Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Tina tried to lay an egg today and there's a bit of red in her white part of her poo but maybe that's the carrot

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My kiddies have all sorts of ‘stuff’ going on with their poop. I make note of it but unless they are acting off I just check again if I see them pooping.

Poop can change so much with things such as temperature, food they eat, stress from molting, being broody (we all know those smelly poopies).

For your photos they both look splendid

Try not to get tunnel vision and see things that may or may not be there. I am good at that with the horses, if they cough, roll, look tired I used to get all bent out of shape that they might be ill - my Vet finally told me to stop looking at them hahaha.

 

[Ponypoor]

Do you have other roosters near by that he can hear crowing ? At least 50% of the crowing we get here, is in answer to other roosters.
Out of my two males, Théo crows a lot, lot more than Gaston. He uses crowing as an assertion of dominance. Gaston is just beginning to crow during the day at 21 weeks. Mr P. doesn't seem like the typical macho guy and if there are no other roosters around maybe he just doesn't feel like crowing!
To be sure it's not an health issue, if you've ever recorded him crowing you can play his own crow to him and see if he answers.

I'm also worried right now for my roosters. For one thing Théo is chasing Gaston badly. For now it's just about frightening him but I'm afraid that once Gaston realizes he is three times bigger they will actually fight. And also, Théo is molting pretty hard, and now the tip of his comb is turning black again. It happened to him in summer with no issue, but it can be a cause of worry for roosters.

We finally have some rain forecasted for tomorrow and I really, really hope it does rain. We had a three weeks respite after nine months of draught at the end of august, and now everything has dried up again.
Anyway sorry for rambling and here are some thirsty pictures!
Gastounet
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NougatView attachment 3297339
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Cannelle- exactly the same position!View attachment 3297338
Léa
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Re: Mr P and crowing, I played some crowing roosters but he didn’t crow, looked interested but didn’t say anything.

I wonder if he is afraid of me? Ever since I started handling him more he seems quieter

I hate thinking I am the cause of his demeanour - do they get quieter in the winter?

 

[ValarieF]

Re: Mr P and crowing, I played some crowing roosters but he didn’t crow, looked interested but didn’t say anything.

I wonder if he is afraid of me? Ever since I started handling him more he seems quieter

I hate thinking I am the cause of his demeanour - do they get quieter in the winter?

Usually the only reason roosters crow is morning and evening alarm and during threats which you are not. He will eventually crow just give him time he is comfortable with you.

 

[featherhead007]

Jaffar is not feeling well today. I was up all night with him. He started coughing, so I gave him a little honey with baby aspirin. He’s sleeping at the moment.

 

[Ponypoor]

Usually the only reason roosters crow is morning and evening alarm and during threats which you are not. He will eventually crow just give him time he is comfortable with you.

He hasn’t been crowing at all. I just played more rooster sounds from the barn and he was looking but not saying anything.

 

[rural mouse]

Went out to open coop. Clouds have lowered. Base of mountains across the valley are hidden. A FEW snowflakes are spitting around (not enough to even make a skiff). Indigo in a nest box.

Yesterday caught Whiskey through the downstairs door

Then realized he was playing nesting site hunter escort with Lark.

No eggs yet from either one, but looks like their instincts are running so any day now.

 

[rural mouse]

Usually the only reason roosters crow is morning and evening alarm and during threats which you are not. He will eventually crow just give him time he is comfortable with you.

Actually, they have crowing wars. And if hens are out of sight, they can crow to help the hen find them (or "sound off: role call to anyone out of sight"). If she starts the Buk-buk-bugawk, that's "come and get me" which a rooster will echo. Alarm calls are not usually crows. Ground attacks are one kind, aerial are another. They also have 2 similar but different calls about birds on the wing. One is "bird flying by" the other is "dangerous bird in the air". Both are relatively quiet so as to not give positions away if the dangerous bird doesn't know they're there. Crowing wars are usually morning/evening and can be in response to other roosters in the tribe or other tribes within earshot. The farther away crows don't always spark the crow wars. The ground alert for something is here sounds much like the "come and get me"/"I'm coming" call and mine will use it for cats (like the neighbor's) visiting. I haven't heard the danger on the ground call as we weren't home when the dog struck and the hillside blocked the sound of the foxes. Then there's the tidbitting sound (fwi, hens will do it for their chicks) and the purring (not sure if it's like with cats: calming all who hear, or for different meanings).

 

[Ponypoor]

Pony Sunday

Reenie and Truly sunning themselves

Truly is having a snooze

Reenie also

 

[rural mouse]

He hasn’t been crowing at all. I just played more rooster sounds from the barn and he was looking but not saying anything.

By nature, he may be on the quiet side (like Teddy Roosevelt: speak soft and carry a big stick). If you let a hen hatch eggs next spring, you will get a better idea of how talkative he is. Hens talk to the eggs the last few days, and some roosters will talk also, usually very quietly to human ears.

 

[Ponypoor]

Actually, they have crowing wars. And if hens are out of sight, they can crow to help the hen find them (or "sound off: role call to anyone out of sight"). If she starts the Buk-buk-bugawk, that's "come and get me" which a rooster will echo. Alarm calls are not usually crows. Ground attacks are one kind, aerial are another. They also have 2 similar but different calls about birds on the wing. One is "bird flying by" the other is "dangerous bird in the air". Both are relatively quiet so as to not give positions away if the dangerous bird doesn't know they're there. Crowing wars are usually morning/evening and can be in response to other roosters in the tribe or other tribes within earshot. The farther away crows don't always spark the crow wars. The ground alert for something is here sounds much like the "come and get me"/"I'm coming" call and mine will use it for cats (like the neighbor's) visiting. I haven't heard the danger on the ground call as we weren't home when the dog struck and the hillside blocked the sound of the foxes. Then there's the tidbitting sound (fwi, hens will do it for their chicks) and the purring (not sure if it's like with cats: calming all who hear, or for different meanings).

He is worrying me, he is tidbitting with the gals and seems fine, I don’t think he is molting, and he is eating fine. He make purring and growling noises and the cluck cluck for tidbitting.

But he is quiet otherwise I am worried that he sees me as dominant bird and now won’t crow. I am going to try an experiment where I walk away from him if he walks near me. See if he actually is feeling submissive.

Also when he goes to bed tonight I will check him form lice or ticks - I don’t see them digging at themselves any more than usual…