Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

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.

Oh. My. Frick. I LOVE THEM!!!!

 

[micstrachan]

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.

Oh my gosh. This post made me well up.

 

[micstrachan]

I want to show you what a difference 3 weeks has done to my baldest girl. The day she showed up to yesterday.
View attachment 2834104View attachment 2834105

She’s looking great!

 

[Blazinga]

It looks like the electrolytes are working. This evening there was a long poop with a piece of grass that I had to pull out which also seemed to help her condition.

 

[LozzyR]

But I’m perfect hahaas I lay here with two hens, watching TV in the air conditioning’ watching “The Muppet Show reruns “

I bet they love Gonzo and Camilla!

 

[LozzyR]

I honestly thought 2-3 years old.

My ISA Brown girls were 18 months when I got them.

 

[MaryJanet]

My ISA Brown girls were 18 months when I got them.

So young!

 

[Marie2020]

Or shot!

I didn't think anyone or anything could possibly make me smile in the mornings but you Alex are an exception.

How's bopeep this morning?

 

[Marie2020]

Jaffar is the roo on this farm.View attachment 2834713

At least you are second in command

 

[Marie2020]

Wow!! That's younger than I expected

That's a good thing. I'm really pleased they are not in the concentration camps for any longer, I just hate the thought of chickens being in such conditions.