Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[GregnLety]

Very sad. I haven’t seen that rooster before. (Have I ?)

Not often. He did his thing without raising a fuss.

 

[lightm]

On a sadder note we lost Big Boy last night. He was Goldie's rooster. RIP Big Boy you gentle giant. View attachment 3484769

Oh I am so sorry. What happened to Big Boy?

 

[lightm]

So, those of you experienced with broodies (@RebeccaBoyd , @rural mouse @BY Bob Sorry if I missed someone) @Ponypoor - you just toss them...not sure...but

So, you all know one of my White Rocks went broody. She started last Monday, I let her sit a couple of days to be sure...Then I moved her to the broody hut on Wed., and made sure the move didn't affect her, gave her eggs Thursday night. So, she has now been on the eggs 1 full week.

I have 2 questions/looking for info/suggestions:
1) She 'threw' one egg out of the nest overnight Saturday. In 48 hours (48 - 56 in reality), would she really know if one was bad? It just doesn't seem possible she would know so quick! However, I did NOT put the egg back for 2 reasons: i) the nest is raised, so I was pretty sure the drop would NOT be good for the embryo - if there was one. and ii) it was completely cold.

2) Since she has been moved, she pooped in the nest box once, and I have seen one poop in the bedding on the floor - that is IT. Every morning I take her off the nest and set her on the floor right in front of the feeder (and next to the waterer). She won't eat...she immediately hops back on the nest. If I block her from that, she hops onto the roost and paces on it - facing the nest - until I allow her back in. I have taken to clipping a water dish to the outside of the nest box, and feeding her at morning and night with some feed, then a handful of scratch or sunflower seeds. I only started with the scratch and sunflower seeds because she would eat one or two pellets, then no more, and I was worried. Since I clipped the water dish directly to the outside of the nest box, she has been drinking some, but not much (maybe 6-7 ounces since Monday morning. What she is eating with the scratch feed is 1 tablespoon worth twice a day. If I come back with a second handful at a feeding time, she just fluffs up and starts screeching and doesn't eat any more. While she seems okay at the moment, she has 2 more weeks to go and I am VERY concerned if she doesn't eat & drink more (and poop!) Suggestions?

P.S. I did leave some halved grapes on a small piece of paper next to her in the nest box yesterday morning, and they were gone at night...I though some calories and some water ?? Should I be doing this morning and night every day after I get her to eat what she will? Is there something else I can try? She is young 7.5 months old, and no, none of her eggs are under her...hers are still, I think, on the smallish side.

Miss Broody (note water dish in upper left corner of pic....it was just before I put the camera down, rinsed it out and refilled.)
View attachment 3484779

Hard to tell from the pictures, but the back half is 'extra fluffy' as I reached down and she 'puffed up' twice as much as she was prior to me reaching in. If you compare the two picks, you can see the back half is poofier, but, again, pictures don't do it justice! She is so not happy with me when I reach in and/or pick her up off the nest.
View attachment 3484776


I'm hoping that if she goes broody again next year, she will be more experienced and will cooperate better on the 'eating, drinking, & pooping' bit!

She's a beauty.

 

[featherhead007]

He was a naked neck. Weighed about 14-15 pounds and was a very calm fellow. I never saw him fight and he was very people friendly. Truly a gentle giant. We are fortunate to have a two month old son of his.

I was going to say, he’s that naked neck that you have shown pictures of before.
He will be missed

 

[GregnLety]

Been a day of highs and lows.

Around 1 AM we lost Big Boy.

Noon we made an appointment for a rescue puppy that we found out has parvo.

Sunset we put out Goldie and she revived my spirit after having to bury a favorite rooster and doing a deep clean of everywhere the sick puppy has been.

 

[GregnLety]

Oh I am so sorry. What happened to Big Boy?

He had a bacterial infection. We caught it too late

 

[RoyalChick]

He was a naked neck. Weighed about 14-15 pounds and was a very calm fellow. I never saw him fight and he was very people friendly. Truly a gentle giant. We are fortunate to have a two month old son of his.

So sorry you lost him. He was a magnificent fella.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

I’m off to the feed store and I’m taking my rooster Jaffar with me. (He likes car rides)

I think Grandma can say the same thing.

What do people say when they see him? I'd love to have a rooster like that.
"The newest, coolest, service animal: the emotional support rooster Jaffar

If only chickens could be service animals.

"I'd be very helpful!"
No, Grandma. You'll go off crying because I'm giving you too much work.

 

[RoyalChick]

Been a day of highs and lows.

Around 1 AM we lost Big Boy.

Noon we made an appointment for a rescue puppy that we found out has parvo.

Sunset we put out Goldie and she revived my spirit after having to bury a favorite rooster and doing a deep clean of everywhere the sick puppy has been.

Been a day of highs and lows.

Around 1 AM we lost Big Boy.

Noon we made an appointment for a rescue puppy that we found out has parvo.

Sunset we put out Goldie and she revived my spirit after having to bury a favorite rooster and doing a deep clean of everywhere the sick puppy has been.

 

[notabitail]

I think Grandma can say the same thing.

If only chickens could be service animals.
View attachment 3484898
"I'd be very helpful!"
No, Grandma. You'll go off crying because I'm giving you too much work.

"Lay me an egg. I'm hungry"
"I already did"
"You said you'd be helpful. Laying an egg would be very helpful right now"
*broody scream**hard peck**thump**splat*
"Happy now, human?" *chicken scoffing noise*
*human sigh*