Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

I remember that! You did battle, and they were psychotic!

Thanks, Kat. Funny in retrospect but @ the time....

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

buenos tacos (Good morning friends) No I don't use Spanish very much, but I understand "El Pollo Loco" quite well. Rocks-Ann update: She passed out an egg, and is doing well. She's sleeping comfortably in the chicken room, with Arizona, and Dakota. I awoke early to peek in and check on her.

Glad to hear that went well.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

What to do.....What to do.....What to do.....

Thank You @RebeccaBoyd for the advice on closing off the nest box. I am actually considering closing off the entire end of the coop. I can then provide food, water, and a place to dustbathe all her own. They could all use Nest box #3 to lay their eggs. I can staple up some chicken wire to segregate Phyllis off. The only downside to that is that Phyllis would be stuck in the coop itself for the duration. Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

Actions Which I Have Taken

I simply do not feel good enough about Phyllis being a reliable broody to get eggs for her to hatch. Therefore I had started watching the available chick supply. When I started looking yesterday there were maybe 10 Polish chicks available through the end of September. When I check this morning there were maybe 5. Only 2 within a date range that would line up with Phyllis in any way at all. So I bought them. On Aug 3rd, one of each of these will be arriving.

Buff Laced Polish
View attachment 2752044

White Crested Black Polish
View attachment 2752194


This left me with another issue. It is a 3 bird minimum for shipping. Chicken math is a real problem!

There were no other Polish available on that date. I was stuck. What to do for a third bird?

I thought.....

• I need a smaller bird like the Polish
• If it had weird head feathers that would help it to fit in
• What is available on that ship date, not a lot........

Spoiler: Here is My Solution

View attachment 2752045

A Frost White Legbar!

I am taking one more run at the elusive blue egg. Plus, I am going to have another white chicken very similar to my dear white leghorns.

They will arrive 25 days from when Phyllis started. Hopefully she will still be broody at that time, I can slip them under her at night, and she will accept them as her own. One of them will sure look like her.

I have not tried the slip in at night since I was a young lad on the farm. Hopefully Phyllis is as accepting as Speck was. If not, then Rose and I will be raising some chicks again. At least this time we will be able to raise them out in the run once the new coop is done and not have to keep them in the house for weeks.

This is how I am interpreting what the universe has told me to do. It is full of compromises everywhere. Ifs and thens are all over this plan. I am very apprehensive that I have missed something but the real failsafe is that no matter what, Rose and I can raise the chicks if I have no broody. I could have had a real disaster if I went with fertile eggs and Phyllis gave up the ghost.

What does everyone think?

Awesome choice!

 

[Ribh]

I still giggle about it.

At least yours go one @ a time. I always seem to get multiples. Nothing like having company when you're feeling broody!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

What to do.....What to do.....What to do.....

Thank You @RebeccaBoyd for the advice on closing off the nest box. I am actually considering closing off the entire end of the coop. I can then provide food, water, and a place to dustbathe all her own. They could all use Nest box #3 to lay their eggs. I can staple up some chicken wire to segregate Phyllis off. The only downside to that is that Phyllis would be stuck in the coop itself for the duration. Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

Actions Which I Have Taken

I simply do not feel good enough about Phyllis being a reliable broody to get eggs for her to hatch. Therefore I had started watching the available chick supply. When I started looking yesterday there were maybe 10 Polish chicks available through the end of September. When I check this morning there were maybe 5. Only 2 within a date range that would line up with Phyllis in any way at all. So I bought them. On Aug 3rd, one of each of these will be arriving.

Buff Laced Polish
View attachment 2752044

White Crested Black Polish
View attachment 2752194


This left me with another issue. It is a 3 bird minimum for shipping. Chicken math is a real problem!

There were no other Polish available on that date. I was stuck. What to do for a third bird?

I thought.....

• I need a smaller bird like the Polish
• If it had weird head feathers that would help it to fit in
• What is available on that ship date, not a lot........

Spoiler: Here is My Solution

View attachment 2752045

A Frost White Legbar!

I am taking one more run at the elusive blue egg. Plus, I am going to have another white chicken very similar to my dear white leghorns.

They will arrive 25 days from when Phyllis started. Hopefully she will still be broody at that time, I can slip them under her at night, and she will accept them as her own. One of them will sure look like her.

I have not tried the slip in at night since I was a young lad on the farm. Hopefully Phyllis is as accepting as Speck was. If not, then Rose and I will be raising some chicks again. At least this time we will be able to raise them out in the run once the new coop is done and not have to keep them in the house for weeks.

This is how I am interpreting what the universe has told me to do. It is full of compromises everywhere. Ifs and thens are all over this plan. I am very apprehensive that I have missed something but the real failsafe is that no matter what, Rose and I can raise the chicks if I have no broody. I could have had a real disaster if I went with fertile eggs and Phyllis gave up the ghost.

What does everyone think?

I actually think that is a wonderful solution. This way it all does not depend on Phyllis sticking it out. Hopefully she does, and accepts the new chicks as her own. But coming from someone who is going through the crisis of a hen abandoning eggs over halfway through, it is not fun. I was lucky enough to have a incubator and even then it was a agonizing choice on whether or not to try and finish incubation. I look forward to seeing the new friends of Phyllis and look forward to the day you get that first blue egg.

 

[featherhead007]

I actually think that is a wonderful solution. This way it all does not depend on Phyllis sticking it out. Hopefully she does, and accepts the new chicks as her own. But coming from someone who is going through the crisis of a hen abandoning eggs over halfway through, it is not fun. I was lucky enough to have a incubator and even then it was a agonizing choice on whether or not to try and finish incubation. I look forward to seeing the new friends of Phyllis and look forward to the day you get that first blue egg.

We can only hope!

 

[BY Bob]

No frizzles? It sounds like a workable compromise. I know how you love chicks so this works out. However I thought only the cream Legbar lays blue eggs??? Everyone else lays cream or white. Maybe I've remembered wrong.

I can barely find polish let alone frizzles.

19 out of 20 Frost Legbars lay blue eggs.........100% of Cream Legbars lay blue eggs.

I hate settling for best I could do. However, if I did not act today, I would be waiting until next year because there would be no Polish around. Plus, I'd love to take advantage of Phyllis being broody. I really hope that she will raise them for me.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks, Kat. Funny in retrospect but @ the time....

It was very funny at the time.

 

[BY Bob]

I actually think that is a wonderful solution. This way it all does not depend on Phyllis sticking it out. Hopefully she does, and accepts the new chicks as her own. But coming from someone who is going through the crisis of a hen abandoning eggs over halfway through, it is not fun. I was lucky enough to have a incubator and even then it was a agonizing choice on whether or not to try and finish incubation. I look forward to seeing the new friends of Phyllis and look forward to the day you get that first blue egg.

Thank you. We shall see. The last time I had 3 shipped, one passed away in shipment. This is very hard on the chicks. I really hope that a Mum is waiting for them at the end.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

What to do.....What to do.....What to do.....

Thank You @RebeccaBoyd for the advice on closing off the nest box. I am actually considering closing off the entire end of the coop. I can then provide food, water, and a place to dustbathe all her own. They could all use Nest box #3 to lay their eggs. I can staple up some chicken wire to segregate Phyllis off. The only downside to that is that Phyllis would be stuck in the coop itself for the duration. Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

Actions Which I Have Taken

I simply do not feel good enough about Phyllis being a reliable broody to get eggs for her to hatch. Therefore I had started watching the available chick supply. When I started looking yesterday there were maybe 10 Polish chicks available through the end of September. When I check this morning there were maybe 5. Only 2 within a date range that would line up with Phyllis in any way at all. So I bought them. On Aug 3rd, one of each of these will be arriving.

Buff Laced Polish
View attachment 2752044

White Crested Black Polish
View attachment 2752194


This left me with another issue. It is a 3 bird minimum for shipping. Chicken math is a real problem!

There were no other Polish available on that date. I was stuck. What to do for a third bird?

I thought.....

• I need a smaller bird like the Polish
• If it had weird head feathers that would help it to fit in
• What is available on that ship date, not a lot........

Spoiler: Here is My Solution

View attachment 2752045

A Frost White Legbar!

I am taking one more run at the elusive blue egg. Plus, I am going to have another white chicken very similar to my dear white leghorns.

They will arrive 25 days from when Phyllis started. Hopefully she will still be broody at that time, I can slip them under her at night, and she will accept them as her own. One of them will sure look like her.

I have not tried the slip in at night since I was a young lad on the farm. Hopefully Phyllis is as accepting as Speck was. If not, then Rose and I will be raising some chicks again. At least this time we will be able to raise them out in the run once the new coop is done and not have to keep them in the house for weeks.

This is how I am interpreting what the universe has told me to do. It is full of compromises everywhere. Ifs and thens are all over this plan. I am very apprehensive that I have missed something but the real failsafe is that no matter what, Rose and I can raise the chicks if I have no broody. I could have had a real disaster if I went with fertile eggs and Phyllis gave up the ghost.

What does everyone think?

How exciting! I am happy for you. You have a new adventure! The coop expansion is on schedule?

Thoughts (as a newbie, take with a grain of salt!) --

1. Phyllis. If she is isolating herself, then maybe her being kept in the half-coop won't feel bad to her. But if she's only half-broody, then she will want to get out and about and do her thing too, and that she won't like. Have you checked her schedule for photo-shoot appointments? That could be a clue. International flights anywhere? She may be wanting to party and be seen, jet-set style. She isn't booked for an appearance on @featherhead007's brother's yacht, is she?

2. New crew addition for Fluffy Butt Acres. Very nice looking group. I did guess a legbar (based on limited knowledge of @RoyalChick's two roadrunners (?) and your clues), but wasn't guessing white, that could have been an obvious pick but I didn't think you wanted anyone that resembled TGHE. Of course I have a soft spot for the buff laced polish. You are going for the "there are so many different kinds of chickens here, nobody really stands out as weird anymore" strategy, correct?

My only real worry is your thought of putting them under "Mother" Phyllis (now there's a new label!). Even if her schedule looks clear she may not be broody enough. What about @RebeccaBoyd 's experience with Henrietta wanting to kill the chick put under her when she seemed half-broody? But you do have quite a bit of time to watch her and gauge her broodiness. I'd still want to be there - practically in the coop with her - well before she wakes up to protect the chicks.