Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

No I won’t do that, but I will share my leftover squash from dinner tonight with them in the morning

I've put either a pumpkin or squash on order for next week. It depends what my veg man has got. I love either cooked in the oven or in a soup

 

[Marie2020]

Hey it’s off topic, a nice photo of a charming sir jaffar will do

Umm . King Jaffar

 

[Marie2020]

Brave - I wouldn’t eat it

Well not sure what to say, mine enjoy it, do yours like cabbage? Mine so and those extra large carrots - but not apple’s apparently.

Picky, just picky

 

[Marie2020]

Where on earth are the treats. Tina has runny poops not me

 

[Marie2020]

I left half of one inside the run, just in case they are interested in the morning.

I hope slugs doesn't get to it first.

 

[Marie2020]

Sir Jaffar is inside the house having his lunch. He seems very interested in me playing Yahtzee on my iPhone. Crazy rooster!

Let him go on beakbok

 

[Marie2020]

Of course then I tempted the Fates and made the comment ‘I have to wonder why Sophia has never gone broody before, the amt of time she spends in the nest box’…..

She's just chilling

 

[Marie2020]

Hi guys!
This thread [https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ribhs-dcoopage] was nominated as a BYC favorite!
Please come vote for it here:Week 3 - VOTE For Your Top 3 Favorite Threads Here
Voting ends in a week.

Any fluffy butters who read my thread occasionally & would like to vote, many thanks. I know it's slowed down a lot recently but my situation is close to resolving itself, enabling me to get back to being my normal chatty self.

This a just the best news. I m so pleased for you

It's really good seeing you again

 

[RoyalChick]

Hi guys!
This thread [https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ribhs-dcoopage] was nominated as a BYC favorite!
Please come vote for it here:Week 3 - VOTE For Your Top 3 Favorite Threads Here
Voting ends in a week.

Any fluffy butters who read my thread occasionally & would like to vote, many thanks. I know it's slowed down a lot recently but my situation is close to resolving itself, enabling me to get back to being my normal chatty self.

Glad to hear life may be settling for you. I voted - but oh my what a difficult week this vote is!

 

[RoyalChick]

First night on the coop for the Spuds. I am lonely already.

I was thinking they'd need another week since integration was put on hold due to the suspected Coccidiosis (I removed them from the run; I didn't want to put everyone on the treated water, and I was cleaning out run litter to lower the load when they got back). But they've just picked up again where they left off, no setback it seems.

Saw this, below, this morning, this is new. That and how relaxed everybody has seemed the last few days made me think I could try them in the coop. That and the cecal poops. One Spud had cecal poopy feet today for the usual group transport out of the house to the run on my arms and shoulders. I wear an old hooded sweatjacket for it, but still, it was soooo fragrant! That jacket went right in the laundry.

Here Hazel was on a low level still alert because of a momentary warning Popcorn made. But still, the Spuds were not worried about her at all. They had just previously gone for the sardine bits in that left in that bowl and Hazel didn't care. When she does push them around, they usually just move without panic. Popcorn strikes more fear, but it's not too bad.
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So here they are. That's Popcorn on the roost with them, and Hazel's in the nestbox.
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The Spuds were waiting at the run door to go with me to the house to sleep on the brooder top perches but instead I called them over to the coop front, and crouched next to the veranda. I put my red headband light on low. They came over, got up on me and on to the porch and pecked around. They've been up there a lot this week, it's not unfamiliar, and eventually they climbed on my shoulders and arms to roost and we stayed like that for 20 mins or so. Heard some great very low purring as one was against my head. Sometimes it went up into a lispy blowing-bubbles sound I've heard in the mornings in the house. We heard Popcorn and Hazel move around in the coop too and settle in, a little "buk-bukking" by Hazel. Nobody seemed upset at those sounds.

I stayed there while the auto-door closed, and stayed for yet another 20 mins at least with a few shifts in position so they'd not get alarmed when I moved. Now they all were on my right hand, arm and shoulder. I slowly got up and went out and around to the coop back, and laid my arm on top of the coop for another 20 mins or so, cradling my other arm around them, softly talking every once in a while. Popcorn and Hazel acknowledged me but made no other sounds. Then I opened the coop back and put my arms on the edge for another spell, then moving inside more, little by little. I put the red light on once in a while to check on Hazel and Popcorn, who talked some and got up and looked, then moved further away from the open back and tucked their heads down for good.

I realized it was going to be a big disturbance to get the Spuds off my arm and on to the roost. Also that the roost bars were cold and they probably liked the lumpy warm softness of my sweatjacket. So I decided I can wash it tomorrow and leave it for them to sleep on tonight. I unzipped it and slipped off the left arm, and started getting my right arm out, and bunched up more material under Anna, who was on my hand and didn't have much under her. Slight disturbance but not bad. So there they are.

It's the morning I'm worried about. I've set the auto door for ten minutes earlier, set 50 minutes before sunrise now, and no light going on first, and I'll get up early too.

Wish us all luck!

Here's Popcorn (right) and and Hazel (left) taking a preening break and tossing feathers today. I was thinking how Popcorn is now second in command. The last place she probably expected to be not long ago. RIP Peanut and Butters.

Popcorn is vigilant in watching the skies. @BY Bob she has given serious warnings twice this week, the second one, at 6pm today, she was looking up at the sky over the fields, must have been a hawk sighting. She kept warning, the Spuds stood stock still and one returned the call. Hazel took cover in the coop. It was close to roost time for her anyway. I couldn't see what Popcorn saw. We've been lucky with no Red-Tails bothering much this summer, and the Coopers were hunting mostly elsewhere though they nest nearby. But I'm thinking the hawks are migrating now!

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