Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

You have to see this commercial

It gave me a much needed smile today.

Genius!

 

[Kris5902]

This is fabulous! A steady supply of mealworms. Without spending a fortune!

Once I have enough room to actually expand my population I hope for that to be the case. Now they are just special treats and rewards for good behavior in the big coop and to help them deal with the trauma of “Cat!!!”

 

[Kris5902]

Over here EEs are a bit of a mutt. There is no real cross breeding standard so every breeder's can be a little different.

But, they all have some Ameraucana in them for the potential blue/green eggs... I haven’t had any experience with pure Ameraucanas though.

 

[Kris5902]

EE’s are actually fake Ameraucanas. I have one, and she was sold as an “Americana.” (There is no such thing). If I remember/understand correctly, Ameraucanas have specific (feather) colors and lay blue eggs, where EE’s are basically mutts with a blue egg gene and a brown egg gene.

That read wrong because of the way I typed it. EE’s are an Ameraucana cross, as opposed to a cross of the Australian Aracauna, like @Ribh has or the Araucana from Chile, which has a fatal genetic defect. Ameraucana’s were extensively line and crossbred from the Chilean birds until they became a stable breed that lays blue eggs without the fatal genetic defect. EE’s are a cross That should have one Ameraucana parent to pass the potential for the blue or green genetics. Hawk is essentially an EE he mostly looks like a Wheaten Ameraucana, but his mother was a Marans hen. His daughters have been 50/50 olive/brown in egg color.

 

[Kris5902]

That's a brilliant set up Kris. Close to hand so you can check on them easily but not in the way. Do you mind if I copy you?

I was using bran and oats as bedding when I tried doing meal worm farming. I found they did best when I forgot about them . Until a piece of apple went mouldy and killed them off .

What are you using for bedding again? Do the beetles ever escape? How do you go about cleaning them out and restocking worms?

You have inspired me! Sorry for peppering you with questions.

I mostly use wheat bran, oat bran, and when I have it I mix in some non medicated chick starter. I find thinly slicing the veggies (Especially apples and carrots 1/8”-1/4”) helps keep the mold down, their favorite though is broccoli stems 1/4-1/2” thick, I’ve never had these go moldy.

I don’t think the beetles have “escaped”, but I have had some meal worm spills, thanks to chickens, kids, and cats. I just sift the bigger worms using two dollar store sifters, one with a fine mesh and one with a more open one.

I just leave the beetles in their drawer until they basically die off to 50% then move the survivors into the new pupae/beetle drawer and wait for the baby worms to grow. It’s not a fast process but quite low maintenance.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

She is in full on molt and I am trying not to handle her too much. Her fluffy butt is more like porcupine butt right now.
She finds enough worms to fill her crop and I got live mealy worms to supplement as well.
She doesn’t seem quite perky enough but also definitely got life. She has clear views how she wants to spend her time (pulling worms) and she is still a very active digger.
I am clear on the plan - which is spoil her rotten until she is not comfortable or is in distress, and then I will seek help from the vet to put her to sleep. I just don’t know if that will be in days or weeks or months.
We take each day as it comes.

Sensible plan RC. It's all we can do really in the long run. Enjoy their company while we have them and ensure they don't suffer needlessly when their time comes.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Yes, I find in my more diverse flocks it isn’t quite so bad... but I have definitely got some concerns about some of my own planned winter moves here because of just this.

I want to take Bob in for Sausage (Sorry @BY Bob but he just isn’t being nice to his ladies anymore!) and move Barney into his place, but I hesitate to integrate Barney’s 6 girls with the 8 daughters of Hawk and two Barnvelder ladies that are already there. They would work better for Breeding purposes in with Hawk, and the numbers might be more even... but I think they like Barney and don’t want to unsettle them too much. Plus those red feathered girls can be bullies and I just integrated my three newest (red) rescues in there.

If I do this I could theoretically just build out a big plywood sleeping coop and re-integrate Sammy with Dean and Cass, and with all the extra girls in there hopefully they will be more sheltered and less antagonistic over winter here. I basically want to have everyone behind solid walls (no tarp shelters) at night for this winter.

If only rooster Bob took more after his namesake.

I hope they cooperate for you and that your extra coop build goes well.

 

[Ribh]

Ah, that clears up the Americaunas confusion. I wasn't sure exactly what they were.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It’s Still Friday (in the US)

Happy Fluffy Butt Friday! (or Sassy Butt Saturday)

View attachment 2393453

Such a lovely portrait. I think it's Picture of the Week worthy!

 

[micstrachan]

That read wrong because of the way I typed it. EE’s are an Ameraucana cross, as opposed to a cross of the Australian Aracauna, like @Ribh has or the Araucana from Chile, which has a fatal genetic defect. Ameraucana’s were extensively line and crossbred from the Chilean birds until they became a stable breed that lays blue eggs without the fatal genetic defect. EE’s are a cross That should have one Ameraucana parent to pass the potential for the blue or green genetics. Hawk is essentially an EE he mostly looks like a Wheaten Ameraucana, but his mother was a Marans hen. His daughters have been 50/50 olive/brown in egg color.

Kris, you know your Ameraucanas, Araucanas and EEs better than I do. I do think it’s that chilean bird that gives Cream Legbars their crest, so I still can’t wrap my head around why Araucanas don’t have them.