark cockerels goes obviously straight back to the CCL parent with their juvenile feathers. unlike my Barnvelders, I thought for sure I pulled a pure Barnie egg, but someone came out of the shell with feathered feet, so it must’ve been one of my Olive eggers from Chickie Hawk’s first clutch that donated the egg!

 

[micstrachan]

It's been a stressful day. I won't bother you with al the details. Cillin and Treacle have been fighting all morning on and off.
It's very difficult. Cillin is in general way to hard on his son Treacle. But, he is the senior and I don't interfere. I don't interfere because the options are limited. Separation for a short period has not worked here in the past and in many ways, made matters worse. Penned single roosters imo is cruel so that isn't an option. I let them fight it out. It's hard to watch and I just hope one backs down eventually.
Treacle did back down in the end. Cillin needed a bit of cleaning up. While he wins his fights he takes a lot of damage in the process. None of it life threatening but it needs attention.
Hopefully that will be it for a few more weeks.
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That would be hard to watch!

 

[micstrachan]

Another Journey into the "Way-Back" Machine

While May 20th has been a joyous day through the years at Fluffy Butt Acres. The first week of June has had its ups and downs. Come along for the ride as we journey back through the years with Mr. Peabody.

Mr. Peabody, set the way-back machine for the first week of June 2013.......

2013
This was just as the original ladies were learning to live outside in their new coop and we were learning about them. I had a planter that was full of clover so I thought I would place it into the run for them to eat. When they had finished eating the clover they rapidly moved on to this!
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They were such cuties. Alas we must move on.

There was sadness too the first week of June.

Mr. Peabody, please set the way-back for the first week of June 2018.

It still seems like yesterday. We buried Daisy, the greatest hen ever, the first week of June 2018.
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Patsy was so upset she threw herself into the grave as I dug it.

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Just a year later we would be reeling again.

Mr Peabody, please set the way-back machine for the first week of June 2019

June 2019 is when we first realized that Patsy was not well. She would be with us for a while longer but we were unable prevent the inevitable.

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But there was also joy. Life is like that. There is joy to outweigh the sadness. We had new friends as well the first week of June in 2019.
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Special friends.
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Friends that would snuggle with us.
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The first week of June in 2014, old friends would have a special treat.

Mr. Peabody, please set the way-back for June 1, 2014.

Much like the humans at Fluffy Butt Acres, the hens enjoy special treats (human food). Elphie and Trisha were having a great day June 1, 2014 enjoying some Potato Skins!
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What could be better than cheesy bacony potato skins? How about new dust bathing holes in a location that made no sense!

Mr. Peabody, set the way-back for the first week of June 2016.

Now there any many great dust bathing locations around Fluffy Butt Acres. Under the coop, Under the magnolia tree, in the flower boxes, even under the butterfly bushes. Well this was a totally new location that I never expected.

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The table was only there temporarily and i would trip in those holes for years to come.

Normally this group was inseperable. I have a photo from this day where no hens are paired up. In fact Lilly is not in the photo. There is something about Patsy alone on the steps silhouetted against the pool that pulls at my heart strings. Can you find Daisy, the greatest hen ever, in this photo?

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Of course the perfect day must have snacks. How about some meal worms.

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Meal Worms! I know another great day with Meal Worms! (don't all great chicken days have meal worms?)

Mr Peabody, lets set the way-back for the first week of June 2017

See, more meal worms....

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This is one of the best pictures which i have of Patsy. Here she us in her full glory.

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As our time traveling comes to an end, it is only fitting that we depart Fluffy Butt Acres with a fluffy butt from 2017. The only butt fluffy enough to blot Daisy out completely. Here is Patsy's super fluffy butt.

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I hope you have enjoyed our trip to the past. Mr. Peabody, please take us home.

Thanks for sharing this memory post. Patsy was stunning!

 

[BY Bob]

Hanging with my girls in the winter sun.

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Beautiful. They look so Fluffy and warm in the sun!