Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

For Monday. Minnie’s mug going for the dunk. I can’t get over how much healthier she looks. I had almost forgotten she has that weird floppy comb.
She must be feeling so much better now.

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You did such a wonderful job with her. This is so nice to see.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

I might mess with you on some things but Hattie losing her spot would not be one.

Hattie is really really jumpy when outside the run. This has really spooked them all but her more so than anyone.

My poor baby.
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I feel she understands the danger and her keen sense of look out is in high gear, she may be also setting the tone / teaching the others to pay closer attention

 

[BY Bob]

My White Leghorn Granny Violet will be 4 next March, when it was the original 6 she was the "rooster" she watched everything, gave all the warning calls, when she was 2 I got the new 4(will be 2 in May) + Rooster Bob, Granny stepped aside when Bob came into his own. But she still bossed the hens and watched everything, just not like Bob. One of the new 4 hens I call Sibbie, I have seen her hackles go up and her push Bob back and fight him, she won, she is a bully.

Now we have the new 6 Browns - as they grew I watched one that always watched Bob, she followed him at a distance, for a long while I thought I may have another rooster.
But this brown was learning, when Bob gave a warning call she did too. Now that RIP there is no Bob, the Brown is the watch dog and I have noticed 2 others follow the Top Dogs lead, Sibbie is still a bit of a bully, and Granny she still tells everyone when it is time to go to bed etc, she keeps the routine going. All my hens are on guard/jumpy to a certain extent.

Jumpy is good, your hens were comfortable, now they are on guard, they should be jumpy / on guard always watching, Aurora sounds like she has taken the lead as Top Dog.

Lilly is still top dog. Aurora still defers to her but Lilly is not interfering as Aurora leads the tribe around right now.

Aurora has wanted this position for a long time. I think she is happy and seems prepared. We shall see how this plays out. It's very interesting.

 

[BY Bob]

You are right.. Cheetah's tail dies make a good weather-vane. The lady is Cuckoo, and I'm guessing she's supposed to be a barred rock, but her front half looked more like Cheetah's pencilling, in silver. Speculation: (hatchery's choice assortment makes for a guessing game) she's a cross between the barred and pencilled rocks (the yellow legs). Twirp is the other mystery and I'm guessing a Whiting True Blue. I'm mostly sure she's laying blue eggs and either Splash or Blanche (white Sapphires) is laying white eggs. Cuckoo and Jessica are both supposed to lay brown eggs, but I think 1 is laying white also (2 blue, 2 brown and 4 white eggs in a day with 1 of the Brown not being pullet sized). Storm isn't laying yet, but as she hatched from a green egg with a wyandotte father, should be green-brown. muddled meanderings of a tired/sleepy mind.
Pullets
Thing: mottled Houdan, white
Nellie: brown leghorn, white
Blanche/Splash: white sapphire, blue (maybe white and blue)
Jessica: gold wyandotte , brown
Cuckoo: barred/pencilled rock, brown/white?
Twirp: whiting True Blue, blue
Storm: Blue(splash) laced red wyandotte / olive egger cross, unknown

Cockerel: Cheetah: gold penciled Hamburg

Adults
Silver: colombian wyandotte, brown, sporadic 2.5 years, top bird
Pear: partridge rock , brown, xl-jumbo sized 1.5years

What a great summary of your tribe. Thanks for writing it out for us.

 

[BY Bob]

My White Leghorn Granny Violet will be 4 next March, when it was the original 6 she was the "rooster" she watched everything, gave all the warning calls, when she was 2 I got the new 4(will be 2 in May) + Rooster Bob, Granny stepped aside when Bob came into his own. But she still bossed the hens and watched everything, just not like Bob. One of the new 4 hens I call Sibbie, I have seen her hackles go up and her push Bob back and fight him, she won, she is a bully.

Now we have the new 6 Browns - as they grew I watched one that always watched Bob, she followed him at a distance, for a long while I thought I may have another rooster.
But this brown was learning, when Bob gave a warning call she did too. Now that RIP there is no Bob, the Brown is the watch dog and I have noticed 2 others follow the Top Dogs lead, Sibbie is still a bit of a bully, and Granny she still tells everyone when it is time to go to bed etc, she keeps the routine going. All my hens are on guard/jumpy to a certain extent.

Jumpy is good, your hens were comfortable, now they are on guard, they should be jumpy / on guard always watching, Aurora sounds like she has taken the lead as Top Dog.

I find this fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

I'll agree that jumpy is good, especially right now. Of course I liked it better when they felt safe to live their chicken lives in peace. That is not to be right now.

 

[BY Bob]

Monday Mugs

 

[micstrachan]

Esther's molt was crazy. Here that would have been a death sentence.

Unless you brought her in the house for a couple weeks like I did. I hate separating them, but felt I had no choice. I offered for her to go outside and she refused a few times before she was ready.

 

[micstrachan]

It’s beginning to look a lot like Chickmas…
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Soooo lovely!!!!

 

[micstrachan]

I Finally Get Her Goat

I'm not sure who posted this was available but thank you (please take a bow). Mrs BY Bob finally got her goat (or two ). The large lady on the left is Matilda and the young Lad on the present is William.

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Awesome! Will they go outside?

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

My girls started to moult then I tried out quails feed which is higher in protein I can't believe the change in them it's so much better

They've been on feather fixer for some time now, and are getting sardines about every third day. I don't think they're low on protein. And luckily, Peanut has an appetite for everything. But she may have the hardest moult of them all. Two days ago she was shivering even though it was in the low 40'sF so I set up the coop warmer. They use it. Today with the expected wind I moved it into the little coop run so they could be sort of under the coop and by the coop warmer. It's quieter there and the tarps hardly flap. Here she is warming her not so fluffy butt:
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That's Popcorn in front and Hazel by Peanut in the back.
Here's Peanut showing some leg, and not in a good way. She looks like a fayoume (?), small-bodied with long legs. I do love that look. Peanut is the most slender of the four. But poor Peanut.
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I have been wondering if I should get higher protein feed for my ladies at this time. They all seem to be at various stages of molting, and three of them look terrible! I feel bad for them. And of course we are having frosty mornings now and I can’t help but think they are uncomfortable.