Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Well what’s he doing?

You have to be here to understand him

 

[rural mouse]

That is how they are getting those Midnight Majesty Maran hens, they are crossing the Marans on Barred Rocks for a Sex-link chick, easier and faster to tell the gender at day old - not sure how dark their eggs are next to a pure Marans though.

@SimpleJenn - how dark are the eggs from your Midnight Majesty Marans ?

I figured they would use a Cuckoo Marans for that to keep the eggs dark.

 

[BY Bob]

That was truly a delight to read even the sad part, I have been witness to my animals grieving the passing of their friends. My cat Velcro and our dog Newton were besties, raised together from puppy and kitten, when Newton died Velcro was inconsolable- she spent days wandering calling for him. She did live for many years after he passed but it just seemed she wasn’t as joyous.

I have had horses mourn their foals and their friends. Animals are just as capable as we are of empathy and grief, sadness and happiness, anger and revenge.

They form true bonds. We should never dismiss that.

 

[featherhead007]

Long and hectic day for me. Trip to town, set up the brooder plate the right height. Chick sitting the babies, attending to the adults. Being sighted guide to my rooster.
Being attentive to the BYC threads and an hour discussion with my lawyer. But I didn’t get time to call the insurance agent oh well!
Just some business. No accidents happened

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It is safe to check the mail again. Waited until 10 to look into the mailbox to see what I was dealing with. 3 adults and nest that was already a inch long. Wasps work fast, that was not there a few days ago to my knowledge. I did not have wasp killer, so I used the next best thing that my grandmother taught me. Carburetor cleaner. It drops them like flies for squishing just to make sure they are dead. Nest was then removed and squished. The red devils got me once, once was enough.

 

[BeastBaby]

Here’s some pictures of the new tribe. Six total and they are all afraid of the brooder heater. View attachment 3804974View attachment 3804980

Oh yah, I grab my babies, shove them under the heater, and lock them in with my hands for fifteen seconds or so… long enough for them to realize that Ahhh, it’s kinda nice and toasty in here.

 

[notabitail]

They form true bonds. We should never dismiss that.

Felicitas called for Abigail after she died. I still wonder if that's what all the ruckus Felicy makes at roosting time is about.

No doubt Lily and Sansa are happy in Chicken Heaven .

 

[BeastBaby]

Some quality puddle time tonight

View attachment 3805200View attachment 3805201View attachment 3805202View attachment 3805203View attachment 3805204View attachment 3805206View attachment 3805208View attachment 3805209View attachment 3805210View attachment 3805211View attachment 3805212

Awesome!
Did you spy many stranded bugs getting “rescued”?

 

[BeastBaby]

Remembrances Continued

Get Off My Lawn
Lilly hated it when other animals invaded her yard. She took great pleasure in running through the doves that would gather under the bird feeders in the backyard and scattering them in all directions. It was hysterical and I wish I had video of her doing it.

Every spring before we pulled the cover off the pool, there were a pair of ducs that used to come and se our pool as a pond. They loved it because there was plenty of food available for them.

Chicken Food!

They were bold enough to go into the chicken run and eat the chickens food right out of their dish.

Lilly hated them.

She would chase them anytime they got out of the pool. She especially disliked the male duck. One time she was able to surprise him and got up onto his back. She rode that duck all the while trying to peck him in the head. I was sure she was going to hurt him when she finally fell off. What a site to behold.

Another time Mr. Duck was getting amorous with Mrs. Duck along side the pool. Lilly saw this about to take place and came sprinting across the yard. Just as Mr. Duck was climbing aboard, Lilly arrived and chested him right into the pool. Knocked him right off her back. Mr. Duck was a mess. He it the water on his side and rolled onto his head. There a was a lot of splashing as he righted himself. Lilly stood on the side of the pool just staring at him. Daring him to come back out.

Lilly also disliked squirrels. She would chase them relentlessly. She also would enroll others into her anti-squirrel campaigns. Her and Phyllis were quite the team. They once cornered a squirrel between the big run and the door. They had herded it across the yard working together and had it trapped. I feared that they might finally kill one. Lilly was pecking it in the head when Mr. Squirrel realized he could climb the door and escape into the run.

The squirrel thought it was safe in the run but Lilly and Phyllis had other ideas. Phyllis went to the big door on the other side of the run while Lilly waited for her to get into place. Once Phyllis was in place they charged in to get the squirrel from two sides. Mr. Squirrel started to panic again and started sprinting about. Luckily for him he was able to get past Phyllis, escape the run and climb the fence to escape the yard.

Not All Beak
I'm not sure that I have been presenting The Iron Beak in the nicest of ways. While Lilly was tough and she loved to chase other animals, including young chickens, she did have a best friend for who she really cared.

For whatever reason, Lilly decided that Sansa was to be her bestie. By the time Sansa arrived, Lilly was not really laying eggs anymore. So when it came time for Sansa to start laying, Lilly searched high and low to find her a good nest location. Here is one example that Lilly really liked in the vines.
View attachment 3805291

These two were inseparable. They spent hours together. They were never far apart. This picture has always represented their friendship to me. Two ladies strolling along as the sun set talking about their days and surly gossiping over the latest nonsense that Phyllis had gotten herself into.

View attachment 3805205

I truly felt for Lilly as Sansa passed first. You see her sadness in her lack of movement and interest in doing chicken things for a days after Sansa passed. I like to think that they are right now strolling along together just like in the picture above.

This was a wonderful tribute. Both funny and touching. I read the duck part aloud to my partner because I was in peels of laughter over Mr Duck getting rammed off Mrs Duck

 

[BeastBaby]

That is how they are getting those Midnight Majesty Maran hens, they are crossing the Marans on Barred Rocks for a Sex-link chick, easier and faster to tell the gender at day old - not sure how dark their eggs are next to a pure Marans though.

@SimpleJenn - how dark are the eggs from your Midnight Majesty Marans ?

Or perhaps they use cuckoo marans?

I had what I believe was a midnight majesty- or a mix just like it. She laid lovely dark/red eggs, but had a broody problem. Like, pathological broodiness. She went broody every six weeks. Seven times in one year! I was losing my mind, and she had a tough time keeping weight on because of it. I finally euthanized her because it was no life to lead.