Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Actually, I’m going to check out a piece of property in Fort Collins (a ranch house with acreage and horses.) then off to Denver.

Lovely! Does it have a place for the plane nearby?

 

[BY Bob]

Weekly FBA Synopsis
Enjoy your read!

A small reminder : it is possible to subscribe to a pm to get a link when the synopsis is posted, by asking @RoyalChick

@Bybob:
-Has not been able to catch up on all the clues to find out who gave him those sweet presents- blueberries.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26768230
-Betty, bullied by Lady Featherington, is hanging out more with Sydney, Hattie and Phyllis.
He notes that having seven chickens is a great number as it allows everyone to have company.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26768505
-Even though he had a very busy week he found the time to act as scribe for a very creative Ask Aurora advice :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26779336

@bgmathteach :
- has questions about a white young rock broody that doesn't drink and barely eats
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26784698
Ponypoor's reply : https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26784788
- Explains how wood chips in her run don't work well in very rainy weather :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26777527

@ChicoryBlue
Has decided on not bringing in new chicks this year, and notes that her buckeyes are not broody inclined. But, she's still interested in getting info on a breeder who has Marek's vaccinated chicks

@featherhead007 worries for his rooster Jaffar. A suggestion is made of trying to incubate chicks from him, but he is uncertain Jaffar is ever successful in "doing the deed" !

@fuentemoon :

posted a great picture of her hens on an adventure. Luckily the road is very quiet . https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26779531

@GregnLety: had a rollercoaster week, with the loss of Big boy Goldie's roo, while she is getting better, a baby turkey breaking a wing and a puppy getting parvo.

@knoturavggrl :
-After some hesitations has set eggs under broody Marans alpha hen Brownie, with a nice original set-up : a tent in the coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26774929
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26778252
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26779518

@lightm
-Said a beautiful good bye to re-homed former alpha hen Ginger :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26773746
-Update on her and the chickens housing situation :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26786819

@micstrachan
-Should be getting chicks very soon, her breeder hatched them today :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26790522
-Gives news from little Mill : https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26791460

@Ponypoor
-Also has conflicts in her flock between the bigger hens and the silkies. Her broody Curly gets attacked.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26783407
-Chicks and cuteness overload.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26783385
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26787575
-Henny Penny, though she has not adopted them, spends time with those littles.
The chicks and her may be housed together soon in the summer quarters, maybe with the co-broodies.
-However, Kelly informs us today that she found herself in a situation where she had to re-home the ten chicks. She will keep only the three from her own flock. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26791308

@RebeccaBoyd
-Griffin and Goose have hatched!
The cautious mommas took four and five days to let their chicks out the crates. Cute photos and videos!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26786900
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26780145

@RoyalChick
-Five lovely flurry surprise "bonnets" . Hint : one is a piglet....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26777295
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26782548
-Sad news : Elie her little trouble child is very ill.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26785572

@ValarieF :
Posted a great cocorico video!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26787455
To conclude and by the way, I am thrilled to see that cocorico has become FBA's trademark expression, but I would like to remind all your roos that it is a noun, and not a verb. Le coq fait cocorico !

Wonderfully done! Thanks for taking on the task.

 

[BY Bob]

That’s a very good point. It’s not just how many you can fit, but how many you can care for. My youngest hens will be three in August, so there could be some health issues coming up. Little Mill (age six) definitely has something going on, but still seems to be enjoying her life. Today I gave her a full 81 mg aspirin and a good dose of CBD and she’s having a great day. She has been very active and keeping up with the rest of them, which I love to see.

View attachment 3487318

I'm so glad she had a great day. That is wonderful to hear. 81 mg and CBD should do the job. Does it seem to you that the CBD alone is helping. I am going to need to treat Hattie this coming winter. It seemed to help Lilly but I would love a second point of view.

 

[Ponypoor]

Just a strip of rag from an old pair of sweat pants. I cut a deep fringe and drape it over so it is more like a momma hen - dark and cozy inside but they can pop their heads out through the slits.

I was going to do that also but was too worried it would heat up too much.

Wow yours have grown even in the past few days! Isn’t it amazing? My kiddos are 2.5 weeks old and today when they were out with the others it was a free for all and they were right in there going after the scratch grain I threw down! They got a few pecks but it didn’t even bother them! They just moved out of the way and continued with pecking u bits of the grains.

I don’t trust them alone though as they are still small enough to get into nooks and crannies in the barn, or attacked by some jealous twit. But they can run and fly like the dickens!

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm so glad she had a great day. That is wonderful to hear. 81 mg and CBD should do the job. Does it seem to you that the CBD alone is helping. I am going to need to treat Hattie this coming winter. It seemed to help Lilly but I would love a second point of view.

I was thinking of trying it on Truly, but worried about drowsiness, horses and drowsy don’t mix. Does it cause drowsiness?

 

[lightm]

It is hard. It took me 3 years before I could actually do the deed myself (the 4th year I managed - through tears). I had someone my husband knew help with that part until I could manage to do it. I was completely fine with the plucking and eviscerating, but the actual killing was (and still is) hard. I just tell myself that they had a good life until now, and I would rather eat chicken that I knew had a good life and ate good food, than buy the 'same thing' from the store where they very well didn't.

Read about it and watch videos on YouTube (if they still exist) about how to process. I believe if you search for Polyface Farm, they have a good one on humane processing - again, if YouTube hasn't taken it down!

In my humble opinion, standard breeds raised with the opportunity to free range - and take longer to grow out - taste so much better and their meat has a better texture. And, the older hens that I process make a delicious soup. Again, SO MUCH MORE FLAVOR, and they were raised with love and an opportunity to be real chickens.

Edit to add: And for the cockerels, such a better outcome than what happens with the 'spare' cockerel chicks at many hatcheries!

Very admirable. You are a strong woman!

 

[notabitail]

Josey just won't give up. After who knows how many mealworms Josey just keeps staring. @BY Bob said Leghorns are friendly. Mine is as well. It wants more food.

 

[featherhead007]

Lovely! Does it have a place for the plane nearby?

Airstrip yes, hanger no. And I’m going to need a hanger. I’m still checking things out.

 

[featherhead007]

View attachment 3488641
Josey just won't give up. After who knows how many mealworms Josey just keeps staring. @BY Bob said Leghorns are friendly. Mine is as well. It wants more food.

Josey sure puts up a good front!

 

[Ponypoor]

Very admirable. You are a strong woman!

I can clean them but someone else has to do the deed and remove the head

And then I can clean and pluck and give away to friends and family. I won’t eat anything I have raised.