Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Whew, I think I can go to bed now

The drama built pretty well there, didn't it!

 

[BY Bob]

I missed Monday here, but better late than never!

Mugshot (Tuesday)
View attachment 2476422

ALICE! She has wattles like Aurora. I never noticed that before.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm glad you are feeling a little better Bob. (socially distanced hugs )

I'm sure you could train 6 once you are feeling up to it. I have faith in you!

I must try. The current situation is off-putting.

 

[BY Bob]

Tsuki is doing her Gandalf impersonation again. She has been at the coop door repelling all boarders for the last hour.
View attachment 2476424

It's quieted down now as it's getting darker. Hopefully the younger girls managed to sneak in under cover of darkness.

I laugh, but Why Tsuki, Why?

Why do Tsuki and Aurora feel the need to do this? Maybe if we understood the motivation we could correct the behavior.

 

[BY Bob]

Just checked on them.

Everybody managed to find a spot in the coop. Tsuki is all alone on the low perch with her back to everyone. Do you think she is sulking?

She failed. Poor baby.

 

[BY Bob]

Totally terrified. Also marveling at how I lucked out and managed to go from 3 to 5 without much drama.

You are better at this than you think. You have great instincts and can observe and provide what they need. That's how you "lucked out". Much like our brilliant friend @ChicoryBlue did with Queenie.

 

[BY Bob]

Or even 8 maybe.

Enabler!

 

[BY Bob]

Another change in going in to roost - Queenie first! Then Hazel, Butters, Peanut & Popcorn. Not without objection though. If you want the blow-by-blow:

Butters made the roosting wail, and she and Hazel wandered over to under the coop and perch there, followed by Queenie. From what I've seen lately, Butters and Hazel have had a certain pace to it, doing a little pecking around once they get over there, and usually some more roosting wails. But almost as soon as she got there Queenie seemed to just decide "It's time to roost, I'm going up now" and without any dithering, just calmly and deliberately walked up the ladder.

Hazel was by the bucket and saw her midway up. She sped around like a rocket and jumped up onto the perch, meeting her at the top. She immediately pecked her head kind of hard. Queenie crouched and took it, but immediately it seemed she might have said "Okay, Hazel, yes, but I'm still going in now, thank you. 'Bye!". She rose up and proceeded over the threshold, no hesitation. She took a spot on the left side, middle back, turned and faced the door this time, and sat down, unperturbed - no fast head motions, just very steady and deliberate, very satisfied-looking. It's interesting to me that she chose to face forward and meet any chicken coming in, but she was not blocking the door, she was a good 8-10" from the doorway, pretty close to where she had been the night before. She didn't choose the farthest corner from the door or anywhere next to the back, which has seemed to be the prime locations. With my anthropomorphic eye it looked like she was leaving everyone's roosting area pretty close to the way it had been. Fine, except she went in first!

Hazel walked in after her, stood next to her and pecked her comb, but this time her heart wasn't in it. Queenie lowered her head a little but didn't move. After a few light pecks Hazel went looking for her own spot in the right back area.

Earlier yesterday I noticed Queenie was respecting Hazel's space, they were all investigating the new pile of chips and leaves dumped from the brooder, and as Hazel worked her way around it, she twice kept Queenie moving out of her way in front of her, and Queenie didn't object, she just moved forward and around. No squabbling, Hazel was just "I want to look there now, so here's a peck to move." There wasn't much bullying of Queenie yesterday that I saw at all.

So meanwhile, Butters, who had been further under the coop, was definitely perturbed. She came barreling around the bucket (it was like I pictured Hattie!) bokking and looking up. I didn't video and how much of it she saw I'm not clear on, but I think she at least saw Hazel going in. She was very upset and jumped up to the perch and looked in the door, bokking all the while, and then went in. There was a lot of commotion and boks and sounds of feet shuffling. After a bit Butters came out again, and jumped down. Poor Butters!

Peanut and Popcorn had been foraging together back by the log all the while. Then they had come back to the coop, and Butters joined Popcorn drumming on the bucket. Looks like there's some feed crumbs frozen on the bottom Popcorn keeps working on. Then Butters jumped back up and went in. Sounds of commotion and lots of boks again, and eventually I made out that Queenie was in the far right back corner, with somebody to her left and right. Peanut and Popcorn decided it was okay to go in, and again there was lots more commotion and bokking. Now I could see Queenie's yellow feathers were more forward, to the right middle, with dark bodies on either side and in front of her. The front left quadrant near the pop door was totally unoccupied. Nobody wants there. I closed the door and wished them goodnight.

When I let them out this morning, Queenie came out third again but I couldn't see who was who with the Buckeyes. I am observing light pecking and bullying now among the Buckeyes after their breakfast and will keep an eye on it, in the dim morning light I think I definitely identified Hazel on Peanut, and Peanut on someone else that wasn't Popcorn, must be either Butters or Hazel. I hope it settles down. I'm going to throw in more distraction piles for them to investigate, and fix up one of the perching bars.

Another note - Queenie has no problem going out onto the snow, and was first to come out and see what was going on today as I went back and forth from the coop to the garage/barn, refilling the water, grit & oyster shell, dry feed, etc. The Buckeyes also came tentatively out, following her lead in that way today.

You are done. They are integrated. Queenie is in the group. She is now claiming her spot in the order. It will be a while until it all settles and the small pecks will never completely go away but this is a done deal. Queenie has just the right amount of moxie for this to work out. Well done!

 

[featherhead007]

Spaghetti breakfast for the chickens this morning. (They are crazy for pasta treats) And very funny to watch as they eat!

 

[RoyalChick]

Another change in going in to roost - Queenie first! Then Hazel, Butters, Peanut & Popcorn. Not without objection though. If you want the blow-by-blow:

Butters made the roosting wail, and she and Hazel wandered over to under the coop and perch there, followed by Queenie. From what I've seen lately, Butters and Hazel have had a certain pace to it, doing a little pecking around once they get over there, and usually some more roosting wails. But almost as soon as she got there Queenie seemed to just decide "It's time to roost, I'm going up now" and without any dithering, just calmly and deliberately walked up the ladder.

Hazel was by the bucket and saw her midway up. She sped around like a rocket and jumped up onto the perch, meeting her at the top. She immediately pecked her head kind of hard. Queenie crouched and took it, but immediately it seemed she might have said "Okay, Hazel, yes, but I'm still going in now, thank you. 'Bye!". She rose up and proceeded over the threshold, no hesitation. She took a spot on the left side, middle back, turned and faced the door this time, and sat down, unperturbed - no fast head motions, just very steady and deliberate, very satisfied-looking. It's interesting to me that she chose to face forward and meet any chicken coming in, but she was not blocking the door, she was a good 8-10" from the doorway, pretty close to where she had been the night before. She didn't choose the farthest corner from the door or anywhere next to the back, which has seemed to be the prime locations. With my anthropomorphic eye it looked like she was leaving everyone's roosting area pretty close to the way it had been. Fine, except she went in first!

Hazel walked in after her, stood next to her and pecked her comb, but this time her heart wasn't in it. Queenie lowered her head a little but didn't move. After a few light pecks Hazel went looking for her own spot in the right back area.

Earlier yesterday I noticed Queenie was respecting Hazel's space, they were all investigating the new pile of chips and leaves dumped from the brooder, and as Hazel worked her way around it, she twice kept Queenie moving out of her way in front of her, and Queenie didn't object, she just moved forward and around. No squabbling, Hazel was just "I want to look there now, so here's a peck to move." There wasn't much bullying of Queenie yesterday that I saw at all.

So meanwhile, Butters, who had been further under the coop, was definitely perturbed. She came barreling around the bucket (it was like I pictured Hattie!) bokking and looking up. I didn't video and how much of it she saw I'm not clear on, but I think she at least saw Hazel going in. She was very upset and jumped up to the perch and looked in the door, bokking all the while, and then went in. There was a lot of commotion and boks and sounds of feet shuffling. After a bit Butters came out again, and jumped down. Poor Butters!

Peanut and Popcorn had been foraging together back by the log all the while. Then they had come back to the coop, and Butters joined Popcorn drumming on the bucket. Looks like there's some feed crumbs frozen on the bottom Popcorn keeps working on. Then Butters jumped back up and went in. Sounds of commotion and lots of boks again, and eventually I made out that Queenie was in the far right back corner, with somebody to her left and right. Peanut and Popcorn decided it was okay to go in, and again there was lots more commotion and bokking. Now I could see Queenie's yellow feathers were more forward, to the right middle, with dark bodies on either side and in front of her. The front left quadrant near the pop door was totally unoccupied. Nobody wants there. I closed the door and wished them goodnight.

When I let them out this morning, Queenie came out third again but I couldn't see who was who with the Buckeyes. I am observing light pecking and bullying now among the Buckeyes after their breakfast and will keep an eye on it, in the dim morning light I think I definitely identified Hazel on Peanut, and Peanut on someone else that wasn't Popcorn, must be either Butters or Hazel. I hope it settles down. I'm going to throw in more distraction piles for them to investigate, and fix up one of the perching bars.

Another note - Queenie has no problem going out onto the snow, and was first to come out and see what was going on today as I went back and forth from the coop to the garage/barn, refilling the water, grit & oyster shell, dry feed, etc. The Buckeyes also came tentatively out, following her lead in that way today.

Queenie will be boss-lady before we know it!