Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I feel for you, but frankly my reaction to this is that it actually looks pretty ho-hum and relatively harmless - but I'm comparing it to the roosting situation here, which amounts to the Spuds running the Buckeye gauntlet every evening getting into the coop, and it's not that hunky-dory between the Buckeyes when they roost, either. What you've got going on looks like a routine bed check from this perspective! Aurora comes in like the drill sergeant she is, does a little re-arranging and reminding, then leaves. But everybody expects this and settles right back in.

I'm not clear on your comment, what could Lady F. not do in the coop? I thought it was Lady F. on the upper right roost, next to Glynda. That's not her? Those two don't have to move and stay there the whole time, happy as clams. Hattie was made to move, but she's also acting like this is no big deal, in fact she inspects something up in the ceiling while Aurora patrols, and then gets back in her nest box soon enough. Phyllis comes back in too, soon after Aurora leaves. Seems to me nobody is taking it horribly badly or is even getting pecked hard. I didn't hear any squeals or squawks.

Would you consider putting a thicker layer of straw down for Hattie? She is plopping on to the wood kind of fast and hard (arthritis in her legs/hips, right?) and it looks like she's tipping to one side or the other to accommodate her keel.

I have Rose here who sometimes does this - acts like a Sarj. Major and shakes things up.

I noticed that even though LF didn’t move she and in fact all of them where on high alert when HRH came in, she definitely is not welcome around them that’s my take on it. If you notice they all in fact keep an eye on her and when she gets within striking distance they move off. LF remains on her roost but if HRH had pressed the matter she would have moved - I found that very interesting and I wonder if LF will become leader in the future as she gains experience and status in the group.

Hattie would likely do what my chooks do with a straw bed - dig it out and chuck it all over the place. Unless it’s about 8” deep they just make a mess of it. What I did with Red in the feedroom is give her a fluffy towel to roost on, it gets poopy but I just let the poops dry and they flake off, I wash it every so often. It really hard to find something they will want to roost on, even Penelope who I wish would stay in a nest box full of straw won’t.

 

[notabitail]

My leghorns never sang the egg song. It was very business like with them. Pop an egg out and on your way.

Josey the Leghorn makes a ton of noise. Make a ton of noise, then make a nest, then sit in it, if bothered start up with the ruckus again, then lay the egg and squawk her head off about it.

 

[notabitail]

That is a deal breaker then. Louis will hold a grudge if you trick him into eating cheetos. Last time I got him to take a bite of one he spit it out. Then for almost 2 weeks treated every thing offered to him like it was poison. He would rather have worm medicine then eat a cheeto.

I did that with popcorn. Don't bother tricking me into eating it. I know what will happen if I eat some.

I'd much rather eat that not good at all "vanilla" "ice cream" I ate once upon a time.


(P.s. I'm going through the old posts again)

 

[Ponypoor]

Lady Featherington could not get into the coop because Aurora was blocking the entrance.

It all does seem fairly routine. I just find it frustrating that Aurora won't leave them alone. They are not in her coop. Leave them alone. They had it all worked out. Phyllis even moved over for Glynda to roost with Lady Featherington.

I can put down all the straw I want and they will keep stripping it out of the nest box. They have too much fun digging in it and tossing it all over the coop. Aurora especially.

Ya my gang does that also - ends up kicking the straw everywhere. What a mess they make. But they have fun doing it!

This morning they were ‘helping’ with the stalls

 

[Ponypoor]

You really have splendid looking chooks.

Thanks

I am so leaning towards a spotty chook like LF now, and some dark Brahma, and spitzen-whatchamacallem, and some Spangled Russian Orloff (they are cold hardy!), maybe a couple of @Kris5902 battle cassowary, and a camel…..

Gonna need a bigger farm, forget a bigger barn!

 

[Ponypoor]

Hello all! There were some really gorgeous Monday mugs on here today.

The last couple of days I have enacted my plan of really trying to get Perry more integration time. Meaning, she’s either with the full flock (without a protective fence) and I’m around to keep it civil, or else I lock Albert away in a cage and let Perry figure out everybody else’s dynamics on her own.

View attachment 3731785
Crouching behind the Xmas tree “I hope they don’t look this way!”

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Standing perfectly still “Gah! Here they are! I’m doomed!”

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“Mama I’m scared! I know you said no more head jumping, but please let me perch on youuuu”

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I also replenished the bath. They don’t seem keen on clean sand though.

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And the evening roosting has been doing well! Like some of you have mentioned, it’s gnarly to watch in progress, but the end result isn’t bad: Six (not including Perry, who is in the cage) chickens cozy on one bar! Albert & Whiskey use Quincy & Dottie as shields against being pecked by Becky & Fez. By next week I’ll bite the bullet and stick Perry up on the free roost.

She actually looks like she is doing well fitting in it’s tough worrying about them isn’t it?

Those first few days when I put Henny and the chicks out with the herd I was in a panic, but everyone pretty much ignored them. Except Petunia and Tippy ! What a couple of brats. Henny and Marty put the run on them, I think it was more teasing fun on their part, they would come close the hens would run them off, and they would do it all over again. Cheeky brats.

 

[RoyalChick]

Ya my gang does that also - ends up kicking the straw everywhere. What a mess they make. But they have fun doing it!

This morning they were ‘helping’ with the stalls

Such dedicated workers - they clearly love their jobs!

 

[Ponypoor]

That is a deal breaker then. Louis will hold a grudge if you trick him into eating cheetos. Last time I got him to take a bite of one he spit it out. Then for almost 2 weeks treated every thing offered to him like it was poison. He would rather have worm medicine then eat a cheeto.

My horses will eat the paint off my truck if I let them, and remember those pullets pecking the paint off my barn door

 

[RoyalChick]

2ferTuesday
Two green chickens. One eating my shoe leather

 

[Ponypoor]

Such dedicated workers - they clearly love their jobs!

They are cheep labour they work for chicken feed….