Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

How old do you think they are now? Any clues as to gender?

Not to worry your sweet little head, they get steak and shrimp same as the rest of the birds. Age? Probably not more than a week old

 

[Sylvester017]

Thirsty Thursday.
Sylvie is getting the tiny drops of melted ice where the sun has warmed the rain chain.

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Sylvie, my namesake, what a clever girl!

 

[Sylvester017]

24” in the Hen House B and Summer House, 29” in Hen House A.

I have the steps in HH-A and a step stool in HH-B and the Summer House.
The silkies and most of the older chooks use the stairs/stool to get up and down. The youngsters fly up and down.

A few wait for me to lift them down: Penelope esp, and usually Shirley. Marty I try to get to fast before she launches herself into the abyss.

But I have found that if they are given a way to jump/climb up and down they use it.

Does Marty try to jump/fly far? is she a heavier Silkie?

Our Ginny is our largest heaviest Silkie & doesn't try flying or jumping at all. She's definitely over 21/2 lbs & easily close to 3 lbs. She was the reason we built up brick steps so she could navigate the ladder. Her evening ritual is to take extra cautionary steps into the coop w/much urging. Lately at dusk she has resorted to squatting to get DH to pick her up to place her inside the coop so she doesn't have to navigate the coop ladder!

 

[Marie2020]

Does Marty try to jump/fly far? is she a heavier Silkie?

Our Ginny is our largest heaviest Silkie & doesn't try flying or jumping at all. She's definitely over 21/2 lbs & easily close to 3 lbs. She was the reason we built up brick steps so she could navigate the ladder. Her evening ritual is to take extra cautionary steps into the coop w/much urging. Lately at dusk she has resorted to squatting to get DH to pick her up to place her inside the coop so she doesn't have to navigate the coop ladder!

That's just adorable

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

OMG he is so handsome! Just like his Dada

And yes I bet Turkey has a wee little crest there and look at her funky double toes! I love them! Penelope has those exact same ‘y’ shaped double toes

Mr P
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Mr P is so gorgeous.

Right now George is my only rooster. I do not know if I will get the silkie rooster this year or not. I still am leaning towards getting some day olds this spring and giving them to a broody hen to raise so I can raise him the way I want.

Right now for the time being I am only part time and work for sure Fridays and Saturdays. Once they change locations I will end up probably being full time Monday through Saturday 11 to 8.

This means I will not be here 24/7 this spring to stalk the hens and catch the warning signs when a hen is going to go broody. I will rely on Rosie and Dad to gather eggs and spot potential broody hens.

Rosie and Michael have already informed me that they are looking forward to a yard full of crazy haired chickens. Therefore if she spots a broody hen do you think she is going to tell me so I can break her. Nope, she will probably give her more eggs. She has helped me set countless hens and knows how to mark the eggs when I purposefully set one.

I figure by June I will be waiving the white flag with half the hens either raising chicks or in the process of setting.

I can guarantee that before April hits Raven, Holly, Goose, Spooky and probably Poppet herself will attempt to go broody. Then we have the new silkie girls. I figure most if not all will try within 3 months of laying. Mrs E, she will probably try it seeing as how she is a bantam brahma a known broody breed. Turkey, she is a given to go broody being a game x silkie cross. She will be 6 months in May so by June I will expect her to try. Something tells me out of all my hens Turkey will be the one to take up Momma Hens role of a chronic broody and a witchy one at that. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

 

[Marie2020]

I hope that chick it grabbed ended up alright! I know just the impact can kill prey and that hawk came in fast!! But the little thing was still kicking when it was dropped. Sheesh... Great mama hen

That mama would have comforted her chick. So I think it was okay.

 

[Marie2020]

You could even put them in your house.

Taken from Reddit:
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Was his name Alex

 

[notabitail]

Was his name Alex

Wouldn't be surprised.

 

[LhickenChicken]

I set my incubator with hatching eggs a few days ago! I'm already getting chick fever and constantly checking it.

 

[Marie2020]

Hi all.

I got a few pictures a few minutes ago. I am going to have to order a replacement battery for my camera this year. The cold zapped a fully charged battery in all of 6 minutes. To be fair though, the camera is 14 years old with the same battery.

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George, He is so handsome. I did not know I needed a punk rock rooster, but I do. Mr. P's mini me has earned a middle name. He is now George "Phinieous" Jones. He is adapting to his role as flock rooster. Goose has accepted him now that she is back to laying. The rest of the girls will follow suit as soon as they start back up soon. George has a real lady now he no longer dances for me. I am back to being momma.
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The rest are of Poppet and Turkey who is 7 weeks old today. Such a pretty little pullet. If she does not hit a major growth spurt soon I think as a adult she will be Mrs Little Chicken size. She also has a wonky feather on her head that is standing straight up. Until now I did not think she was going to have any type of crest. Now....well, is this the start of a tiny crest?
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Poppet by the way has earned her right to hatch chicks in the future. I never had any doubts she would be a good momma seeing as how she is a silkie. It takes a great momma to keep her chick thriving in the temperatures we have had the last 2 and a half weeks.

They are ALL gorgeous

Loving these pictures