Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Your friend certainly has his work cut out for him taking in those poor things. It’s a very kind thing to commit to. My little “soapbox” time, I will keep it brief... It isn’t eating meat or eggs that is inherently wrong. Taking the life of an animal for sustenance is not bad or evil. This is. That we can abuse and neglect animals like this and care only for what we can get from them. There is absolutely nothing that can be said to excuse people treating animals in this fashion. This is what is wrong with industrialized farming, cheap food, and the massive consumption levels that people demand. I hope they can grow some feathers, feel the grass beneath their feet, and dust bathe in the sunshine before they pass on.

I love this soap box. And I am so thankful for chickens. It is watching chickens that made me realize how intelligent they are and to look into how horribly they can be treated. It made me stop ever eating “torture eggs”. I was taking collagen for my skin and stopped once I learned it was made from chicken breast cartilage.I have also become s “meat mininalist,” a term I stole from this thread, I think.
I would love to rescue someday down the road. I agree with Shad; you need experience. I am working on that.

 

[micstrachan]

Your friend certainly has his work cut out for him taking in those poor things. It’s a very kind thing to commit to. My little “soapbox” time, I will keep it brief... It isn’t eating meat or eggs that is inherently wrong. Taking the life of an animal for sustenance is not bad or evil. This is. That we can abuse and neglect animals like this and care only for what we can get from them. There is absolutely nothing that can be said to excuse people treating animals in this fashion. This is what is wrong with industrialized farming, cheap food, and the massive consumption levels that people demand. I hope they can grow some feathers, feel the grass beneath their feet, and dust bathe in the sunshine before they pass on.

Kris, I also keep meaning to ask... have you heard of Crowd Cow? It’s a meat shipped to you from humane sources.

Silly girls wouldn't touch the cabbage end, but were crazy excited when I cleaned out their coop (not the one in the background that's just a rain/ sunView attachment 2474055 shelter now) and dumped everything on the yard debris pile

I love this photo of chicken bliss.

Haha! I did not mean to do the double quote here, but that’s ok!

 

[micstrachan]

Oh! I love this!! You just gave me a great idea for our bunny! ❤

Awesome!

 

[micstrachan]

Roosting Changes

Looks like we have a permanent change in roosting. Check out where Sansa has been roosting.

12/27
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12/28
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12/30View attachment 2474225

12/31
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1/2
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1/3
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She has definitely given up the high roost for either the nest box or a spot next to Hattie. I wonder why she no longer sleeps with her bestie, Lilly? Sydney is up there with Lilly and Aurora.

 

[micstrachan]

@BY Bob also said his chickens like the rabbits. Why is this do you think?

This is really interesting. I wonder what would happen if our rabbits were allowed out? Once yesrs sgo, DH wanted to put a bunny in the chicken enclosure. I said no way! I did not want that bunny pee smell. Now any bunny waste is where the chickens don’t hang out. I think DH should put in a little trap door so he can remove some turds and compost them elsewhere. There’s no litter in their pen.

 

[micstrachan]

Mugshot Monday - Dotty

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Cutie!

 

[micstrachan]

Monday Mug!

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Hi Aurora!

 

[micstrachan]

It’s still Monday in California! Monday Mugshot! (Sunshine/Sunny) I tried several times to take this with the selfie camera and could not get it to stop focusing on my vest instead of her adorable face.

 

[micstrachan]

Coop entry order last night: Butters, Hazel, Queenie! Peanut, Popcorn

I got some nice video and did create a channel on YouTube but that's as far as I've gotten.

Yesterday morning Queenie got right in next to three Buckeyes at one food dish with a few bites before being driven off by somebody.

After eating their Wheaties breakfast they started bullying Queenie, but the intensity was way lower. No driving her head to the ground. It was more body blocking and general pecking. They went after Queenie in tag teams, in pairs generally: Peanut and Hazel, Peanut and Popcorn, Hazel and Popcorn. Notice Butters is not named. Peanut and Popcorn seemed to have the biggest axe to grind. I saw Hazel give Queenie a look once - and I could hear a short low raspy Bok - and Queenie immediately tipped her head down and stepped away.

Very interestingly, Butters did not peck Queenie at all that I saw yesterday. She was never in a pestering pair. She sometimes joined a run in a group chasing Queenie, but didn't participate beyond that. Keeping track of where each was, I noticed that in getting away from a bullying pair Queenie ran down to under the coop where Butters had been hanging out and stood by her on her far side. The bullying hadn't pursued her down there. Butters made no move toward her, and they both stood still with heads up.

It was damp and cold here yesterday, low 20's. Queenie seemed cold after breakfast. She got halfway up the coop ladder as if she wanted to go back in. She stood there and fluffed her feathers and tucked her neck in some. That lasted a couple of minutes, then she got down and acted normally. A possible problem?

She may have gone in at some point, because I left to get myself breakfast, and when I turned around to look out the window I saw Queenie come flying down the coop ladder with a Buckeye after her.

Queenie sorted through the oyster shell bowl for a little while yesterday too. The Buckeyes investigate it now and then, but hardly do that. I couldn't tell if she was eating any, but she was certainly testing them - chomping them in her beak. She might have eaten the little pieces. She also definitely ate some granite grit of all sizes from the bowl next to it.

Today they got some treats about an hour before roosting time, and Queenie had absolutely no interest. Another potential problem? She hung out preening under the coop while there was a feeding frenzy in the tall run, Popcorn jumping onto my lap as I doled out peanut pieces one by one. Queenie also sat down for a couple of minutes too, pecking a bit around her and fixing her neck and chest feathers. I was concerned a bit. Then I wondered if she was nesting there. It was so late in the day though. Then she stood up and whatever it was passed.

I saw Hazel and Queenie standing next to each other very peacefully prior to roosting, and then a bit later Queenie was standing next to Peanut on the log. Or given how they roosted, Peanut standing next to Queenie? All peace on the pecking front at that time. Generally preening.

I set up my stool at the entrance to the low run, then later moved to the halfway point so I could see who was who (due to Queenie's human face rock climbing incident I am now using my old single-vision and now computer glasses which don't work too well for distance or very close).

Butters went to roost first, and she was first to make the roosting wail. Hazel followed her. I think they both went to the back right side (the pop door is on the left front) as they were not visible in there. Butters came out once or twice, then went back in. I never saw Hazel after she went in, she stayed.

Peanut left the log to go roost, and Butters followed her as soon as she got to the area below the coop. Peanut jumped up on the perch near the pop door. Popcorn drummed on the bucket, then stood at the bottom of the ladder but kind of dithered there, standing sideways to it.

Queenie went over next to the ladder and "yawned" three times (or adjusted her crop? A potential problem? I am going to check her crop this morning). She tried to step up on the ladder but she was facing the side tube at chest height; she wasn't close enough to the bottom. It looked like she was trying not to disturb Popcorn who was facing away but not budging from her spot at the foot.

Queenie lifted one leg and then the other, but she couldn't lift them high enough and was just getting her feet on the slippery side tube. I could hear a toe scraping off the textured step cover. Then she abruptly stepped in and rotated enough to jump and beat her wings once to get up midway. Popcorn took a few steps away, and walked over to the bucket to drum on it a little.

Queenie ended up a little below and next to Peanut who was still on the perch left side, looking in the pop door. She paused a bit; Peanut didn't bother her, she even moved her left foot in some like making room. Queenie then flew/jumped right to the top step! Paused again bobbing her head looking, then stepped onto the threshold, and kept going. She went to the back left corner. Peanut immediately went right in after her, and then Popcorn jumped up and went in. They were waiting on Queenie. Wowee.

Yesterday morning I saw Queenie's head right near the door opening as it opened, but then somebody else pushed by her, then another, and another, then Queenie came out, then the last Buckeye. I couldn't tell who came out in what order except Queenie. This morning it was again Queenie third but I got the order: Peanut, Hazel, Popcorn, Queenie, and Butters last.

Queenie is doing so well!

 

[micstrachan]

They can't. I'll post pictures of what happens to Phyllis' head feathers when it rains. There is no oil on them either.

My hens rub their heads right onto their preening gland sometimes.