Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

In the red corner we have Minnie weighing in at 3lb and 7oz. The breed descriptions from the big US hatcheries say Crested Cream Legbars hens are typically 4-5lbs. So maybe Minnie is indeed under weight. I think more important than the absolute weight will be how her weight develops over time so now I have a starting point.
And in the blue corner we have Diana (who happened to be walking by) weighing in at 4lb and 2oz and the hatchery descriptions say an ISA Brown (which is what I think she is) are typically 5lb. So by that standard she is under weight too.
I didn't yet get to weigh the heavyweight of the flock (Maggie) or Dotty who was showing off again by laying an egg.
Here is the scale I bought. It turned out to be amazingly easy to weigh them - I just stood them on the platform and they stayed there long enough to get a weight. They moved around a bit so the accuracy of the ounces is not brilliant, but good enough. Could be +/- a couple of ounces.
I was about to get a picture of Minnie on the scale when she decided she was bored with this game so I missed the moment.View attachment 2874607

RC, in my experience, my chickens have never weighed what the hatchery (nor livestock conservancy) states the breed should weigh. I believe those weights were for the true heritage breeds before they became so productionized. So, if their breast muscles feel good on either side of their keel bone, and they look healthy & act robust, I wouldn't worry about their weight relative to that listed. I think that now that you have the scale and can track their weights, this will be a better measure of if they are getting heavy or skinny - comparing to themselves over time. Hopefully Minnie will put on a few ounces over the next few days/next week.

That scale looks easy enough to use if you have a hen that will stand still! Do you have a table/counter/bench you put it on when you weigh them? How long do they have to stand still for it to give a readout?
Unfortunately, I am unable to use the 'hold chicken and stand on scale' method because (pardon the TMI) both the belly & the chest prevent me from being able to read the scale while I am on it.

Tax: (Sorry Bob)

 

[featherhead007]

FBF pic just taken now:

 

[bgmathteach]

You're welcome. I forgot the name too. My farm supply store gets chicks in. Last year, they let me see the list and from where. Mcmurray (where my babies came from), cackle, and don't remember the 3rd, but wasn't Sunnyside. anyone getting chicks at a store should be able to ask the hatchery sources. I won't be buying chicks from a store getting supplied from there either.

I believe TSC gets theirs from Hoover Hatchery. (at least the couple of stores in my area do.)

 

[bgmathteach]

FBF pic just taken now:View attachment 2874640

Good picture of Jaffar's butt Just in time for Friday!

 

[featherhead007]

Good picture of Jaffar's butt Just in time for Friday!

Not too many feathers on his butt. Poor little guy. He’s handling the molt well though.

 

[featherhead007]

Emily wanted to show off her Fluffy Butt too. (Kinda dirty) and she was washed yesterday

 

[RoyalChick]

RC, in my experience, my chickens have never weighed what the hatchery (nor livestock conservancy) states the breed should weigh. I believe those weights were for the true heritage breeds before they became so productionized. So, if their breast muscles feel good on either side of their keel bone, and they look healthy & act robust, I wouldn't worry about their weight relative to that listed. I think that now that you have the scale and can track their weights, this will be a better measure of if they are getting heavy or skinny - comparing to themselves over time. Hopefully Minnie will put on a few ounces over the next few days/next week.

That scale looks easy enough to use if you have a hen that will stand still! Do you have a table/counter/bench you put it on when you weigh them? How long do they have to stand still for it to give a readout?
Unfortunately, I am unable to use the 'hold chicken and stand on scale' method because (pardon the TMI) both the belly & the chest prevent me from being able to read the scale while I am on it.

Tax: (Sorry Bob)

Beautiful eggs!
In my little storage area inside the coop (aka the servant’s quarters) I have a short length of kitchen counter top. I designed it in specifically so I could examine a chicken easily - I put the scale on that as a flat surface.
What worked really well was that the reading is almost instantaneous. So even if the chicken jumped off immediately I could get a decent read. In fact what happened is both chickens stood still for a moment while they studied their situation. I set them down facing the wall so they had to turn around to move off. But even if they had jumped immediately I would have got a reading.
I think these are going to work great. I am going to keep them wrapped in a plastic bag in the coop storage area.
I agree trend data will be most important so weighing has to become part of my chicken routine along with massages. Just as well I am retiring and never clean my coop!
I have been making myself a real pain by going around feeling everyone’s chests (they probably already think I am a bit pervy with my obsession with their fluffy butts!) and I do think Minnie probably is under weight and for sure none of mine are fat. Hopefully Minnie will bulk up a bit if she starts to feel better.

Chicken Tax

 

[BY Bob]

I've read ahead and like RC's suggestion.

This probably isn't the place to say, but I do crack up at your red tail hawk renditions on the photos.

I am quite the artist aren't I.

 

[BY Bob]

Friday!!View attachment 2874518
Multiple bums feasting at second (or 3rd? or 4th??) breakfast

They look splendid. Beautiful bums! No molting too.

 

[BY Bob]

Ah yes "Specialty services". Man, beak trimming birds and declawing cats. When will people understand we are chopping off the animal equivalent of fingers?

Just awful. There has to be a way to put a stop to this barbaric practice.