Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Moved the littles outside to the play area yesterday afternoon....View attachment 3112941Little darlings soon found a way out...
View attachment 3112942And taught the rest. Pics ended there as I called the house phone to get the boys out to help coral them. Had my senior grab some scratch. The adults had started my way before the kids got to me, but floodgates happened when MS (middle son) brought a handful with him. He doesn't typically feed them, but Twirp was trying to eat out of his hand. Adults surrounded chicks, some stares, 1 peck, then littles ran for bushes and me. Started catching, next thing I knew: pile of chicks in my hands to bring back to coop (I have small hands, but all 5 squished together without flight attempts: wish I'd had the kids take a pic of that). Fencing now set up so littles can roam in the coop. Jess paid them another visit prior to the escape act. We'll see how they do today with the ranging stuff and how she does with the extras out and about. Her littles were curious about the others so...?

They are so clever. Little escape artists, really at any age.

 

[BY Bob]

They missed youView attachment 3113016View attachment 3113017

Seems like they have a lot to say!

 

[BY Bob]

The kids grow up so fast! View attachment 3113024View attachment 3113025View attachment 3113026 Pretty soon they will outgrow the little roosts I made out of scrap stuff.

They are still darlings.

 

[bgmathteach]

They are so clever. Little escape artists, really at any age.

They are! Whoever has said chickens are 'dumb' or 'stupid' or 'bird brained'( in a derogatory way) Really have not spent any time with them! They are smart, crafty, curious (though cautious around new things - understandable given they are prey animals), and can be quite determined little buggers!

I have a 'safe pen' attached/inside an 'extended pen. The extended pen is surrounded on 3 sides by 5' chainlink fence. My determined - though heavier dual purpose BR - would manage to fly to the top of the 5' fence. So, I had some snow fence (green). With the help of some fiberglass rods, I put the 4' snow fence on top of the chainlink fence, overlapping ~ 1'. So, the fence was now ~ 7' tall (2+ meters), AND, the snow fence is 'wobbly'. Well, they still wanted out...and after just 2 days...a handful have learned to launch themselves AT the top of the 5' chainlink fence. Their 'thrust' pushes the snow fence enough so they can sort of land on top of the chainlink fence...then they 'fly-walk' up the snowfence, and hop over!

The sooner I am able to expand the pen and put in an 8' fence (plus cover) the better!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Quick update.
There was no predawn attack by Dotty and the Hooligans got themselves back down to their ground floor apartment without incident. As I came in to the Chicken Palace they all spilled out into the main area right in front of a very grump Maggie (grumpy because her nest box was occupied). She just gave them a stern look and they got out of her way. Feels like we are getting closer to integration.
Minnie is still poorly. She keeps shaking her head. I don’t see any discharge but I wonder if she has an ear infection. I have emailed vet to ask about that and I won’t do anything until we have the fecal sample back, but does anyone have experience of chickens getting ear infections?

 

[bgmathteach]

Ear Infection - general info (This made me wonder about ?Maggie's? staggering previously)

Ear Infection - Poultry MD

I couldn't find anything relevant on google scholar....but then, you are a better researcher than I, so you might have better luck

 

[RoyalChick]

Ear Infection - general info (This made me wonder about ?Maggie's? staggering previously)

Ear Infection - Poultry MD

I couldn't find anything relevant on google scholar....but then, you are a better researcher than I, so you might have better luck

Thank you! Yes ears were in the consideration set for Maggie’s stumbling and we never had a definitive diagnosis on her. Somehow watching it I didn’t feel it was ears but I may be wrong.
Darn these chickens, why can’t they just tell me what is wrong with them?!

 

[featherhead007]

An abrupt awakening for me today. Around 04:30 I heard a big explosion, and a flash of light. Probably the next few properties over. I’m not sure what it was, but I went out to check on the chickens anyways and were all okay (but just as confused as I was) No harm to the fowl thank god!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

An abrupt awakening for me today. Around 04:30 I heard a big explosion, and a flash of light. Probably the next few properties over. I’m not sure what it was, but I went out to check on the chickens anyways and were all okay (but just as confused as I was) No harm to the fowl thank god!

Could have been a transformer blowing. We have one in our neighborhood that blows about 3 times a year. It has always done that and due to its location it always lights up my room when it blows in the middle of the night and can wake me out of a dead sleep. Thankfully we are on the other transformer so we do not loose power, but half the neighborhood is out. About 3 years ago it caught fire when it blew and they had to replace the whole thing. Thought that may have been a permanent fix, but nope it made it about 5 months before it blew again.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hooligan cult headquarters: the cardboard box.