Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[cfonts]

Hey Everyone. It's been a while since I've last been here I'm slowly getting caught up with everyones posts.

Do y'all remember the two chicks I rescued? The first in May and the second in July? They're all grown up now!

Kiko (Rescued in May)

Gizmo (Rescued in July)

Kiko & Gizmo

Clearly Gizmo is a rooster. He started crowing a few weeks ago and makes a GREAT alarm clock!

Okay, going to continue catching up on this thread!

 

[RoyalChick]

Hey Everyone. It's been a while since I've last been here I'm slowly getting caught up with everyones posts.

Do y'all remember the two chicks I rescued? The first in May and the second in July? They're all grown up now!

Kiko (Rescued in May)
View attachment 2849668

Gizmo (Rescued in July)
View attachment 2849672

Kiko & Gizmo
View attachment 2849670

Clearly Gizmo is a rooster. He started crowing a few weeks ago and makes a GREAT alarm clock!

Okay, going to continue catching up on this thread!

I do remember. So cute and now so beautiful. Thank you for sharing and welcome back. There is lots to catch up on!

 

[RoyalChick]

Update on the fig sharing situation The ever wonderful Maggie has shown us a way forward. With her big strong beak she jackhammered her way into an unripe fig and it turns out they all love the unripe figs - it is just hard to get in to them.
So From now on I will split them open before sharing.
Everyone is happy. Clever Maggie!

I am sorry to bore everyone with the figs, but I found this really interesting from a chicken behavior perspective.
Maggie jackhammered her way into the unripe fig while Minnie watched closely. Closely enough that she managed to get at least one bite of the inside of Maggie's fig.
Not 5 mins later I heard this banging and it was little Minnie trying it out for herself on another unripe fig. I really think she watched and learned from Maggie!
Amazing.

 

[MaryJanet]

And because I’m dumping my soul on you peeps today, honestly I have been in competition with my older brother all my life. Yes he owns a mansion a yacht and a few properties in Washington state. But let’s just list what I have.
1. six properties in California
2. 12 wonderful chickens
3. A beautiful horse “Chaco”
4.still have the interest on my property in Washington DC!
5. My life insurance company would go broke I was to die! Just saying.
6. Not to mention that I’m the only person in the family, with my own airplane!
I do love my brother but

Why don't you stop competing with him?

 

[MaryJanet]

That is good to know - and obviously Maggie proves the case!
As it was I spent 6 months expecting to wake up each morning and find Maggie had died. TBH I still anxiously check on her every morning even though as it turned out it was poor Elizabeth who suddenly gave up the ghost.

Even though the hens are full of life and rambunctious, I also wake up expecting to find one dead. Hopefully I'll be able to cope when it does actually happen. Their lives are so short compared to dogs or cats.

 

[MaryJanet]

It is helpful to remember that they know what they are doing. In 90% of molts no intervention is needed. I switch them to high protein feather fixer and they take care of the rest. Laying around and distancing themselves from the flock are very normal.

A big YES to this reminder.

 

[MaryJanet]

Look, you are being so helpful that you are backing me into a corner I don't want to be in.

I give up! I admit it!

I don't want to give them up yet. They are my buddies and once they go outside they will meet new friends more like them and they will leave me behind. I'm not ready yet.

No Bob! They will sit with you like Ned and Lucky used to! Get the cushions ready.

 

[MaryJanet]

You con’t think this is a Cream Legbar? I guess you’ll know if/when she starts laying.
View attachment 2849307

I agree, this hen looks like a legbar to me.

 

[MaryJanet]

This is an interesting and according to the people I've spoken to about the topic whose knowledge I respect; badly missunderstood.
The best free rangers are fast. The colour that is supposed to aid camouflage doesn't play much of a role. All the ariel predators I'm told hunt on movement.
Sitting hens is a good example, I used to wonder how a couple of the tribes hens managed to not get taken by hawks because of the exposed natare of the sites they chose to sit at. Donk, and her mother Dink, Fray, Tan, Thunder and of course Cheepy prefered exposed site. Their colours ranged from almost pure white to black and white and about every shade of brown. They survived by keeping perfectly still and when they moved from their nests they moved to cover very quickly.
Of course, this may not help much when it comes to ground predators who may locate the hen by smell. I am told that some hens more used to feral sitting choose strong smelling foliage to help hide in. Rosemary and Thyme bushes are favorite in many warm climates.
So, it's movement that usually gives the hens away. Donk, who is black and white and sticks out like a sore thumb once you know where she is is virually invisable while she is still. She looks like an odd looking rock.
Fayoumies (probably my favourite breed) are just too fast for hawks and the feral ones will fly into trees when in danger.
It's speed and stillness that counts most.

*Bookmarked*

 

[MaryJanet]

My girls worm lab results came back as completely negative. No worms or worm eggs at all

Excellent news!! No treatments needed