Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ValarieF]

Yes he is a barred rock - but notice his feathers are fluffy and seem to be curled? Is he like the other chicks with his feathers?

he's the only barred rock I have his feathers are ruffled he just chased away the big girls from the food. Maybe he has a frizzle parent?

 

[bgmathteach]

He was a surprise chick. I believe he is a barred rock.

I suspect he is a cuckoo marans. For a BR roo, he seems too black.

 

[ValarieF]

I suspect he is a cuckoo marans. For a BR roo, he seems too black.

OMG I just looked up and they are on MacMurray's hatchery I believe your right he is a cuckoo maran he looks exactly like them.

 

[rural mouse]

My roosters are growing together but Hades is the dominant one.

You have something like 15 pullets not including the tiny chicks now, correct? Given enough space as adults, their spats will likely be over quickly. Getting past the horny idiot phase will be the biggest challenge....and plan on dealing with that at least through next summer.

 

[rural mouse]

Is he a Frizzle?

He sure looks like he is a Frizzle

He's got the loose feather look of a juvenile moult. How old are they again? Between 9 and 12 weeks?

 

[rural mouse]

he's the only barred rock I have his feathers are ruffled he just chased away the big girls from the food. Maybe he has a frizzle parent?

Frizzle curl out from the body. And genetically speaking, 1 frizzle parent will produce a frizzle offspring. 2 frizzle parents produce a frazzle, where the feathers curl out and are VERY brittle, breaking at the least touch. That's why breeders use normal feathered hens with frizzled roos and normal feathered roos with frizzled hens.

 

[ValarieF]

You have something like 15 pullets not including the tiny chicks now, correct? Given enough space as adults, their spats will likely be over quickly. Getting past the horny idiot phase will be the biggest challenge....and plan on dealing with that at least through next summer.

Correct and yes plenty of space and I plan on adding more.

 

[rural mouse]

OMG I just looked up and they are on MacMurray's hatchery I believe your right he is a cuckoo maran he looks exactly like them.

Only difference between Cuckoo marans and French Cuckoo marans is the French have feathered feet. The marans without the French are usually from British breeding (going far enough back). When the Breed was getting established, the British liked the birds but not the feathered feet, so bred for clean legs.

 

[GregnLety]

Pony (puppy) Sunday

 

[rural mouse]

Correct and yes plenty of space and I plan on adding more.

My 24 have an acre plus, don't usually forage on all of it (doesnt include the neighbors below, who have been known to feed them too), and (so far) are content to sleep in the same coop. 5 roos, could be a bit interesting as the ratio works out to 3-4 hens / roo. I was aiming for @5 per roo, but straight run, Flame turned out to be Kren instead. If I'm aiming for that ratio, I'll be up to 30 birds with existing roos. That's an awful lot for us, but we have winter/spring predators wanting to feed offspring to get through. Also have personalities to observe all winter. I've added more roosts so linear feet of roost space is pushing 30 feet plus nest box bank. Floor space in the coop is somewheres between 72 and 90 square feet. The only time the door is kept shut during the day is when the temps are below zero F. They are restless in the coop when I'm late getting out to open it, but as long as they can leave it and spread out, fights are more chase and run than anything else. At this point, watch and watch some more.