Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

With Geronimo you can take all my Marans knowledge and throw it out the door. I've been told by many people that Cuckoo's are different in temperament. From what I've been able to gather the cuckoo's are spicier in nature. The BBS-black,blue,splash Marans are the ones more calm and Gentle. I will say Geronimo will be pretty as a adult. If female, I do not know if you got sexed chicks, will lay a brown egg. Expect a couple shades lighter then your BBS marans, but still a pretty brown egg.

I'm going to agree w/ you about Cuckoo Marans vs BBS variety. Our Cuckoo was a mean bully & that skocked us cuz Marans owners told us how calm their hens were... but then, they didn't have a Cuckoo variety like ours.

On a similar experience our BBS Breda Fowl hens/pullets were lovely calm sweet girls but our Cuckoo Breda was a merciless bully & ultimately had to rehome her to a friend's rescue farm.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I'm going to agree w/ you about Cuckoo Marans vs BBS variety. Our Cuckoo was a mean bully & that skocked us cuz Marans owners told us how calm their hens were... but then, they didn't have a Cuckoo variety like ours.
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On a similar experience our BBS Breda Fowl hens/pullets were lovely calm sweet girls but our Cuckoo Breda was a merciless bully & ultimately had to rehome her to a friend's rescue farm.
View attachment 4202126

Like I said, I've only dealt with the Black Copper variety and mixes from those. Truly lovely birds all of them with calm, friendly temperaments. Even the hens are nice when broody. The roosters, well, mine strictly speaking, gentle giants. A true pleasure to be around. Sweet little homer, let me tell you, he is not going to stay little for long, he has some giant feet to grow into. I predict now he will have Grandpa Bubba and Great-Grandpa Drumsticks nature.

I have nothing against a spicy natured chicken. If I had a chance to try out a cuckoo Marans, I probably would. You want to talk about spicy, right now my silkie pen is spicy. 5 momma's who have recruited the roosters to join them in the charge if I even think of looking at their little one. If I avoid Ducky and their momma's and focus on the teens, I had better not make them let out a panicked shriek. My boys have also taken them under their wing. It is pure chaos at the moment walking in that pen. Not going to lie, I love it.

 

[rural mouse]

Oh I know Rebecca is the Marans expert - but you identified all my chicks the day I got them and I forgot which was which. Cookie is easy to identify. I am pretty sure Chippy is likely a Speckled Suspect, Bucky probably a Buckeye and that Geronimo is a Golden Cuckoo Marans.
I may have got muddled, but I think that is the line-up.
I guess I will learn soon enough as they grow up!

You've got the lineup. When you brought them home, you fell into my favorite game: "what chick is this?" When they match up to a hatchery's list so neatly, it's even better. Then the fun starts: watching them grow. Do they still line up with what they're supposed to be or (chippy comes to mind due to all the possible breed options) did a ringer sneak in? (So far she looks on track for SS development)

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Well, I cannot sleep tonight. It's almost 4 am and I'm still wide awake. I made it 23 hours today with only 1 tylenol in-between meds. I actually washed the dishes today. I stuck to my 1lb weight limit and did not touch any of the cast iron skillets, but I got everything else done. I had Rosie put it all away for me as I have not even attempted to lift my arm up yet. They told me I could start moving it some. Right now the best I can do is to move it about a inch and a half away from my body without causing any pain. I'm waiting for that first physical therapy appointment for them to show me how to move it at home without hurting myself. I also want to assure @Ponypoor on physical therapy days I'm not going to be stupid, I will take those meds. I can feel them start working after about 30 minutes. I figure to be able to really do what I need to do in those sessions I need to take one around a hour before hand, and probably another at that 6 hour interval if the stories I've heard are true. All in all besides the occasional bee sting feeling around the incisions which I believe is caused by the stitches and the bandages on them loosening up I feel good a week out. I want to take the tiny bandages off over the incisions they left on. I was told not to, to let them fall off on their own. They have really started to annoy me this evening.

I'm also using my weight restrictions based on my chickens. I can lift up the silkie's with my right arm. Everyone else, left arm is needed. When I can lift 5lbs I can pack over half of the girls around with my right arm. Squirrel, Raven and Mrs. E, it will be a while. They are heavy girls.

 

[RoyalChick]

Well, I cannot sleep tonight. It's almost 4 am and I'm still wide awake. I made it 23 hours today with only 1 tylenol in-between meds. I actually washed the dishes today. I stuck to my 1lb weight limit and did not touch any of the cast iron skillets, but I got everything else done. I had Rosie put it all away for me as I have not even attempted to lift my arm up yet. They told me I could start moving it some. Right now the best I can do is to move it about a inch and a half away from my body without causing any pain. I'm waiting for that first physical therapy appointment for them to show me how to move it at home without hurting myself. I also want to assure @Ponypoor on physical therapy days I'm not going to be stupid, I will take those meds. I can feel them start working after about 30 minutes. I figure to be able to really do what I need to do in those sessions I need to take one around a hour before hand, and probably another at that 6 hour interval if the stories I've heard are true. All in all besides the occasional bee sting feeling around the incisions which I believe is caused by the stitches and the bandages on them loosening up I feel good a week out. I want to take the tiny bandages off over the incisions they left on. I was told not to, to let them fall off on their own. They have really started to annoy me this evening.

I'm also using my weight restrictions based on my chickens. I can lift up the silkie's with my right arm. Everyone else, left arm is needed. When I can lift 5lbs I can pack over half of the girls around with my right arm. Squirrel, Raven and Mrs. E, it will be a while. They are heavy girls.

Are you sure you aren’t pushing it too fast? You need sleep in order to heal. I find myself constantly dropping off during the day!
Tax: little chickens!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

In the last week, I've slept a good 5 1/2 solid days. I'm not fighting it, when I feel drowsy I lay down and I'm gone. That is actually not my normal for the past several years. Once grandma moved in, and then dealing with not being able to sleep due to my shoulder my norm is 2 or 3 hours a night. I'm not fighting it right now, I'm just restless and not sleepy.

 

[kattabelly]

I don’t understand Geronimo’s thermodynamic control system. Even before I introduced them to Tassels she didn’t sleep under the heat plate. Here she is clearly getting some warmth from Tassels, but unlike the others she never goes completely under.

I have one like this atm. This Fayoumi hatched early and with the energy and coordination of a two day old - it was jumping (not flopping or lurching, I mean JUMPING) around the incubator while it was still wet!

Took it to work with me the same day it hatched and it happily tore around the little enclosure I set up inside the polycrub (temp was about 28-29C tbf) while completely ignoring the heat plate. I think it only goes under now because that's where the others are, and it mostly sleeps sprawled out with just a foot or its bum under the plate.

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm in shorts and a tank top...lol

That baby is a go getter! I'm loving the adventure!

It went from scorching hot and dry to cool and dry in a day here. The animals are enjoying the cooler weather, the heat is hard on them.

We still need a lot of rain, the ground moisture is seriously lacking. Not much in the way of bugs for the chooks to scare up, but they have been enjoying chasing down grasshoppers.

Can’t wait for the babies to be confronted with one of those huge locusts that fly! That will be a good meal for them!

 

[RoyalChick]

I have one like this atm. This Fayoumi hatched early and with the energy and coordination of a two day old - it was jumping (not flopping or lurching, I mean JUMPING) around the incubator while it was still wet!
View attachment 4202142
Took it to work with me the same day it hatched and it happily tore around the little enclosure I set up inside the polycrub (temp was about 28-29C tbf) while completely ignoring the heat plate. I think it only goes under now because that's where the others are, and it mostly sleeps sprawled out with just a foot or its bum under the plate.

Sooo cute!
Yup. A foot or just rear end under the plate was how Geronimo slept. Now she sleeps next to Tassels rather than under her.

 

[drstratton]

It went from scorching hot and dry to cool and dry in a day here. The animals are enjoying the cooler weather, the heat is hard on them.

We still need a lot of rain, the ground moisture is seriously lacking. Not much in the way of bugs for the chooks to scare up, but they have been enjoying chasing down grasshoppers.

Can’t wait for the babies to be confronted with one of those huge locusts that fly! That will be a good meal for them!

It was cooler this last week, only 90 yesterday. But it's heating up again.

 Tax