Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

I'm going to gamble that Hattie doesn't lay more than 10 eggs next year. I don't know that I got that many from her this year. She has earned her freeloader status the hard way.

Respect to my sweetheart.
View attachment 3704867

She sure is beautiful, thats enough

 

[notabitail]

You peeps should stop tormenting your silky hens with those crazy decorations.

You watch movies with yours, we put decorations on ours. What's the difference?

 

[featherhead007]

You watch movies with yours, we put decorations on ours. What's the difference?

Difference is, my chooks enjoy movies. (If they choose the movie to watch)

 

[featherhead007]

He’s eating well then!



I was looking to see if I had any of this small LED lights for those Christmas sweaters ‘hey Fluffy where are ya girl??’ Hahaha

Mr P’s feathers have dried up and I have decided that since he needs his feathers trimmed anyways to see, I would trim off all the dirty matted ones and clean up what’s left. I did manage to clean most of the blood off last night. But the staining will take a bit longer.

View attachment 3706593
Once it dries and fades it will be rusty brown coloured.

Poor little gentleman Mr. P !

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Ahhh.... I missed Fluffy Butt Friday!

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Good morning from the flock!

 

[Ponypoor]

You peeps should stop tormenting your silky hens with those crazy decorations.

Hey they are beautiful ladies who just want some bling who am into deny them?

 

[bgmathteach]

Lillion:
I guess I'll try to catch her tonight when she's sleeping and move her back to the main coop. But I am a bit concerned. I've not had chickens long enough to know what to do when the pecking order changes so dramatically.

As others have said, you can't really intervene. It's the not so fun part of chicken relationships. But considering how things have gone in your flock and that Meanie was so mean, maybe you should try to check her once in a while, to make sure she doesn't get wounded. If it's from the cockerel, typically he will grab her comb or grab her feathers to hold once he’s on her back. I realise she is very skittish, but maybe you can look without grabbing her, or check once she is asleep (not easy if she’s hiding).
She could also just be reacting like this because Tres tried to mate her for the first time. Not all hens can put a cockerel in his place, and not all hens switch easily from one male to another. Some of mine were terrified when the two cockerels I had this summer began charging them to mate.

I agree 100% with @ManueB . The only thing I would add is to see if you can put more 'obstacles' and visual barriers in the run - give her someplace to run to/hide from, Tres. Something low enough she can duck under, but Tres can't get on top of her (something with 1' of height or so - not much more - like an old coffee table or something similar), and hang old grain bags, opened up scrap pillow cases, etc. strategically so the hens can get behind them and be 'visually hidden'.

FYI: I once got an old woden coffee table for free, placed an opened up grain bag over it so the 'long sides' of the coffee table were covered, I then put 2x2's the length of the coffee table (either side) - this held the bag in place - but also created a bit of height over the top of the coffee table - and then I screwed 2 roost to that. It gave them an elevated place to roost/hop onto, AND a hiding place for the hens (actually, I've had Roos running through that, too, to get away from a more dominant rooster when they tried to poach their hen!!!

The only other modification I did was to screw the legs onto 2X4s running the length to try to keep the legs from rotting. I've had it ?9? years - wow has it really been that long I've had chickens now?? Well, anyways, I've once had to trim the legs a couple of inches due to rot, and replace the 2X4 runners under it - and it is still going strong - and the chooks still make good use of it.

 

[Ponypoor]

Your memories are amusing! But sorry not the video - they’ve lost FOUR chickens so far, and they are clueless that their chickens are living in terror. The hawk will be there and take one at a time until they’re gone. That yard offers zero protection, fishing line in such exposed places is worth zero against a determined and previously successful hawk. Her yell was their command to take cover and run for their lives. :sad

Yes she finally did figure that one out, and she did lose 4 to the hawk.

I was eluding more to the secret language of chickens and us humans learning it through trial and error. And which is why my silly chooks don’t go out unattended - those silkies of mine are clueless and if I don’t trim them up they can’t see anything! Having lost two to a fox I am not willing to risk the rest.

Now where are those Eli-too and Butterscotch got to - hmmmm flown the coop again I better go get them in - again (4 times so far this morning).

 

[RoyalChick]

Yes she finally did figure that one out, and she did lose 4 to the hawk.

I was eluding more to the secret language of chickens and us humans learning it through trial and error. And which is why my silly chooks don’t go out unattended - those silkies of mine are clueless and if I don’t trim them up they can’t see anything! Having lost two to a fox I am not willing to risk the rest.

Now where are those Eli-too and Butterscotch got to - hmmmm flown the coop again I better go get them in - again (4 times so far this morning).

I found it quite interesting as I have never seen all mine freeze in unison like that. I hope mine know it is the right thing to do! Mostly they dive for cover when they hear the crows attacking a hawk.