Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

And have three broody hens now - Henny Penny, Marty, and now Curly. Sheesh!

 

[bgmathteach]

I can’t choose. But what are your criteria anyway? Feathering, body type for future chicks? Temperament?

and @rural mouse

Mostly tempermant, but yes, also body type. I prefer a heavier/dual purpose body type. Which, in reality, would limit me to the Marans - but I already have a Marans roo, and one of the 3 Marans boys is a jerk.

#4, #8, & # 9 are 'my' offspring, the rest were in purchased chicks (I had great luck with pullet ratio in my own hatches, not so much with purchased chicks! But they don't let you in to pick out the ones you want anymore)

I'm leaning towards one of these 3:

#6 Marans with red leakage (I don't like the red leakage in a marans boy - but he is the nicest to me and the girls of the 3 marans boys) I do already have a 1 yr. old Marans boy. Since I have quite a few marans girls now (cuckoo & copper marans) I'm not really looking for a marans boy - I would rather cross then with an EE or other blue egger. But, he is a dual purpose body type

Number 1: He is a sweetheart, very friendly, I love his coloring and his top knot, and he is medium build (as opposed to slight build) and he is very good with 'his' girls (hatch mates) [Yes, I'm a bit of a sucker for barring!] He is a Prairie Blue Bell, so in theory should have genes for blue eggs.

#3 He is also very nice, and @RoyalChick would appreciate the iridescence of this black boy - eye candy and so far good to the girls and fine with me. a bit skittish - but every evening I pick him up from his outside perch and put him in the coop, and he is good - and will eat from my hand (hesitantly, but will) That said, he is a slighter build than I like! No idea what he is.


Honestly, if I went on looks alone - not personality nor body type, I would pick either #1 or #2 or #8. However, #2, gorgeous as he is, is horrible with the girls! And #8 is closely related to a good, but 1 year old Roo (who I only kept because he was soooo good with the girls) So, too slight a frame and no genetic diversity. But, yes, he is gorgeous. Presently a bit rough with the girls, but that is youth - he isn't rapacious like a couple of the others.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Yes good observation

I would say he was definitely not well and didn’t want to have anything to do with any of the pullets shinanigans. Today I noticed him prancing down the yard with 3 of the pullets in tow, and then a bunch more of the ladies joined him. He is definitely feeling better.

There was no drainage from his ear today, and the skin was good, no redness no weeping. And I notice his breath also is better. He always had this weird breath, I put it down to being male, many of the animals smell different between the different genders.

Maybe he's always had an ear infection then? Like the breath indicating the health of the crop, drainage from the ear would go there too. This got me reading about chickens' eustachian tube, if there is one (two) like ours, and all birds do, at least functioning like ours, between the Middle Ear and the nasopharynx system, it's called the pharyngotympanic tube.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...tween the ME,in birds (pharyngotympanic tube).

Maybe he'll be able to do his Macho Man manly duties even better now and live up to his other name, Mr. Perfect Balance!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

and @rural mouse

Mostly tempermant, but yes, also body type. I prefer a heavier/dual purpose body type. Which, in reality, would limit me to the Marans - but I already have a Marans roo, and one of the 3 Marans boys is a jerk.

#4, #8, & # 9 are 'my' offspring, the rest were in purchased chicks (I had great luck with pullet ratio in my own hatches, not so much with purchased chicks! But they don't let you in to pick out the ones you want anymore)

I'm leaning towards one of these 3:

#6 Marans with red leakage (I don't like the red leakage in a marans boy - but he is the nicest to me and the girls of the 3 marans boys) I do already have a 1 yr. old Marans boy. Since I have quite a few marans girls now (cuckoo & copper marans) I'm not really looking for a marans boy - I would rather cross then with an EE or other blue egger. But, he is a dual purpose body type

Number 1: He is a sweetheart, very friendly, I love his coloring and his top knot, and he is medium build (as opposed to slight build) and he is very good with 'his' girls (hatch mates) [Yes, I'm a bit of a sucker for barring!] He is a Prairie Blue Bell, so in theory should have genes for blue eggs.

#3 He is also very nice, and @RoyalChick would appreciate the iridescence of this black boy - eye candy and so far good to the girls and fine with me. a bit skittish - but every evening I pick him up from his outside perch and put him in the coop, and he is good - and will eat from my hand (hesitantly, but will) That said, he is a slighter build than I like! No idea what he is.


Hpnestly, if I went on looks alone - not personality nor body type, I would pick either #1 or #2 or #8. However, #2, gorgeous as he is, is horrible with the girls! And #8 is closely related to a good, but 1 year old Roo (who I only kept because he was soooo good with the girls) So, too slight a frame and no genetic diversity. But, yes, he is gorgeous. Presently a bit rough with the girls, but that is youth - he isn't rapacious like a couple of the others.

Sounds like #1 fits the bill closely then.

 

[RoyalChick]

Maybe he's always had an ear infection then? Like the breath indicating the health of the crop, drainage from the ear would go there too. This got me reading about chickens' eustachian tube, if there is one (two) like ours, and all birds do, at least functioning like ours, between the Middle Ear and the nasopharynx system, it's called the pharyngotympanic tube.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944200617302088#:~:text=A connection between the ME,in birds (pharyngotympanic tube).

Maybe he'll be able to do his Macho Man manly duties even better now and live up to his other name, Mr. Perfect Balance!

How interesting.

 

[RoyalChick]

l have a dilemma. I have 9 cockerels that hatched this year, and I can only keep 1. I know you can't make the decision for me, but I will share my young boys with you anyways, as I struggle with this decision.

So, here are the contenders:

Contender #1
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Contender #2 (@RoyalChick - I think he has a carnation comb)View attachment 3686527View attachment 3686528
Contender #3
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Contender #4 Was not overly cooperative
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Contender #5:View attachment 3686553

Contender #6
(the one on the right with the leakage of red in his feathers)
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Contender #7 ( he has more white in the barring - particularly at the nape of the neck, than contender #5)
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Contender #8
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I don't have a picture for #9 - he is the youngest.

They are all gorgeous - but I am taken with #1. I think later you say he is not one of your hatches. I see some benefits of that in the sense of adding new genetics.

 

[bgmathteach]

Sounds like #1 fits the bill closely then.

Yes, he does. Wish he was a bit heavier in body type. Since I process all the extra boys and older hens, dual purpose is important, and the one 'extra' roo I kept last year (#8's dad) is far too slight - but he was just so good with the girls, I couldn't process him last year.

Anyways, I personally like the black one - but that is somewhat clouding my judgement, as he is too slight.

Either of the 2 nicer Cuckoo Marans really could be a keeper so far - the Red leakage one is generally friendlier/calmer but still watchful/alert.

If I take a step back and don't let emotions in, either the Red leakage or #1 should be the option -both have pros and cons.

Red leakage boy has the disposition and body type.

#1 Is also good with the girls, but not a personality of 'commander in chief' like the Marans boy. He is medium build, but, in theory, carries the blue egg coloring gene.

One of the big selling points of my eggs, other than being farm fresh & organic, is the variety of colors in a dozen. Light brown, dark brown, blue, green, olive, and, yes Aurora, even PINK! (until they are washed!)

So, I want to breed BRs, the others, I just want a variety of egg colors with decent layers (not high production) and a decent sized body for use when they are processed. My retirement plan is that I will get a special exemption license and process the extra roos & older hens and be able to sell them, plus a few pullets each year along with the eggs, so maybe they will actually pay for themselves or create a slight profit. (As opposed to now where I am working to support them!) I also want to create my own line of meat birds - like the red ranger type, not the cornish cross type. i.e. slower growth than the cornish, but still decent size - yet also able to act like chickens and have a decent life until that fateful day. (Note, neither of these boys would be used for the meat bird line, I don't think -if I keep the marans boy, we will see how he fills out. But, I plan on using a DC boy.)

 

[bgmathteach]

@RoyalChick I immediately thought of you and Bernie when I saw this!!

 

[knoturavggrl]

First Egg

While I can’t say for certain the two small eggs I have been getting are Muffy’s, I can say that today’s egg is from her, so I am making today’s egg her first.

View attachment 3683193View attachment 3683194

Baby blue in colour

Congrats to you and Muffy!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

This is Babe, all grown up, she should be laying any day now.
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This is Cash whom I thought might be a Bielefelder, but who knows.
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Ruth
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And Sue
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It will be interesting to see what colour eggs they lay.

To top things off here are Mr P - I still need to finish his hair cut
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And Twister looking for attention.
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Awe! Sue might be a RIR? I can’t believe that they are laying/gonna be laying. It’s crazy how fast they grow.

Mr. P, your haircut is the latest fashion, don’t worry!

Twister is your baby, isn’t she