Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

Yes. That is in part why I had planned not to have a rooster.
But of course to plan not to have a rooster and to get rid of one you happen to end up with are different things.
I will be flooding the zone with Chippy pictures for a few weeks it seems to try and figure out what I have!

Well, like Silkies... wait to see if it lays an egg or crows first ?

 

[Sylvester017]

@RoyalChick ~ TY 4 synops

 

[drstratton]

Well, like Silkies... wait to see if it lays an egg or crows first ?

I was thinking this exact thing...lol

 

[Ponypoor]

The highest Hattie has ever jumped, let alone flown can't be more than 2 feet. She last flew at 6 weeks I think. She is all hen. Her feathers are stuck right to her frame. No fluff at all.

Really?! She appears quite fluffy, I figured she was very light and very fluffy! I keep thinking Laverne will chunk up, but so far she has remained very light. Two of the Buffs are like that, Butters is a chunk though.

I must look at the breed standard to see what their weight should be.

 

[Ponypoor]

FBA weekly chicken news
Synopsis for week to September 13​

Thank you to @ManueB for last week's synopsis which can be found here.

@BY Bob
The BIG NEWS at FBA is Nimue's first egg but it is not without drama!

Poor Bob's attempts at gardening have been foiled but the good news is that he is unlikely to be poisoning his chickens with too many apple cores
And Éowyn has kittens
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@bgmathteach
Is dealing with tragedy as the result of a fallen tree
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@ChicoryBlue
Shared an update on the new Buckeyes who are extremely photogenic and gave us a tour of her chicken yard with some good anti-hawk netting.
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@featherhead007
Has a roaming chicken actually, more than one
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@Grandma The Chicken
Is having some trouble with her chickens not getting along, and @Ponypoor weighed in with some good suggestions.
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@Ikslo
Has a new layer and really beautiful eggs
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@Pastel the Rooster
Is back with us (yay!) and has a bad case of molting in her flock as well as a completely stunning Red.
Happy Hatch day to Splotch who is 4 years old
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@Ponypoor
Shared the sad news that Sir Surely died defending his flock at his new home. What a splendid roo he was.
Holly has gone back to laying
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@RoyalChick
Is worried that her sexed pullet - Chippy - may not be a pullet at all. @rural mouse was not reassuring but maybe it is too early to be sure
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@rural mouse
- Some of the youngsters have moved out to live with FIL where they seem to be settling in nicely
- And we have names for those remaining
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@SimpleJenn
- Delft is sitting on 6 eggs
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The days of the week at FBA
Caturday
- @drstratton had me laughing out loud with this one
Mugshot Monday
- @Ponypoor gave us a reminder of the lovely, and sadly departed Sophia
Two-fer Tuesday
- @drstratton shared a couple of glossy beauties
- and of course @BY Bob shared a picture of the lovely Phyllistines
Wattles Wednesday
- @drstratton brought us Phoenix
- @janiedoe shared the astonished and astonishing looking Mikey
Thirsty Thursday
- Lots of wild water being appreciated chez @rural mouse and at @RoyalChick's Chicken Palace
- At @Ponypoor's place the chickens like ground water, perhaps it is the flavor of the mud, or maybe because the water bowls have a tendency to fly away
- @Ikslo's chickens are more refined
- @SimpleJenn shared Braniac drinking (clearly the brain is too heavy!)
Fluffy Butt Friday
- @drstratton shared a fluffy butt 2far

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As always, apologies if I missed anything important or messed up the links.

I love the way you use the hyperlinks! I can only do those on my laptop. I am useless on my phone with them.

Thanks as always!!!!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I forget what breed she is...is she part MArans? If so, I'm not totally surprised - boy Marans start popping their combs by 4 weeks...so she would be late if a full Marans and a boy......

But, considering that in my old age and feeble brain, I've fogotten what breed s/he is......I will let @rural mouse chime in if she hasn't already, as I know she remembers your breeds......

Either way, Chippy is a gorgeous chicken - such a beauty.


(Besides, RC, you need a rooster anyways - so if she happens to be a HE, all the better - then @Ponypoor won't get jailed trying to cross the border with feathered contraband!)

I'm thinking Chippie is supposed to be a speckled sussex.

I've went back and looked at my pictures of Spot and Dottie at a similar age. They were starting to sprout combs around 6 weeks as well. The comb and the wattle do not bother me at that age. What is throwing me is the amount of white. Especially around the chest, neither of my girls had that splotchy white. Their white spots came in evenly and uniformly. Take this with a grain of salt though, I've only had 2 speckled sussex to base my observations on.

So, ignoring the white splotchy chest, I still think pullet. That splotchiness may mean absolutely nothing at all.

I also agree a rooster is needed. She can have a rooster. Her flock is perfect to rear up a rooster when the ideal situation of having a young roo brought up under a older one is not a option. Several no nonsense older hens to pummel him senseless when he hits the idiot phase. You think Tassels is a stern momma now? You just wait until she is done with them if he is a roo. She will have him whipped into shape within a few days. I almost feel for the young lad if that is the case.

 

[Ponypoor]

@rural mouse, @bgmathteach, @Ponypoor
You three are terrible enablers! I found myself actually considering keeping him. This is NOT what I planned!
If this is what happens you will have to guide me. I am already worried as I have not got close to the Littles. Mostly that is because they belong to Tassels and though she is reasonably chill about me being around it isn't like she approves of me trying to pick them up and most of the day she has them deep in the bushes where I couldn't reach them anyway.
Do I need to start trying to get them to like me? Or won't that make any difference to any relationship with a roo in the long term? It isn't like any of mine are lap chickens.
I can't believe I am even considering this!

I do most of my handling in the evening when I do t have to chase them around. These days I am finding it hard to run bend and chase the wild beasts.

I pick them up, cuddle them till they settle down, and now I have been gently helping them with bits of baby fluff stuck to the ends of their feathers coming in and gently massaging and stroking their new feathers esp on top of their head. Oh they scream murder initially as they do not want to be touched but I have been finding this past week that they have been getting very used to me. And they will hop up on my lap now when Georgie does, and a couple when she isn’t there.

But it’s have been doing this since day one. I suggest doing this nightly to desensitize them to being handled - it’s when I handle Mr P also.

As for your kiddo if it’s a Roo then most of his behaviour will be what his temperament is. Even with all the handling I give mine I have had really terrors. Mr P came as a mature boy and he is splendid with the ladies but doesn’t trust me at all. Though I have noted today that he has been coming along when I call him with treats - a nice tomato as a bribe.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

@rural mouse, @bgmathteach, @Ponypoor
You three are terrible enablers! I found myself actually considering keeping him. This is NOT what I planned!
If this is what happens you will have to guide me. I am already worried as I have not got close to the Littles. Mostly that is because they belong to Tassels and though she is reasonably chill about me being around it isn't like she approves of me trying to pick them up and most of the day she has them deep in the bushes where I couldn't reach them anyway.
Do I need to start trying to get them to like me? Or won't that make any difference to any relationship with a roo in the long term? It isn't like any of mine are lap chickens.
I can't believe I am even considering this!

Your time with them will come. Right now they belong to Tassels and rightfully so. She has wanted to be a momma for so long, let her have this time. The longer she hangs onto them, the more they will learn about how to be a chicken.

When she is done with the chicks taming them can begin. Food will be your friend. Do not chase them and force them to be held. Simply come out with treats and sit and offer them food in your hand. Let them come up to you and eat out of your hand. Once they are comfortable doing that, then pick them up and hold them. They do need to be able to be handled in case of illness and overall health checks. Another thing you can do is at night while they are on the roost head out and rub each one's crop. I do this with all my chickens to this day. No one can resist a good nightly crop massage rooster or hen.

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm thinking Chippie is supposed to be a speckled sussex.

I've went back and looked at my pictures of Spot and Dottie at a similar age. They were starting to sprout combs around 6 weeks as well. The comb and the wattle do not bother me at that age. What is throwing me is the amount of white. Especially around the chest, neither of my girls had that splotchy white. Their white spots came in evenly and uniformly. Take this with a grain of salt though, I've only had 2 speckled sussex to base my observations on.

So, ignoring the white splotchy chest, I still think pullet. That splotchiness may mean absolutely nothing at all.

I also agree a rooster is needed. She can have a rooster. Her flock is perfect to rear up a rooster when the ideal situation of having a young roo brought up under an older one is not an option. Several no nonsense older hens to pummel him senseless when he hits the idiot phase. You think Tassels is a stern momma now? You just wait until she is done with them if he is a roo. She will have him whipped into shape within a few days. I almost feel for the young lad if that is the case.

OK. Make that 4 enablers!
Tassels isn’t aggressive. I have only on occasion seen her peck Calypso for interfering. But she seems to have natural authority and strong views. Babies and adults (well and me) all respond to a look or whatever she says. She is very vocal.
When Cookie and Geronimo went astray in the bushes. She didn’t chase them. She went over there and told them to get down and come over to eat peaches ‘right now!’.
Same when Chippy wanted to roost.
So I don’t know how she would behave if she had a hormonal teenage son on her hands. She can certainly flare up and become very large and intimidating if needs be, but I think at heart she may be a big softy who just loves being a Mom. Here she is watching over the little ones while they sunbathe.

 

[rural mouse]

OK. Make that 4 enablers!
Tassels isn’t aggressive. I have only on occasion seen her peck Calypso for interfering. But she seems to have natural authority and strong views. Babies and adults (well and me) all respond to a look or whatever she says. She is very vocal.
When Cookie and Geronimo went astray in the bushes. She didn’t chase them. She went over there and told them to get down and come over to eat peaches ‘right now!’.
Same when Chippy wanted to roost.
So I don’t know how she would behave if she had a hormonal teenage son on her hands. She can certainly flare up and become very large and intimidating if needs be, but I think at heart she may be a big softy who just loves being a Mom. Here she is watching over the little ones while they sunbathe.
View attachment 4216254

She still will not tolerate idiocy. How she handles it will be all her own. If Chippy is a roo, when idiocy strikes (and it will), she will address ot HER way. And the lesson will be repeated until it sticks. The challenge idiots face is they usually attempt idiot moments around more than one hen....which ever they find semi alone...and each hen has to address it. Some pummel the idiot, others simply say "ok", and others fall somewhere in the middle. Sometimes the sweet/gentle ladies turn out to be the best idiot educators. The idiot year is truly a lesson in patience.