Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

so cute! And it is nice they are already comfortable enough with you to fall asleep in your arms

I have a niece to thank for that. She sat and watched the first egg hatch (one of grandma's) start to finish sunday night. She also was cuddling all the babies Monday/ Tuesday. She had to work Wed so want there when I went to pick up. I know she had 3 picked out (the first to hatch and 2 others), but grandma didn't know which ones and the niece's husband didn't get home from work before I had to head home, so dunno which ones she wanted (they're all cute and would be staying with grandma as the house purchase isn't done yet and no coop yet). I suspect it will be next spring before that happens, but if not, Grandma has 6 broodies with a 7th raising a 4 week old baby. Of the 6 sitting, 1 had a baby out, with more hatching. Another started hatching yesterday. 2 of the broodies yet to hatch are sharing a nest: one is a jersey giant, the other is one of last year's hatch, a Cheetah x Thing lady. The 1(a bielefelder) with the 4 week chick hatched it, and about week later the others started going broody. Seems like baby peeps encourage more to follow suit. The other broodies are a barred rock, a buff EE (sister to Maizie/Pippa, same hatch: and a very PROTECTIVE mama of just eggs: acts like Ol' Momma Bat over checking the eggs), and I missed what the other one is.

By the time the niece has a place to keep them, all the babies should be off mamas. She'll get to choose from those. The only one off limits is the black from the incubator with the leg warmers. That one is Grandma's so she can breed more feather footed babies.

It should be interesting around there in the next few weeks. We'll be back next weekend for the party for my navy son who gets home tomorrow for his 1st leave since going to boot camp a year and a half ago. His leave and the incubator hatch came together perfectly. I'm on vacation while he's home, so can keep an eye on the the junior Hexachicks. I'm guessing they'll be mostly running with the adults by the time I go back to work.

 

[rural mouse]

So, now you need an Alpha and a Charlie (Alpha, Zulu, Charlie) I heard that on a movie once, when they were talking over a radio with commands...that is ALL I remember, though.

One of my boys said: "you have Whiskey. Now you need Tango and Foxtrot." I'm kinda looking at Kilo, Echo, Lima, and/or Oscar, Victor, and Romeo for boys. When he suggested the TF, I promptly decided the first to get out would be Zulu, for the Invasion Imminent. I like Tango, but not sold on Foxtrot even though the idea is funny.

 

[rural mouse]

You may as well just integrate them - that is what I did with the school chicks, I tried for a slow orderly transition but they all escaped on me and 'made for the hills' outside with the Grups - and that was that.

I love her colour - can't wait to see what her feathers are like when they come in

That's why they're in the coop. There are some 3" (ish) holes in the tote to use for escaping the bigs. Currently, the main one is closed. It has a way to prop it open so they can run back and forth. I'll open it when I find 2 out the other harder to reach hole. However, they're less than a week old. If a broody were raising them, she'd be sticking close to/staying inside the coop. At about a week is when Jessica and Mama both started taking the babies everywhere. Being as this lot's "mama" isn't portable, I kinda need them to get used to coming back for a warm up.

 

[rural mouse]

He was showing me really is the boss around here (ooooo the Man Song just popped into my head !).


Some tax for none chook talk

Lovely Buttercup
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And pretty Martina - everyone still think pullet?
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still looking like a pullet with stunning markings

 

[featherhead007]

FYI: you can find Charlie (or C) on the tail of a Canadian airplane, November (or N)
Is on all American planes. D (or delta) for German aircraft. Etc. would anyone name a chicken “November”?

 

[LhickenChicken]

She could be thinking about it. Sometimes they toy with the idea for a while before starting or giving up the thought.

I think she is starting. She was sitting on her nest at the crack o' dawn this morning. I looked and looked and I finally checked the nest. She fluffed up her feathers to twice their size and pecked me lightly (she is a very gentle chicken) and all the time screeching at me to go away.

 

[rural mouse]

Door just got propped open. The big yellow was out too.

 

[notabitail]

Hmmm - I need a screen like that for my office to keep they chickens out - I shall put that on the ever growing list!

It works until they figure it out.

 

[Ponypoor]

Don’t blink…

And k so In Dr Who if you blinked you would be in trouble!

Seems here if you blink you have chickens and chicks going everywhere!

 

[Ponypoor]

That's why they're in the coop. There are some 3" (ish) holes in the tote to use for escaping the bigs. Currently, the main one is closed. It has a way to prop it open so they can run back and forth. I'll open it when I find 2 out the other harder to reach hole. However, they're less than a week old. If a broody were raising them, she'd be sticking close to/staying inside the coop. At about a week is when Jessica and Mama both started taking the babies everywhere. Being as this lot's "mama" isn't portable, I kinda need them to get used to coming back for a warm up.

I bet they will be running around integrating before you know it! Look at my 2 week olds!

They are everywhere - even up trees now they are 3.5 weeks old - seems like forever they have been here but really it’s only been just over a week and they are just little terrors!