Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

First thing I did was check the electric breakers and they weren’t flipped. That is when I called the pump guy. He seems like a good guy and said I can call him at weekends if I get in trouble.
A friend of mine in a nearby town had two water mains breaks so I guess I am not doing so badly.
I dunno about Tassels - I am hoping others weigh in. She looks like a pullet to me, but then, what do I know?!
She is big though!
View attachment 3570731

So, what I can see says pullet.

Is there a way you can get a good tail shot of each? (profile is good - but need to see the 'saddle feathers' (ones that fall on either side of the primary tail feathers) and the tail feathers themselves - including tips.

My 5+ almost 6 week old chicks - 3 are definitely pullets, one is definitely a roo, and one is questionable. (Some hens will have 1 or 2 tail feathers that curve a bit at the tip - which is also how a young rooster's tail/flag feathers start out in their first baby molt (2nd set of feathers - before a true juvenile molt) I know others can tell by the hackle feathers, but this early, I find frequently there isn't enough difference to use those.

That said, are you sure it wasn't one of the adults attempting a crow? remember what Aurora's crow sounded like. You could tell it was a crow, but it wasn't like an adult roo crow. (I have yet to have a hen crow....but I think it is less likely when you have roosters than when you don't.)

 

[rural mouse]

First thing I did was check the electric breakers and they weren’t flipped. That is when I called the pump guy. He seems like a good guy and said I can call him at weekends if I get in trouble.
A friend of mine in a nearby town had two water mains breaks so I guess I am not doing so badly.
I dunno about Tassels - I am hoping others weigh in. She looks like a pullet to me, but then, what do I know?!
She is big though!
View attachment 3570731

At 12 weeks, a cockerel would have a red comb.

 

[Lilion]

Life situation change: my renters that live in the front house have decided to move out. After careful consideration I decided to tell them that they cannot get a dog that they wanted, because it’s in the contract of no animals without approval from the owner. ( i have chickens, what were they thinking?) I did write a nice letter explaining what great tenants they are, and my personal recommendation.
Note. House for rent. 2 bedroom apartment style house with Air Conditioning, jacuzzi tub, separated shower and full private kitchen, 2 bathroom sinks. Utilities are paid by renter. No pets, and must love feathered animals! $375 U.S. dollar per month

Wow! That's super cheap rent!

 

[bgmathteach]

They are smarter than I wished they were, for sure!
BoPeeps is a total idiot,dumber than a stone but she’s a beauty and I love her.
The rest of my mob are scary intelligent!!

Maybe she is just playing you - like Reese in Legally Blonde!

I don't think I have had a stupid chicken yet. I've had some that are more wiley than others, but each has certainly had more brains than what would be implied by the old refrain 'bird brains'. They are smart, curious, and definitely problem solvers - and the more adventurous and/or smartest teach the others (darned things some times!!, lol). Which is why they have stolen my heart even though I was sure I would hate them and got them just to have fresh eggs with little soy proteins in them! I guess I was the dumb one!

Tax for smarts talk:

 

[bgmathteach]

I keep getting "wow" reactions and I don't know why. lol. The egg on the ramp?

The weird thing is they didn't eat that egg! I wiped it off the ramp and into a bowl I use for treats and it's just laying there still, over an hour later. Guess I should be glad they don't have a taste for eggs.

View attachment 3570763

You see Sheba's still standing weird...but seems perfectly healthy. My chickens are a puzzle to me.

That most definitely isn't a normal stance. Either she is hiding something, or maybe she pulled a muscle or something and that is a more comfortable stance. Either way, I am very glad she is acting like a normal chicken and doing normal chicken things - but I would still keep an eye on her just in case.

They do try to hide any weakness/illness. Just look at poor Peanut. I am sure if a human had advanced cancer like she had, a loved one would have known something was wrong much sooner than we do without chickens.

I so wish they could tell us when they aren't feeling right - and what is wrong/where they hurt. However, I AM very happy that she is acting like herself again, that is a good sign.

 

[RoyalChick]

So, what I can see says pullet.

Is there a way you can get a good tail shot of each? (profile is good - but need to see the 'saddle feathers' (ones that fall on either side of the primary tail feathers) and the tail feathers themselves - including tips.

My 5+ almost 6 week old chicks - 3 are definitely pullets, one is definitely a roo, and one is questionable. (Some hens will have 1 or 2 tail feathers that curve a bit at the tip - which is also how a young rooster's tail/flag feathers start out in their first baby molt (2nd set of feathers - before a true juvenile molt) I know others can tell by the hackle feathers, but this early, I find frequently there isn't enough difference to use those.

That said, are you sure it wasn't one of the adults attempting a crow? remember what Aurora's crow sounded like. You could tell it was a crow, but it wasn't like an adult roo crow. (I have yet to have a hen crow....but I think it is less likely when you have roosters than when you don't.)

I will try and get more pictures with tails.
And I will try and catch whoever it is in the act!

 

[featherhead007]

Wow! That's super cheap rent!

I’m a super nice person! But it does get hot in the summer here. I don’t have a pool or spa. Just my own jacuzzi tub and so does the front house

 

[featherhead007]

The Dakota drama ends:
She was squawking so furiously, that I took her outside in the box. I told her this “you know who else has chicken in a box? KFC!! Now go lay your egg!”
She did, inside the box, outside the house!

 

[Lilion]

I’m a super nice person! But it does get hot in the summer here. I don’t have a pool or spa. Just my own jacuzzi tub and so does the front house

I'm just beyond surprised though. We used to have a 2 bedroom mobile home we rented - in central Missouri - and we charged more than that 10 years ago! We actually had been charging that or less and just had a string of terrible tenants- the kind who never pay, trash the place, and you have to take to court to get out! We asked a friend of a friend who had a number of rentals and he told us to raise the rent. We went to $400 /mo plus the lot rent, so they paid like $525 total, and we never had another problem and the renter actually bought it later, which was what we wanted.

rent tax

 

[RoyalChick]

The door to their brooder house is closed and latched. I don’t think even Piglet could open it.
I am of course nervous about what will happen.
Their first move is this. It will not end well.