Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Ok, now for the mugs yesterday

View attachment 3453657Silver, leader of the ladies

View attachment 3453656Nellie, of the roosting in the carport (shelf is @18 inches deep where she was and she was all the way at the back)

View attachment 3453658Whiskey watching everything

View attachment 3453659Cheetah and Twirp (my other wayward lady, she's so tiny)

View attachment 3453660Cuckoo, contemplating wether or not something down there is worth the effort to fly down, and Nellie, again

View attachment 3453661Blanche, one of the good girls who called me outside

View attachment 3453664Kren, one of the Idiots, of whom I have the highest hopes of being like Branch (and Jessica's tail)

View attachment 3453665Jessica came out of the cinquefoil

View attachment 3453666Nox (with the bucket behind her, now moved to the carport)


View attachment 3453668Horus, the other Idiot, who works in tandem with Kren: divide and conquer seems to be their motto

So many beautiful chickens!

 

[RoyalChick]

I am keeping them seperate, that is why I want to get Trulys mega stall enclosed - not just for chicklets. They can stay in there for breeding, it's 10x20 so for 5 silkies it will be good for.them. they can also roam the barn when the rest are outside.

The aim is to not have Mr P covering them. I figure 3 weeks should clear their system of his semen. And time for the Roo to be isolated here. Then they can all reside in the Summer House (thats what I am calling it), for a month or so to get just silkie eggs. And if a roo chick hatches from my friends silkies well that's would be great! Hence my search for DNA test for gender.

Sorry if this is obvious but I am confused.
What is wrong with Mr P having kids? And weren’t the eggs you posted pictures of and were thinking of putting in your friend’s incubator likely fertilized by Mr.P?
I thought you were sending Mr.P eggs to be incubated so you could get chicks.
But you are also getting a new rooster in to fertilize eggs that you won’t keep the chicks from unless one is male.
My head is spinning.
Did I get any of that right?

 

[BY Bob]

Me too. A week ago. I love them so much! They are just such cheerful flashes of color.

They give me great joy when they are around.

 

[BY Bob]

Sorry if this is obvious but I am confused.
What is wrong with Mr P having kids? And weren’t the eggs you posted pictures of and were thinking of putting in your friend’s incubator likely fertilized by Mr.P?
I thought you were sending Mr.P eggs to be incubated so you could get chicks.
But you are also getting a new rooster in to fertilize eggs that you won’t keep the chicks from unless one is male.
My head is spinning.
Did I get any of that right?

I agree. I don't understand the why.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I am keeping them seperate, that is why I want to get Trulys mega stall enclosed - not just for chicklets. They can stay in there for breeding, it's 10x20 so for 5 silkies it will be good for.them. they can also roam the barn when the rest are outside.

The aim is to not have Mr P covering them. I figure 3 weeks should clear their system of his semen. And time for the Roo to be isolated here. Then they can all reside in the Summer House (thats what I am calling it), for a month or so to get just silkie eggs. And if a roo chick hatches from my friends silkies well that's would be great! Hence my search for DNA test for gender.

There is another option. Is your friend hatching eggs from her silkies? If so maybe you all could dna sex the chicks and if there is a male from her chicks bring him home. Allow him to grow up to be your 2nd rooster under Mr Ps tutelage. This time around thanks to Mr P and your older hens you are in a much better position to have a young rooster turn out right. Especially if you have a broody to raise him. Broody raised chicks watch and learn from the other flock members roosters included very early on. If they stay long enough the cockerels start really shadowing and imitating the boys around 2 months old. When the teenage hormones hit, Mr P will be there to keep him in line. It may not look pretty but let Mr P administer the needed whipping the first few times the young boy gets rowdy with the hens. With Mr P there to back them up your older girls will also deliver some manner beatings. If he is smart, he will learn and learn quickly. If you can make it through that first year, the new boy will be firmly established as the 2nd in command rooster and he and Mr P will share flock duties. One will be there as a lookout for predators so the other can handle escort duties. In time you will notice that each will have their own preferred hens. The hens will choose their rooster not the other way around.

 

[BY Bob]

Monday Morning Update

No changes across the board. The isolated bunch is feisty and being chickens. Aurora is so feisty that she broke out of isolation again. No signs of spreading to anyone new.

We will bring Lady Featherington in tonight for a good look over. I will know more after that exam. I really do think the sneezing is abating. I did not hear any in 30 minutes this morning.

 

[RoyalChick]

Monday Morning Update

No changes across the board. The isolated bunch is feisty and being chickens. Aurora is so feisty that she broke out of isolation again. No signs of spreading to anyone new.

We will bring Lady Featherington in tonight for a good look over. I will know more after that exam. I really do think the sneezing is abating. I did not hear any in 30 minutes this morning.

 

[BY Bob]

If Lady Featherington passes inspection tonight I think I am going to assume it was bacterial and break up the isolation once the dosing is complete Wednesday morning.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

If Lady Featherington passes inspection tonight I think I am going to assume it was bacterial and break up the isolation once the dosing is complete Wednesday morning.

Hopefully everything goes right tonight during the inspection. I think it is a very good sign that Aurora broke out of isolation. She has to be feeling better. I really doubt this was Avian Flu at this point. Instead of symptoms staying the same or even getting better they should have been getting worse. I think your girls wanted to join the ranks of some of us people and get the "spring crud" that is going around.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Rosie's allergy testing is tomorrow. Today makes day 4 she has been off her allergy medication in preparation for it. I am so thankful today school was cancelled due to wide spread power outages in our area. I have kept her inside while she is off the meds and she is miserable. Coughing her head off, sinus headaches that will not go away and head congestion. With everything in or near full bloom at the moment even staying inside she has most likely developed a sinus infection. Yesterday was terrible, she spent half the day in bed in a dark room with a ice pack on her forehead. I feel like a terrible person, she needs her allergy medicine. I could have alleviated those headaches with a single pill but I could not.