Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

That’s too bad - so is she a she??

She has not been dna sexed yet. This spring though she exhibited all the hormonal changes and breeding behaviors of a female. For 3 months she was a angry biting demon. Thankfully that has passed and she is back to her sweet loveable self, who wants scritches. You have to be careful of those scritches though, she is now molting and pin feathers hurt her and she bites in retaliation if you hit one. My brother is the only one she will let help her with the pin feathers, but they have to be a certain length before she tolerates them being touched.

 

[notabitail]

I’m so sorry!

Thank you

 

[notabitail]

Oh no! I am so sorry.

So much sadness.

Thank you.

 

[notabitail]

Well darn it what happened

The dryer vent points at the coop. I couldn't free range then yet. And the dryer was on. There usually is a piece of wood directing it away from the coop but someone moved it. The heat went in and killed Abigail.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Some pics from today. If you have delicate, virgin ears, I suggest you watch the video without sound. I have a potty-mouth. There's a scary picture there for a second too.

View attachment 3600622
I'm seriously thinking of putting Manny in a monastery for a couple weeks. My small coop is not ideal, but it'll do for one randy rooster. It's cooler now and I can put it under the shade cloth. Even Queen Meanie is getting pretty darn worn from his attentions...View attachment 3600624
Maybe if I let the ladies take time off to get along, then Manny would be less of a problem? Thoughts?

Well Manny isn't crazy about the littles, at least not then!
Clarify please - your idea is to reintegrate the momma and her littles with the other two hens? That's good. How is that related to Manny becoming a gentleman? But I've no experience with roosters and can barely keep the chickens here alive. Have you asked Shad and other rooster boosters on his thread for advice? Maybe they can help.

 

[RoyalChick]

I think I owe some honey-talk tax.
Here are the odd couple coming in after a nice afternoon foraging. I have no idea how they stay upright with all that food in their crops (bugs and leaves mainly).
And at least Babs, possibly both of them, will turn right around and go back out and stuff some more in.
And then Babs, but only Babs, will then tank up with commercial food.
I swear she believes she is at risk of imminent starvation.

 

[Lilion]

Well Manny isn't crazy about the littles, at least not then!
Clarify please - your idea is to reintegrate the momma and her littles with the other two hens? That's good. How is that related to Manny becoming a gentleman? But I've no experience with roosters and can barely keep the chickens here alive. Have you asked Shad and other rooster boosters on his thread for advice? Maybe they can help.

A gentlemen? No idea. But if he's separate the ladies can all be together with the littles a couple weeks, letting them get bigger, and maybe he'll be less of a d-word after a time out?

 

[RoyalChick]

Some pics from today. If you have delicate, virgin ears, I suggest you watch the video without sound. I have a potty-mouth. There's a scary picture there for a second too.

View attachment 3600622
I'm seriously thinking of putting Manny in a monastery for a couple weeks. My small coop is not ideal, but it'll do for one randy rooster. It's cooler now and I can put it under the shade cloth. Even Queen Meanie is getting pretty darn worn from his attentions...View attachment 3600624
Maybe if I let the ladies take time off to get along, then Manny would be less of a problem? Thoughts?

Well from the video it didn’t seem too bad. Are you more worried about Manny or the other hens? Momma seems on top of defending the babies all flaired up and ready for action!

 

[lightm]

Butters update - still hanging in, weighing now 2 lbs 12 oz, versus 15 oz last week, so maybe she's holding on. She is acting much more hungry and and wanting to eat more, and telling Popcorn to keep away from whatever she's eating, but still not ending up eating very much. I am still tube feeding her 30ml once a day now, with added coconut oil.

I set up a little feed bowl for her after I saw her standing in the treadle and looking unsure about eating, or leaning in to eat. She likes the bowl. Since then I've observed her using the treadle okay. She is very picky about eating. Might try a mash with her today, from your and @BY Bob 's recommendation earlier today.

I found more fibrous pieces, but dried this time, in the poop tray and roost bars the other day (Edit - Aug 3), took pics and I hope she's done with that, if that's what was or is the problem. Her spirit was very much improved that day, so it helped at least to pass them. The one I didn't get a picture of, picture a woman's pinky about two inches long, then it quickly narrowed to six inches of stringy fiber.

Three groups of poop on the poop tray, though there was stringy fiber in two places as if she moved, and I put that together for the picture. Two angles.
View attachment 3600396


View attachment 3600397

So no more stringy poops after 8/3? Hope that was it!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

A gentlemen? No idea. But if he's separate the ladies can all be together with the littles a couple weeks, letting them get bigger, and maybe he'll be less of a d-word after a time out?

Hmm but do roosters know the purpose of a time-out? Sorry, bad joke...he's driven by his hormones, and only another experienced well-behaved rooster, or an assertive hen when the rooster is young enough can teach him, is my understanding. You have to wait it out. So maybe a divided run or area might work, where he can "be with the flock" but not get at them. Separating him totally without company would be hard on any chicken. But remember I know nothing here, this is only what I've gleaned from others!