Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Chickens in freshly cut grass. (The grape vine isn’t quite ripe yet) but the chickens love the grapes! View attachment 2728101

Several chickens missing in this picture too! Xzit, Shenandoah, and Bo, are out of frame

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Good morning everyone. I'm so sorry to hear of some of your troubles with your hens, especially since they are so young. I really feel for the production breeds and those that own them. I do not have production breeds but still some of my girls will give me 5 to 6 eggs a week. Henrietta lays about 8 eggs before she takes her break. Old momma hen, when she is not broody and laying lays 6 days in a row before skipping and she is close to 7 at least. Only 1 of my girls has produced a soft shelled egg, and that was Butter, and it was her 2nd ever egg. I've been thinking, my chickens have access to layer feed, for the most part they ignore it, prefer grass, bugs, whatever they find in the manure pile and for some of them snakes and minnows from the creek. What I do different them most is if I have a broody hen, I do not break her, she either hides, or I intentionally let her set. I know being broody can be hard on the hen, but if I know where she is I see to it that she has fresh water available and food. On average after the chicks hatch *not counting momma hen* they care for them 5 to 6 weeks before they are done. That is a 8 or 9 week break their body gets naturally from egg laying. I wonder if where most of us chicken keepers for many reasons break up that broody we are doing more harm then good to her body. I know many of us can't have roosters, or are at our limits so we have no choice but to break them. I feel though that the broody break, plus the normal break they take through winter and molting helps the hens in the long run in preventing reproduction problems. Now I may be completely wrong on this, but its just my train of thought.

 

[featherhead007]

Some people can’t have roosters I know, and the ones that can, sometimes have more than they need. I’m only trying to say (no one can have this rooster, but I do loan him out to people if emotional support is required)
Jaffar, the greatest emotional support rooster ever)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

This is very clever. You have knack for clever solutions. You are going to be real good at this chicken thing.

Thank you for the encouragement, much appreciated!

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you for the encouragement, much appreciated!

Bob is right - very clever indeed.

 

[Blazinga]

Good morning everyone. I'm so sorry to hear of some of your troubles with your hens, especially since they are so young. I really feel for the production breeds and those that own them. I do not have production breeds but still some of my girls will give me 5 to 6 eggs a week. Henrietta lays about 8 eggs before she takes her break. Old momma hen, when she is not broody and laying lays 6 days in a row before skipping and she is close to 7 at least. Only 1 of my girls has produced a soft shelled egg, and that was Butter, and it was her 2nd ever egg. I've been thinking, my chickens have access to layer feed, for the most part they ignore it, prefer grass, bugs, whatever they find in the manure pile and for some of them snakes and minnows from the creek. What I do different them most is if I have a broody hen, I do not break her, she either hides, or I intentionally let her set. I know being broody can be hard on the hen, but if I know where she is I see to it that she has fresh water available and food. On average after the chicks hatch *not counting momma hen* they care for them 5 to 6 weeks before they are done. That is a 8 or 9 week break their body gets naturally from egg laying. I wonder if where most of us chicken keepers for many reasons break up that broody we are doing more harm then good to her body. I know many of us can't have roosters, or are at our limits so we have no choice but to break them. I feel though that the broody break, plus the normal break they take through winter and molting helps the hens in the long run in preventing reproduction problems. Now I may be completely wrong on this, but its just my train of thought.

My plan whenever I encounter broodiness is to let them set on some duck eggs from my friends since their duck flock has a drake. After the hen is done raising them, I'll let my friends decide whether to sell the ducklings or not.

 

[Marie2020]

She really has camouflaged herself.

She must have been in the army in her last life.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Pretty soon I'm going to have to go get pictures and do a formal introduction to Squirrels hatch mate Basil. I've been watching this little guy very closely now ever since momma hen weaned him and his sister. Basil is wicked smart and very respectful. He shadows his daddy imitating everything he does. In doing so he's learned that if his daddy doesn't have to get on the roost himself and waits for me to put him up, why should he? He and Squirrel sleep beside him and while Squirrel hops up by herself, Basil waits. He sits right beside Drummie looking at me expectantly every night for his turn to be placed up. He also has just started in the last few days trying his hand at nest building. When a new nest spot is made or a old one has the hay messed up Drummie is the one to build or fix it. While Drummie does this Basil has been right there sometimes with his head in the way watching everything he does. Now he's trying his hand at it, all the while making the same noises and calls that Drummie does. Right now, Squirrel and Remi are the only 2 that pay attention to him but he's learning. I will consider myself very fortunate if he ends up being half the boy Drummie is, but so far he has been the only one who when I observe them its like watching a baby Drumstick all over again in behavior.

 

[featherhead007]

Some people can’t have roosters I know, and the ones that can, sometimes have more than they need. I’m only trying to say (no one can have this rooster, but I do loan him out to people if emotional support is required)
Jaffar, the greatest emotional support rooster ever)View attachment 2728278

All this little guy needs is a Superman cape and insignia!

 

[featherhead007]

Then she closes her eyes and purrs! Rocks-Ann wants daddy and me time), so I brought her inside (she did jump up on my lap outside. All she wants to do is snuggle. What I need to do is plan my trip to Hawaii next month. But I’m taking time with her right now.