Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Thank you for the ride, Mr. Peabody! Such lovely memories!

You are most welcome.

 

[BY Bob]

So I didn’t get a photo, but...
Every second Saturday at 5:00 we do family zoom. It’s my parents, my siblings and I, sometimes a spouse or two, and my Uncle, who is actually my (adopted sister, biological cousin) sister’s biological father and his long-term girlfriend. I almost always zoom outside. When I sat down, all three babies found me and gladly settled into my lap. They put on a full preening party show for my family. ❤

That is so sweet.

 

[BY Bob]

So funny. That stabbing shaking thing is what mine do. Diana got one yesterday- it is turning into a regular event. Sigh.

The infestation is real. It seems like the hens will maintain a nice natural balance for you. In an essence they are growing their own food.

Cue Elton John............... the circle of life ..................

 

[RoyalChick]

The infestation is real. It seems like the hens will maintain a nice natural balance for you. In an essence they are growing their own food.

Cue Elton John............... the circle of life ..................

Ha ha! I buy chicken food in order to feed the mice so they can grow into chicken food.
Hmmm.
Perfectly reasonable, but I still feel I should try to eliminate the middle-man.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Well that was easy... here’s the video!

This is one of my all-time favorite videos!!

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Ned is being led astray!!! Vickie is a California White, she embraces the leghorn side of her genetics with her entire being. She is a chronic escapee. Ned is now following her lead...

All the other chickens are locked up tight and yet these two are running around without a care in the world. On the plus side, I did get an awesome shot of Mr. Ned!❤

 

[ValerieJ]

Good morning BY Bob and friends! I thought I'd share a little about my youngest cockerel. Thankfully I do not have a video or pictures of this!

I started the whole back story about Louie Louie, and then realized I was writing a book here, so I'm cutting to the chase. Earlier in the year, I told you all about losing Lucy, and naming Surly Girl's one chick Lucy Two. Well, early on I realized Lucy Two would have to be renamed Lou C. Tu. We call him Louie Louie for short.

OMG...I am having a hard time making this short. I have already wiped out several paragraphs of back story again!!!

Okay, I'm really cutting to the chase now. After a long series of events, I had to move Louie Louie from the bachelor coop at one end of the chicken runs to the brooder coop at the other end of the runs. So, I was going to have to catch him to do this. But, Louie Louie is a skittish bird, the most skittish I've ever seen, probably because he was doted on as an only chick. After chasing him around the bachelor run, I decided to open the door to the chicken coop enclosure for him to go in. Since he is not usually allowed in there, he went right in, so I closed the doors and went in to catch him. After flying from one end to the other of the enclosure several times, scaring the little chicks in the grow out pen, and screaming all the way, he finally found the door to the big coop and in he went. Well, that makes it easy, I thought. Whew!

So, I shut the chicken door, and walked out of the enclosure and around the coop to another door to go in and just scoop him up. Oh no....that was not happening. As soon as I walked in, it was a flurry of flapping wings and flying feathers as he flew around the coop in a dead panic, until he found the little door again and pushed his way back out into the enclosure! I had neglected to latch the chicken door. But, that's not all...I had also left the enclosure open to the big run where the flock was when I was coming around to the other door to the coop.

Okay, net time. Never a good time with my flock. I bought this net and found out the first time I tried to use it that it was a very bad idea. Most of my chickens can be corraled and picked up with a lot less stress than that scary net. But, I have a very scared cockerel flying all over the run now, and trying to grab any hen that gets near him along the way. The entire flock was in a panic when I came in with the dreaded net. Mind you, I never use this net. They seem to instinctually know what it is for, and they know it's nothing good. So, I'm chasing Louie Louie around the two big runs, trying to get him separated from the other chickens and everyone is making such a ruckus that it drew DH out. He walks over to the door between the runs, where I want Louie Louie to go, and says, "what if I just open the door?" He opens the door and Louie Louie runs through. Thank you, honey. He closes the door and that's that.

I'm wondering why I felt I had to do all that in the afternoon. Why not wait until roosting time? More proof of chemo brain.

Well, on an upside, I was so exhausted that DH cleaned the coops for me. All's well that ends well. And Louie Louie is so much happier in the new run, which is all I was trying to do.

 

[RoyalChick]

The Little Princesses have discovered the high perch out in the run and are enjoying the view.
It is quite windy so they have trouble keeping their hair-dos under control.

 

[Shadrach]

Nope! I found that at a yard sale for $20.00, I bought the biggest one to account for future chickens. I only have about half of the feeder full.

Bargain! I use clay bowls here. They are great in that they are heavy enough not to tip over easily if a chicken stands on the edge but most of them are two beak at one time size and that means more bowls if everyone is going to get their share. I've dropped two in the last month so next rip out it's new bowls. Two medium bowls will probably cost not far short of what you paid for that.

 

[Shadrach]

Well that was easy... here’s the video!

You're right. It's a great clip. One doesn't tend to appreciate just how quick chickens can be, not to mention savage.