Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pastel the Rooster]

I really want Pegasus to look like his older brother… my riding instructor has this stunning guy. Pastel is his dad, and Bolt is his mom. Same parents as Pegasus, so fingers crossed Pegasus looks like Biggins. I don’t have a great photo of him. (He’s not the RIR one)

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Nothing to report yet. I haven’t gone outside. But I’m hopeful.

They survived the long dark night. All look good this morning.
I will mix the two tribes together today after church. It’s gotta happen sometime soon because they will be sharing the coop. And run.

Fingers crossed it goes well!

 

[Marie2020]

Nothing to report yet. I haven’t gone outside. But I’m hopeful.

They survived the long dark night. All look good this morning.
I will mix the two tribes together today after church. It’s gotta happen sometime soon because they will be sharing the coop. And run.

I hope everything runs smoothly

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I really want Pegasus to look like his older brother… my riding instructor has this stunning guy. Pastel is his dad, and Bolt is his mom. Same parents as Pegasus, so fingers crossed Pegasus looks like Biggins. I don’t have a great photo of him. (He’s not the RIR one)View attachment 3844256

I just realized that he looks kinda like a hen. He’s the one that’s circled. What color or pattern is he? I’ve been wondering for a while…

 

[rural mouse]

I just realized that he looks kinda like a hen. He’s the one that’s circled. What color or pattern is he? I’ve been wondering for a while…View attachment 3844305

He doesn't look like a hen. He looks like a young cockerel. The red tone on his shoulders is a male only color pattern. He's gorgeous, BTW.

If Pegasus is going to look even slightly like him, keep lookout for that red tone in the same general area. The blond tones won't come in until he starts growing his hackle & saddle feathers, @12 weeks.

I think the basic pattern is black breasted red, with crowwing (THINK meaning im guessing as those color combos are a lot more difficult to figure out without an expert breaking them down for the learning), but the blonde tones make me think he's got silver hiding under that (tends to take the gold into lighter tones), so he could throw silver babies with a silver based hen.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

He doesn't look like a hen. He looks like a young cockerel. The red tone on his shoulders is a male only color pattern. He's gorgeous, BTW.

If Pegasus is going to look even slightly like him, keep lookout for that red tone in the same general area. The blond tones won't come in until he starts growing his hackle & saddle feathers, @12 weeks.

I think the basic pattern is black breasted red, with crowwing (THINK meaning im guessing as those color combos are a lot more difficult to figure out without an expert breaking them down for the learning), but the blonde tones make me think he's got silver hiding under that (tends to take the gold into lighter tones), so he could throw silver babies with a silver based hen.

Wow, that’s a lot. I wish I could say that I understood most of that, but that would be a lie. I get the gist of it though.

When should I start looking for the red?
This photo was taken last September, when he was around six months old I think. He’s over a year old now.

He and his brother (the RIR looking one) are both very sweet. I thought that if a rooster is aggressive, those genes can get passed down to their cockerels, but I guess not. The RIR is a Pastel and BBQ.
I’m hoping that since they are both sweet and they are Pastel’s sons, that maybe Pegasus will be sweet as well since I am treating the girls differently,

If he’s sweet when he’s older and Pastel is still a jerk, I’m going to keep Pegasus as long as he is good to the girls.



Oh, about my Polishes, I have a question.

I’m worried about putting the two Roos, Athens and Nemesis, in with the big girls and Pastel. I don’t want the big chooks to hurt them, but I know that they need to learn manners.
Athens is a good rooster - he doesn’t eat before the girls, and he attacks my hand (I’ve started petting the polishes the way you told me to.) But Nemesis is the first one at the bucket and shoves the little girls out of the way, which I know for sure he needs to learn manners.
I just really don’t want the big girls or Pastel to hurt them.

 

[RoyalChick]

I just realized that he looks kinda like a hen. He’s the one that’s circled. What color or pattern is he? I’ve been wondering for a while…View attachment 3844305

He is very handsome.

 

[rural mouse]

Wow, that’s a lot. I wish I could say that I understood most of that, but that would be a lie. I get the gist of it though.

When should I start looking for the red?
This photo was taken last September, when he was around six months old I think. He’s over a year old now.

He and his brother (the RIR looking one) are both very sweet. I thought that if a rooster is aggressive, those genes can get passed down to their cockerels, but I guess not. The RIR is a Pastel and BBQ.
I’m hoping that since they are both sweet and they are Pastel’s sons, that maybe Pegasus will be sweet as well since I am treating the girls differently,

If he’s sweet when he’s older and Pastel is still a jerk, I’m going to keep Pegasus as long as he is good to the girls.



Oh, about my Polishes, I have a question.

I’m worried about putting the two Roos, Athens and Nemesis, in with the big girls and Pastel. I don’t want the big chooks to hurt them, but I know that they need to learn manners.
Athens is a good rooster - he doesn’t eat before the girls, and he attacks my hand (I’ve started petting the polishes the way you told me to.) But Nemesis is the first one at the bucket and shoves the little girls out of the way, which I know for sure he needs to learn manners.
I just really don’t want the big girls or Pastel to hurt them.

Don't expect any cockerel to be polite at the feed bowl when he's gearing up for a growth spurt. They will start to tidbit for the ladies when: 1, hormones are flowing, 2, the hens have thumped them....repeatedly, 3, a mature rooster models how its done...right down to getting to mate after tidbitting...a lot...

All the boys need the ladies to thump them for being presumptuous. Put LOTS of obstacles in the run for them to dodge around AND fly up to. Trim (carefully) crest feathers so they can see all the big girls. Honestly, the little girls need to see how a rooster is supposed to treat a hen and how a hen needs to thump the idiots. Might be wise to put all the littles in. Same rules about crest feathers: MAKE SURE THEY CAN SEE.

Another thing to ease the boys (or all of them) in with the adults: multiple feeding/water stations. Again, put them on multiple heights. The ones on the ground should be the biggest ones, but having them in several locations will prevent any bird guarding food/water sources. The multiple stations won't have to last forever, but make sure food and water is plentiful, especially when eliminating a station.

Red shoulders: can start appearing at 3 weeks (occasionally sooner). The more red/gold/blonde a BBR (black breasted red) roo will show as an adult, the earlier it seems to appear. (Watch...1 or more will disabuse me of the idea). Rusty (in my profile pic) wasn't supposed to have ANY red. He popped the red around 4-5 months. Whiskey popped his by 8 weeks, and Tuff a little sooner. Zulu popped his at the same time as he popped comb/wattles, 3 weeks. He was also gold tones over 3/4 of his body.

 

[RoyalChick]

This is what happens when you get booted out of the nest box before you are quite finished:

Poor Calypso, I think she was quite puzzled!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

This is what happens when you get booted out of the nest box before you are quite finished:

Poor Calypso, I think she was quite puzzled!

Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting that!