Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Alex, I either forgot or didn’t know you had a Sunshine! I gave that name to one of the babies this year! Here she is for Mug Monday.
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And she’s beautiful, love the face feathers !

 

[featherhead007]

Chick tax , yes the photo bomber Coco too.

 

[micstrachan]

I put her on my lap when I give her her vitamin drink. For the past few evenings she's stayed there until the rest of the tribe have gone to roost.
She tells me when she's ready to join the rest and I carry her up to the coop.
A week or so ago I put her on a perch in the evenings. Ther past few nights she wanted to pick her own spot and I've left her on the floor of the coop. She can manage to jump to the higher perch and settle even with her balance problems.
Last picture is Cillin coming home. If Fat Bird is on the ground he'll escort her up to the coop.
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How lovely.

 

[MaryJanet]

Way back in grade school, my health teacher taught me that “users, are losers”
I don’t think that it applies to this though.

I have often pondered the deeper meanings wrt to this! Especially as social media and gaming are deliberately designed to addict (verb) users. Eyes on screens, Users, eyes on screens, dopamine, eyes on screens Users!

 

[micstrachan]

Comb Size

I just read the following sentence in the comb article from 2016 that is featured on the front page. It was kind of a throw away line but it caught my attention. Here it is:

"Usually, birds with the larger combs will be higher in the pecking order rank."

Does anyone believe that comb size has anything to do with pecking order? I am very curious and I am going to try and see if there is any actual research on this when I have a moment (I will add it to my long list of half started projects).

I am seriously asking everyone to look at their tribes and if you know their pecking order, compare it to their comb sizes. I would seriously like to know what you uncover.

I remember reading that, too, Bob, and I’m curious. Margo was my first alpha.

 

[micstrachan]

We got her crop sorted Lozzy. It took a few days but it's empty enough in the mornings. I still don't think she is extracting enough nutrients from what she eats though. She eats the commercial feed but I'm givng her a lot of other stuff as well, mostly fish and egg which she loves. She's getting to her grave now and what I have to do is make it as quick and comfortable as possible.
She wouldn't survive without help now, mainly due to when she does fall over, she can't get back up. I have to check regularly. I've found her on her side a couple of times now and the rest of the tribe have moved on. I've got a few pictures of the problem. Could do with a video really.

Oh goodness, Shad. This actually brought me to tears. Dear Fat Bird.

 

[micstrachan]

It's nonsense. It seems to have come from a couple of really badly researched rooster studies. Body weight on the other hand does matter. The big heavy hens here tend to be the most senior. Occasionally, when a tribe is well established and a hen has been the senior hen for some time, even heavier additions have no dislodged her. Blue Spot comes to mind.

Anecdotally, my alpha Margo was my lightest hen and had the biggest comb. However, Bridge is quite sturdy and is my current alpha. However, she’s also the most senior.

 

[micstrachan]

This remains a constant issue as the experiment itself, in most cases, creates an environment which affects the results.

I do think that on the basis of observation alone the comb theory can be disproved. That is what I am hoping everyone sends me.

I also think it’s nonsense. Funny, though, that Margo was my first alpha. But I believe it was her big personality that got her there.

 

[MaryJanet]

Comb Size

I just read the following sentence in the comb article from 2016 that is featured on the front page. It was kind of a throw away line but it caught my attention. Here it is:

"Usually, birds with the larger combs will be higher in the pecking order rank."

Does anyone believe that comb size has anything to do with pecking order? I am very curious and I am going to try and see if there is any actual research on this when I have a moment (I will add it to my long list of half started projects).

I am seriously asking everyone to look at their tribes and if you know their pecking order, compare it to their comb sizes. I would seriously like to know what you uncover.

From the hens at my house its nonsense because they don't even have a ranking.

Janet pecks Peggy
Peggy pecks Mary and Ivy
Mary pecks no one but is the boss of Janet
Ivy pecks no one

 

[MaryJanet]

Intelligence in humans is a very uneven commodity anyway. I remember failing every IQ test I was ever given until they gave me a vocab test & I was suddenly Mensa material. It all means nothing anyway unless you are a decent human being.

Here here.

Common decency matters.