Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

They seem like black Marans or black copper Marans.

Welcome to Fluffy Butt Acres - normally By Bob would welcome you, but I figured I would welcome you - we are a chatty bunch and love posting photos of our chickens - we love seeing photos of new people chickens also.

Especially chicks

 

[rural mouse]

I would let them but they can't fly at all, and 30" is a bit high when you're only 6” tall!

Tell that to this lot!

From the ground with ease...

About double the tote height....

And we won't discuss just how high that is.

 

[featherhead007]

No luck with Xzit. Still acting broody. I have her in the house. The coop is way too hot during this heatwave

Nope, still a broody cluck cluk chuk chuk
From Xzit. My house must be too clean for her, because as soon as I let her outside for some wildwater, she went for a dust bath. (Digging deep! ))

 

[Lilion]

Poor Eenie...

I made the mistake of opening the pop door with Eenie still out in the coop instead of on the nest. Manny literally attacked her. I don't know if he was trying to mate or what, but he chased her all over the coop, up onto the roosts, out into the run... what happened in the run I dont know, I couldn't get there quick enough, but he and Meanie both chased her into the coop where she took refuge back on the nest.

I don't know enough about chickens to understand this behavior.

She's always been such a sweet, gentle hen. I've read enough now to know she's at the bottom of the pecking order. Will her chicks even be safe when she takes them out of the nest? I can move her and them...but not forever. At some point they have to rejoin the flock.

Of course, after I candle the eggs, it might all be moot.

 

[Ponypoor]

Tell that to this lot! View attachment 3563889From the ground with ease...

View attachment 3563891About double the tote height....

View attachment 3563892And we won't discuss just how high that is.

I laugh and laugh and laugh when the silkie chicks try to follow the others flying up on things hahahaha. They give it all their worth, but they can’t get up higher than about 12” right now. That’s pretty good for having crappy wings

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob when I went back to work post son visit, discovered thisView attachment 3563204Have since learned it belongs to one of the upper level distribution managers in the area. Gets used in parades and such, so fully operational.

What beauty. How about those wire rims! Yowza! Shame about the paint job though.

 

[BY Bob]

Introductions

I would like to introduce this chick-a-loo to everyone.

Spoiler: Introducing….

Martin

Don’t tell Rebecca!
I now have 4 Roos crowing here, went out to clobber Penne for crowing so much, I was even laughing at how his crow sounded so funny, I was doing something non the barn….

Imagine my dismay to see Martin crowing up a storm.

View attachment 3563206View attachment 3563207

Oh no. I'm sorry. I know you wanted to keep her.

 

[BY Bob]

Your synopsis makes perfect sense. Parking is highly priced, where access to the lake and river swimming areas are.
It’s all about money I guess.

It's all about being inconsiderate and thinking only of oneself and not how your actions effect others.

Tax

 

[Ponypoor]

Poor Eenie...

I made the mistake of opening the pop door with Eenie still out in the coop instead of on the nest. Manny literally attacked her. I don't know if he was trying to mate or what, but he chased her all over the coop, up onto the roosts, out into the run... what happened in the run I dont know, I couldn't get there quick enough, but he and Meanie both chased her into the coop where she took refuge back on the nest.

I don't know enough about chickens to understand this behavior.

She's always been such a sweet, gentle hen. I've read enough now to know she's at the bottom of the pecking order. Will her chicks even be safe when she takes them out of the nest? I can move her and them...but not forever. At some point they have to rejoin the flock.

Of course, after I candle the eggs, it might all be moot.

Ok so all my broody hens have been attacked by my others - even Sophia! And she is one of the queen bees here - the Big Three.

When she went broody her two sisters beat the snot out of her - she just wasn’t behaving right and they didn’t want anything to do with her.

Same with my silkies, I kept them and their chicks away from all the others till they were over 2 weeks old, then I slowly introduced them - but it wasn’t until their babies were about 4 weeks old before I felt confident enough to keep them out all the time unattended.

At night though I separated them for safety, those silkie babies are super tiny and don’t move too fast. Once they were around 5 to 6 wks I was more confident they could get out of the way.

Now I have Sophia - I am keeping her in the new run I have in the barn during the day, at night I put her and the chicks back on the crate because that run is where I keep the other chicks at night.

Today I let Fluffy visit with them and that went well, Fluffy is pretty low key. Tuesday I will see if they want to go outside but I will not leave them unattended. I figure it will be at least three weeks old chicks before I will let them run at large with the flock. Esp now as I have some randy little brats running around.

Have to say, my hand raised chicks where far less trouble to integrate into the flock - I think the broodies cause most of the trouble, all the other birds just ignore the chicks!!!

The only reason I gave Sophia any chicks was because she was not drinking and eating and extremely lethargic. As soon as I have her the chicks she started eating and drinking.

If I do chicks again next year I will hand raise them!

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh no. I'm sorry. I know you wanted to keep her.

Thanks, I knew the risks. I will find him a home, he is very pretty so hopefully find a place for him.