Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

The boys are going to have to go. The poor older hens and my poor silkies are just being mobbed by them. This morning Sophia was being chased by Floyd, she ran towards me and then flew at me - of course I dodged out of her way! but I managed to grab Floyd and deal him some down time.

Then this afternoon there was a kerfuffle, and I went to step out of the office and Sophia flew up into my arms - this time I caught her. And I yelled at Penne. It's been non-stop aggrevation here with Floyd and Penne harassing the hens.

It got to the point here that when Penne went after Blanche Mr P AND Rico went after Penne, though Mr P hasn't been running to the girls aid anymore. I think he is just pooped from running after them, and if they choose not to stay near him then they are getting harassed.

Surprisingly Raven (aka Blackie) has been giving the boys a good smack-down if she is nearby when anyone is being harassed.

So I am going to start the process of 're-homing' the boys, except Rico - he is proving to be a good boy, and as long as he stays nice to me he can stay - a few times now when I have been crouched down checking out the chickens he has crept up sideways with his head down challenging me. I have been ignoring him, but I will start giving him a smack-down of my own now, he can stay as long as he acts like Mr P and ignores me.

 

[Ponypoor]

Okay, I caved and did it:

I still have 2 broodies that have been broody for over 5 weeks, aren't breaking, and will never hatch chicks as they are low on the totem pole, get pulled out of the nest boxes...so then hop into any open one that has eggs....hence the eggs end up starting, getting chilled, and dieing.....

So......






Here are my new additions...I will give the older 2 to one of the girls (my young, first time broodie), and the 4 younger ones to my DC girl that is a proven mom. (They were on sale at TSC. This year, seems whenever they have a few 'fliers', on teh weekend, they all go on sale......$1 for the 2 straight run EEs * the two older ones) and $@ each for the 4 younger pullets (one and EE the other 2 black sex linked - they aren't as prolific a layer as a red sex link - regardless of the specific name - and are half BR (boys have yellow head spot and are barred, girls are not barred and frequently have a bit of red in their hackles - I'll cross them back with a BR roo)

Meet the newbies:

The whole bunch
View attachment 3614014

Mr. Scaredy pants he hugged my hand for a long time before he 'stood up' a bit. But I do suspect it is a boy based on early comb development - we will see, thoughView attachment 3614016View attachment 3614017


The second EE straight run (again, a bit older than the others. She has very pretty muted markings on her wings:
View attachment 3614022View attachment 3614024

The youngsters: 3 Black star pullets and one EE pullet:
View attachment 3614028View attachment 3614029View attachment 3614030View attachment 3614031

The last one has no white on her wings, and already has a bit of red seeping through as a rusty colour on her head. The first and second black stars have white on their elbow and wing tips, respectively. And the first is the EE pullet. It doesn't show well in the pic, but she has quite puffy cheeks, so I am sure will have a nice little muff going a she grows.

I needed more chicks like I need another hole in my head - I already have 57 (15 are slow-grow meat birds - the rest are 'keepers' except for the 'extra' roos) But, I just couldn't let my girl continue to sick - especially my sweet DC girl - she has lost so much weight, even with me making sure she gets up in the am and clipping both food and water to her nest box......and she is such a good mom - I just had to do this for her...and the young girl - fiercely determined to hatch...her too...now hopefully they will both accept the chicks. I'm pretty confident about my DC girl, but unsure about my youngster ( she is a blck Jersey Giant pullet, just under 1 year old this week) I am putting the slightly older chicks with her because as long as they can find the food and water (which I will show them), they should be okay as long as they get to nest in the box with her at night for warmth ( meaning the closeness of the nest box - since they are partially feathered, and it isn't too cold, as long as they have that closed space and each other, I think they will be okay is she doesn't cotton to them. I can easily set up a crb so they will have their own protected space with food and water to get away from the bigs is she doesn't protect them/adopt them.

Awwww soooo cute - Raven (aka Blackie) is a black sexlink and she is a BIG girl, and she has red feathers on her neck/chest a bit.

Can't wait to see them running around, growing up and getting into things

 

[RoyalChick]

@RoyalChick

This is not where I bought it from but it's the same probiotic

https://www.chickenvet.co.uk/beryl-s-friendly-bacteria

There's more of the description here.

https://shop.bhwt.org.uk/products/c...ia?_pos=2&_sid=8995af007&_ss=r#specifications

It's so very hard finding what is needed and I can't keep this for long.

I wonder if I could freeze the rest what do you think? I'll have to use it quickly. I'm banging my head trying to find all they need

Thanks Marie. Very interesting.
Like @bgmathteach I was surprised that they don't list the different bacteria it contains - but it does say it is over 200 different strains. There is also an implication that the way they make it is culturing healthy chicken poo - in which case they may have no clue what is in it - they just know it doesn't have anything nasty!
Although that sounds scary, it is much like Kefir - you never have a clue what is in Kefir - just that it is a lot of stuff that may not even have been characterized. With Kefir you generally have to trust some random person who will let you have or will sell you a culture (and your instincts about whether it smells OK and looks OK) and with this you have to trust Beryl and the BHWT. I believe the BHWT is a reputable place and who knows about Beryl.
@Marie2020 I think what you have there is probably a good thing. In theory you may not have to give it very often. I am sure they will say that you cannot freeze it because it will kill the bacteria - it may kill some but I think it may well be fine - I have successfully woken up Kefir grains after freezing them for several years and I suspect this is similar. It might lose a few colonies but it won't do any harm to freeze it. Just guessing.

 

[RoyalChick]

Well I also have a boy in Corona's group of chicks. Fairly confident it is a pure Marans and a Holly son. Corona has not allowed me to be as hands on with her chicks so it is semi wild still. I have started working on it at night. I did not offer it to @RoyalChick because I am trying to bribe with tame very friendly boys.

You two are such enablers. I am not looking. Not even a little glance. Well maybe I will allow myself just a quick look.
But the answer is no on all fronts!

 

[RoyalChick]

Okay, I caved and did it:

I still have 2 broodies that have been broody for over 5 weeks, aren't breaking, and will never hatch chicks as they are low on the totem pole, get pulled out of the nest boxes...so then hop into any open one that has eggs....hence the eggs end up starting, getting chilled, and dieing.....

So......






Here are my new additions...I will give the older 2 to one of the girls (my young, first time broodie), and the 4 younger ones to my DC girl that is a proven mom. (They were on sale at TSC. This year, seems whenever they have a few 'fliers', on teh weekend, they all go on sale......$1 for the 2 straight run EEs - the two older ones) and $2 each for the 4 younger pullets (one an EE the other 3 black sex linked - they aren't as prolific a layer as a red sex link - regardless of the specific name - and are half BR (boys have yellow head spot and are barred, girls are not barred and frequently have a bit of red in their hackles - I'll cross them back with a BR roo)

Meet the newbies:

The whole bunch
View attachment 3614014

Mr. Scaredy pants he hugged my hand for a long time before he 'stood up' a bit. But I do suspect it is a boy based on early comb development - we will see, thoughView attachment 3614016View attachment 3614017


The second EE straight run (again, a bit older than the others. She has very pretty muted markings on her wings:
View attachment 3614022View attachment 3614024

The youngsters: 3 Black star pullets and one EE pullet:
View attachment 3614028View attachment 3614029View attachment 3614030View attachment 3614031

The last one has no white on her wings, and already has a bit of red seeping through as a rusty colour on her head. The first and second black stars have white on their elbow and wing tips, respectively. And the first is the EE pullet. It doesn't show well in the pic, but she has quite puffy cheeks, so I am sure will have a nice little muff going a she grows.

I needed more chicks like I need another hole in my head - I already have 57 (15 are slow-grow meat birds - the rest are 'keepers' except for the 'extra' roos) But, I just couldn't let my girl continue to sit - especially my sweet DC girl - she has lost so much weight, even with me making sure she gets up in the am and clipping both food and water to her nest box......and she is such a good mom - I just had to do this for her...and the young girl - fiercely determined to hatch...her too...now hopefully they will both accept the chicks. I'm pretty confident about my DC girl, but unsure about my youngster ( she is a black Jersey Giant pullet, just under 1 year old this week) I am putting the slightly older chicks with her because as long as they can find the food and water (which I will show them), they should be okay as long as they get to nest in the box with her at night for warmth ( meaning the closeness of the nest box - since they are partially feathered, and it isn't too cold, as long as they have that closed space and each other, I think they will be okay if she doesn't cotton to them. I can easily set up a crib so they will have their own protected space with food and water to get away from the bigs is she doesn't protect them/adopt them.

OMG! BABIES!!! They look pretty.

 

[bgmathteach]

You two are such enablers. I am not looking. Not even a little glance. Well maybe I will allow myself just a quick look.
But the answer is no on all fronts!

Awww, but you really could use a little kitten to snuggle with and climb onto your lap and fall asleep, and play with a loose thread on your sweater and unravel it.....

And Bernie could use a bit of help with keeping the Pentagonists in line. Really, now, RC, this is impacting her eating time, you know - it isn't easy being Queen. Having a Roo for look-out and a bit of keeping the girls in line, herding them to bed, etc, would be such a relief for her AND allow her more 'crop fill' time and quality time with Babs!!!

 

[Marie2020]

You know I just thought of something. @RoyalChick is a cat person. I now find myself with 4 kittens I will need to find homes for in about 8 weeks. I also find myself dragging my feet on placing 2 young so far sweet boys. We have all tried to convince her she needs a rooster one day.
@RoyalChick you need one of these cuties.
View attachment 3613854
And while you are here, you can also choose between these 2 young men.

Wow. How could anyone choose

View attachment 3613856View attachment 3613858View attachment 3613872
The top one is a cross between Bubba the Marans and one of the Cinnamon Queen girls. Very lightly feathered legs as you can see, much less then Tassels. The bottom one is a cross between Twiggy who was Silkie x Marans and I believe one of the orp girls. He has the beginnings of a muff and is developing a real pretty color pattern. His legs have a little more feathering, not much. He may have the same amount of leg feathering as Tassels one day. Due to Twig being the daddy I do not think he will grow as big as his brother will. He reminds me a bit of @Ponypoor Pretty Boy Floyd. Both are very sweet, and are up for cuddles. Both are also pre-spoiled thanks to grandma. They are already learning from the big boys and have started shadowing them. They also I have noticed watch over their sisters. Neither one will go to roost until all the rest of their hatchmates are safely on the roost. I have also refrained from naming either one yet so pick a boy and give me a name. He will know it very soon.

Ok, now to go hide in a corner while you ponder this decision.

Beautiful babies all of them

 

[Marie2020]

The boys are going to have to go. The poor older hens and my poor silkies are just being mobbed by them. This morning Sophia was being chased by Floyd, she ran towards me and then flew at me - of course I dodged out of her way! but I managed to grab Floyd and deal him some down time.

Then this afternoon there was a kerfuffle, and I went to step out of the office and Sophia flew up into my arms - this time I caught her. And I yelled at Penne. It's been non-stop aggrevation here with Floyd and Penne harassing the hens.

It got to the point here that when Penne went after Blanche Mr P AND Rico went after Penne, though Mr P hasn't been running to the girls aid anymore. I think he is just pooped from running after them, and if they choose not to stay near him then they are getting harassed.

Surprisingly Raven (aka Blackie) has been giving the boys a good smack-down if she is nearby when anyone is being harassed.

So I am going to start the process of 're-homing' the boys, except Rico - he is proving to be a good boy, and as long as he stays nice to me he can stay - a few times now when I have been crouched down checking out the chickens he has crept up sideways with his head down challenging me. I have been ignoring him, but I will start giving him a smack-down of my own now, he can stay as long as he acts like Mr P and ignores me.

It's sad but I know you have to consider the other girls and dear Mr.P... he doesn't need to be pushed around either

 

[RoyalChick]

Awww, but you really could use a little kitten to snuggle with and climb onto your lap and fall asleep, and play with a loose thread on your sweater and unravel it.....

And Bernie could use a bit of help with keeping the Pentagonists in line. Really, now, RC, this is impacting her eating time, you know - it isn't easy being Queen. Having a Roo for look-out and a bit of keeping the girls in line, herding them to bed, etc, would be such a relief for her AND allow her more 'crop fill' time and quality time with Babs!!!

It is funny you should say that about impacting her eating time. Babs got almost all the leftovers from my lunch because Bernie was so busy chasing everyone else away. Silly Bernie.
Have you ever had a kitten? They know more ways to get into trouble even than young chickens. I am not sure I, or my older cats, are ready for the chaos that a kitten unleashes on a home!

 

[Marie2020]

Great news. We were posting at the same time it seems so you can ignore my post.
I would love to see what probiotic you got. Both the brand, but also the cultures it contains. Could you post a picture?

I made a start on that yogurt as soon as my dog had his little trot.

Thanks for the reminder

I would have used just the jar but unfortunately the rubber on this one got damaged. I wish I could replace it.

I spent more than two weeks shopping on trying to get probiotics this week.