Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

All this cabbage talk made me plan out making kimchi this week (for us humans).

@RoyalChick there has been lots of great ideas! Will be interested to learn what worked upon your return. Safe travels!

Yes! Very grateful for all the great ideas. I will implement as many of them as I can before I have to leave for the airport. Judging from today's experiments the leaves are going to be the winner - those wriggly worms are just sooo tempting!

 

[RoyalChick]

Just got in from a cuddle fest in Pecking Garden. sat on the bench, Whip hopped up on my lap and snoozed. Naenae snuggled under my arm and napped. Piscia sat for a little bit under my other arm, but needed to escape for fear that I ruffled her feathers the wrong way. Allele took her place for a few minutes then decided to peck at my jeans dangerously close to Whip's feet, so I encouraged her to go play instead. Dr. Tacky wanted to join but on the back of the bench and then was making like she wanted to "preen" my face, which I'm not a fan of, so I excused myself.

All in all, it was very sweet with all the trust they show me.

And no, no pics...too busy petting them

How lovely!

 

[MaryJanet]

Found something funny today, not Beakbook but….
View attachment 2875530
My sister in law put me onto an old colleague of hers that now does chicken keeping workshops and things. Not sure if it’s any good, just going to look at her site now.
https://chickencoach.com

What a great idea. A chicken coach!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Well since it's official I guess it's time to introduce a new permanent resident. Everyone meet Coco my mom's new chicken. He is not new, but just got his name a few days ago. He is the 3rd Drummie x Butter chick I hatched out with Bunnie's chicks. When it became obvious at around 4 weeks old that he was a boy to my dismay I tried to step back from cuddles so I would not get attached for when it came time to rehome. I stepped back a bit and mom stepped in. In my mind Corona was the only chick staying so I've been focusing on taming that little devil, which is really working since Bunny let go of them. The other night when I was putting everyone to bed she told me that Corona would be lonely when her brothers are rehomed. I told her she'd be fine. Then she picks up the then unnamed Coco and told me he had a name and it was Coco. I gave her a funny look and reminded her it was a boy. So she says. Remind her we already had 3 keeper boys and that he was a mix. Again so and as long as he behaved as a adult he was her boy and he stayed. Next year I don't think I'll hatch any Butter chicks, my mom just can't let them go.
Anyway, here he is, he really is a sweet boy and since I know he's staying I've quit distancing myself from him as he is a friendly little thing. Color wise he is exactly what I thought I'd end up with from the Drumstick x Butter cross. I just wanted a girl with that color.

 

[Shadrach]

What do we define as a hatchery? I got the Roadrunners and the Philistines from a farm near me. He and his wife breed chickens and they sell chicks (I don't believe they ship anything but eggs). Does the fact that they sell them make them a hatchery? Or is it something about the scale of the enterprise?
I felt I was doing better than going to a commercial hatchery in part because of no shipping by mail, and in part because it is a small family enterprise, and because I like him and his wife and they seem to really care about the chickens. For example he wouldn't let me pick them up on the day of hatch because he wanted to watch them for a few days to make sure they were healthy.
On the other hand, I am sure he disposes of his cockerels. I believe he actually raises them and sells them at the local livestock auction where they presumably get turned into dinner.
I am not vegetarian (though I don't eat much meat) so turning the cockerels into dinner is not a complete no-no for me.
But it is all difficult to think through what is OK and what not.

TaxView attachment 2875572

Does this help?
I will buy eggs from a local farm store where I can see the chickens, be they in a run or free range.
I wont buy supermarket/store eggs.
If I can't find local farm eggs then I do without until I can.

 

[RoyalChick]

Well since it's official I guess it's time to introduce a new permanent resident. Everyone meet Coco my mom's new chicken. He is not new, but just got his name a few days ago. He is the 3rd Drummie x Butter chick I hatched out with Bunnie's chicks. When it became obvious at around 4 weeks old that he was a boy to my dismay I tried to step back from cuddles so I would not get attached for when it came time to rehome. I stepped back a bit and mom stepped in. In my mind Corona was the only chick staying so I've been focusing on taming that little devil, which is really working since Bunny let go of them. The other night when I was putting everyone to bed she told me that Corona would be lonely when her brothers are rehomed. I told her she'd be fine. Then she picks up the then unnamed Coco and told me he had a name and it was Coco. I gave her a funny look and reminded her it was a boy. So she says. Remind her we already had 3 keeper boys and that he was a mix. Again so and as long as he behaved as a adult he was her boy and he stayed. Next year I don't think I'll hatch any Butter chicks, my mom just can't let them go.
Anyway, here he is, he really is a sweet boy and since I know he's staying I've quit distancing myself from him as he is a friendly little thing. Color wise he is exactly what I thought I'd end up with from the Drumstick x Butter cross. I just wanted a girl with that color.
View attachment 2876016View attachment 2876018View attachment 2876019

Hi Coco - you are a fine looking young man!

 

[RoyalChick]

Does this help?
I will buy eggs from a local farm store where I can see the chickens, be they in a run or free range.
I wont buy supermarket/store eggs.
If I can't find local farm eggs then I do without until I can.

Yes, that is roughly my approach to eggs. But I think the bigger issue for some of us is the sourcing of chickens.
I have not found any equivalent to the ex-Batt opportunity that exists in the UK and the only rescue in a reasonable distance doesn't adopt out because she likes to keep them together so their human families can visit (mainly they are confiscated flocks because town rules don't allow people to keep chickens).

 

[MaryJanet]

What do we define as a hatchery? I got the Roadrunners and the Philistines from a farm near me. He and his wife breed chickens and they sell chicks (I don't believe they ship anything but eggs). Does the fact that they sell them make them a hatchery? Or is it something about the scale of the enterprise?
I felt I was doing better than going to a commercial hatchery in part because of no shipping by mail, and in part because it is a small family enterprise, and because I like him and his wife and they seem to really care about the chickens. For example he wouldn't let me pick them up on the day of hatch because he wanted to watch them for a few days to make sure they were healthy.
On the other hand, I am sure he disposes of his cockerels. I believe he actually raises them and sells them at the local livestock auction where they presumably get turned into dinner.
I am not vegetarian (though I don't eat much meat) so turning the cockerels into dinner is not a complete no-no for me.
But it is all difficult to think through what is OK and what not.

TaxView attachment 2875572

It is a very fraught topic, one that we must come to terms with by ourselves as there's no legislation anywhere (as far as I can tell).

I'm very troubled by so-called "waste" cockerels.

As someone who is obliged to ensure my neighbours are not disturbed by noise, I keep hens. My four hens had four brothers.

I have no idea what happened to those brothers. Ground up alive? Heads chopped off? Necks snapped? Roosters?

Terrified and panicked?

Calm and peaceful?

I haven't a clue.

So, my approach in future will be hatch my own and do my own disposals.

First, I'll try rehoming, but I genuinely think most people who accept cockerels eat them, so it might be impossible to find a home where they can live out their days in peace. Second, if I can't find an acceptable home, they will be humanely put to sleep by the vet.

This way the cockerels will live the healthiest and happiest lives I can possibly provide, eventually being rehomed or put to sleep.

My reasons are (1) it puts the responsibility for the brothers of my hens into my own hands and therefore I am able to take up the most ethical stance possible, (2) that step alone takes me out of the market for pullets and relieves other people of killing my hens brothers (2) like every other sentient being, the cockerels won't have any clue of life expectancy, they'll live joyfully in the moment until they must go (3) perhaps they can live their lives out in homes where they will be valued (4) if not, the end will be free of pain and panic.

It took me a long time to construct this stance. But for me, it's the right one.

 

[BY Bob]

Wow. Never seen that before. A Blue Jay just landed in the chicken yard and Maggie evicted it in no uncertain terms!

Go Maggie!

 

[BY Bob]

If the ASPCA is like the RSPCA here, they probably couldn’t care less.

That is very true.