Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

So the tiny terrors got to go outside for the first time. After about 5 minutes of being petrified they started playing. Without the confines of the dog crate they were learning to use their wings and were hoping and sorta flying all over the place. Karen was the bravest of the all and ping-ponging all over the place. Then the big chickens rounded the corner. I wisely put my camera down in case I had to intervene. Karen see's the basketball that is Henrietta and unwisely thought she'd pull the stunt she'd been pulling on her siblings. She hopped like a kangaroo right up and on top of Henrietta thinking she'd run away like the others. Wrong, Henrietta put her in her place and I had to save the poor thing. Apparently when you have the biggest hen angrily chasing you I'm not so bad after all and she ran to me. Lessens were learned and no one was hurt, but they gave the big chickens a wide berth the rest of the outing. Henrietta went to the back steps and glared at the terrors waiting for one to slip up again so she could install more manners. Oh and they were terrified of worms, of all sorts. I even found a few grubs for them, they are chick eating monsters. Ants on the other hand, they had a blast eating the ants that were found.
A few pics, most of the time, even on sports setting they were black blurs.

Karen before her run in with Henrietta.
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such beautiful babies! just look at them glimmer in the sunlight.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

such beautiful babies! just look at them glimmer in the sunlight.

Thank you, they are growing well. The younger group may get to go outside themselves today if it warms up enough. I do not see them being afraid of anything as they in general are much bolder then the older ones. That could be a problem though. If the terrors got bold enough to challenge the adults, what havoc can the young set reek.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Imagine the campaigne posters!

You have the photoshop skills Bob, get cracking...

 

[featherhead007]

Thank you, they are growing well. The younger group may get to go outside themselves today if it warms up enough. I do not see them being afraid of anything as they in general are much bolder then the older ones. That could be a problem though. If the terrors got bold enough to challenge the adults, what havoc can the young set reek.

Welcome to chickendom

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Welcome to chickendom

Yup and I love it. I set momma hen yesterday evening. She was viscous when I removed the golf ball and the final egg of hers she was trying to hide tucked up under her wings. But she very gladly took and tucked up under her herself the 6 eggs in their place. She ended up with 4 clover eggs, 1 of grannies and because mom would have it no other way, 1 of butters. Butter is my mom's heart chicken. That girl can do no wrong and gets whatever she wants when she wants it so she really really wants a butter baby. Ok, mom, we agreed only hatching pure marans here no mixes, but if you insist, I'll toss the newest butter egg under her for you. I really want to see how Clover's and Grannie's eggs do, mom, could care less as long as the Butter egg hatches.

 

[fuentemoon]

Rainy blustery day today, knew we would have to pay for those sunny days. Oh well, plenty to do inside, and it clears the air, which starts to get icky quick with too much sun, and all the trees blooming

 

[Shadrach]

Okay. Not very fluffly and only just butt. However, it is still Friday.

 

[Ribh]

Fluffy Butt Friday.
Titania.

 

[Shadrach]

Do you ferment their feed? I find this helps my little ladies. One of my girls used to make all sort of strange sounds but this has ceased since I started using the fermentation method

Do you fully ferment or just make a mash?

 

[Shadrach]

Love this, Bob! I played with slow mo awhile back and discovered when the are picking at sprouts, they actually twist their heads back and forth a bit to pull them out. To the naked eye in real time, it looks more like a peck.

They have quite a range of pecking actions. I'm interested in the one where they peck at something, hold it their beak for a moment and then discard the object. The object doesn't seem to go very far back in their beaks so I'm left wondering what sense it is that makes them decide they're not going to swallow it.