Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Karen update. She is turning into a lovely pullet with her coloring. Look at that comb and wattles, been like that for over 2 weeks. We have a stunning chocolate freeloader still on my hands. I will take that first egg anytime young lady.

 

[rural mouse]

Last night Asphodel wasn't in the coop. Hunted over the hillside with flashlights, nothing. Looking in daylight, nothing. Either she's turned up broody in a well hidden spot (unlikely given the time of year) or something got her.

 

[BY Bob]

Fluffy Butt Friday and the promised Video:
View attachment 3311979

View attachment 3311978

The video is longish its about three and half minutes. I have zero knowledge on how to edit sorry. Hopefully you guys enjoy it anyway

Thank you so much! That is great. That oreo has a set of lungs. It looks like you have plenty of room for everyone and easy access for you.

Nicely done.

 

[BY Bob]

Fluffy Butt Friday and the promised Video:
View attachment 3311979

View attachment 3311978

The video is longish its about three and half minutes. I have zero knowledge on how to edit sorry. Hopefully you guys enjoy it anyway

I was thinking on your roosts. Since you are in Ohio and will get cold temperatures in the winter, you may want to consider wider flatter roosts. I like to use a 2x4 wide side up so their feet sit flat and are completely covered by feathers in the winter. I will also use 2x2s for smaller hens. Having their foot sit flat helps to prevent frost bitten toes as their feathers cover them completely.

Your roosts seem pretty narrow and will require a lot of toe curling to hang on.

 

[BY Bob]

Ha ha ha! But when you think of it roosters dont all make the same sounds either. I can hear four plus my two from home, and they all make a distinctive song. Especially a bantam rooster down there that sort of rolls the rrrrr with a shrill voice .

Maybe people speaking different language don't actually hear exactly the same thing ? When we play trivial pursuit with my partner he says he's on a purple question when I see pink, and he calls dark blue what I call purple .

Same as others have said it can be for a number of reasons. I have a hen, Brune, that is a pain to go to bed, she cries for half an hour and pecks her neighbors - she has often slept alone. Then, Cannelle has periods when she decides she wants to roost alone. Then there's also the place they pick to roost- Peanut might have the best spot and no one dares disturb her. There has been quite an evolution in the way my flock roosts, and it's always interesting to see. Right now it's so dramatic that I'm actually in the coop for fifteen minutes with a big stick to stop the roosters if they pick a fight .

@Ponypoor worms are in the environment. However the sub-species of ascaris found in horses, cats and poultry are all different (A. Galli, arascaris equorum and Toxocara Cati) so I'm not sure they contaminate one another. We treated the cats when we dewormed the flock for precaution. One thing is sure, you must treat the whole flock, not just one member.

**********
Wow you all have gorgeous pictures for Friday! These lovely butts are a pledge for diversity in the bum division- fluff is lovely but sleek is elegant !
Here are mine from today. I included the two hard molters Cannelle and Théo because they are actually growing back feathers.
Cannelle growing a tail but not doing as good as I'd hoped today
View attachment 3311972
Théo - you can see the quills by zooming on his behind
View attachment 3311976
Blanche manages to have a pretty butt with brittle broken feathers
View attachment 3311975
Gastounet has grown a mane but he's lacking in the tail department!
View attachment 3311970
Lea's butt.
View attachment 3311973

I'm worried however to notice Chipie is loosing her tail feathers : she just grew them back from the molt a month ago, so I'm afraid they may have been pulled out with all the quarrelling going on in the flock. She doesn't have many, so just two missing makes her look strange. Do you know if pulled feathers will eventually grow back ?
View attachment 3311971
View attachment 3311974

Pulled feathers can grow back but sometimes you have to wait for a molt. I've seen it both ways. I have no idea why it would be one way or the other.

 

[RoyalChick]

She had no problem downing that tri tip steak I just fried up. The rest enjoyed it too. Jaffar is slow today, and I will bring him inside later to check him out. I have to feed him alone because, he shares all his food with his hens .

What is tri tip steak? Does it have another name?

 

[BY Bob]

Karen update. She is turning into a lovely pullet with her coloring. Look at that comb and wattles, been like that for over 2 weeks. We have a stunning chocolate freeloader still on my hands. I will take that first egg anytime young lady.
View attachment 3312239View attachment 3312240View attachment 3312242View attachment 3312243View attachment 3312244View attachment 3312245

She is stunning for sure.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Thank you so much! That is great. That oreo has a set of lungs. It looks like you have plenty of room for everyone and easy access for you.

Nicely done.

Thank you It was quite an adventure given that neither my husband nor I have any construction experience at all prior to this.

Yes, Oreo has perfected his loud and proud crow! Fortunately for us and everyone up and down our street he only does this in the morning when I let them out, after that he remains quiet the rest of the day.

 

[BY Bob]

Last night Asphodel wasn't in the coop. Hunted over the hillside with flashlights, nothing. Looking in daylight, nothing. Either she's turned up broody in a well hidden spot (unlikely given the time of year) or something got her.

Oh no!

Are you going to do anything different in case it was a predator?

 

[RoyalChick]

Karen update. She is turning into a lovely pullet with her coloring. Look at that comb and wattles, been like that for over 2 weeks. We have a stunning chocolate freeloader still on my hands. I will take that first egg anytime young lady.
View attachment 3312239View attachment 3312240View attachment 3312242View attachment 3312243View attachment 3312244View attachment 3312245

She is beautiful. Maybe she believes that being beautiful is enough and that asking for eggs too is unreasonable!
I have tried having that discussion with Bernadette. She seems uninterested.