Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Fudge.

 

[BY Bob]

I think you've got this right. If you're going to let a hen sit, then she should have eggs under her. As you've noticed, they are quite active when sitting. My timings here are every twenty minutes they'll turn an egg or more. They are still in a trance though. I've found this out when picking them off the nest. The trance has something to do with the leg lock is what I beleive.

They way the hens without eggs are doing nothing concerns me. Aside from being unsafe in the real world. (I mean how would they know that something is stalking them) They would die of starvation and the eggs would be covered in filth. It makes no sense.

 

[BY Bob]

I should have read ahead....

You taught me well, thanks. I spent over an hour looking for that video today.

 

[BY Bob]

Fudge.
View attachment 2470168

I love the way she is roosted to rest.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm not convinced this is a good idea. The hens here when they are moulting keep their distance from the other hens. I'm not sure why this is, maybe they are concerend about getting pecked, or having pin feathers crushed.
Fay and a couple of others in the past had serious moults; BYC worst moulting picture type moults. They didn't even want to go into the coop with the others at night. I made a perch partiition for Gedit when she had a bad moult so she could be in the same coop, but not have any hens able to perch right next to her.
This year both Moon and Fudge used the nest boxes when they moulted as did Bracket, Nolia and later Tack.

Yeah, I think I'll still bring Ester in tonight, but she can have the place to herself. If I had a way to safely heat the coop, I'd consider it, but everyone else is fully feathered, so that probably wouldn't work.

I will say this... they know comfort when they find it! It's brisk today. It's in the high 40's, low 50's, which isn't cold for feathered chickens, but it's breezy and they are ALL hanging out either in the sun room or in the heated coop, even when they had access to free ranging. Poor Ester continues to get more naked.

I was unable to capture a photo, but when she was sunning and momentarily lifted her wing, I could see her side was as bare as her belly, butt and legs. I can’t tell how thick the feathering on her back is at this point, but it’s not yet totally bare. Regardless, there just isn’t enough feathering for her to insulate herself and it’s going to freeze again tonight.

 

[micstrachan]

That was a good start. You want them eating together. Try to relocate the food to where Queenie and the Buckeyes (great new rock band) must eat and drink together.

I like to let them start mixing it up without fencing between them before roost time. That enable you to control the total minutes they are together with daylight but you must be there to intervene in case it gets out of hand. It doesn't happen often but it did when I was integrating Mal twice. (Lilly was a bitch).

So start them off eating together tomorrow, even if it was just treats. That was a great instinct on your part. Then if you are feeling adventurous, give her 60 minutes of mix it up time before roost time with direct supervision. Only intervene if she is trapped and being hurt. There will likely be confrontations and you must let them play out. Let's see how that works and then we can plan the next step.

You know, I just remembered... I did integrate a single hen once. Sort of. It’s when Rusty had been hospitalized for EYP and spent a week or more indoors. Margo full-on attacked her when I returned her to the flock. I believe this was during free range time, and it self-resolved pretty quickly. Interestingly, Margo was the one who watched over Rusty in her final days.

 

[micstrachan]

Fudge.
View attachment 2470168

She looks peaceful there!

 

[BY Bob]

Yeah, I think I'll still bring Ester in tonight, but she can have the place to herself. If I had a way to safely heat the coop, I'd consider it, but everyone else is fully feathered, so that probably wouldn't work.

I will say this... they know comfort when they find it! It's brisk today. It's in the high 40's, low 50's, which isn't cold for feathered chickens, but it's breezy and they are ALL hanging out either in the sun room or in the heated coop, even when they had access to free ranging. Poor Ester continues to get more naked.
View attachment 2470183

I was unable to capture a photo, but when she was sunning and momentarily lifted her wing, I could see her side was as bare as her belly, butt and legs. I can’t tell how thick the feathering on her back is at this point, but it’s not yet totally bare. Regardless, there just isn’t enough feathering for her to insulate herself and it’s going to freeze again tonight.

Poor baby.

 

[BY Bob]

You know, I just remembered... I did integrate a single hen once. Sort of. It’s when Rusty had been hospitalized for EYP and spent a week or more indoors. Margo full-on attacked her when I returned her to the flock. I believe this was during free range time, and it self-resolved pretty quickly. Interestingly, Margo was the one who watched over Rusty in her final days.

Funny how they can swing so fast from get rid of that one to best friends. I'm glad Rusty had a friend.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm finally shaking a tail-feather regarding making my chicken scrapbook, which first entails printing out photos of all my girls. I realised that I have very few photos of Emily, but I do have some videos. I've created some stills from the videos, which are not the best as the camera on the iPad isn't the greatest, but it's something. So in advance of Friday, I would like to share with you Emily's fluffy butt. RIP Emily, sweetpea.

View attachment 2469569

I love that you are a scrapbooker. I was heavily into scrapbooking when the kids were little, before I sent back to work. I participated on design teams, contests, blogs, etc. I guess when I get into something, I get really into it!
On that note, I’ll be learning a new skill... quilting! I convinced my colleague and friend to take some of us through a virtual quilting class in January. Of course the fabric collection I selected has some chickens involved!