Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Thanks. That’s Flash’s bum.

No wonder.

 

[micstrachan]

Maybe you could temporarily tie/nail/fasten some chicken wire or other barrier across the ceiling to the underside of the rafters?


When my pullets were smaller when they were first left loose in the coop at night, the were roosting on the electrical conduit and the fans. I was not pleased. Had to block off the conduit with some wall paneling and build protective cages around the fans ( before and after pics below).


The bank should easily be able to provide you proof of payment to give to the insurance company. It probably got posted to the wrong account.

Roosting pics, before modifications
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Modifications
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Wow, you had to do some serious rigging there!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Mine love grape leaves as well, especially young, tender leaves! In late spring into summer I usually gather a bunch of vines to put in the runs for them to work at all day (well, the vultures usually clean all the leaves off in a short time!) for something to do while I'm at work. I just weave the ends into the fencing to hold the sections of vine so they can bite & pull/twist pieces of the leaves off.

Exactly! I've been bringing my chickens extra squash and green lettuce or some green things like that ( I'm not as stupid as y'all think I'm actually an all honors/gifted student. My grades are anywhere from an 80-100. Not proud of the B's, but I can keep up with them) I don't have anymore grape leaves because of the cold snap. But I know that my chicks will be thrilled to get their favorite ( they like all treats) back. Oh, I was gonna take pictures of their fluffy butts, but I forgot. Here is a guinea butt. This is Guineaiss. Stunning name, huh? He is my baby boy. I love him a bunch. Not the best pictures but it was the best I could find that was not my last weeks of my chickens. This page is all about birds, right? Not necessarily JUST chickens! I hope!...

 

[BY Bob]

OK I see that. Roosting has been ridiculous no matter what else is going on, so that makes sense. It is good that you can take pleasure in the integration process and peaceful co-habitation elsewhere!

Lately I've been noticing that treats bring out the worst in the Buckeyes. They've worked out sharing the feeder. But they become dinosaurs and are positively nasty to each other with a transitory food. Even with five little areas of snacking, the dominant hens go around checking out their subordinate's area and kick them off. Popcorn is constantly booted away. I've been giving her treats by hand separately, or tearing off leaves in one hand for her to have while my other holds a bunch for the dominant three.

That can happen here as well but things have settled pretty good with the new additions. Betty excludes herself when there are treats in a limited space.

 

[BY Bob]

Exactly! I've been bringing my chickens extra squash and green lettuce or some green things like that ( I'm not as stupid as y'all think I'm actually an all honors/gifted student. My grades are anywhere from an 80-100. Not proud of the B's, but I can keep up with them) I don't have anymore grape leaves because of the cold snap. But I know that my chicks will be thrilled to get their favorite ( they like all treats) back. Oh, I was gonna take pictures of their fluffy butts, but I forgot. Here is a guinea butt. This is Guineaiss. Stunning name, huh? He is my baby boy. I love him a bunch. Not the best pictures but it was the best I could find that was not my last weeks of my chickens. This page is all about birds, right? Not necessarily JUST chickens! I hope!...View attachment 3369013

Guineas count. Great work on your grades.

 

[micstrachan]

Nothing as wonderful as an attentive momma hen with her chicks!

She is gorgeous, btw. Is she a sebright?? Where is @RoyalChick when you need to know a chicken breed? Pretty soon we won't be able to use this joke anymore!

Haha! Good one! We love you, RC!

 

[micstrachan]

I didn't know about this batch until today, baby Bantam cuteness View attachment 3368705View attachment 3368703View attachment 3368704

Awww… just LOOK at that proud, happy mama hen. What do you mean you did not know about this batch? Do you mean you did not know she had chicks until she brought them there?

 

[micstrachan]

LF has winderful fluff!

Doesn’t she???

 

[micstrachan]

Happy Fluffy Butt Friday from Diana who is still molting but is sporting quite a fluffy butt.
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That’s some impressive fluff!

 

[micstrachan]

I thought they were surprisingly accurate flyers in those videos.

This reminds me of Lil' Queenie roosting high too, so I'd like to tell the story -- Her "quarantine" was in a room in the house, I had her in the Buckeye's big brooder with a pretty high roost available, one the pullets liked. Not good enough. Two walls were made up of nylon window screening taped to weeny 1/8"x2"x 4ft strapping sticks for framing (also taped together), going up almost to the ceiling, about five feet up from the floor of the brooder.

Well, I go in to check on her in the evening and she's nowhere to be seen, and just as I'm standing there confounded she makes a little "Huh? I was sleeping" bok. It's impossible, but there's a dark figure way up there. She had wedged herself between the ceiling and the top cross stick, perfectly balanced on the 1/8' edge. She thoughtfully roosted head-out, with her bum over the brooder. I was surprised she hadn't brought it all down with her weight. I got her down and put her on the top roost. She did that a few times, even roosting bum-out once (I still can't imagine how she maneuvered on the 1/8" edge to turn around). It all started to sag soon, I filled in that space up there, made her a higher well-supported roost and cleared more landing area. That ended it.

Lil' Queenie (RIP). She used that roost as the highest available from then on. When she first integrated she also tried to roost very high in the Big Run. Once I showed her I wanted her to roost with the Buckeyes in the secure coop she did that.
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Awww, Queenie!!!