Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

A rooster doing his job well.

Is there a story behind this pic Shad?

Nope. I think someone sent it to her. You know what these chicken freaks are like..

 

[Shadrach]

She's a striking looking hen. She's your non-binary or gender fluid girl isn't she?

She is. I've fallen in love with her. She's not the slightest bit wary of me. She stood on my outstretched palm this morning and ate a bit out of the other.
In general the bantams tolerate me. Only Barking Bracket would let me pick her up in daylight with out too much fuss, maybe Mag at a push.
It's not a problem, it helps keep them safe if they are wary.

 

[micstrachan]

This post totally slipped by me!!! Just Wow! That is scary... we used to get these sorts of things with bears when I was living in the mainland, but I’ve never seen a cougar do that! Attacks on humans are very rare, but I would be keeping everyone in for a while. God job doggo for not doing anything rash but alerting to the predator. At least it looks well fed? Most attacks on people seem to come from desperate starving cats... at least in our area. Stay safe! (Have to admit they are majestic, beautiful cats)

Yes, that’s unusual cougar behavior, which is scary. Less than two miles away, five goats were wiped out over the course of the previous two nights, so assuming it’s the same cat, it should be well fed. It did appear to be waiting for a snack to walk by, however.

 

[Shadrach]

It is good to remember those we lose. I try to take a moment now and then to remember them, and most of my losses are the rescues... I did everything I could for them to have a better life before the end. I remember a few more names to add to my list, Mrs B and Croppy, Goose, Gobbler, Shanti, Big Red. Today adds Bob and my sweet little Marans hen with the severely impacted and sour crop I haven’t been able to cure. Every loss hurts, and the day it doesn’t will be the day I quit farming. Even the Meat birds that I have raised with the specific intention of becoming dinner for someone. I am just happy that they have good lives, get to live as real chickens, and whenever possible a quick and clean end.

And this is exactly why I’m still taking on rescues, even knowing it is going to break my heart losing them all too soon. Those first steps on grass, finding bugs, scratching in the dirt! It is worth the pain of loss to bring a little love and enjoyment to the lives of our animals.

I would take rescues now as a basis for a tribe. Most notable here have been Rosehip, Thorn and Dash.
None joined a tribe but they did things here they would never have had the opportunity to before.

 

[BY Bob]

I am a “farmer”, I guess... when not being labeled a Citiot for my outlandish ideas about silvopasture, permaculture, and sustainable (ethical) agriculture. I am wanting a sustainable and ethical poultry business, and though not wildly profitable (I certainly haven’t re-coupled my infrastructure costs or initial Egg/chick purchases, and am a long way from it!) I am managing to stay in the black for the most part.

Brief intro is we moved to DH’s family farm in fall 2017. I began by managing the cattle here. Started getting into chickens in fall 2018. I have fallen in love with chickens. I have several separate laying flocks both in chicken tractors and free ranging. I’m moving towards much more free Ranging, but with (now) 7 roosters and one cockerel, plus some of the personalities of the boys involved, I don’t think I fully able to turn everyone loose. 2019 was my first year raising meat birds, and I’m wanting to do a breeding program for them so I can be sustainable in that as well. Also in summer of 2019, due to family drama, I stopped managing the cattle. 2020 saw me tripling the number of meat birds I produced, and I still can’t keep up with local demand.

The local demand tells you what a great job you are doing. Forget your ideas being outlandish. You are doing the right things. The demand tells you that. The public is speaking with their money.

 

[BY Bob]

In my case I cared for my chick babies so carefully and painstakingly nurtured them, and went away for a weekend, and four were killed, and I still don’t know by what.
I feel like if I had stayed home it wouldn’t have happened.
I can’t stop feeling sad over those chicks.

I think that we all have those we regret deeply, Elphie for me. I would feel exactly the same way you do if that had happened to me. Right now Mrs BY Bob is trying to get me to go away with her to see Eve next weekend. I flat out told her that if the roosting situation is not squared away by then I won't be able to go. I could never relax. I would be worried to death that someone was locked out of the coop. Then lord forbid if something happened to someone who was locked out. I would be inconsolable.

 

[Ribh]

A lot of it is just unknown... and things can happen in moments. You do a wonderful job keeping your flock, and they are happy and healthy and lucky to have you to care for them! I know too many people who just don’t understand, and the phrase “it’s just a chicken” has become my #1 most hated phrase.

Thanks, Kris.
I hate that phrase too. They are sentient beings with a range of emotions, a complex social structure that includes friends & enemies, a range of likes & dislikes & they are intelligent enough to form emotional bonds with their keeper. I think a lot of the yelling my flock has been doing lately is to do with the fact I've not been spending my usual amount of time with them. Even when they are in the run they congregate @ the end closest the house & make a racket. If I'm foolish enough to appear in a window the squawking increases & every head pops up & turns in my direction. Unfortunately all the rain has brought out the bities & I'm allergic to the sand-flies . If I'm late with dinner the ladies make their way round to the front door looking for me though unlike one of my cats, they have yet to figure out a way to knock on the door!

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks, Kris.
I hate that phrase too. They are sentient beings with a range of emotions, a complex social structure that includes friends & enemies, a range of likes & dislikes & they are intelligent enough to form emotional bonds with their keeper. I think a lot of the yelling my flock has been doing lately is to do with the fact I've not been spending my usual amount of time with them. Even when they are in the run they congregate @ the end closest the house & make a racket. If I'm foolish enough to appear in a window the squawking increases & every head pops up & turns in my direction. Unfortunately all the rain has brought out the bities & I'm allergic to the sand-flies . If I'm late with dinner the ladies make their way round to the front door looking for me though unlike one of my cats, they have yet to figure out a way to knock on the door!

mine knock at the door

 

[Shadrach]

Not the greatest pics. Try as I might I just couldn't get low enough and a wall was in the way. This is Tap Laying an egg. Very surprised from posts elsewhere just how few keepers have watched a hen lay an egg at the business end.
There are a few points of interest for me. Firstly how wet/lubricated the egg is straight after delivery. It's easy to understand how if a hen holds onto an egg how it can dry out and possibly cause egg binding.
The next thing is how high above the standing surface a hen squats to lay the egg.
Fudge, broke a few in her early egg laying days by standing too high and dropping the egg on a hard surface.
Finally the speed the egg dries is very fast. This I take it is partly creating the bloom that gives an egg bacteria protection. In the last picture you can see that part of the egg is still wet while the rest is already dry. The last pic is directly after the one before so less than a second I would guestimate.

 

[BY Bob]

Not the greatest pics. Try as I might I just couldn't get low enough and a wall was in the way. This is Tap Laying an egg. Very surprised from posts elsewhere just how few keepers have watched a hen lay an egg at the business end.
There are a few points of interest for me. Firstly how wet/lubricated the egg is straight after delivery. It's easy to understand how if a hen holds onto an egg how it can dry out and possibly cause egg binding.
The next thing is how high above the standing surface a hen squats to lay the egg.
Fudge, broke a few in her early egg laying days by standing too high and dropping the egg on a hard surface.
Finally the speed the egg dries is very fast. This I take it is partly creating the bloom that gives an egg bacteria protection. In the last picture you can see that part of the egg is still wet while the rest is already dry. The last pic is directly after the one before so less than a second I would guestimate.
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This is an outstanding series of photos. thanks for sharing with us.