Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[SimpleJenn]

Delfts babies are moved off to their new home. She wanted hatched chicks after all. And she has my number for spring when she will want zombies and silkie mixes.
It wasn't as traumatic as I had thought. At bedtime last night I gently pulled the chicks into a box, then grabbed Delft and moved her to a different coop to sleep. She bukbukked a bit this morning then acted like a non-broody hen all day. Riddick was looking for them and giving me looks like "where did they go, bucket lady?" The chicks peeped for a bit until I provided fresh food in a bowl then they settled. tis the way of the chicken...

They are in a good home. She wants at least one rooster in the group, she's very excited.

 

[Ponypoor]

AI is meant to be quite easy with chickens, I think...

Just to clarify because I had this confusion before….

Not Avian Influenza, or Artificial Intelligence, but Artificial Imsemination - correct? Don’t laugh I already been confused with the acronyms here

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 4231396
Delfts babies are moved off to their new home. She wanted hatched chicks after all. And she has my number for spring when she will want zombies and silkie mixes.
It wasn't as traumatic as I had thought. At bedtime last night I gently pulled the chicks into a box, then grabbed Delft and moved her to a different coop to sleep. She bukbukked a bit this morning then acted like a non-broody hen all day. Riddick was looking for them and giving me looks like "where did they go, bucket lady?" The chicks peeped for a bit until I provided fresh food in a bowl then they settled. tis the way of the chicken...

They are in a good home. She wants at least one rooster in the group, she's very excited.

That’s lucky to get them homed so easily!

 

[kattabelly]

Just to clarify because I had this confusion before….

Not Avian Influenza, or Artificial Intelligence, but Artificial Imsemination - correct? Don’t laugh I already been confused with the acronyms here

Sorry, yes, I should've made that clearer!

 

[Ponypoor]

Sorry, yes, I should've made that clearer!

We had a good conversation here with confusion between me and the Flu….. and breeding horses….

 

[ChicoryBlue]

To be clear there was no accusation in my comment. I'm sure this was discussed while I was out but if you don't mind, why is he fixated on poor Hazel? What's wrong with the Buff Orps? Does he not like their coloring?

Am on the road now pulled over to eat some dinner.
No I didn't sense any accusation from you at all, only sympathy and personal opinion, and not as a directive either. Just your take on it in a very sympathetic way.

Ideas of what's going on -

Hazel is Queen, so there was an idea floated how he may be seeing her - that if he could conquer her the others would be more inclined.

She is alone in her age group, since Popcorn died last fall. She doesn't have a real replacement Second for Popcorn. So she is easier pickings than if she did, I think. Diane is not a real Second yet, as she's below Tedi and Annie in pecking order.

The BO's have been fierce, particularly Diane. Tedi brooks no nonsense but is a peaceful type and tolerates the pullets eating near her. Annie will chase them like Diane does. They all early on rebuffed Shehnai, and Diane was really fighting with him. I guess Hazel is as @Ponypoor says, low-hanging fruit.

She did correct him early on - there was a rainy day early on when no one let him stay for long in the run and he was standing out in the rain periodically. But when he really got zipped up hormonally and determined, she retreated, she's not fierce. Now he freaks her out and she is just panicked when he goes on the hunt.

The ganging up by the pullets - there are three, and they follow Shehnai, so when Hazel changes course she is likely to find one in her path - this bothers me a lot too. @bgmathteach

One will be jumping at and pecking her while Shehnai has her pinned. This does not look good like it will end well and I don't want them learning this as habit. I suspect she will fall as Queen, a couple are quite bold and thinking about challenging her and also the BO's. But I don't want her injured or killed.

@RoyalChick you have three (?) older hens, right? So there's a good chance you have an established group of elders that won't want their order and peace disrupted. Is Tassels Queen? That could change that calculus.

Am continuing on the road now....

 

[RoyalChick]

Am on the road now pulled over to eat some dinner.
No I didn't sense any accusation from you at all, only sympathy and personal opinion, and not as a directive either. Just your take on it in a very sympathetic way.

Ideas of what's going on -

Hazel is Queen, so there was an idea floated how he may be seeing her - that if he could conquer her the others would be more inclined.

She is alone in her age group, since Popcorn died last fall. She doesn't have a real replacement Second for Popcorn. So she is easier pickings than if she did, I think. Diane is not a real Second yet, as she's below Tedi and Annie in pecking order.

The BO's have been fierce, particularly Diane. Tedi brooks no nonsense but is a peaceful type and tolerates the pullets eating near her. Annie will chase them like Diane does. They all early on rebuffed Shehnai, and Diane was really fighting with him. I guess Hazel is as @Ponypoor says, low-hanging fruit.

She did correct him early on - there was a rainy day early on when no one let him stay for long in the run and he was standing out in the rain periodically. But when he really got zipped up hormonally and determined, she retreated, she's not fierce. Now he freaks her out and she is just panicked when he goes on the hunt.

The ganging up by the pullets - there are three, and they follow Shehnai, so when Hazel changes course she is likely to find one in her path - this bothers me a lot too. @bgmathteach

One will be jumping at and pecking her while Shehnai has her pinned. This does not look good like it will end well and I don't want them learning this as habit. I suspect she will fall as Queen, a couple are quite bold and thinking about challenging her and also the BO's. But I don't want her injured or killed.

@RoyalChick you have three (?) older hens, right? So there's a good chance you have an established group of elders that won't want their order and peace disrupted. Is Tassels Queen? That could change that calculus.

Am continuing on the road now....

Thanks @ChicoryBlue.
I think I would do what @bgmathteach says and try and train the pullets to leave her alone.
And yes, my situation is different - there are 5 hens all the same age (two and a half years) and Tassels is the boss hen of that group.
Of those 5, Calypso (5.6lb) and Pooh (4.9lb) are already beating up on the Littles when they misbehave. Of course then Tassels beats them up for being mean to her Littles. So I hope at least Calypso and Pooh will teach Mr. Chips how to behave.
Pooh may be small - but from the perspective of the Littles she looks quite intimidating!

 

[BY Bob]

Am on the road now pulled over to eat some dinner.
No I didn't sense any accusation from you at all, only sympathy and personal opinion, and not as a directive either. Just your take on it in a very sympathetic way.

Ideas of what's going on -

Hazel is Queen, so there was an idea floated how he may be seeing her - that if he could conquer her the others would be more inclined.

She is alone in her age group, since Popcorn died last fall. She doesn't have a real replacement Second for Popcorn. So she is easier pickings than if she did, I think. Diane is not a real Second yet, as she's below Tedi and Annie in pecking order.

The BO's have been fierce, particularly Diane. Tedi brooks no nonsense but is a peaceful type and tolerates the pullets eating near her. Annie will chase them like Diane does. They all early on rebuffed Shehnai, and Diane was really fighting with him. I guess Hazel is as @Ponypoor says, low-hanging fruit.

She did correct him early on - there was a rainy day early on when no one let him stay for long in the run and he was standing out in the rain periodically. But when he really got zipped up hormonally and determined, she retreated, she's not fierce. Now he freaks her out and she is just panicked when he goes on the hunt.

The ganging up by the pullets - there are three, and they follow Shehnai, so when Hazel changes course she is likely to find one in her path - this bothers me a lot too. @bgmathteach

One will be jumping at and pecking her while Shehnai has her pinned. This does not look good like it will end well and I don't want them learning this as habit. I suspect she will fall as Queen, a couple are quite bold and thinking about challenging her and also the BO's. But I don't want her injured or killed.

@RoyalChick you have three (?) older hens, right? So there's a good chance you have an established group of elders that won't want their order and peace disrupted. Is Tassels Queen? That could change that calculus.

Am continuing on the road now....

I would have to do something with pullets that are joining in. I don't know what but I would want to so that.

Again that's just me. I have the ability to segregate and isolate effectively. Some pullets might find themselves alone in a coop for a week. Breaking up that threesome, 2 isolated and 1 at large over a few weeks might slow their roll.

This is just me trying to think through how I might try to handle this and is not meant as any kind of suggestion. I really don't like her be picked on while a rooster is on top of her. Mrs BY Bob would have unkind suggestions for the cockerel himself.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks @ChicoryBlue.
I think I would do what @bgmathteach says and try and train the pullets to leave her alone.
And yes, my situation is different - there are 5 hens all the same age (two and a half years) and Tassels is the boss hen of that group.
Of those 5, Calypso (5.6lb) and Pooh (4.9lb) are already beating up on the Littles when they misbehave. Of course then Tassels beats them up for being mean to her Littles. So I hope at least Calypso and Pooh will teach Mr. Chips how to behave.
Pooh may be small - but from the perspective of the Littles she looks quite intimidating!
View attachment 4231412

I love that photo!

 

[Ponypoor]

Thanks @ChicoryBlue.
I think I would do what @bgmathteach says and try and train the pullets to leave her alone.
And yes, my situation is different - there are 5 hens all the same age (two and a half years) and Tassels is the boss hen of that group.
Of those 5, Calypso (5.6lb) and Pooh (4.9lb) are already beating up on the Littles when they misbehave. Of course then Tassels beats them up for being mean to her Littles. So I hope at least Calypso and Pooh will teach Mr. Chips how to behave.
Pooh may be small - but from the perspective of the Littles she looks quite intimidating!
View attachment 4231412

She scares me!!!