Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

This will have to do until I can get out and take real pictures for Fluffy Butt Friday.
Lilly and Cricket for Fuzzy Butt Friday.

 

[Ponypoor]

This will have to do until I can get out and take real pictures for Fluffy Butt Friday.
Lilly and Cricket for Fuzzy Butt Friday.
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Awwww! Baby fluffy butts love it!

 

[Sally PB]

This will have to do until I can get out and take real pictures for Fluffy Butt Friday.
Lilly and Cricket for Fuzzy Butt Friday.

Fuzzy Butts are the ultra cute version of Fluffy Butts.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

The tale of 2 momma hens. Let me start off by saying both Baby and Raven are doing great as mommas. That being said they couldn't be any more different and are giving me a few headaches. Both girls are still bringing their chicks back to the porch to sleep at night. Baby, she is the first one up and has her chicks off the porch every morning. As soon as it is daylight she is up and has them off in the yard to start their day. Baby also utilizes the whole yard. She has had them in the horses stalls, on the creek bank, wherever she wants to go she brings the chicks. She also waits until it is almost dark to bring them back to the nest. None of the chicks are able to follow their momma's back up the porch steps so that means I have to help them up, and Baby takes offense when I have to touch her chicks. Evenings are fun let me tell you. Then we have Raven. Raven does not believe in the saying 'The early bird catches the worm'. She and her chick stay in the box until about 9 every morning. The front yard and sawdust pile are their domain, she has yet to bring her baby out back to explore. She also like clockwork is ready to bring her chick back to the box by 6:30 every evening. While she is not happy I have to help her chick up the steps she does not go after me, she threatens it though. The girls are giving me headaches though as they cannot stand to be within about 3 feet of each other. They initially started out side by side in the porch boxes. After 3 days they had to be separated. Raven still uses her box, but baby had to be moved. I took a old cardboard box, filled it with straw and she is right beside the front door as that was where she decided they were going to sleep. When one momma or the other's chicks get too close the girls fight. It is not as bad as when I had the 2 game hens, but still, they fight. Right now as long as everyone keeps their distance we have a peaceful truce between the 2 mommas. This weekend or the first of the week a huge wrench is going to be thrown in that mix. Momma hen, the she devil, her eggs are due to hatch. With a 2 week age difference hopefully she will not cause too much drama. But I know this hen, like Baby after a few days she is going to use the whole yard. More importantly there will be a turf war between Momma and Baby over who is the queen of the creek banks.

 

[rural mouse]

The tale of 2 momma hens. Let me start off by saying both Baby and Raven are doing great as mommas. That being said they couldn't be any more different and are giving me a few headaches. Both girls are still bringing their chicks back to the porch to sleep at night. Baby, she is the first one up and has her chicks off the porch every morning. As soon as it is daylight she is up and has them off in the yard to start their day. Baby also utilizes the whole yard. She has had them in the horses stalls, on the creek bank, wherever she wants to go she brings the chicks. She also waits until it is almost dark to bring them back to the nest. None of the chicks are able to follow their momma's back up the porch steps so that means I have to help them up, and Baby takes offense when I have to touch her chicks. Evenings are fun let me tell you. Then we have Raven. Raven does not believe in the saying 'The early bird catches the worm'. She and her chick stay in the box until about 9 every morning. The front yard and sawdust pile are their domain, she has yet to bring her baby out back to explore. She also like clockwork is ready to bring her chick back to the box by 6:30 every evening. While she is not happy I have to help her chick up the steps she does not go after me, she threatens it though. The girls are giving me headaches though as they cannot stand to be within about 3 feet of each other. They initially started out side by side in the porch boxes. After 3 days they had to be separated. Raven still uses her box, but baby had to be moved. I took a old cardboard box, filled it with straw and she is right beside the front door as that was where she decided they were going to sleep. When one momma or the other's chicks get too close the girls fight. It is not as bad as when I had the 2 game hens, but still, they fight. Right now as long as everyone keeps their distance we have a peaceful truce between the 2 mommas. This weekend or the first of the week a huge wrench is going to be thrown in that mix. Momma hen, the she devil, her eggs are due to hatch. With a 2 week age difference hopefully she will not cause too much drama. But I know this hen, like Baby after a few days she is going to use the whole yard. More importantly there will be a turf war between Momma and Baby over who is the queen of the creek banks.

A thought re: the porch steps. Would it or possible to lay a board down the side of the steps (1x6 - 2x12 or somewhere in between size wise) that the babies could walk up? Or next to the steps straight to the porch? Creating a temporary ramp?

Mama managed to get Storm up on top of the nest boxes by the time Storm was 2 weeks old and I still have no idea how she did it. I had a 2x4 ramp to the bottom of the nest boxes, but nothing to the top.

 

[Ponypoor]

Cheetah will send out the call for me when the wind ruffles his feathers too much (or whatever he saw took off before I got out there).

I have found that they do not like windy days. They will go out in rain pelting down, but not windy weather haha. I hate the wind also so I can relate .

 

[Ponypoor]

The tale of 2 momma hens. Let me start off by saying both Baby and Raven are doing great as mommas. That being said they couldn't be any more different and are giving me a few headaches. Both girls are still bringing their chicks back to the porch to sleep at night. Baby, she is the first one up and has her chicks off the porch every morning. As soon as it is daylight she is up and has them off in the yard to start their day. Baby also utilizes the whole yard. She has had them in the horses stalls, on the creek bank, wherever she wants to go she brings the chicks. She also waits until it is almost dark to bring them back to the nest. None of the chicks are able to follow their momma's back up the porch steps so that means I have to help them up, and Baby takes offense when I have to touch her chicks. Evenings are fun let me tell you. Then we have Raven. Raven does not believe in the saying 'The early bird catches the worm'. She and her chick stay in the box until about 9 every morning. The front yard and sawdust pile are their domain, she has yet to bring her baby out back to explore. She also like clockwork is ready to bring her chick back to the box by 6:30 every evening. While she is not happy I have to help her chick up the steps she does not go after me, she threatens it though. The girls are giving me headaches though as they cannot stand to be within about 3 feet of each other. They initially started out side by side in the porch boxes. After 3 days they had to be separated. Raven still uses her box, but baby had to be moved. I took a old cardboard box, filled it with straw and she is right beside the front door as that was where she decided they were going to sleep. When one momma or the other's chicks get too close the girls fight. It is not as bad as when I had the 2 game hens, but still, they fight. Right now as long as everyone keeps their distance we have a peaceful truce between the 2 mommas. This weekend or the first of the week a huge wrench is going to be thrown in that mix. Momma hen, the she devil, her eggs are due to hatch. With a 2 week age difference hopefully she will not cause too much drama. But I know this hen, like Baby after a few days she is going to use the whole yard. More importantly there will be a turf war between Momma and Baby over who is the queen of the creek banks.

Chicken politics!

Who knew it was such drama! All these things one learns about chickens: bed time drama, nest box drama, baby wars drama.... Laying and egg almost every day.... Who knew! And now I know

 

[Ponypoor]

A thought re: the porch steps. Would it or possible to lay a board down the side of the steps (1x6 - 2x12 or somewhere in between size wise) that the babies could walk up? Or next to the steps straight to the porch? Creating a temporary ramp?

Mama managed to get Storm up on top of the nest boxes by the time Storm was 2 weeks old and I still have no idea how she did it. I had a 2x4 ramp to the bottom of the nest boxes, but nothing to the top.

Good idea!

 

[Ponypoor]

Bob will be home today so I can finally reveal this little ladies name. I would like to formerly introduce you all to Lilly. If you all remember back in the winter I asked Bob if he would mind if I named a keeper Marans chick Lilly. He didn't so here we are, the only Marans chick I plan to hold back this year. Hopefully this little lady is just as lovely as her namesake in the future.
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Lilly is lovely

They are all just adorable!

 

[rural mouse]

Chicken politics!

Who knew it was such drama! All these things one learns about chickens: bed time drama, nest box drama, baby wars drama.... Laying and egg almost every day.... Who knew! And now I know

Tune in next time for another installment of As The Chicken Turns, or Days of Our Chickens, or General Chicken, or Grey's Chickens...or even Chickenation Street