Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[CrazyChookChookLady]

That's great news, (But I'm still going to pray for a full recovery, at church tomorrow)

Thank you!!

 

[featherhead007]

Thank you!!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I realized this afternoon that today is a special day. Butter turned 1. Was out with her for about 4 hours this evening letting her free range to her hearts content. I took this video to show how she's getting along. It will be 4 weeks Monday since her injury. I don't know if she will ever loose her limp, but she has came a long way in 4 short weeks. Happy Hatch day Butterball.
https://www.facebook.com/100003915274138/videos/pcb.2117731218367367/2117728611700961

 

[BY Bob]

My Caturday offering:
This is my Grandkitty, Romeo View attachment 2670980View attachment 2670981

Romeo is adorable.

 

[BY Bob]

That is some backup. At least they will use different boxes. Mine all want to use the same box!

 

[BY Bob]

I wonder if a second bunch of boxes might relieve some of these tensions. Somewhere out in the run maybe.

There is a box in the run. No one has ever used it. Phyllis laid under it a couple of times. Since then, nothing.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh gosh. I can't work my lot out. I have 4 boxes, 3 of which are empty while all my girls line up to use the one acceptable box. And they will share. Mostly.

Sounds like my situation. Except you have 4 boxes for 20+ hens. I have 4 boxes for 6 hens!

 

[featherhead007]

Another Saturday completed. All the chooks are up to bed. Seems all is well. Full crops all around. I think I heard Beetov-Hen squawk goodnight

 

[Ribh]

Sounds like my situation. Except you have 4 boxes for 20+ hens. I have 4 boxes for 6 hens!

I've only got about 6 girls laying @ present. It may be far more aggressive & chaotic once I have more of them laying.

 

[LozzyR]

The Egg Saga (part 1)

I told you I had collected a bunch of 30 second videos from monitoring egg laying on Wednesday. Well I got about a 1/3 of them uploaded to YouTube to try and tell the story of how egg laying works at Fluffy Butt Acres. The motion sensor did miss a couple of events. The videos are not there but I will fill in with commentary as I walk you through a day of my tribes egg laying.

The nest boxes are numbered in my head from left to right. 1, 2, 3. Nest box #1 is the prime egg laying box. that is where is vast majority of all eggs are laid.

View attachment 2670037

9:00 I knew Phyllis would be early after skipping a day. She begins trying to select a nest box at 9:00 sharp.

9:40 After 40 minutes, Phyllis selects box 2 but after 15 minutes at 9:55 she changes her mind and moves to box 1.

10:02 Aurora arrives to lay her egg.

10:17 After waiting 15 minutes Aurora's patience is exhausted and she roots Phyllis out of box 1.

10:22a My best guess is that for 5 minutes Phyllis has been mouthing off. You can see her beak flapping and Aurora has had it. She comes after Phyllis and tries to run her out of the coop. Watch closely at the end because this seems to work out for Phyllis.

10:22b Something distracts Aurora from getting back in the nest box. I probably opened the back door. Phyllis settles back into box 1.

10:36 Aurora has returned an booted Phyllis from the box again.

10:44 Sydney shows up. Somehow Phyliis has gotten back into box 1 and Aurora is trying to get her out of it again.

10:54a Aurora gets Phyllis out of the box while Sydney waits

10:54b Phyllis gets back into box 1

11:04 Even without sound you can tell how angry Sydney is. Watch her beak flapping.

11:05 Hattie arrives to find Phyllis and Aurora in box 1 and Sydney waiting

11:08 Phyllis finally lays her egg. 2 hours and 8 minutes after she started. She leaves the nest box, pecked at as she does but Phyllis will hang around and chat with everyone for a while. Probably saying something like, "Phew, I'm glad that one had a shell. Those softies are rough I tell ya." EGG #1

11:10 Hattie starts to check out alternate laying locations as Aurora still has box 1. Hattie considers box 3. Sydney continues to wait.

11:11 Hattie has moved on to box 2. Sydney is still waiting, Phyllis is still yacking away. "That wasn't the biggest egg I have ever laid but let me tell you, I am glad it is out. Better out than in I always say."

11:12 Hattie looks to try and join Aurora in box 1, just a threat or does she really mean it? Something happens outside the coop and Phyllis and Hattie go to investigate. (It's probably me doing something)

11:13 Sydney returns and checks out box 2

11:15 Sydney has settled in box 2 but Hattie returns and she gets up in case Hattie wants box 2. Sydney knows her place.

11:16 to 11:23 The camera missed it but somewhere in this time period Aurora lays her egg and Hattie takes over box 1. It took Aurora at least 1 hour and 14 minutes to lay her egg. EGG #2

My goodness, it’s the best soap opera around: “Days of Our Chickens”. It’s bizarre how they all want the same nest box!