Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Lexicon]

Thanks for this discussion, it's something that I think about often as well. I know that I will eventually want to add to my flock and how to go about that is a conundrum.
I have four hens that went broody multiple times this summer, one who was broody five times!
It would make sense to let one of these hens hatch, yet I am not sure about the inevitable cockerels.
I don't have experience with cockerels and am frankly a little alarmed by the many threads about problem males on BYC.
I have an acreage in a rural area, so technically could have a rooster, but I quite like the relationship I have currently with my hens. I know that would change with a rooster in the mix.
My husband thinks that roosters are too loud, so he is not a fan. My son's house is very close to the chickens' area and despite being out of town, I still have neighbours who would be able to hear them.
It is not possible to get sexed chicks locally. They can be ordered and flown up by airplane. That's how I got my original chicks, but I think that starting life with an actual mother versus hatching in an incubator and then travelling in a little box on a plane would be so much better, but then again what about the cockerels?
I don't have an answer for myself yet.

I realized that I never broached the idea of male chicks being killed in a horrific way.
That's important to me as well. I don't even eat meat in my home. I may have a piece of bacon once in a while in a cafe, but that's about it.

There's one small farm in British Columbia that I know of that raises all their male chicks either for their breeding program or for soup. They at least get to live on pasture for the time that they get. They would be an option for me to get chicks, but again that means a plane ride to get to my relatively isolated area.

 

[I Love Feather Babies]

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)

 

[BY Bob]

Holy Moses this is a big thread

It exploded last year during COVID. Come on in and join us.

 

[I Love Feather Babies]

My scales keep yelling for one of us to get off. Trouble is, I’m the only one on it.

 

[featherhead007]

My scales keep yelling for one of us to get off. Trouble is, I’m the only one on it.

Haha, you make joke !

 

[BY Bob]

Cute teaset!!

I got that for Mrs BY Bob as a surprise a while back. She loved it.

 

[BY Bob]

We got a lot of practice walking today. You never would have guessed this chicken was stuck in the splits.

I'm not sure how normal it is. But only the third in rank is pecking and chasing the lowest. The Second and the Queen are friendly to the lowest member. How usual is this?

First, just look at Platina go! So amazing!

In my tribe, perhaps not the best example but one in which rank and position is easily identifiable, Lilly and Hattie (1&2) rarely peck to enforce the order. It is Aurora and Sansa (3&4) who are the ones that remind those below them of their place. Lilly and Sansa (1&4) are good friends but if Aurora goes after Sansa, Lilly does not interfere.

 

[MaryJanet]

Howdy y'all!! Things are going great, just super busy!

Rich had a repeat CT scan and follow up for his aneurysm. He is stable and had been removed from the Coumadin. He still has to take a baby aspirin and now Plavix for the next year. Then 1 more CT scan and as long as he is still the same, he can stop the Plavix as well.

View attachment 2876181

The kittens are all in their new homes. Peaches appears to be staying, Josh has fallen in love with her.
View attachment 2876185

The chickens are doing great. I did slpit of about half of my flock to my good friend. She has the ability to free range during the day, so I gave her all my jail breaker chooks. Cappy is now over with Ned and is doing well as a junior rooster.
View attachment 2876187

View attachment 2876188
Rex is watching Peaches eat one of his favorite treats and it's slowly breaking his heart!!

So good to hear from you!

 

[BY Bob]

I would be very comfortable buying from this type of situation. I wouldn't define them as a hatchery at all. Just a hobby farm or chicken enthusiast. I really like that he does not sell day olds but keeps them for a few days. When I'm hatching from the incubator, I don't list or let them go as day old chicks either. I like to hang onto them for at least 3 days to make sure they are eating and drinking on their own. I've also found that if I'm going to loose a chick, I will loose it in the first few days. I would personally rather deal with the heartbreak of loosing one then to sell to a new owner and have them loose it a day or two later. I personally do not have auto sexing breeds at birth, but I'm getting pretty good at pegging potential males on my pure marans at hatch if I incubate them myself and they are still wet. If they come out of the shell with a noticeable comb and ginormous feet, 9 times out of 10 it's turned out to be a boy. If I place a chick before 3 weeks it's sold as straight run and you take your chances on getting a boy, but if I have them longer that is the age that most of my males start showing themselves. If I know I have a young male, I'm honest with it and it can be hard to find homes for boys. Every pullet I've listed has been snatched up and claimed within hours of listing, the boy's take longer and this year has really been the year of the boys. My dad keeps threatening that we need to eat the excess boys before I find them homes. So far we have not done it and I love chicken. If it ever comes down to it though I have this thought I will keep in mind. My chickens will have lived a wonderful life free ranging, getting spoiled with lots of treats until that second that it is over. That is more that can be said for the lives of the chicken that I buy from the store. I'm going to change focus a little bit next year and primarily hatch silkies. They are in high demand, and silkie owners know that you cannot sex them until 3 to 4 months or longer. They are more willing to take a risk on young chicks turning out to be boys. Even silkie roosters are being snatched up left and right in my area so if I hatch some for me for grow-outs I could easily place boys. Next year when everyone is laying, the big girls eggs will be sold as free range eggs for eating with the option for hatching eggs if someone wants them. I may hatch a few specific crosses for myself but in small numbers and I will wait until I have a broody hen to do that so that I do not have to brood them myself.

This is just the kind of operation from which @RoyalChick should get her black hens from. Just saying.

 

[BY Bob]

Howdy y'all!! Things are going great, just super busy!

Rich had a repeat CT scan and follow up for his aneurysm. He is stable and had been removed from the Coumadin. He still has to take a baby aspirin and now Plavix for the next year. Then 1 more CT scan and as long as he is still the same, he can stop the Plavix as well.

View attachment 2876181

The kittens are all in their new homes. Peaches appears to be staying, Josh has fallen in love with her.
View attachment 2876185

The chickens are doing great. I did slpit of about half of my flock to my good friend. She has the ability to free range during the day, so I gave her all my jail breaker chooks. Cappy is now over with Ned and is doing well as a junior rooster.
View attachment 2876187

View attachment 2876188
Rex is watching Peaches eat one of his favorite treats and it's slowly breaking his heart!!

It's great to see you post here. As you know I'm so glad for Rich! I do feel bad for Rex though.