Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

And then there were seven.
Another baby chick has gone missing. There were eight at count last night. It’s been raining very hard all night and thru this morning the chicks are still small enough to slip through the chain link, so I leave the run door open for mama to watch her chicks. It’s still raining, so I opened up the coop and let the roosters out to run the yard. The girls decided to stay in the coop where it’s warmer. Smart girls.
I have plenty of cover for the birds apart from the coop.

Are you sure you don't have a predator? Maybe a feral cat?

 

[BY Bob]

On this fine Tuesday...
Raven laid her first egg. However, she might've laid it yesterday and I found out about it today. Consider this a Twofer Tuesday as well.
View attachment 4232583

Congratulations!! First eggs rock!

 

[BY Bob]

Now that I'm not so loopy from surgery I can thank you all for your kind thoughts

So glad you are recovering.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Oh yeah, I know - I have Shetlands which are also a landrace and come in different colours and patterns. I was just curious as like I say, quite a few people keep SFH in my area so there's a decent chance he was at least partly SFH.

Thyme is a lovely looking boy!

Oh! I love Shetlands, a beautiful breed to be sure. Thank you, I am super happy with my SFH crew and hope to hatch some more come spring time.

 

[knoturavggrl]

That is such good news... after yrs w/ chickens in our backyard I totally agree that certain standard breeds are better temperaments to have around bantams. Mr roo looks glorious!

Yeah, I took a big chance, but I am quite relieved it seems to be working out pretty well. Not a single bantam has been injured by the bigs, chased occasionally yes, harassed a bit, but never injured. The more time that passes the less they fuss with each other. I think we are reaching a balance point, where I’ll have two distinct sub groups that can coexist safely and peacefully. I can live with that out come.

Thank you, Thyme really is a handsome fella and maybe better yet a gentleman too.

 

[BY Bob]

Well this is unexpected.
Roosting this evening started out going to plan.
Mr. Chips roosted on a roost around the corner from the main one - he has tried that every night for days now.
Tassels hopped up and sat next to him and 'had a few words' so he flew down and went into the cardboard box.

Geronimo tried (and failed) to get up to the rafters and settled for a very high up roost opposite the main roost.
Tassels flew up and sat next to her for a few minutes and Geronimo flew down and went into the cardboard box with Mr. Chips and Bucky who was already in there.

Poor Cookie was pacing back and forth outside peeping. The issue was at least in part that Calypso was standing guard at the door. Tassels drove Calypso away from the door and after some hesitation Cookie went up the blue stairs and ran into the cardboard box.

Tassels then went into the cardboard box with her 4 Littles as usual.
So I went outside to lock everything up and much to my surprise found this.
View attachment 4232794

Wait, what?!
Yup, that is 5 big chickens on the main roost. Tassels has taken up her prime position on the main roost leaving her littles in the cardboard box!
I was totally not expecting that - I thought eventually she would roost with them, but instead she tucks them up in bed and goes to sleep in her own bed.
I can't say I blame her as it was getting very crowded in the cardboard box!
They are 10 weeks and a day old.

This is just amazing. What a mum! And finally a night with her girl friends!

 

[BY Bob]

Tassels is an amazing hen in spite of the past broody grief she put you thru. I think she's a one-of-a-kind keeper

I agree!

 

[BY Bob]

I think you need to practice your counting skills - all had 3 things in it except for the last!

Leave it to the math police.

 

[Ikslo]

It seems that my phone is an atheist and that is how it spells church.
I have corrected it.

When I was in Kindergarten I had to go to speech therapy. My speech wasn’t THAT bad, but apparently I always said turch and some people didn’t like that.

 

[Ikslo]

I may have my first broody on my hands. Mrs. B (Barnevelder) was not a roostin’ during nightly rounds. I was scared she got coyote’d! But she was in a nest, back behind the garage work bench, where Ozzy has chosen to lay eggs everywhere but ON the nesting material I so kindly placed in order to avoid the eggs with crack shells from being deposited on concrete. Sigh. Now Mrs. B, apparently in a broody mood, has decided that nesting material is perfect. At least chicks won’t fall from trees or potting benches. But it is a most inconvenient spot. (Imagine a painting pole with a small bucket taped to it so I can kneel, on a dirty workbench, and retrieve a deposited egg from a half inch of dirt instead of the nesting material an inch away behind the bench!) I am not 100% she is broody. Maybe just needing to lay late at night? She got some fresh water nearby and a closed garage door though. Ain’t nobody got time to crawl around back there and fish ‘er out. Ain’t nobody got time for that!