Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

You can't rescue every chicken, but you can advocate for system changes too, which can help many more chickens. As you say these are deeply-ingrained issues and huge businesses. Huge because the market is massive. Change may be slow unless you get the right mix of people and circumstances to make legal changes to how businesses are run. Greater change can come but people have to become aware. I didn't know about a lot of this until recently myself. How about raising awareness of these among your friends and neighbors? Maybe you can get involved with them and help your local farms implement changes?

Certified Humane program https://certifiedhumane.org/ which is a step in the right direction

Same with the Vital Farms program https://vitalfarms.com/?gclid=CjwKC...KwWRbfCovua10H9_rO8t2iMQPKt1KljxoCOUMQAvD_BwE which appears even better but is pretty ambitious in it's whole-farmland approach

This is interesting, hens that lay only pullets. The cynic in me knows that these chickens / the way they achieved this will be patented and incredibly expensive for others to do. I don't know how far along anyone is in actually running a hatchery anywhere in the world with these. But it is an example of potential and hopefully positive change on the industrial side. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/bkc3iyioj

The Buckeyes intermittent news: someone, not Popcorn (because I know her cute little round eggs) is laying massive eggs, 72 grams. I suspect Butters, or maybe Peanut. It would be great if it is Hazel because she laid a shell-less egg about ten days ago, after acting fairly uncomfortable and unhappy. Only the membrane. I've upped the calcium yogurt bread bits mix and made sure she gets some. However I just got Nutrena Hearty Hen 18% protein for them which is a layer feed. Hope that will help. I haven't researched calcium in their water yet.
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There was another earlier this week or late last week, exactly the same, 72 grams, light-colored like this latest one. Here it is in the middle of the carton.
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I stopped marking them with the permanent marker last week, because I'm also giving them back the shells crushed to eat. What's a food-grade marker or crayon I could use?

Washable kids markers, they are non toxic and it would be washed off when you rinse before eating. Just an idea. Though I think pencil would work equally well.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Ask Aurora

Today's Question comes from @Ponypoor Marty.
View attachment 3418727

And she writes.......

Dear Aurora;

Marty here (or as my Human Servant calls me Wee Marty). I may be wee but I sure kicked her butt more than a couple of times. No one messes with my Man.

It has come to my attention by way of others on BeakBook (thank you to all those who gave me and the other chickens a heads up), that The Human who has gone and left us will be returning in the Spring, and will be bringing back additional chickens in the form of chicks. And possibly even eggs!

I am not sure how I feel about this; word around is she is expecting me and those other Silkies here (I kicked their butts too) will be expected to go broody and accept these chicks as our own.

Is she for real? What does she think, that we will just look at a baby, it will melt our hearts and we accept them under our wings like our own? This is all that Chiquita's fault, she was so desperate for babies that rather than pulling a Momma Hen and running off to have her brood, she moaned, and pined and whined until her Human's own Mother went and brought home babies for her. Granted they are adorable - what baby isn't? But to me it is rather presumptuous for a Human to think that we Chickens will just 'accept babies'.

I have half a mind to not go broody ever again!

Tell me Oh Great and Royal Aurora - what is to be done with this Human of ours when she returns?

Sincerely,
&
Yours respectfully,

Ms Marty (I am not wee)



Dear Ms. Marty,

What is it about humans that they cannot understand that you cannot judge a chicken by our size. I have seen 3lb pullets open a can of whoop on a 20lb cat. That Glynda may seem wee but she is mighty when it comes to fight. That is why I have chosen to let her hang out with me. Then you see big girls which have no fight in them. Hattie used to fight well for her size. With help from others she was able to overpower me once but no more. She is a shell of herself. There is no fight left in her and I make certain she remembers that every day.

Hattie, Big in Stature, Little Fight

Glynda, Small in Stature, Big Fight

I believe that you are no wee Marty. I am certain you have plenty of fight in you.

Now to your main question. You are asking me the wrong question. The question is not what is to be done about your human. The question is what is to be done with you and your silkie mates. You are not sure how to feel about new chicks and fertile eggs arriving. Well, Ms. Marty, do you really need to be reminded of “The Way of the Chicken”?

Let me answer for you………………………………………….YES!

You have clearly lost your way. I can see from your picture that you have a rooster at your disposal. Why does you human have to resort to chicks and eggs from others? That is a disgrace. You are neglecting your duty to bring more chickens into the world.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

Make you own nest and get busy hatching some chicks. Then you are in control of who the next members of your tribe are. Right now, you are all leaving it up to your human. You need to be careful or you could wind up with some of these nutty birds pretending to be chickens in your tribe! You cannot trust humans to make these kinds of choices for you.

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You need to be slapped so here goes……….

YOU ARE A DISGRACE!

YOU ARE A SILKIE!

ACT LIKE ONE!​

Silkies are supposed to be the broodiest of all chickens. You are supposed to be constantly trying to hatch and raise new chickens. Your heritage is to be the very best of mothers. You must change your ways and be the chickens all you silkies are supposed to be, Momma Hens.

It is a quite simple concept. If you want to control who is in your tribe, take control. Hatch your own. If you had chicks with Mr. Pompeii they would be some of the most adorable chickens to grace the earth. The world needs more beautiful chickens. You need to get busy.

View attachment 3418720

Now that I have taken a closer look at what your chicks would look like, I’m not so sure about that adorable line……..Well all chicks are beautiful to their mum. This is not about adorable, this is about control.

By the way, it is ever “The Way of the Silkie” (a subset of the “The Way of the Chicken”) to melt instantly and fall in love with any chick which is given to you. You silkies just cannot help yourselves. Don’t even think for a minute you will be able to resist. You can’t fight “The Way”.

It is up to you all. Get busy hatching your own eggs or you will be unable to resist and wind up hatching whatever your human thinks is best. Think about. When do they ever know what is best? That is like trusting a snake with your eggs.

Remember…..

Those who do not seize their own destiny are doomed to suffer the fickle winds of fate.

Now Chicken Up and be the silkie you are meant to be.

Aurora

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Great reply! The Queen is strong, with good advice and commands. Plus!
She solved a mystery - the real identity of “Mr. Perfect Balance”

 

[bgmathteach]

hahahaha - wacky hens! That's too funny! Do you think maybe going broody?

Nope, she isn't going broody (or at least not yet) Buuuuuttttt, one of my dark cornish has started plucking some breast feathers out. I'm not sure which one - it isn't obvious yet - but there were a number of feathers in a nest box, and they were DEFINITELY DC feathers based on the coloring and markings!

P.S. Be afraid, @RoyalChick , be very afraid. One or both of the girls may have inherited the 'broody gene'

The worst enabler, the one that lives with me grandma. Just informed me that she thought it was time I fill up that incubator.

Really, you came to THIS THREAD to help you resist incubating?

I don’t believe there is any Wyandotte in mine. I am not good on breeds even with my book but in this case @bgmathteach knows the answer.

No Wyandotte. Both Eli & Babs are 1/2 EE (dad) & 1/2 Dark Cornish (mom) Same mom and same dad for both - isn't it amazing how different they are having come from the same parents! Eli is built more like Dad (if he were a she), and Babs is built more like mom. But....Babs has the grey of daddy, markings of mom, Eli has more of mom's black, and gets the gold flecks/streaks from mom...but clearly no where near as much, and no grey from dad/watering down of the black.

As soon as I sit down she jumps onto my arm and burrows into my jacket because she believes I have sunflower seeds in my shirt pocket.

Oh, a lap chicken in the making!


No worries, she will have you trained in NO TIME You are going to need to sew a small pocket either inside your coat/outer shirt, or on the outside of your regular shirt. Something only maybe 1 - 1.5" deep and a few inches long that can hold a few sunflower seeds without them falling out, but that Eli can still easily get her beak into....and start gently petting her while she searches for and eats the seeds. She will have you trained to bring out sunflower seeds every time you come out!!!!

@RoyalChick, here is my Willow girl.

She is an absolute beauty!

This is interesting, hens that lay only pullets. The cynic in me knows that these chickens / the way they achieved this will be patented and incredibly expensive for others to do. I don't know how far along anyone is in actually running a hatchery anywhere in the world with these. But it is an example of potential and hopefully positive change on the industrial side. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/bkc3iyioj

Hmmm...this means that they will need to do this for every generation. So, while it is a good thing, it also will mean a perpetual expense....and hatcheries will initially have to incubate the same amount of eggs as before to get just pullets (so only 50% or, actually less as some never hatch anyways - hatching), AND will need a few of the non-edited hens for a few roos to keep a general line going and for people that do want a rooster.

Wish they could just adjust the ratio so the hen would hatch say 80% pullets and 20% cockerels (or maybe 90/10???)

The Buckeyes intermittent news: someone, not Popcorn (because I know her cute little round eggs) is laying massive eggs, 72 grams. I suspect Butters, or maybe Peanut.

My experience is that some of my older hens start laying large, double yolk eggs. I have very rarely had a pullet lay one, and when they did it seems to be a one-off thing. However, I've had older hens lay double yolkers when they started back up laying after the winter...until heavy lay/flush of spring...and others that would lay some for a few weeks - maybe every-other egg - until they 'settled down' again. Then, a few who just layed a double yolker 1-2 times a week from then on out. Again, always my older hens.

If my girls lay in their old nest instead of their new one I made, should I fill in their old nest with dirt or hay?

Nope, don't fill in the old nest....mess it up so there is really nothing resembling a nest there anymore. (Think: wild animal ravaged nest and stole eggs....so not a safe place to lay.)

 

[RoyalChick]

Nope, she isn't going broody (or at least not yet) Buuuuuttttt, one of my dark cornish has started plucking some breast feathers out. I'm not sure which one - it isn't obvious yet - but there were a number of feathers in a nest box, and they were DEFINITELY DC feathers based on the coloring and markings!

P.S. Be afraid, @RoyalChick , be very afraid. One or both of the girls may have inherited the 'broody gene'

Really, you came to THIS THREAD to help you resist incubating?

No Wyandotte. Both Eli & Babs are 1/2 EE (dad) & 1/2 Dark Cornish (mom) Same mom and same dad for both - isn't it amazing how different they are having come from the same parents! Eli is built more like Dad (if he were a she), and Babs is built more like mom. But....Babs has the grey of daddy, markings of mom, Eli has more of mom's black, and gets the gold flecks/streaks from mom...but clearly no where near as much, and no grey from dad/watering down of the black.

Oh, a lap chicken in the making!


No worries, she will have you trained in NO TIME You are going to need to sew a small pocket either inside your coat/outer shirt, or on the outside of your regular shirt. Something only maybe 1 - 1.5" deep and a few inches long that can hold a few sunflower seeds without them falling out, but that Eli can still easily get her beak into....and start gently petting her while she searches for and eats the seeds. She will have you trained to bring out sunflower seeds every time you come out!!!!



She is an absolute beauty!

Hmmm...this means that they will need to do this for every generation. So, while it is a good thing, it also will mean a perpetual expense....and hatcheries will initially have to incubate the same amount of eggs as before to get just pullets (so only 50% or, actually less as some never hatch anyways - hatching), AND will need a few of the non-edited hens for a few roos to keep a general line going and for people that do want a rooster.

Wish they could just adjust the ratio so the hen would hatch say 80% pullets and 20% cockerels (or maybe 90/10???)

My experience is that some of my older hens start laying large, double yolk eggs. I have very rarely had a pullet lay one, and when they did it seems to be a one-off thing. However, I've had older hens lay double yolkers when they started back up laying after the winter...until heavy lay/flush of spring...and others that would lay some for a few weeks - maybe every-other egg - until they 'settled down' again. Then, a few who just layed a double yolker 1-2 times a week from then on out. Again, always my older hens.

Nope, don't fill in the old nest....mess it up so there in really nothing resembling a nest there anymore. (Think: wild animal ravaged nest and stole eggs....so not a safe place to lay.)

I am already terrified of the whole broody thing!
I have the sunflower seeds in a small cardboard container that I tuck in between by jacket and shirt when I sit outside. I wanted to use a little zip lock baggie in my pocket and dole then out by hand but with Bernie around it just isn’t safe. She still chooses not to distinguish between the seeds and the fingers. She is a big girl and when she tries to remove a finger IT HURTS!
I need to figure a safe way for any kids who visit to feed them - hand feeding the chickens is always a big hit, but I really think Bernie could remove a small finger.
Anyway, I have this container and I can hold it out to the Princesses and then tuck it back under my jacket. And that is where Eli finds it. She is so cute burrowing into my jacket. I love it!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Kinda lol, just a very brief highlights post once a week. Just the facts, I agree with RC on that point 100% and only about chicken related posts, personal stories/details wouldn’t be included.

I figured if a few of us rotated doing it, it would be reasonable. perhaps it may help those that just can’t check in as often?

Can you tell I was a process improvement/ workforce analyst before I quit to raise my kiddos? Totally not obvious at all right?

I would appreciate this, I'm 40 pages behind and for the past two days have been trying to catch up!

Like so?:

- BY-Bob's gals continue to have bed-time drama, he has been staying out of the frey and letting them work it out themselves.
- Rebeccaboyd's marchmallows are now ~6weeks of age, Mama Chiquita is showing no signs of leaving them.
- Rebecca also sold off 3 of the 4 babies for 'Bat-crap-crazy-Momma-Hen', leaving one lone pullet whom BCCM-Hen now won't wean!
-RoyalChick's lovely Eli is still roosting in the penthouse, and presented her with an odd dropping, RC is observing closely to ensure no illness is brewing.
- Pastel the Rooster is not hatching eggs, rather her riding instructor is hatching the eggs she gave to her instructor.
- Valarie has a dozen Silkie eggs in the incubator and as of 28 Feb they were there 3 days. An update to be provided next week's synopsis.

..... and so on and so forth... ?

Ponypoor you're already good at it!

I will be guided by Bob, but I am happy to give it a go. We can have a rota.
I actually had fun doing it when Bob was away. The trick is to write it as you go so you don’t have to go back.

You did a great job with it, RC!

I for one like the thread the way it is

How does adding another post on Sunday change the thread....I don't understand what you mean here, thanks in advance!

 

[RoyalChick]

Is this what they mean by ‘belly up to the bar’?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Hope so. I am again 100% sure she is eating. She just grabbed a shrimp from Bernie’s beak and swallowed it whole before Bernie could grab it back.
I know all chickens are motivated by food, but Eli is in a class of her own. She has perfected a strategy where she barges at great speed into the middle of the food and grabs the biggest item and runs off with it.
I tried to get video of it but she is too fast for me.

Barging in and running off is Popcorn's strategy as well. And if she doesn't have something to grab and someone else has a nice bite in their beak she will try to steal it.

So isn't it interesting that stealing food is not a serious chicken offense per the pecking order? Popcorn is lowest but regularly steals from Peanut, who I think is lead hen. Peanut doesn't try to get it back much, even if Popcorn hasn't managed to eat it at once. There's a certain benevolence in Peanut's apparent attitude. Hazel gives Popcorn a harder time, Butters too, but the act seems fair game. Dominance challenges or errors are a much bigger deal.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Nightly Marshmallow roosting report. Once again they played all over the roosts. And once again Chiquita won and got them all down into the tote with her.

 

[featherhead007]

Nightly Marshmallow roosting report. Once again they played all over the roosts. And once again Chiquita won and got them all down into the tote with her.

Chiquita doesn’t want to feel the empty nest syndrome (Not yet anyway)

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Also, a new record number of eggs for me. My girls are working hard and I collected 15 today, including both of the cochins girls eggs.