Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

OMGosh you just made me think of my idiots trying to mount a hen backwards!
Yes… I have seen this happen “no, you little idjet… your butt goes at the other end of the chicken!” I swear, sometimes I think it’s a miracle that any of my eggs hatch.

At first I thought it was some sort of 50 shades of grey scenario

 

[RoyalChick]

I agree on leaving it in and on for a while… can they even still fit under it? they look huge. I usually leave the plates in and unplugged for a little bit even after they clearly don’t need them. It’s there for comfort and security as much as
For the heat.

They do fit under the front, but only just. I think I will raise all the legs again. They are huge! I need to compare with Roadrunner pictures, but my sense is that these are maturing faster.
Lulu in particular has some real weight to her. I have not been weighing them but you can feel her body is solid when you pick her up.

 

[RoyalChick]

Lulu - the night-walking alien.

 

[RoyalChick]

Twofer Tuesday
Bella and Lulu practicing perching.

 

[rural mouse]

Hooligans sleeping on top of, rather than under their heat plate. This is the second night. I am not sure whether to turn it off as it is getting cold again later I the week - down to about 35 degrees.


View attachment 3079570

I've been turning off the heat during the day the last couple of days when it gets into the mid 50s/low 60s. Heat on at night, though. They're still growing in feathers so the temp regulation ability is a work in progress. when Storm was orphaned, I turned on the heat (August) because she was only 3 weeks old. Mama had taught her how to interact with the flock, but she still needed warmth. she perched on top of the water bucket (in the lid) when she needed it until she got too big to fit easily and the others let her on the roost. Some nights she was up on the nest boxes instead. It was simply available.

 

[rural mouse]

2fer

They won't hold still! Blurs the pics every time!
Primula and Belladonna

 

[RoyalChick]

I've been turning off the heat during the day the last couple of days when it gets into the mid 50s/low 60s. Heat on at night, though. They're still growing in feathers so the temp regulation ability is a work in progress. when Storm was orphaned, I turned on the heat (August) because she was only 3 weeks old. Mama had taught her how to interact with the flock, but she still needed warmth. she perched on top of the water bucket (in the lid) when she needed it until she got too big to fit easily and the others let her on the roost. Some nights she was up on the nest boxes instead. It was simply available.

Helpful. Thanks.
I will raise up the plate so they can all fit easily and leave the heat on.
When are they fully feathered? I mean roughly how old?
I notice their armpits are bare (not even fluff) but everywhere else seems to have feathers.
So pretty!
(I may have mentioned before that I am besotted!)

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I am going to get back on topic and discuss my group of hooligans. The 6 Rural King chicks are 9 weeks old today and Ezzie will be 10 weeks old Friday. They graduated to another big milestone last Friday, they are now free to free range all day. My time with them has not been what I wanted for the last month but they are not suffering any ill effects from it. In fact while sitting out on the porch yesterday afternoon and we were spotted we were quickly mobbed by the bunch. They came rushing up, shared a bun and then visited or hopped all over us for a bit before running back to the sawdust pile to play. Ezzie is the little ring leader, where ever she goes the rest follow. Ezzie is also imprinted on people so that has really helped to bring the other 6 out of their shells. My brother was also changing the rear brakes on his girlfriends car out front yesterday, and he found it incredibly difficult to do so with 7 teenagers underfoot hoping the tools were treats. After about 20 minutes he finally gave up and asked me for help, which I did. I got out one of my landscaping tools and we dug for bugs and worms. After observing all day mom made the comment that this group is just the friendliest and happiest group of chicks I've raised so far, and they are. I will make it a mission to get pictures of them this afternoon when it stops raining. I need some opinions anyway on the 3 mystery chicks. 2 of them have had me worried they are boys because of the early pink combs, but the combs still have not grown, and at 9 weeks I thought I would see saddle feathers but I'm just not. They also do not have to me any obvious rooster coloring or markings coming in and even the shape of the body and tails scream pullets. Of course this could all be wishful thinking on my part and I actually do have 2 boys in the mix which is why I want some outside opinions.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am going to get back on topic and discuss my group of hooligans. The 6 Rural King chicks are 9 weeks old today and Ezzie will be 10 weeks old Friday. They graduated to another big milestone last Friday, they are now free to free range all day. My time with them has not been what I wanted for the last month but they are not suffering any ill effects from it. In fact while sitting out on the porch yesterday afternoon and we were spotted we were quickly mobbed by the bunch. They came rushing up, shared a bun and then visited or hopped all over us for a bit before running back to the sawdust pile to play. Ezzie is the little ring leader, where ever she goes the rest follow. Ezzie is also imprinted on people so that has really helped to bring the other 6 out of their shells. My brother was also changing the rear brakes on his girlfriends car out front yesterday, and he found it incredibly difficult to do so with 7 teenagers underfoot hoping the tools were treats. After about 20 minutes he finally gave up and asked me for help, which I did. I got out one of my landscaping tools and we dug for bugs and worms. After observing all day mom made the comment that this group is just the friendliest and happiest group of chicks I've raised so far, and they are. I will make it a mission to get pictures of them this afternoon when it stops raining. I need some opinions anyway on the 3 mystery chicks. 2 of them have had me worried they are boys because of the early pink combs, but the combs still have not grown, and at 9 weeks I thought I would see saddle feathers but I'm just not. They also do not have to me any obvious rooster coloring or markings coming in and even the shape of the body and tails scream pullets. Of course this could all be wishful thinking on my part and I actually do have 2 boys in the mix which is why I want some outside opinions.

How lovely!

 

[featherhead007]

Oh absolutely

Ha!