Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

The latest chicks are 2 weeks old today. They are now fully running with the whole gang all day. At night they are still in the crate with mama, sleeping in the Summer House.

This morning fluffing in the dirt.

 

[Ponypoor]

I tell ya, it is broody mayhen this year!!! I have yet another one started sitting! So, I have 5 incubating, and 4 with babies - my light barred girl (half BR and half white rock) hatched a chick this weekend - only for me to have one of my young Jersey Giant girls decide Friday to start sitting. So, this makes, now, 9 this year that are broody! Pretty soon I won't have any that are laying! Although, WR girl has given up on her chicks at about 6 weeks old. She started scratching and sitting in the nest box yesterday (no egg yet, though - I suspect she will start laying again by the end of the week.)

And, while you may think I am being a bit dramatic regarding broodiness, I have 5 ducks that either are broody, or (in the case of 1) tried their hand at it, but kept getting kicked out, so gave up.)

I have my two grey ladies going around clucking, no more chicks here!

 

[featherhead007]

I have my two grey ladies going around clucking, no more chicks here!

Clucking, or chuk chuk chucking?

 

[Ponypoor]

There are so many people on this thread that loss is almost constant. It is something you never get used to but are constantly presented with. It is a sure reminder of the fragility of the animals for which we are responsible. The sheer number of chickens I have lost since beginning this journey is staggering.

There is a very old saying “when you have livestock, you also have dead stock”.

The same with pets, as I have said one needs nerves of steel to have pets (and kids).

There is one thing to remember - we are giving our pets the best life we can, so they can enjoy themselves.

 

[Ponypoor]

I would leave him with the Grups, if he is sleeping with his Dadda, then he is accepted by him. If you move him to the summer house, he won't have anyone.

Yes I actually decided I would just leave him. Less drama for me! And he know where to go roost

 

[Ponypoor]

Clucking, or chuk chuk chucking?

The “Bluk Bluk Bluk Bluk” I wanna sit on eggs clucking.

 

[Ponypoor]

I still think about many of those that have died while I have been a follower of this thread. Not constantly, and some more than others to be true, but I do keep them in my mind and in my heart, and I know other followers of the thread do too. It sounds really cheezy I know, but it helps me actually to think they are remembered and loved.

I know it's hard to share some of these losses but I believe it's a way to make us better and wiser, even if it doesn't always immediately feel like it.

On a happier though bittersweet note, I've got some mugs and pictures of chicks to share today. Bittersweet because I'm pretty sure we have five cockerels, they are seven weeks and two days old. We have potential homes for two or three- we'll be socializing with folks from our village this week so I hope to place more. But it is possible we end up having to cull one or two.

This cockerel has become my partner's pet. He actually named him which I said was a no no for male chick - pied beau, a bad pun as it means both beautiful foot and lame foot ( he has two color fingers). He's huge compared to the others and will be the hardest one to give up.
View attachment 3572486View attachment 3572487
This our lone pullet. Named Ann, after Annette who gave us the eggs.
View attachment 3572488
This cockerel has a good home (meaning one where he will free range) waiting for him.
View attachment 3572489
This pretty golden chick unfortunately looks more and more like a he. So if @rural mouse is right he should look like Théo in a few weeks.
View attachment 3572490
View attachment 3572491
These black guys I had hopes for but the one on the left is clearly a cockerel now and the other on the right, though uncertain, has undoubtedly his wattles growing bigger.
View attachment 3572492View attachment 3572496View attachment 3572497
View attachment 3572493View attachment 3572494
We're thinking of rehoming when they will be three months and two weeks. Any advice if we are right on gender, on how to deal with the remaining pullet ? Would it be better to re-home her with one of the cockerel, or would she possibly integrate our adult flock ?

I would say 8th photo down that right side chick is a pullet. The other is definitely a Roo.

 

[bgmathteach]

I guess future mowing will have to be the fields of wild mustard down below instead of up by the carport. Got the cut bagged this morning.View attachment 3572485One on the right still has some squish space, but they'll stay dry. Now I'm wondering how many bags they will go through over the winter.

Lots if you give it to them! You could easily give them a bag a week for their entertainment in the winter.. I'm sure that at least half a bag would give them good foraging and scratching fun...with the amount of chooks you have, I can't imagine giving them less than half a bag at a time. So, not sure just how long your winter lasts (i.e. first snow-fall to last real/lasting snow fall) but I would stash up to that number of weeks divided by 2 if you are able. More if you can, but I don't know if you have the space more the total amount of cuttable grass (especially since you can't cut part of the field for at least a month now with the new nest! That means you will only get 1 cutting for that whole area.

 

[Ponypoor]

I guess future mowing will have to be the fields of wild mustard down below instead of up by the carport. Got the cut bagged this morning.View attachment 3572485One on the right still has some squish space, but they'll stay dry. Now I'm wondering how many bags they will go through over the winter.

If you have the space and can get it, try to get some straw bales, my kiddos go nuts for a bale of straw. I have to keep the straw I have here covered up or they would have all 20 bales tore up in one afternoon!

 

[featherhead007]

The “Bluk Bluk Bluk Bluk” I wanna sit on eggs clucking.

Yep, the broody chuk chuk