Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

BREAKOUT!!!!!!

I briefly mentioned earlier that I was planning to let the Phyllistines into the big run today. They had other plans.

I had a late night last night and was sitting on the deck reading a little and drinking some coffee when I heard peeping that was much louder than it should have been. This concerned me greatly as they must have been in some distress in the coop for it to carry that well to me.

As I walked to The Hut my ears started to lead me away from the coop. Here is where I found them.

So that's a change in plans. Here the automated door, which I swear was set on manual, had opened after I had let Phyllis out and closed it. The ladies had decided to head off into the world.

The big girls had not seen them until Sylvie's spastic flight. I distracted the big girls with some walnuts but there is no distracting Sansa from fresh targets. She actually flushed them back to the complex and they roosted on the big cops steroids for a moment.

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I took advantage of that situation to close them into the full complex. I still need to shower, etc. They are now exporting the porch.

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I can't leave the complex locked up as Phyllis and Aurora are still laying and will need nest box access but since no one seems in a hurry to do so right now, I am going to leave it as is and get cleaned up.

I am of a mind to let them have the full yard and spend my day babysitting them. I don't feel like doing much else today anyway. This could be fun.

Wow, they were adventuresome to 'sneak out' like that. They seemed to be really enjoying themselves exploring that piece of ground!
Always good to have walnuts or mealy worms around...just in case!

I just can't get over how adorable they are, and I have always enjoyed the 'extra chatty nature' of chicks , so nice to hear them talking to each other.

Hmm, best laid plans of Mice & Men, lol

 

[bgmathteach]

I Just Knew It

When darkness started to fall, the Phyllistines had no idea where to go to roost. I gave them some time but they just laid down in the grass and distress peeped. So I gathered them up and they climbed up to my shoulder. SoI sat down and we hung out together for a while.

Of course they could not sit still and eventually wound up on my head.

Notice how simply I caught Legertha when she fell off my head. Pretty slick, right?

I took them to their coop and put them on the porch. From there, they put themselves to bed after snacking for a while.

Phyllis roosted in the big coop tonight so I closed off the big run. The littles will be free to roam the big run when the automated door opens in the morning.

Awww,,,no better place to roost than RIGHT UP
AGAINST Daddy.

Let your hair grow..that might be a substitute for a 'mommy/feather' hat.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Here you go!
https://poshmark.com/listing/Custom-made-Derby-Feather-hat-58ac6a302599fe9898008584
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Almost perfect. I think the feathers need to reach your shoulders though.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I must know what the corked hat is for? Why would someone wear that?

That's not really a proper cork hat.
A proper cork hat should have a lot more corks hanging down to create a screen to prevent flies getting into your mouth.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Well me. I guessed. I have no idea really!

You guessed right RC. Well done!

 

[bgmathteach]

Well, the pumpkin was a bust! They were interested for a while, but totally lost interest and headed for the dust bathing areas. I wouldn’t suggest getting a pumpkin for your chooks, until you are sure that they will like it!
I would love to go flying today, but high gusts are possible (says the NWSA)
I’m going to go see Chaco in a bit.

If you get another one: cut in half like you did, scoop out center (seeds & stuff) cook all, then mix middle stuff with something they get regularly & like (say, maybe a mash of their commercial feed mixed with yogurt & meally worms?), and put that mixture into the center hollow of each cooked pumpkin half. That should do the trick!

P.S. That was a huge pumpkin for only a dozen hens....they would have had to gorge themselves PLUS to have eaten all of that. Maybe a small pumpkin next time?

 

[RoyalChick]

Look at you. Did you look it up then?

No!

 

[micstrachan]

Does anyone’s chooks get particularly vocal when it’s really windy? Mine seem to, although it’s anecdotal.

Mine go quiet!

 

[micstrachan]

As you may have guessed I've been really worried about settling my little battery girls in with my 3 spoilt madame's. So i did the one at a time, with the two babies.

This morning I was in a mad dash so just separated them.
As I went out to add more food amber had jumped the gate too join in with the two little ones, with no problems at all. The next time I went out flexi was there as well.

So having an important appointment I had to just take a risk and leave them all together. They were all fine. I'm soooooo relieved


View attachment 2863459

Awesome!

 

[micstrachan]

Could have been a muskrat. Maybe they would take a chick or a young small pullet, or bantam pullet or baby rabbit. I doubt they can, or want to, lift more than 2-3lbs but I don't know the facts there. They will stand next to carcasses and eat. But they are not bold or particularly fierce and don't like harassment. Crows and Ravens can chase them off a dead deer (the local Audubon group puts out roadkill in fields for them), a Red-Tail hawk can do it too just with it's ferocity (seen it on video). A Golden Eagle on the other hand will prey on and take down a Bald Eagle. It is bigger, yes, but it has more predator heart to it than Bald Eagles do.

I don’t think we have muskrats here. But just for fun, had to share that one of my ancestors was a famous muskrat trapper!