Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I’m hoping that six hours of sleep is adequate for me to fly today good morning BYC buddies

 

[BY Bob]

Minnie Update

This one is a little long… nothing in the second half to keep watching for.

Here she takes a step:

I left her outside in the grow-out coop, which lives in the run. She’s surrounded by her flock/tribe.

She is clearly favoring that right leg but maybe it's not as bad as you thought. She is eating. That's a good sign. I wonder if it isn't an injury that has led to the other issues.

 

[BY Bob]

Hi, everyone. Minnie seems to be fine; sorry for the false alarm. She is hesitant, but gingerly walking around. I’m not sure if she’s eating, but that’s something I know how to help with.

Excellent news,. Could she have injured her leg getting off the roost somehow? That seems to be how Lilly has done here in the past. I assume the leg has full range of motion, correct?

 

[BY Bob]

I want to share a bedtime routine we seem to have developed. Around dusk, Nyssa starts yelling her head off. The reason she does this is that Tegan is sitting in the doorway of the newer coop and throws a peck at Nyssa whenever she tries to go to bed. Of course, she could hop in with her sister in the older coop (and occasionally does) but I think she prefers the roost, which is in the newer one. So out I come, I open the roof and sure enough, Tegan is always in the doorway. So I shunt her towards the nest box (where Charlie is), so that Nyssa can come in and hop up on the roost. This seems to be happening every night now.

That is very Aurora-like. Last summer I started using a late evening snack to distract Aurora while the others roosted. It is one of the reasons Phyllis roosts so early. She wants to beat Aurora to the door. Sydney and Sansa had the worst time trying to get in and roost.

So I started with late evening meal worms or other treats. This kept Aurora busy while the others ate and then went to bed. Aurora always stays until the last bite is eaten. Now if I do not provide late evening snacks, Aurora waits on the deck and will then top of on the chicken feed which I now keep on the deck. This has the effect of her going to bed last and has her on the other side of the yard while the others go in.

 

[BY Bob]

Wearing tail feathers short.View attachment 2833872

That is certainly a style.

 

[BY Bob]

When I can properly wake up I will find these threads bob thank you.

I still have too find an automatic door or doors because if I can get a second coop I think that rescue idea may be a better option for my own selfish reasons, helping a down trodden creature gives me such a massive boost. Just knowing they will have much better life.

Excellent. That would be wonderful for them.

 

[BY Bob]

I’m hoping that six hours of sleep is adequate for me to fly today good morning BYC buddies

Good morning. That post was mighty early my time.

 

[BY Bob]

Perched

As I have been transporting the little ladies in and out of the house every day they have decided they prefer to perch for the ride rather than be held. By letting them do this I am taking the risk that they might take off flying but they seem very comfortable and excited to get to their outside run.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

When I can properly wake up I will find these threads bob thank you.

I still have too find an automatic door or doors because if I can get a second coop I think that rescue idea may be a better option for my own selfish reasons, helping a down trodden creature gives me such a massive boost. Just knowing they will have much better life.

I personally love hatching and rearing chicks and being able to build bonds with them from a young age. Before I got my 6 blue girls, besides Momma hen who was a stray, and my 3 original Marans that I got at almost 3 weeks old, I've hatched every chicken on the place. It is pure joy to watch their personalities develop and learn each one's individual quirks. I do not technically consider Momma Hen and the 6 blue girls rescues per say. Momma Hen was a hen brought here when they were doing horse shows down at the barn for the "chicken chase" for kids during intermission. She was smart, and when they let her go she flew up on the hillside and for over a year and a half no one could catch her. You would occasionally see her but never could get close. Then out of the blue she started coming off the hill every few days into the neighborhood and back to the barn. Rosie who wanted chickens, begged for chicks every trip to rural king decided she was going to tame her. It took 6 months before you could walk beside her without her running away, and it was over a year before I was finally able to touch her. Now, she's a hateful old bat when she is broody, which is pretty much all the time but If I have to I can walk right up and catch her without too much fuss. The blue girls have been here 3 weeks this past Sunday. While they are not ex battery hens, they lived the first year and a half of their life in a small coop. They picked on each other from lack of space and all had some degree of feathers missing from their heads, 2 looked like naked necks. They did not know how to roost, and still won't even after I lowered the roosting bar to a foot off the ground. They sleep in a pile in the corner of their coop. They had never free ranged, and the first time I opened the door to give them access to the yard, it took a hour and a half for one to get brave enough step foot outside. Each day they have gotten bolder on free range time and have finally discovered the mimosa tree's which is everyone's favorite hangout during the summer months. They also were terrified of us and panic when you tried to touch them. I can now get 4 of them to take a treat out of my hand if I'm absolutely still, and they do not run away from me when I walk by. Instead they follow me around trying to see what I'm doing and yesterday when Flurry walked by she was close enough that I was able to stroke her back. It startled her and she flinched but didn't run away. I gave her 3 pets and stopped touching her so I didn't overwhelm her. She just looked at me for a minute before continuing on with her business. They have started molting, but no longer pick on each other and the 2 naked neck wannabe's have pin feathers all over their heads. They will not be bald for much longer. It is heartwarming to see they personalities come out and while we won't have the connection like I do with the one's I've raised since they hatched, I'm happy with the fact they now get to experience life outside a cage and be a chicken.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Perched

As I have been transporting the little ladies in and out of the house every day they have decided they prefer to perch for the ride rather than be held. By letting them do this I am taking the risk that they might take off flying but they seem very comfortable and excited to get to their outside run.

That is so cute. And their hairdos are so funny at this age. I know that they will be stunning ladies, but will miss the flat top look.