Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Grandma The Chicken]

Pooh wishes everyone a happy Thirsty Thursday.
Piglet is more interested in food of course.
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Pooh looks wonderful. Who wants to babysit her for a day?

 

[RoyalChick]

Pooh looks wonderful. Who wants to babysit her for a day?

Good to see you back here Grandma. Pooh is quite a charmer I must say!

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

I figured I'd show this to you all since it's that time of the year again. Parmesan is looking like a pullet... and yellow.

 

[Ponypoor]

I promised to post a pic. I am not a great photographer by any means! The best chicken portrait I have is of my late great Toby, a Dominique. Behold!

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Then there is Rojo, my current rooster. He is always surrounded by his entourage of about 7 or 8 hens; he is a great favorite with the ladies!

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Finally here is a pic of most of my flock enjoying their afternoon treat under the watchful eyes of their LGDs, Sammy (left), and Gracie (right), both Shelties, who enjoy the corn and dried mealworms as much as do the chickens. Supervising all is Diva, the black cat in the center.

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Just had to comment again on the dogs, cat and chooks together - warms my

 

[BY Bob]

If I'm not around so much this week and the bank holiday weekend it's because there's a lot on here.

@BY Bob Your celebration thread is kicking off again

Have a good rest of the week folks

@Ponypoor
I really hope you can sort out those maggots

Thanks for the warning Marie.

 

[rural mouse]

Not even a sneak attack at night to gram him and have a quick look?

Not last night. Still hurts where Storm bit me.

 

[bgmathteach]

This is a POW worthy photo! Just love that he is standing on a little rock for that extra bit of height and 'I am King'-ness!

 

[featherhead007]

This is a POW worthy photo! Just love that he is standing on a little rock for that extra bit of height and 'I am King'-ness!

I would love to make a poster out of that picture for my church!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I find that as long as they have a place to get back to and warm up they are fine running around in the cool temps. Back in April the chicks I had at that time were out and about outside when it was barely 50F. Granted I didn’t keep them outside for too long, but inside the barn it wasn’t any warmer - and they would run around in there - when they needed to warm up they would go under the heater plate.

Not sure about feather growth being faster. But they deal well with cooler weather fine. I feel all animals deal better with cooler rather than hotter conditions.

These guys were roosting this way, and stayed there until morning! Not a case of going in and out of warm / cool places. But yes, better cooler than hot. Yesterday in the sun first they sunbathed, then ran around, and two began panting and they went into the shade.
Brought them down in the tote

I had showed them water which they ignored, maybe didn’t recognize was water in a new dish even though I tapped it and dipped my finger in it, but then when I put my finger with a drop in front of them they drank and drank and got the picture eventually.

PS Popcorn has discovered it is really satisfying to peck them, and has begun hunting them in between foraging. So now the chicks are afraid of them all, I’m not sure they’ve zeroed in on who to watch out for yet. Popcorn is lowest ranking; Butters doesn’t care much, she protects the feed she’s eating (their feed) with a look when a chick comes close; Hazel, top hen, is either hands-off or is afraid of them, she won’t come near and watches with a really tall neck at times.

Yesterday I set up more and better obstacles to big hens and had the chicks exploring a more protected spot with less access. Because in last the two days, they’ve been more exposed, and twice I tapped Popcorn on the neck and back hard after she practically grabbed and almost threw one. So since then I’ve moved my body in between her and the chicks, twice, and as she moved to go around me I would move too and she got the message and moved off. So yesterday she came around again once, and I see her watching me watch her. She saw an alley, moved toward it, and then saw me move slightly and she left and didn’t come back. But she would look from a distance.

I figure when they are a bit bigger they will be better able to fend for themselves, they seem too tiny for the rough treatment Popcorn wants to dish out now. They haven’t been in the exact same physical setup each day out either, making it harder for them. Think I’ve found the right setup now though so will stick with that for several days. The run area for them is not finished so I can’t put them in there yet.
Out back day before yesterday

 

[featherhead007]

These guys were roosting this way, and stayed there until morning! Not a case of going in and out of warm / cool places. But yes, better cooler than hot. Yesterday in the sun first they sunbathed, then ran around, and two began panting and they went into the shade.
Brought them down in the tote
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I had showed them water which they ignored, maybe didn’t recognize was water in a new dish even though I tapped it and dipped my finger in it, but then when I put my finger with a drop in front of them they drank and drank and got the picture eventually.

PS Popcorn has discovered it is really satisfying to peck them, and has begun hunting them in between foraging. So now the chicks are afraid of them all, I’m not sure they’ve zeroed in on who to watch out for yet. Popcorn is lowest ranking; Butters doesn’t care much, she protects the feed she’s eating (their feed) with a look when a chick comes close; Hazel, top hen, is either hands-off or is afraid of them, she won’t come near and watches with a really tall neck at times.

Yesterday I set up more and better obstacles to big hens and had the chicks exploring a more protected spot with less access. Because in last the two days, they’ve been more exposed, and twice I tapped Popcorn on the neck and back hard after she practically grabbed and almost threw one. So since then I’ve moved my body in between her and the chicks, twice, and as she moved to go around me I would move too and she got the message and moved off. So yesterday she came around again once, and I see her watching me watch her. She saw an alley, moved toward it, and then saw me move slightly and she left and didn’t come back. But she would look from a distance.

I figure when they are a bit bigger they will be better able to fend for themselves, they seem too tiny for the rough treatment Popcorn wants to dish out now. They haven’t been in the exact same physical setup each day out either, making it harder for them. Think I’ve found the right setup now though so will stick with that for several days. The run area for them is not finished so I can’t put them in there yet.
Out back day before yesterday
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Chickens don’t like change of environment, and have trouble adapting to new conditions. Poor little chicks. Being picked on isn’t fun for them.