Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Warning! Dangerous age revealing conversations!

Foxy: I am a tiger. No afraid of Aurora
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Other hens have said that...........................at first......................

.................. the reality is far worse than you can imagine.

 

[BY Bob]

New Year Celebration Video #2

Light On the Swing this June, and a preening party.

Where has that video been? I love it!

 

[BY Bob]

I understand the desire to have a broody hen, I really do. I used to feel that way all the time until my girls broke me. A few things to consider first. One would be your location. Here in Kentucky it is a bad time to be hatching chicks. The weather is just too unpredictable and cold. I say this with a insanely crazy and conniving game hen who is currently broody on the hillside in a location that I can see but not get to. If I could get to her she absolutely would NOT be hatching chicks this time of the year. Another consideration is the age of your hens. It is not terrible for a young hen to hatch chicks, most times they make excellent mothers. What you do not want to do though is attempt to hatch those pullet eggs. You can do it, I did before I knew any better but be prepared. Those pullet eggs are smaller, and while the chick develops normally many times there can be trouble at hatching with mal-positioned bigger chicks. This resulted in a few assisted hatches with some of the chicks making it and some not. If a young girl goes broody now within a month or two of her first starting to lay she is never allowed now to hatch her own eggs. She is given my older hens eggs to hatch. If they have been laying 2 to 3 months before going broody she can then hatch her own chicks. I think I read you have Easter Eggers and Buff Orps in your flock right? I'm not familiar with the EEs, but Orps are supposed to be very broody. I say supposed because I have 4 orp girls. My first one Butter is coming on 3 this spring. Never been broody a day in her life. The other 3 turn 1 in February. Already 2 out of 3 have shown signs of attempting to go broody but were quickly discouraged. I fear I will battle them with broodiness this spring. If I do not count the non-laying age pullets I have 19 laying age hens. 6 of them have never offered to go broody. Of those 6, 5 are under a year old.

Just to put another myth to bed. Never been broody or ever considered it.

 

[ValarieF]

Outside with my girls and boys. Hades screamed when I picked him up but that lets him know who the boss is. They all had treats and grit and oyster shells. I got a video uploading at the moment and will post it in a few minutes but here are photos from a few minutes ago.

 

[ValarieF]

I understand the desire to have a broody hen, I really do. I used to feel that way all the time until my girls broke me. A few things to consider first. One would be your location. Here in Kentucky it is a bad time to be hatching chicks. The weather is just too unpredictable and cold. I say this with a insanely crazy and conniving game hen who is currently broody on the hillside in a location that I can see but not get to. If I could get to her she absolutely would NOT be hatching chicks this time of the year. Another consideration is the age of your hens. It is not terrible for a young hen to hatch chicks, most times they make excellent mothers. What you do not want to do though is attempt to hatch those pullet eggs. You can do it, I did before I knew any better but be prepared. Those pullet eggs are smaller, and while the chick develops normally many times there can be trouble at hatching with mal-positioned bigger chicks. This resulted in a few assisted hatches with some of the chicks making it and some not. If a young girl goes broody now within a month or two of her first starting to lay she is never allowed now to hatch her own eggs. She is given my older hens eggs to hatch. If they have been laying 2 to 3 months before going broody she can then hatch her own chicks. I think I read you have Easter Eggers and Buff Orps in your flock right? I'm not familiar with the EEs, but Orps are supposed to be very broody. I say supposed because I have 4 orp girls. My first one Butter is coming on 3 this spring. Never been broody a day in her life. The other 3 turn 1 in February. Already 2 out of 3 have shown signs of attempting to go broody but were quickly discouraged. I fear I will battle them with broodiness this spring. If I do not count the non-laying age pullets I have 19 laying age hens. 6 of them have never offered to go broody. Of those 6, 5 are under a year old.

Easter Eggers normally arent broody. If your lucky you might get 1 out of about 10

 

[ValarieF]

 

[lightm]

Where has that video been? I love it!

Thank you. Stay tuned for tomorrow.

 

[rural mouse]

Outside with my girls and boys. Hades screamed when I picked him up but that lets him know who the boss is. They all had treats and grit and oyster shells. I got a video uploading at the moment and will post it in a few minutes but here are photos from a few minutes ago.

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Hades is turning into a really handsome dude!

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you. Stay tuned for tomorrow.

I love that you are giving us a treat each day!

 

[knoturavggrl]

Oreos comb looks much better today

Brownie checking out the camera and Biscotti fluffy butt in the background