Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Ditto! (that would have been after he got home, and after mom had washed my mouth out with soap!)

Swearing Tax:
Cinnamon Queen: Cross of RIR male over RIW female. Sex-linked, cockerels are white/yellow chicks


ISA Brown chicken: Again, sex-linked. More complex crossing, but generally RIR X RIW, but have a few additional breeds mixed in (minority of %, but not a straight RIR x RIW cross. (Note that they tend to be a lighter color than the Cinnamon Queen))


View attachment 3407317

Prairie Bluebell Egger: Ameraucauna (EE) X White Leghorn. Can come in a variety of colors depending on Mom's/EE coloring, but have a lighter/leaner body build due to the leghorn half. Yours that you are asking about is definitely not a PBE, she has a heavier body build. (at least the first of the two!)
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Sapphire Gem: Depending on where you read, it is either a cross between a r Barred rock and an andelusian, or a Barred rock and a haybrid. Originally created in the Czech Republic, regardless of exact heritage, it is a 'blue' colored chicken. so, yours is not this.
View attachment 3407335

French Wheaton Marans: Yours seems to be too dark for this. Despite the words 'French' & 'Marans' in the name, they appear to have only very light feathering, for the most part, on the legs. (multiple images of them had no leg feathering - which I find curioous!)
View attachment 3407340


Amberlink: Predominantly white (hens) with flecks or small 'essence' of brown or light reddish coloring on wings, sometimes on tail, too. Roo: more light reddish coloring, with 'white' undercoat/underparts. A complicated cross of RIR x White rock or RIW, but not a one time cross. (otherwise it would be an ISA) Sometimes the cross uses RIR X ISA Brown

Definitely not what you have:

I'll further narrow down possibilities tonight. I'm covering either ones that might be in contention, or ones I wasn't sure of coloring/breeding until I looked into it.

Wow. That took some effort. Thanks for helping out. I hope @RoyalChick bookmarks this post.

 

[featherhead007]

Go coco go

She’s happy to have a fan club!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

February is just a bittersweet month for me chicken wise.
February 7th marked a year that I lost my sweet Poppy. She tragically passed before she even laid her first egg so all hopes were dashed of having the Branch x Poppy chicks me and Rosie were so looking forward to. This was the last picture I took of her before her passing.

I desperately want another black silkie hen. I take comfort in having Branch and Chiquita, but Poppy's passing has left a hole in the flock that needs filling. I think that is a tiny part of my love for @Ponypoor Wee Miss Marty, and why I will fight to be first in line if she ever chose to part with her. I know and understand she wont and that is ok, I still call dibs first.
Tomorrow would be a very special hatch day if the fates were different. My sweet Ezzie would be turning 1. I was in denial almost right up to the end that he was a boy. I did eventually come to terms with it and made arrangements for him to stay. He even managed to win over my mom before he passed and was every bit of a love bug as Branch.

The 19th we celebrate Holly's hatchday. My last original Marans turns 3. She has lost her sister Daisy, and Drumstick but she is still going strong. She is very opinionated on who is allowed to share her roost. After Daisy's passing many tried and failed to share her roost. She threw them all off unmercifully until Twig tried. At first she was having none of it, attempted to toss him off as well, but that young boy had grit. He refused to budge and took her viscous pecks like a man. That earned him her respect and the honor of being granted permission to snuggle right up to her at night.

The 22nd is also another hatchday. The 3 buff orpington girls and the 2 Cinnamon Queens turn 1. They were purchased from Rural King to join Ezzie when he turned a week old. They are a lovely group even though 2 of them had to join the girls who like to lay on the main top of the hay.

 

[BY Bob]

February is just a bittersweet month for me chicken wise.
February 7th marked a year that I lost my sweet Poppy. She tragically passed before she even laid her first egg so all hopes were dashed of having the Branch x Poppy chicks me and Rosie were so looking forward to. This was the last picture I took of her before her passing.
View attachment 3407445
I desperately want another black silkie hen. I take comfort in having Branch and Chiquita, but Poppy's passing has left a hole in the flock that needs filling. I think that is a tiny part of my love for @Ponypoor Wee Miss Marty, and why I will fight to be first in line if she ever chose to part with her. I know and understand she wont and that is ok, I still call dibs first.
Tomorrow would be a very special hatch day if the fates were different. My sweet Ezzie would be turning 1. I was in denial almost right up to the end that he was a boy. I did eventually come to terms with it and made arrangements for him to stay. He even managed to win over my mom before he passed and was every bit of a love bug as Branch.
View attachment 3407458View attachment 3407460View attachment 3407465
The 19th we celebrate Holly's hatchday. My last original Marans turns 3. She has lost her sister Daisy, and Drumstick but she is still going strong. She is very opinionated on who is allowed to share her roost. After Daisy's passing many tried and failed to share her roost. She threw them all off unmercifully until Twig tried. At first she was having none of it, attempted to toss him off as well, but that young boy had grit. He refused to budge and took her viscous pecks like a man. That earned him her respect and the honor of being granted permission to snuggle right up to her at night.
View attachment 3407476
The 22nd is also another hatchday. The 3 buff orpington girls and the 2 Cinnamon Queens turn 1. They were purchased from Rural King to join Ezzie when he turned a week old. They are a lovely group even though 2 of them had to join the girls who like to lay on the main top of the hay.
View attachment 3407484

So many chicken anniversaries. It's good to remember them.

 

[bgmathteach]

Thats the max the min is 2 feet I have standard birds and they did fine with less.

I do use less per chicken than the generally recommended 4 sq. feet per bird...but I also have a huge run/sq. feet per bird, PLUS a good amount of covered (i.e. solid roof/out of elements) space outside of the coop for them. That said - especially in warmer climates ( yours is considerable warmer than mine, in general), you will want more coop and more roost space per bird so they are somewhat comfortable in the summer at night. While I have less formal coop space, half of my raised coops as 'proper coop', the other half I can walk in, is still very safe, but not solid walls all around - hardware cloth plus partial walls with a roost in the back half - so in 'nicer weather' they have additional safe, solid roof nighttime roosting space so they can spread out and be more comfortable in the heat, but still be out of the rain and, if needed, can also put up my specially erected tarp to keep them out of the wind (if needed), So, this increases their roosting space by 50% that is usable for up to 7-8 months of the year - which they GREATLY appreciate in warmer/muggier weather. (plus, another diagonal roost under the coop that is 5+ feet long, but I consider it to be about 4' more of roosting space due to meeting wire 'walls' on the diagonal - this actually doubles their evening roosting space, and actually gives them about 5 sq. feet per bird in hot weather for night-time space)

Please don't skimp on roost space/coop space, particularly for warmer months. Trust me, your girls will appreciate it. They don't mind snuggling in the bitter cold, but they really appreciate the 'elbow room' in warmer weather.

I've included a rough sketch of my 'coop' so you can see what I mean. Hopefully my attempt at sketching is good enough for you to understand my coop set-up. All of the permanent coops I have designed/built ( except for my broody/mating/injured 'coop' which is at ground level with roosts above that everyone can access (and is under a solid roof). My mobile coops are completely different - but that is another story.

I hope that this helps, and that you really do give both coop space and roost space some real consideration - if there isn't enough coop space, it can cause a fair amount of stress and lead to some bad behaviors - especially if you have multiple roosters - but certainly with the hens, also.

(Sorry, it can be hard to read this part because it got partially cut off. This particular coop - the 'base' is 4' X 8' ( so 32 sq. feet), the coop proper is 4'x4' (16 sq. feet) All of the space is completely safe with the 'open air' part enclosed in 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth with 2X3" welded wire underneath the hardware cloth for extra reinforcement - and 2X3" welded wire under the base in addition to perimeter protection. The coop proper is solid plywood except for venting areas, which are, again, 1/2 X 1/2 hardware cloth. It opens into the run - the back side of the coop is part of the 'run wall'. Under the coop is protected from elements, and the pop door opens to a 18' X 24" 'safe run, that has 24'X10' with solid roof, the rest of the run top is open to the elements. This 'run' is inside of my 'extended run' that doesn't at present have any hawk protection(but will soon, when it gets expanded this spring), that is 50' X 25', soon to be 50' X 30' - again, with soon top protection as well. There are additional coops that also are elevated that give additional protected space from elements, in addition to the 32 sq. foot coop shown here and the 'attached 180 sq. feet of solid roof run.

Note that despite my 1250 sq. feet of run space (plus coop space ), I think it is not enough for my birds -so I only have approx. 60 birds in there. I have the rest in 2 other runs ( about 95 total birds after extra young roos and a few older hens were processed) My other 26 birds - 2 groups of 13 - have almost, but not quite, as much space per bird as there. And all get to free range some most days - even if it is only an hour per day on weekdays, and more most weekend days.

They don't have the space @RoyalChick 's birds, do - but I do want them to have enough space to be healthy, happy, and be able to do chickeny things.

 

[bgmathteach]

TSC

Okay, so that means Hoover Hatchery. They get all their chicks from there. Thank you. I will look into it some more tomorrow evening after work.

 

[ValarieF]

I do use less per chicken than the generally recommended 4 sq. feet per bird...but I also have a huge run/sq. feet per bird, PLUS a good amount of covered (i.e. solid roof/out of elements) space outside of the coop for them. That said - especially in warmer climates ( yours is considerable warmer than mine, in general), you will want more coop and more roost space per bird so they are somewhat comfortable in the summer at night. While I have less formal coop space, half of my raised coops as 'proper coop', the other half I can walk in, is still very safe, but not solid walls all around - hardware cloth plus partial walls with a roost in the back half - so in 'nicer weather' they have additional safe, solid roof nighttime roosting space so they can spread out and be more comfortable in the heat, but still be out of the rain and, if needed, can also put up my specially erected tarp to keep them out of the wind (if needed), So, this increases their roosting space by 50% that is usable for up to 7-8 months of the year - which they GREATLY appreciate in warmer/muggier weather. (plus, another diagonal roost under the coop that is 5+ feet long, but I consider it to be about 4' more of roosting space due to meeting wire 'walls' on the diagonal - this actually doubles their evening roosting space, and actually gives them about 5 sq. feet per bird in hot weather for night-time space)

Please don't skimp on roost space/coop space, particularly for warmer months. Trust me, your girls will appreciate it. They don't mind snuggling in the bitter cold, but they really appreciate the 'elbow room' in warmer weather.

I've included a rough sketch of my 'coop' so you can see what I mean. Hopefully my attempt at sketching is good enough for you to understand my coop set-up. All of the permanent coops I have designed/built ( except for my broody/mating/injured 'coop' which is at ground level with roosts above that everyone can access (and is under a solid roof). My mobile coops are completely different - but that is another story.

I hope that this helps, and that you really do give both coop space and roost space some real consideration - if there isn't enough coop space, it can cause a fair amount of stress and lead to some bad behaviors - especially if you have multiple roosters - but certainly with the hens, also.

(Sorry, it can be hard to read this part because it got partially cut off. This particular coop - the 'base' is 4' X 8' ( so 32 sq. feet), the coop proper is 4'x4' (16 sq. feet) All of the space is completely safe with the 'open air' part enclosed in 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth with 2X3" welded wire underneath the hardware cloth for extra reinforcement - and 2X3" welded wire under the base in addition to perimeter protection. The coop proper is solid plywood except for venting areas, which are, again, 1/2 X 1/2 hardware cloth. It opens into the run - the back side of the coop is part of the 'run wall'. Under the coop is protected from elements, and the pop door opens to a 18' X 24" 'safe run, that has 24'X10' with solid roof, the rest of the run top is open to the elements. This 'run' is inside of my 'extended run' that doesn't at present have any hawk protection(but will soon, when it gets expanded this spring), that is 50' X 25', soon to be 50' X 30' - again, with soon top protection as well. There are additional coops that also are elevated that give additional protected space from elements, in addition to the 32 sq. foot coop shown here and the 'attached 180 sq. feet of solid roof run.


View attachment 3407506View attachment 3407507View attachment 3407508


Note that despite my 1250 sq. feet of run space (plus coop space ), I think it is not enough for my birds -so I only have approx. 60 birds in there. I have the rest in 2 other runs ( about 95 total birds after extra young roos and a few older hens were processed) My other 26 birds - 2 groups of 13 - have almost, but not quite, as much space per bird as there. And all get to free range some most days - even if it is only an hour per day on weekdays, and more most weekend days.
They don't have the space @RoyalChick 's birds, do - but I do want them to have enough space to be healthy, happy, and be able to do chickeny things.

My chic are in a very large shed were half of it is a coop. They have room and windows and I have a fan in there during the summer months. It actually stays pretty cool. So they are protected from the elements and have room. My run is 2/3 rds covered from the sun and 190 square feet that I am doubling soon to 380 square feet. They dont need 4 feet in a coop that they only sleep in and I have 5 roosting bars and many nesting areas. Right now the birds have 4 square feet but if I add that will shrink. Using 2 feet per bird means I can fit 40 birds in there. Not gonna have that man though.

 

[BY Bob]

I do use less per chicken than the generally recommended 4 sq. feet per bird...but I also have a huge run/sq. feet per bird, PLUS a good amount of covered (i.e. solid roof/out of elements) space outside of the coop for them. That said - especially in warmer climates ( yours is considerable warmer than mine, in general), you will want more coop and more roost space per bird so they are somewhat comfortable in the summer at night. While I have less formal coop space, half of my raised coops as 'proper coop', the other half I can walk in, is still very safe, but not solid walls all around - hardware cloth plus partial walls with a roost in the back half - so in 'nicer weather' they have additional safe, solid roof nighttime roosting space so they can spread out and be more comfortable in the heat, but still be out of the rain and, if needed, can also put up my specially erected tarp to keep them out of the wind (if needed), So, this increases their roosting space by 50% that is usable for up to 7-8 months of the year - which they GREATLY appreciate in warmer/muggier weather. (plus, another diagonal roost under the coop that is 5+ feet long, but I consider it to be about 4' more of roosting space due to meeting wire 'walls' on the diagonal - this actually doubles their evening roosting space, and actually gives them about 5 sq. feet per bird in hot weather for night-time space)

Please don't skimp on roost space/coop space, particularly for warmer months. Trust me, your girls will appreciate it. They don't mind snuggling in the bitter cold, but they really appreciate the 'elbow room' in warmer weather.

I've included a rough sketch of my 'coop' so you can see what I mean. Hopefully my attempt at sketching is good enough for you to understand my coop set-up. All of the permanent coops I have designed/built ( except for my broody/mating/injured 'coop' which is at ground level with roosts above that everyone can access (and is under a solid roof). My mobile coops are completely different - but that is another story.

I hope that this helps, and that you really do give both coop space and roost space some real consideration - if there isn't enough coop space, it can cause a fair amount of stress and lead to some bad behaviors - especially if you have multiple roosters - but certainly with the hens, also.

(Sorry, it can be hard to read this part because it got partially cut off. This particular coop - the 'base' is 4' X 8' ( so 32 sq. feet), the coop proper is 4'x4' (16 sq. feet) All of the space is completely safe with the 'open air' part enclosed in 1/2" X 1/2" hardware cloth with 2X3" welded wire underneath the hardware cloth for extra reinforcement - and 2X3" welded wire under the base in addition to perimeter protection. The coop proper is solid plywood except for venting areas, which are, again, 1/2 X 1/2 hardware cloth. It opens into the run - the back side of the coop is part of the 'run wall'. Under the coop is protected from elements, and the pop door opens to a 18' X 24" 'safe run, that has 24'X10' with solid roof, the rest of the run top is open to the elements. This 'run' is inside of my 'extended run' that doesn't at present have any hawk protection(but will soon, when it gets expanded this spring), that is 50' X 25', soon to be 50' X 30' - again, with soon top protection as well. There are additional coops that also are elevated that give additional protected space from elements, in addition to the 32 sq. foot coop shown here and the 'attached 180 sq. feet of solid roof run.


View attachment 3407506View attachment 3407507View attachment 3407508


Note that despite my 1250 sq. feet of run space (plus coop space ), I think it is not enough for my birds -so I only have approx. 60 birds in there. I have the rest in 2 other runs ( about 95 total birds after extra young roos and a few older hens were processed) My other 26 birds - 2 groups of 13 - have almost, but not quite, as much space per bird as there. And all get to free range some most days - even if it is only an hour per day on weekdays, and more most weekend days.

They don't have the space @RoyalChick 's birds, do - but I do want them to have enough space to be healthy, happy, and be able to do chickeny things.

Seems like a good setup to me. Overcrowding is a real issue that should be avoided. I'm glad you acknowledge that and plan accordingly.

 

[bgmathteach]

Whats all this?

You were wondering what your 2 hens were...I'm in the process of eliminating some that I didn't know for sure...or posting possibilities. I'll finish either Friday eve or weekend, so we can narrow down what those 2 most likely are.

 

[bgmathteach]

February is just a bittersweet month for me chicken wise.
February 7th marked a year that I lost my sweet Poppy. She tragically passed before she even laid her first egg so all hopes were dashed of having the Branch x Poppy chicks me and Rosie were so looking forward to. This was the last picture I took of her before her passing.
View attachment 3407445
I desperately want another black silkie hen. I take comfort in having Branch and Chiquita, but Poppy's passing has left a hole in the flock that needs filling. I think that is a tiny part of my love for @Ponypoor Wee Miss Marty, and why I will fight to be first in line if she ever chose to part with her. I know and understand she wont and that is ok, I still call dibs first.
Tomorrow would be a very special hatch day if the fates were different. My sweet Ezzie would be turning 1. I was in denial almost right up to the end that he was a boy. I did eventually come to terms with it and made arrangements for him to stay. He even managed to win over my mom before he passed and was every bit of a love bug as Branch.
View attachment 3407458View attachment 3407460View attachment 3407465
The 19th we celebrate Holly's hatchday. My last original Marans turns 3. She has lost her sister Daisy, and Drumstick but she is still going strong. She is very opinionated on who is allowed to share her roost. After Daisy's passing many tried and failed to share her roost. She threw them all off unmercifully until Twig tried. At first she was having none of it, attempted to toss him off as well, but that young boy had grit. He refused to budge and took her viscous pecks like a man. That earned him her respect and the honor of being granted permission to snuggle right up to her at night.
View attachment 3407476
The 22nd is also another hatchday. The 3 buff orpington girls and the 2 Cinnamon Queens turn 1. They were purchased from Rural King to join Ezzie when he turned a week old. They are a lovely group even though 2 of them had to join the girls who like to lay on the main top of the hay.
View attachment 3407484

This post needed all of these: , and then an extra one of these. I remember when you lost Poppy - that was so sad, such a silly accident on her part And Ezzie and his sister, such a tradgey!

I do hope you get a sweet black silky gal to go with Branch! He deserves to be a blood daddy, not just a step-dad (though he is a wonderful one!)