Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

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!

Went in to pick of the last kid in high school from last day of school. Came home to this

The big yellow one again. And about 6 adults scattered around the coop. It's a nice drizzly day around 55F. I think it's a mite chilly for the babes to be running around, yet. However, clearly they have other ideas.

This pair scared the big girls back outside when they ran along the ledge.

 

[rural mouse]

Yes the colour is just throwing me also. I was thinking more of a black, maybe with some sort of pencilling, or highlights of light colour.

I wonder what she will be once she matures?

(RC is going to say a chicken I just know it... haha)

So far, looking like some spangles. That inky black head makes her look like she fell head first into the inkwell, then shook her head making drops of ink fall all over her.

 

[RoyalChick]

Went in to pick of the last kid in high school from last day of school. Came home to thisView attachment 3526737The big yellow one again. And about 6 adults scattered around the coop. It's a nice drizzly day around 55F. I think it's a mite chilly for the babes to be running around, yet. However, clearly they have other ideas.View attachment 3526739View attachment 3526740This pair scared the big girls back outside when they ran along the ledge.

I love the little chicky porthole. Very clever way to do it.
If I ever abandon my fire escape approach I think I would copy what you did there.

 

[rural mouse]

Well look at this - these chicks are 5 weeks old now - this is Penne. Should I cry? That's wattles right? the comb is not as developed as Rico at that age...

View attachment 3526697View attachment 3526699View attachment 3526701View attachment 3526702View attachment 3526704View attachment 3526705

Sure looks like wattles. Rico is an early bloomer. Penne is showing at a closer to normal pace.

 

[RoyalChick]

It has got really, really hot.
I played the hose over the most shaded area to get the soil nice and damp and am about to provide ice.
Eli is keeping her brood deep in the shady undergrowth. I can barely see them - but I did catch a shot of Piglet’s fluffy butt to wish you all a happy Friday!

 

[bgmathteach]

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.

Yay! Babies AND your 'Baby'. That is so wonderful - well, we will certainly understand if you aren't on here as much over the next couple of weeks.

Gosh, it sounds like Grandma doesn't need an incubator - she has plenty live ones already .

I know at times an overly protective mamma can be frustrating, because you can't so easily 'tame' the littles - I would still rather that than one who doesn't protect them at all. The overly protective ones usually have an excellent hatch rate, and their chicks learn quick the ways of the chickens - including (very importantly for free ranging) being alert, wary, and knowing to take cover and when it is okay to come back out.

 

[micstrachan]

View attachment 3526561
Abigail says hi.

Hi Abigail!

 

[rural mouse]

I love the little chicky porthole. Very clever way to do it.
If I ever abandon my fire escape approach I think I would copy what you did there.

The row of zip ties above it hold the hardware cloth curve. Fastened that in the middle so it could rock back and forth. At the moment, it's propped open

I may take it off all together. Kinda epends upon them

Edit: for size, I traced the outside of a talenti gelato lid, then cut out the shape.

 

[micstrachan]

View attachment 3526561
Abigail says hi.

Hi, Abigail!

 

[micstrachan]

Hopefully she is back to laying normal eggs.

Dare I ask about chicks???
(I am afraid to ask)

Haha! I did not end up with chicks and probably won’t this year. We have a couple trips planned and I don’t want to be out of town during certain stages of development, especially integration. Hopefully next year!