Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

So I’m not quite caught up and have had lots going on. In addition to my (mildly) high blood pressure, I’ve had three recent episodes of a crazy, racing, pounding heart. Saw the doc. At her request/recommendation, bought a mobile EKG-at-your-fingertips device, managed to capture some recordings of my racing heart and sent a couple to her. A cardiologist reviewed them and confirmed her suspicions. I have Supraventricular Tachycardia and started on meds tonight. As a bonus, the meds prescribed for the tachycardia should also lower my blood pressure. Woohoo!

Tax
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I'm so glad they were able to figure it out. That is the best of all the news. I prescribe more time with chickens to slow your heart and relieve some stress as well!

 

[BY Bob]

That brings up an interesting question, what is the reason for the carrying on? Complaining to get the nestbox occupant to hurry up and leave? Or at least announcing the intention and need to lay, maybe in order to secure a spot "in line" for it, or announce you're next so anybody else has to wait? If there is no one in the nestbox she wants, did Phyllis still carry on?

Now she has her Secret Garden, and no competition at all, but it is not a safe secure place like the coop, so there's an extra need to be quiet.

What do you and everyone here think?

I wanted you to know that I have put thought into this response as it has.

Phyllis would be agitated no matter if some was in the box or it was empty. I truly believe that she does not want to lay her eggs there. I'm certain that @Shadrach Is right when he says they prefer the ground to lay on. At least as far as Phyllis is concerned. She has been trying to find a spot on the ground since she joined us and started laying.

 

[featherhead007]

I'm so glad they were able to figure it out. That is the best of all the news. I prescribe more time with chickens to slow your heart and relieve some stress as well!

Works for me!

 

[BY Bob]

The new chicks have arrived, 3 silver based, one brown, and one white. All are identified by their color. Amongst the silver there is silver, splotchy silver, and owlface. One of the chicks looks like a little barn owl with a white face and silver head. All are moving around and are energetically eating.View attachment 2731274View attachment 2731275View attachment 2731276View attachment 2731277

They look just lovely. Such little cute ones.

Congratulations!

 

[featherhead007]

I wanted you to know that I have put thought into this response as it has.

Phyllis would be agitated no matter if some was in the box or it was empty. I truly believe that she does not want to lay her eggs there. I'm certain that @Shadrach Is right when he says they prefer the ground to lay on. At least as far as Phyllis is concerned. She has been trying to find a spot on the ground since she joined us and started laying.

You would think by now, Phyllis, the prima Donna, would have others laying eggs for her!

 

[BY Bob]

What are your thoughts on drip drinkers? We've been wondering if they would be cleaner to use.

I believe they would be cleaner. I would provide both before I switched them over to a new source of water. I would want to see them drinking effectively before taking the regular waterer away.

 

[BY Bob]

Really young chicks are apparently not strong enough to use horizontal nipple waterers - I can't remember how old they need to be but I vaguely remember 6 weeks. The vertical nipples are OK for baby chicks apparently and next time I get chicks I am going to give that a go as it certainly keeps the water cleaner.
I have a variety of waterers.
- I have a bucket with horizontal nipples in the coop - it ensures there aren't spills in the coop and everyone seems fine with it particularly for a drink before bed. Interestingly I never taught the road-runners to use it, they just picked it up from the other Princesses.
- I have a hanging waterer in the run
- And out in the chicken garden I have a good old fashioned rubber bowl
When it gets really cold in winter I replace the horizontal waterer with a heated open waterer and I remove the bowl because of fear of Maggie getting frost bite in her wattles.
Sorry for such a long reply I got carried away!

Good information all though.

 

[BY Bob]

I think so, they seem to be "on the regular" much more now. So last evening I was with them as they foraged right up to about 8:30 when they wanted to go in to the little run and roost. Maybe free-ranging & being with them that late was the cause of the following? They would have gone to roost sooner, and it speeded up their evening routine? There was a bit of a kerfluffle -- (kerFLUFFle!)

Hazel had been moaning to roost since probably 8:10pm. It's similar to the sound she makes when she's waiting for a nest box. But everyone was having a great time eating dandelion leaves and grass, including Hazel, and Popcorn also found, beat up, and ate a really big frog, swallowing it head first, whole. Looked like she had to work to get it settled in her crop it was so big. I was amazed/horrified and very sorry for the frog. Anyway, nobody really paid attention to Hazel's moans.

It was only when Peanut made a long kind of fluty trill and walked toward the nearby coop that Hazel immediately followed her and the others did too. But Hazel always wants to be first up and ran past Peanut and up to the top of the ladder. Peanut jump-flew up to the side perch and let Hazel go in, then shuffled over and got on the threshold looking in, and just stayed there. As if Hazel hadn't settled yet - not gotten to her spot maybe? But this was where my suspicions about previous times got raised, because I often found Peanut sitting in the threshold, facing in or out. Maybe she still has inclinations to take the night air? And when there is a lock-out, it's usually been Popcorn and Butters, or just Butters, on the perch.

Popcorn and Butters were waiting on Peanut. But within 30 seconds Popcorn climbed the ladder, and immediately tried to burrow under and push Peanut, with Peanut making protest squeals while getting lifted up and pushed in. Butters jump-flew up to the perch during this and moved right over and in after those two. A little bit of shuffling, and then pretty quiet right away.

Mine all have staggered bedtimes and they do not wait for anyone else to roost, they just go. Phyllis roosts first, then Lilly. I you are paying attention, that's Omega then Alpha. Hattie is usually next, then Sansa, Sydney and finally Aurora who is frequently very late. No one waits for anyone.

It seems like your tribe still wants to roost together. That's sweet.

 

[BY Bob]

Gotta agree mine are eating slugs and snails, they love them, Master Predator Popcorn was the first to go for them and the others have caught on. If I didn't want them to eat them it would be a losing proposition given my location. They are everywhere.

Popcorn does sound like a master predator. None of mine have eaten anything so big as a frog. Although Elphie did try to once eat a mouse from the pool skimmer. She grabbed it and was running around the yard with it in her beak. Not know for sure how long it had been dead, I did not let her eat it.

No one in the current tribe messes with any of the dead rodents the pool collects.

 

[BY Bob]

The plan was to keep two, but it's getting tough to go through with that plan even after a day.

It always is. You need at least 3 anyway. You should always have a spare chicken.