Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

That's the plan, provided there's enough light on a work day. If a day off, I'm going for video

Hooray!

 

[BY Bob]

Good reason to roof/ fence that area for yet another segment to the complex....maybe with the idea of planting a shrub (rather than a tree) next spring and can keep them off of it while it gets established

She has moved on from the birch tree stump to the grapevines. I plan to cut the stump down further this fall until it is down to ground level. I think for now I will leave the courtyard open but it is a good suggestion.

 

[Sylvester017]

We had chickens that would stay out really late, and in the summer when I used to shut them in I got fed up waiting for em! Used a stick and herded in them for a couple days they got used to it, now they all go to bed way earlier at a nice time. Now all I have to do is bang a stick on the floor or a rope and they all start running in!

One man on youtube yells at the top of his voice at dusk & all the birds run to the hen house... about 100 of them!

My farm mom used outstretched arms to herd ducks. I found it works pretty well on a stubborn foraging hen too.

c. 1930's

 

[Sylvester017]

The plan is that when I release Tilly and Joy from quarantine all three will be enclosed together in the big run and cluckle hut for a period of time. This will limit the roosting choices to what is in the run and Cluckle Hut. I am hoping this will bring them together with Niamh in charge. They also need to learn where the nesting boxes are.

Are Polish good flyers? Will they stay behind a barrier/fence?

 

[Sylvester017]

I've made a lot of mistakes raising chickens and made things harder on myself and then over the years. Looking back I really wish I could have found three girls in the chicks when we got these two but there just weren't three there.

When I decided to correct my latest and the opportunity to get 2 presented itself, there was no way I was passing it up.

Silkies were our easiest breed to integrate one at a time... as long as there was another Silkie already. They would toodle together... not really bosom buddies... but always together. Later we started getting them in pairs or trios... easy to get here cuz Silkies are so popular. I imagine gentle Polish will toodle w/ each other fairly well too since they are still similar in age.

We never imagined our Dominique would live to 8 yrs so she's the odd-ball large chicken amid 5 Silkies but she is so good w/them we just HAD to keep her. The old dear layed 2 eggs for us last month

 

[Sylvester017]

Honestly I believe that contraption could do more harm than good. Just my opinion

That's precisely why we never got a top lid feeder ~ looked like a death trap for Silkies.

We had 3 bottom treadle feeders & the birds wanted nothing to do w/ them! Followed all the instructions, videos, & BYC advice... nothing worked.

 

[featherhead007]

I'm happy with the 3 I have cobbled together. This is the maximum number of chooks I am comfortable supporting in my yard.

But does Her Royal Magestic Worshipfulness Queen Aurora agree with you? Maybe she’s wanting to expand her kingdom? .
To our Queen

 

[featherhead007]

Silkies were our easiest breed to integrate one at a time... as long as there was another Silkie already. They would toodle together... not really bosom buddies... but always together. Later we started getting them in pairs or trios... easy to get here cuz Silkies are so popular. I imagine gentle Polish will toodle w/ each other fairly well too since they are still similar in age.

We never imagined our Dominique would live to 8 yrs so she's the odd-ball large chicken amid 5 Silkies but she is so good w/them we just HAD to keep her. The old dear layed 2 eggs for us last month
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Two feather dusters clean better than one. (Just saying)

 

[Sylvester017]

Two feather dusters clean better than one. (Just saying)

& our 5 are the BEST!

 

[Pebbles25]

Wouldn't be the 1st time we've done a house chicken & we'll cross that bridge when we get there w / a lone Silkie. Silkies are great no matter where they reside. We've allowed dogs, cats, parrots, cockatiels, budgies, & chickens have free roam in certain areas of the house so we're no strangers to your great suggestion. Just a very few of our house residents pictured over the years
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We have a silver laced polish bantam she came with her bro but when we introduced them to the flock her brother ignored her so she was a lone chicken and got picked on by everyone so we used to feed her in our porch, and then use her to eat the food of the dining room floor. She used to run into our arms and when we picked her up she would fall asleep as it was her safe space. Now she’s filling integrated with the flock but she’s gone flighty after we went away on holiday.