Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[kattabelly]

Gorgeous birds. I would love some but was worried it might be too cold for them here in NJ.
I recently learned that a breeder in the US lives in Maine which gets much colder, so I have put them back on my list.

I'm interested to see if mine teaches the Shetlands to fly. They were raised with heavier birds and I've almost never seen them do more than flap-run or an assisted jump.

This one hatched a day early and basically refused to use the heat plate or act like a newly hatched chick in any way.

Appearance-wise they're quite similar to silver Campines - they also have a reputation for being flighty and the breeder I know who keeps those says his are really friendly too.

 

[Ponypoor]

Correct! But also, it's Sunday.

It’s Wednesday!

 

[Ponypoor]

Twofer Tuesday
View attachment 4232427
(When people talk about Fayoumis being really flighty, they never seem to mention that 97% of those flights will end on your head)

And with poopy feet… wise to wear an hat/hood!

This morning one of my new Polish chicks flew up on my lap when someone was picking on her. I was the safer spot I guess! Poopy feet and all.

 

[kattabelly]

It’s Wednesday!

About gave me a heart attack for a minute there

 

[knoturavggrl]

Mugs for Monday
Porcini out in front

Thyme

Twofer Tuesday
Gia and Gemma

The bantams are starting to all flock together more and more and Pebble is finally beginning to act like a good Roo and look after everyone.

Thyme and all the SFH’s are doing so well. They stick together but don’t harm their pint sized counterparts. I am happy with this outcome and the relative peace of the two sub groups.

 

[kattabelly]

Thyme and all the SFH’s are doing so well.

Is Thyme a SFH? He looks a lot like one of the recently departed cockerels who might've fertilised the eggs I'm still thinking of setting - mine came to me as a BYM but I know quite a few folk here keep SFHs.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

2 fers

View attachment 42323782 preening cockerels (Hawthorne and Jax), thank you Tundra for joining them.

View attachment 42323792 pullets (Matilda and Koonj) with a moulting Primula (she and Belladonna are going at it hard)

View attachment 42323802 babies, Jax and Tundra, with Nellie (they're getting big aren't they)

View attachment 4232382@ChicoryBlue for you, 2 play "things"

Yes!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

One sandwich short of a picnic?

A bit of drama yesterday. Cookie couldn’t find her way into the coop. When I got home from dinner with a friend she was all hunkered down in a corner of the run. Not too exposed but it was a cold and windy night with driving rain.
My cameras failed me. The last they recorded was her pacing back and forth peeping while Tassels called from inside.
For context I closed the people door so the chickens have to come in and out of the chicken door and use the blue stairs.
View attachment 4232370

In summer I leave the people door wide open to maximize air flow. But in winter I close the windows in the coop and the people door to reduce any wind or driving rain. When it gets very cold I close the chicken door too, but no need for that yet.

Cookie has used the blue stairs many times. It is a convenient way to get at the hanging waterer. She even poses on them for photo shoots.
View attachment 4232376
I have never seen any evidence that she can’t see to jump up on things - actually she is like Geronimo and tends to go up on stuff.

Anyway she was huddled in that corner to the right of the people door.
View attachment 4232381
I picked her up and she screamed blue murder which caused Tassels to come out of her cardboard box and call for her. She also struggled like hell.

Even though I have lots of evidence she can see just fine, I grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped her head feathers on the spot. May have done a real hack job. We will see if that makes a difference, but I am left wondering if she was just too dumb to go in a different way from the one she is used to.
Here she is this morning after my snipping.
View attachment 4232385

I would assume differently until you see a pattern of this, I think something happened, a disruption, to cause her to stay out later, or go back out, and it just got too dark to find her way back. That corner looks pretty sheltered actually, so if it is she did a good job given the circumstances. Hugs for your worry

She doesn't look too bad...she can see forward better...they will grow back, nothing permanent here...

 

[RoyalChick]

I would assume differently until you see a pattern of this, I think something happened, a disruption, to cause her to stay out later, or go back out, and it just got too dark to find her way back. That corner looks pretty sheltered actually, so if it is she did a good job given the circumstances. Hugs for your worry

She doesn't look too bad...she can see forward better...they will grow back, nothing permanent here...

Yes when I looked at the corner in the morning I was actually quite impressed with her choice. I will report back on what happens tonight - fortunately I am home so if she cannot find her way in I can go out and rescue her a bit earlier than I did last night.
Silly goose just tried to go in under Tassels to warm up like she did as a tiny chick. Even Cookie is a bit big for that now!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Yes when I looked at the corner in the morning I was actually quite impressed with her choice. I will report back on what happens tonight - fortunately I am home so if she cannot find her way in I can go out and rescue her a bit earlier than I did last night.
Silly goose just tried to go in under Tassels to warm up like she did as a tiny chick. Even Cookie is a bit big for that now!
View attachment 4232511

Give her a sporty headband. She's feeling a chill on her forehead!