Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

The weather is atrocious here. Raining like crazy, but princess is still a muddy mess.

Bring the weather here please. It’s so dry and dusty

 

[featherhead007]

Some days, I wish my grocery store wasn’t 10 miles away. The chooks want more watermelon, and they are very persistent! I’m going now to get some

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Everyone: Thank you thank you thank you for your caring & friendly words, it is helpful and comforting. You all know how devastating it is, I appreciate you all writing notes. Please forgive me if I've missed anyone here. These thanks are so late, sorry. It was and sometime still is so overwhelming.

OMG, Queenie? Tragedy, unbelievable, heart wrenching. What is happening to all the peoples birds on this thread? So many bad things happening. Poor Queenie! BTW. Don’t blame yourself. It will only make you feel worse. I have had terrible things happen. I could go into deep depression, but I don’t! I use this.. even if it hurts.
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@featherhead007 Thank you for your words that describe it exactly, and for the poster words and sweet picture that lit a way forward from this awful place for me.

Oh @ChicoryBlue, please don’t blame yourself
I can’t find the words to help comfort you after this tragedy and I’m so sorry you lost Queenie in such horrific circumstances.
Take time to grieve for your loved feathered friend, we are always here

Thank you @Scrambles83 for saying this, and acknowledging it's okay to take the time to grieve, and to separate the pain of loss, let that flow, and the pain of blaming myself, let that go.

I am so sorry. It is hard but the living still need you. I think we will all miss Queenie. Hers was such a wonderful story!`

@Ribh Thank you and you are right, and don't worry I'm still caring for them and that does help some. It's all sad and healing at the same time to be with them, plus I'm afraid for them. She did have more time here, and great quality time, than she would have had starving into the winter where she was.

I am so very, very sorry. This is such a sad loss. I can’t imagine how hard your heart must hurt. Big, big hug.

I know this doesn’t help right now, but I hope you remember what a good life you gave her. She got to be a real chicken with love and a flock of her own.

Thank you, and thank you for the heart, @micstrachan , it is a big hurt. She did an amazing integration into this group, didn't she? And really figured out how to fit in and thrive. She had flock/tribe smarts and a great personality. I loved her voice! Her eager huffing caws. And until recently she was the only one who would do the escort call. But just two weeks ago I heard a duet of escort calls - one of the Buckeyes was doing it too! Maybe they kept each other going, because it went on for a long time. Queenie was loud, strong and clear, the Buckeye was a little raspy but doing pretty well keeping up her end. Then yesterday I heard a raspy short version of it from someone! So maybe they will carry on with it.

Oh, not beautiful Queenie! I'm so, so sorry. Scrambles put it really well. Try not to blame yourself.
She had a new family with you and was truly loved.

Thank you, @Aussie-Chookmum . Thank you for the hugs! She did really get into her new tribe, just the day or two before, she had a great time dustbathing with everyone. Actually, she tried to join the others who had started first and there wasn't enough good bathing space in the dirt hole so she left and waited. When they were done she went over there and started a solo dustbath. But then the others saw her and joined in - only this time she was in the good center area and she wasn't letting herself get pushed out with the other's squirming. I filmed the beginning part with my phone, BYC says it's the wrong format but I will try to post it another way.

Oh no. I am so sorry. It is heartbreaking. But you absolutely must not blame yourself. You gave Queenie a wonderful life and she lived it to the full. You cannot protect them 100% and let them have a good life. There are dangers everywhere. Know you did right by her. Remember her fondly and take comfort in the rest of the tribe.

Thank you. You are right, @RoyalChick , nothing is 100% safe if they also are to be chickens too. Even in their run it's not 100%. It has been helpful to remember that, but the risk is higher than I gauged before.

Queenie may have warned Butters enough so that she moved a bit and the hawk's first strike was off, allowing Butters to squirm away, losing feathers (she looks like a NN when she ruffles now. I've checked her over again, she also has some feathers gone from her shoulders but I see no piercing wounds). Partly it's Queenie's previous ranging experience and gusto for leading the ranging that swayed me to give them more ranging time, but not attending to them enough was a huge mistake. But even close attendance is not 100% fail-safe either.

Thanks for the hugs. The rest of the tribe has been a joy still.

omg no! I'm so sorry. Queenie the beauty!
It is absolutely imperative that you do not blame yourself - it does no favors to the rest of your flock, nor to you. You did the best you could with the information you had.
Be kind to yourself, grieve her and remember her and tend everyone else (YOU included). You are needed.

Thank you @Lady Red for this, and the hugs, I'm trying to be kind. It seems I can forgive others more easily than myself.

I'm so sorry. Hold onto your others butters especially . This is on no way your fault.

Thank you @Marie2020 , and thank you for the hugs. I'm watching her, Butters seems okay so far. I have not tried holding her or stroking her since checking her twice for any wounds, in case she's sore and bruised under the feathers. She is not squatting for me like she used to, so I'm guessing she is sore and doesn't want to be touched.

O my gosh. I'm so sorry. You gave her a wonderful place to live and friends to live with. I know it doesn't help but she was loved and cared for and she knew it.

I know all to well what you are feeling. I wish I could take it away for you.

Dear @BY Bob , thank you. I know you know, and you did warn me of this possibility. Thank you for wishing to take the pain away. Thank you for the hugs!

I'm so sorry! I know it's hard, but please don't blame yourself. As terrible as it is, that is nature.

How true about nature, @CrazyChookChookLady ! It was all a series of factors, in which I played a role. Trying to realize that included successes besides failings.

I am so sorry about Queenie. Know you gave her the best life possible even if it was a short one. Maybe in time when you are ready you can get another Buff Orp in her honor.

That is such a sweet thought, @RebeccaBoyd ! Thank you. I wonder if Buff Orpingtons are usually so personable? She had a special way about her.

I know exactly how you feel. I'm very sorry you had to lose your hen to a predator.

@Blazinga I know you do. Thank you. I'm so sorry for your loss and pain too.

I am so sad to see this news! So many chickens lost recently, among us, it’s awful. I’m always nervous for my girls, birds are so vulnerable somehow.

Thank you for your note @LaFemmeKatia , yes it does seem like there's been a rash of losses one way or another. I'm nervous too!

I'm so sorry

Thank you so much, @MaryJanet . Thank you for the hugs too.

I’m so sorry Chicory! That is so heartbreaking, especially as you went through so much to rescue her.

Thank you @LozzyR , yes, there was a long stretch of caring specially for her as she "quarantined" and then was integrating, and beyond. Thanks. The choices I made that contributed to her death in her time of need make it especially hard. I couldn't get aviary netting up everywhere there that I wanted. The area was evolving. And this is how it happened this time. Maybe in some other version of it, Butters would have been unable to get away and would be the one killed, if there was only one, and the fence aspect of it wouldn't hurt so much. But in that version I would be grieving horribly too. I didn't know my limits. Thank you for the hugs!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I am so very sorry for your loss I know that when we lose our feathered friends, we have a tendency to blame ourselves, but please know that you are not at fault for what happened to Queenie. From what I've read, it seemed as thought Queenie had a wonderful life and loved greatly... I hope that you'll find some comfort in that.

Thank you @cfonts, I appreciate what you've written, I feel I do need to forgive myself certain failures to gauge the risk and what could happen. Or at least not knowing just how not ready for loss I was. She did seem pretty happy, enjoying every day with the tribe! Thank you, and thank you for the hugs.

 

[Shadrach]

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

I think from what I can see in the videos Bob, that this is normal behaviour. The tribes have had much more violent disputes over egg laying rights.

Ime the juniors will go off to find their own nest site eventually. Even those juniors who have laid a few eggs unchallenged and undisturbed for a while get driven off the nest by a more senior hen. Some wait until the more senior hen lays and goes, others will try and squeeze into the nest box despite the pecking and quickly lay their egg. Occasionally they will share, but this usually ends up with broken eggs as each tries to pull the eggs already laid to their side of the nesting box.

I start off with the assumption that hens lay eggs with the intention of sitting on them and hatching.
Next, hens would prefer to hatch their own eggs. Some of the tribes hens will push another hens eggs out of the nest, or to one side.
Fudge would break another hens eggs and Mel has abandoned a few nests when another hen has laid eggs in it.
So, I believe there is a bit more to it than meets the eye.

What I've found confusing is once one hen starts to lay at a nest site, the others of that tribe will lay there as well. But, it seems that at least with some hens when they are planning to sit, if one believes that they do indeed plan that far ahead, they find a new nest site and get quite secretive about it’s location. Donk and Knock did this a lot and both would lay at the same site.

I believe that if your hens were fully free range and had space, Phyllis for example would be looking for a nest site away from the others. Most of the junior hens I've watched in the past have done this eventually when laying in the regular nest boxes became too much of a struggle.

You could try a nest box away from the coop and see who finds and uses it. I had double nest boxes in two or three of the coops over the years and most of the time only one in each coop got used; sometimes by more than one hen. What usually happened is the other hens found other sites to lay at, but there were quite a few to choose from.

The conflict in the videos isn't too bad from my experience. I’ve posted a few pictures below of nesting disputes.
Knock, laying in Tribe 1's nest box and being very defensive about it. I tried offering Tackle an alternative but she waited until Knock had left in the end.


I think from what I can see in the videos Bob, that this is normal behaviour. The tribes have had much more violent disputes over egg laying rights.

Ime the juniors will go off to find their own nest site eventually. Even those juniors who have laid a few eggs unchallenged and undisturbed for a while get driven off the nest by a more senior hen. Some wait until the more senior hen lays and goes, others will try and squeeze into the nest box despite the pecking and quickly lay their egg. Occasionally they will share, but this usually ends up with broken eggs as each tries to pull the eggs already laid to their side of the nesting box.



I start off with the assumption that hens lay eggs with the intention of sitting on them and hatching.

Next, hens would prefer to hatch their own eggs. Some of the tribes hens will push another hens eggs out of the nest, or to one side.

Fudge would break another hens eggs and Mel has abandoned a few nests when another hen has laid eggs in it.

So, I believe there is a bit more to it than meets the eye.

What I’ve found confusing is once one hen starts to lay at a nest site, the others of that tribe will lay there as well. But, it seems that at least with some hens when they are planning to sit, if one believes that they do indeed plan that far ahead, they find a new nest site and get quite secretive about it’s location. Donk and Knock did this a lot and both would lay at the same site.

I believe that if your hens were fully free range and had space, Phyllis for example would be looking for a nest site away from the others. Most of the junior hens I’ve watched in the past have done this eventually when laying in the regular nest boxes became too much of a struggle.

You could try siting a nest box away from the coop and see who finds and uses it. I had double nest boxes in two or three of the coops over the years and most of the time only one in each coop got used; sometimes by more than one hen. What usually happened is the other hens found other sites to lay at, but there were quite a few to choose from.

The conflict in the videos isn’t too bad from my experience. I’ve posted a few pictures below of nesting disputes.

Fudge and Tackle. Fudge drove Tackle out in the end. Fudge is mum and Tackle is daughter.

Knock laying in Tribe 1's preferred nest box and being very aggressive towards Tackle who was waiting to lay. She laid in the nest box despite my efforts to provide an alternative site after Knock left.

Hurry preventing Moon from laying and then Mel shows up and drives them both out.

Fat Bird driving Tap out of the nest box.

 

[Ribh]

Partly it's Queenie's previous ranging experience and gusto for leading the ranging that swayed me to give them more ranging time, but not attending to them enough was a huge mistake. But even close attendance is not 100% fail-safe either.

There really are no guarantees. I live in a relatively predator free area & still had a snake get in my pen & try to take a couple of my girls. They were lucky. None of them are really predator savvy & normally I can safely allow them a lot of freedom. Then on Wednesday I found someone missing @ lock~up. I looked for her for ages until it got too dangerous to continue & spent a restless night worrying about her. As there were no signs of predation & none of my other girls seemed traumatised I figured she'd gone broody on me. It took me a while to find her even in broad daylight & I'm waiting on Shad turning up on my thread again to give his opinion on how good a choice she made but the point is that they will take risks for themselves we would never take for them. Life is all about risks. Queenie might have been able to save herself if she hadn't warned Butters but she took that gamble. I had 2 birds involved with the snake so whichever one the snake went for initially the 2nd bird went into attack mode to defend herself & the flock. So many dynamics go into these things we can only do the best we can & give our chickens the very best lives we can. Everything else is out of our hands.

 

[Ribh]

I think from what I can see in the videos Bob, that this is normal behaviour. The tribes have had much more violent disputes over egg laying rights.

Ime the juniors will go off to find their own nest site eventually. Even those juniors who have laid a few eggs unchallenged and undisturbed for a while get driven off the nest by a more senior hen. Some wait until the more senior hen lays and goes, others will try and squeeze into the nest box despite the pecking and quickly lay their egg. Occasionally they will share, but this usually ends up with broken eggs as each tries to pull the eggs already laid to their side of the nesting box.

I start off with the assumption that hens lay eggs with the intention of sitting on them and hatching.
Next, hens would prefer to hatch their own eggs. Some of the tribes hens will push another hens eggs out of the nest, or to one side.
Fudge would break another hens eggs and Mel has abandoned a few nests when another hen has laid eggs in it.
So, I believe there is a bit more to it than meets the eye.

What I've found confusing is once one hen starts to lay at a nest site, the others of that tribe will lay there as well. But, it seems that at least with some hens when they are planning to sit, if one believes that they do indeed plan that far ahead, they find a new nest site and get quite secretive about it’s location. Donk and Knock did this a lot and both would lay at the same site.

I believe that if your hens were fully free range and had space, Phyllis for example would be looking for a nest site away from the others. Most of the junior hens I've watched in the past have done this eventually when laying in the regular nest boxes became too much of a struggle.

You could try a nest box away from the coop and see who finds and uses it. I had double nest boxes in two or three of the coops over the years and most of the time only one in each coop got used; sometimes by more than one hen. What usually happened is the other hens found other sites to lay at, but there were quite a few to choose from.

The conflict in the videos isn't too bad from my experience. I’ve posted a few pictures below of nesting disputes.
Knock, laying in Tribe 1's nest box and being very defensive about it. I tried offering Tackle an alternative but she waited until Knock had left in the end.


I think from what I can see in the videos Bob, that this is normal behaviour. The tribes have had much more violent disputes over egg laying rights.

Ime the juniors will go off to find their own nest site eventually. Even those juniors who have laid a few eggs unchallenged and undisturbed for a while get driven off the nest by a more senior hen. Some wait until the more senior hen lays and goes, others will try and squeeze into the nest box despite the pecking and quickly lay their egg. Occasionally they will share, but this usually ends up with broken eggs as each tries to pull the eggs already laid to their side of the nesting box.



I start off with the assumption that hens lay eggs with the intention of sitting on them and hatching.

Next, hens would prefer to hatch their own eggs. Some of the tribes hens will push another hens eggs out of the nest, or to one side.

Fudge would break another hens eggs and Mel has abandoned a few nests when another hen has laid eggs in it.

So, I believe there is a bit more to it than meets the eye.

What I’ve found confusing is once one hen starts to lay at a nest site, the others of that tribe will lay there as well. But, it seems that at least with some hens when they are planning to sit, if one believes that they do indeed plan that far ahead, they find a new nest site and get quite secretive about it’s location. Donk and Knock did this a lot and both would lay at the same site.

I believe that if your hens were fully free range and had space, Phyllis for example would be looking for a nest site away from the others. Most of the junior hens I’ve watched in the past have done this eventually when laying in the regular nest boxes became too much of a struggle.

You could try siting a nest box away from the coop and see who finds and uses it. I had double nest boxes in two or three of the coops over the years and most of the time only one in each coop got used; sometimes by more than one hen. What usually happened is the other hens found other sites to lay at, but there were quite a few to choose from.

The conflict in the videos isn’t too bad from my experience. I’ve posted a few pictures below of nesting disputes.

Fudge and Tackle. Fudge drove Tackle out in the end. Fudge is mum and Tackle is daughter.
View attachment 2680098
Knock laying in Tribe 1's preferred nest box and being very aggressive towards Tackle who was waiting to lay. She laid in the nest box despite my efforts to provide an alternative site after Knock left.
View attachment 2680099

Hurry preventing Moon from laying and then Mel shows up and drives them both out.
View attachment 2680101

Fat Bird driving Tap out of the nest box.
View attachment 2680103

Thank you Shad. That partly explains what happened in my middle tribe this week. I'm now scratching my head over what to do with the culprit, who gave no indication of being broody until she disappeared on me.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

There really are no guarantees. I live in a relatively predator free area & still had a snake get in my pen & try to take a couple of my girls. They were lucky. None of them are really predator savvy & normally I can safely allow them a lot of freedom. Then on Wednesday I found someone missing @ lock~up. I looked for her for ages until it got too dangerous to continue & spent a restless night worrying about her. As there were no signs of predation & none of my other girls seemed traumatised I figured she'd gone broody on me. It took me a while to find her even in broad daylight & I'm waiting on Shad turning up on my thread again to give his opinion on how good a choice she made but the point is that they will take risks for themselves we would never take for them. Life is all about risks. Queenie might have been able to save herself if she hadn't warned Butters but she took that gamble. I had 2 birds involved with the snake so whichever one the snake went for initially the 2nd bird went into attack mode to defend herself & the flock. So many dynamics go into these things we can only do the best we can & give our chickens the very best lives we can. Everything else is out of our hands.

Thank you for this, some things I hadn't thought of, illustrated by your story of your broody hen. And how there is so much out of our hands. With Queenie I think the fence positioning was in my hands, but your story makes me realize how the field of possibilities is so much broader in general anyway, even if we give them every shot. So thank you.

A point made last night: I've been with them a couple of hours and now am doing some chores, and they are in the small run, and I see them go up into the coop for the night after sunset, all nicely piling into the roosting area and arranging themselves. I think: Good, no one will be caught out of the coop proper when the auto-door closes later on, good girls! When I go back to check after the auto-door time, I see Peanut has partially come back out, deciding to roost on the threshold in the doorway, facing out, taking the evening air. So the door is open, it hasn't closed obviously. I don't know what transpired, maybe Hazel was giving her reminding pecks and she moved off some and wound up there. Or she just decided this was better. I don't care for clamboring in there to get them in, but it ended nicely - after trying to get her to step backward onto the roost platform, I ended up with her feet gripping my hands, levitating her back through the pop door. And I really like how their feet feel.

 

[Ribh]

Thank you for this, some things I hadn't thought of, illustrated by your story of your broody hen. And how there is so much out of our hands. With Queenie I think the fence positioning was in my hands, but your story makes me realize how the field of possibilities is so much broader in general anyway, even if we give them every shot. So thank you.

A point made last night: I've been with them a couple of hours and now am doing some chores, and they are in the small run, and I see them go up into the coop for the night after sunset, all nicely piling into the roosting area and arranging themselves. I think: Good, no one will be caught out of the coop proper when the auto-door closes later on, good girls! When I go back to check after the auto-door time, I see Peanut has partially come back out, deciding to roost on the threshold in the doorway, facing out, taking the evening air. So the door is open, it hasn't closed obviously. I don't know what transpired, maybe Hazel was giving her reminding pecks and she moved off some and wound up there. Or she just decided this was better. I don't care for clamboring in there to get them in, but it ended nicely - after trying to get her to step backward onto the roost platform, I ended up with her feet gripping my hands, levitating her back through the pop door. And I really like how their feet feel.

I've just fully integrated my babies & it's nearly full dark before they go to roost. The crying! And they have trouble finding the roosts because it's so dark. Then they squabble over who's going to roost with whom & knock each other off the roost. Then the Big Girl's get cranky because they were already asleep!

 

[Ribh]

It's Friday here, so here's my fluffy butt contribution.


Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who has the fluffiest butt of them all?