Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

It's.....FRIDAY!!!!
View attachment 3705937In addition to attempting to speak with @RoyalChick ladies, Hector also displayed his plumage.

View attachment 3705939Chia demonstrated her willingness to follow in her mother's footsteps (Jessica loves hunting grasshoppers in that bush)

View attachment 3705940Shan, possible suspect of the extra tiny eggs, from her father Cheetah

View attachment 3705938Tuff, Havoc, and Enigma, reminding me of Chirstmas Bells...

Beautiful chooks all.

 

[BY Bob]

I am struggling to get a Fluffy Butt Friday picture.
This is the best I have managed so far. Now everyone has gone deep into the shrubbery and I can only hear them not see them.
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They know it's Friday.

 

[BY Bob]

I have had the unfortunate experience of unwillingly triggering a hard molt, by keeping our dearly missed Vanille in darkness half of the day for two weeks, when she was very sick. This was in September 2021, when I joined BYC, there were many things I didn't know then. We kept her in a crate in our entrance so she could be warm, and most of the information I found in french said to keep sick hens in isolation and darkness so they could rest. Long story short, after two weeks and a half she miraculously began to get better, and as soon as she was well enough to go out a bit, she began a hard molt.
While it had the positive effect of stopping her from beginning to lay again at once (she had reproductive issues), it was very frightening as she was so fragile ; and we were really upset when we understood that we had caused this. I don't think I would ever want to do this again.

Spoiler: BFPT Molting Vanille just recovering

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And a happier memory two months later when she chased and ate a snake.
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I took fluffy butts pictures today. Problem is, I have so many black chickens now, that i’m not 100% sure seeing the photos to whom some of those butts belong .

Lulu is a late tiny eggs layer, but she is rather fortunate in the fluff butt department.
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Butt in a broken barrel ..I think Mélisse.
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Merle with her single feather that didn't fall during her molt standing out.
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Annette and Piou-piou
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Piou-piou
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Lulu again
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Lilly.
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These are spectacular as always.

 

[Ponypoor]

Poor Mr P

Tonight I got home and freaked out when I saw Mr P - seems one of his feathers was again picked and bled like crazy, and I bet the girls where harassing him, I found him hiding his head in the corner on the roosting ledge in the hen house

I’ll have to give him a bath tomorrow. It looks worse than it is.

 

[BY Bob]

OK. You convinced me. No black out. Though I was never planning on keeping her confined in the dark - just trying to get her to sleep in a bit!
This morning was glorious sunshine in the morning and she couldn’t wait to get outside and excavate. She is a very busy little chicken!

Babs tax

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It was a beautiful day today.

 

[Ponypoor]

Anyways I put him in the henhouse with the rest turned out the lights and left him so they wouldn’t harass him.

 

[BY Bob]

Poor Mr P

Tonight I got home and freaked out when I saw Mr P - seems one of his feathers was again picked and bled like crazy, and I bet the girls where harassing him, I found him hiding his head in the corner on the roosting ledge in the hen house

I’ll have to give him a bath tomorrow. It looks worse than it is.

View attachment 3706382View attachment 3706384

Poor fella.

 

[Ponypoor]

It was a beautiful day today.

Here also, 10c (50f).

 

[Ponypoor]

Poor fella.

I guess he isn’t quite finished his moulting - poor wee fella. Ad being white it’s worse!

 

[BY Bob]

Apparently my sense of biosecurity is as thorough as Pony’s : everyone has already met across the fence.
For those who don’t want to watch nearly a minute of chickens growling, the highlights are that New Chicken (Nacho?) wants very much to join the flock! The older girls are pretty chill: Quincy took a good long look (they look so much alike!). Nacho(?) stands her ground and doesn’t back away when apparent bully Albert steps up roaring for a go at her.

I just love chases!