Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Grandma The Chicken]

I'll have the satire made later. In the meantime, here's Grandma enjoying a change of scenery today.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Oh how cute! My "feral" (Not anymore! Now just an outdoor) cat is almost a match for your kitties. One of her 3 week old kitties is a dead ringer for the one closest to the camera! Two are missing in this picture, but the little gray and white is in there. They are bigger and lighter colored now, this is from two weeks.View attachment 3884427

How nice! That white baby kind of looks like the feral cat that stays at my neighbor's, just without the black on top of its head.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

I was thinking of doing a yard sale today, bt oh it's just so HOT. Perhaps I'll join Grandma in the shade. I don't know how she's surviving in this sweltering heat, especially with all those feathers.

 

[Marie2020]

Princess tried telling the old boy to hand over his chew

The old lad said I'm not the push over cat

 

[Marie2020]

Pusscat enjoying his treats while princess hassles the old boy

Keep her occupied bro I'm enjoying these

 

[Marie2020]

Will you tell those two disobedient furballs that I'm the only royalty around here. Therefore I am demanding that they give me their treats immediately.

I am not amused.

 

[Ponypoor]

They are feral kittens, however feral kittens have seldom human contact. They have gotten used to us, however they will bite if we touch them somewhere that is ticklish. They do allow scratches on the head. Well, some allow touching. Some hiss and the others would run away. I just think it's weird for me to give feral cats names since we don't claim them. Old Man has been wanting to give them away for quite some time. I wish I could give more info, but Old Man and Old Woman don't want me to give too much info about these cats.
View attachment 3884417

They are gorgeous kitties. But I fear that the opportunity to rehome them is past, cats seldom lose their feral behaviour if they are not socialized as kittens before 4 weeks.

Cats are truly a wild beast living with us Hoomans.

 

[Marie2020]

They are gorgeous kitties. But I fear that the opportunity to rehome them is past, cats seldom lose their feral behaviour if they are not socialized as kittens before 4 weeks.

Cats are truly a wild beast living with us Hoomans.

Maybe ln most cases but not this little feral

 

[SimpleJenn]

No Branch!
I'm sorry for your loss @RebeccaBoyd

In positive news: new coop is ordered. It arrives Friday and we will be assembling it, doing security modifications, and moving the broody hens over. Saturday morning I am going to a farm swap to HOPEFULLY get two polish chicks, and up to four others. If polish chicken lady isn't sold out. She wouldn't let me reserve them in advance even though I offered to pay extra.
Hubby said to get straight run chicks and if we have more than one male we will eat the extra. This is my extra early anniversary gift this year haha.

Shep is contemplating going broody but she is having egg issues so hopefully she commits and gets the egg factory turned off for a bit. She still has that bald patch under her cloaca, but it seems smaller??? Like she isn't as swollen as before. Samara and Morinth are of course broody.

This is the third time this year for Morinth. But this time I get to give her babies.
I of course have both a lamp and plate to brood if something goes wrong.
My chick wishlist is "pompom" for the kiddo
Blue laced wyandotte (any laced wyandotte really)
Americana with the poofy cheekers
Barred rock
And mayyyybe a brahma or orpington. They're so big I'm worried about space. Kiddo said Jersey Giant but...probably not haha.
My main run is 10x20, the side extension is 3x5, that gives me 215 of run space not counting the part in the current coop where the feeding station is. I'm doubling my nest boxes and roost space so I feel doubling the chickens is still fair and gives them more than 10² feet each of run.

 

[Ponypoor]

No Branch!
I'm sorry for your loss @RebeccaBoyd
View attachment 3884510
In positive news: new coop is ordered. It arrives Friday and we will be assembling it, doing security modifications, and moving the broody hens over. Saturday morning I am going to a farm swap to HOPEFULLY get two polish chicks, and up to four others. If polish chicken lady isn't sold out. She wouldn't let me reserve them in advance even though I offered to pay extra.
Hubby said to get straight run chicks and if we have more than one male we will eat the extra. This is my extra early anniversary gift this year haha.
View attachment 3884497
Shep is contemplating going broody but she is having egg issues so hopefully she commits and gets the egg factory turned off for a bit. She still has that bald patch under her cloaca, but it seems smaller??? Like she isn't as swollen as before. Samara and Morinth are of course broody.
View attachment 3884499
This is the third time this year for Morinth. But this time I get to give her babies.
I of course have both a lamp and plate to brood if something goes wrong.
My chick wishlist is "pompom" for the kiddo
Blue laced wyandotte (any laced wyandotte really)
Americana with the poofy cheekers
Barred rock
And mayyyybe a brahma or orpington. They're so big I'm worried about space. Kiddo said Jersey Giant but...probably not haha.
My main run is 10x20, the side extension is 3x5, that gives me 215 of run space not counting the part in the current coop where the feeding station is. I'm doubling my nest boxes and roost space so I feel doubling the chickens is still fair and gives them more than 10² feet each of run.

Chicken math strikes again.

Space is one of the components but you also need obstacles to block view, and places to hide behind, and no place to get blocked in.

If you plan on giving chicks to your broody make sure they are day olds, and do the chick swap for eggs at night. For a small first time silkie mum I would limit it to 2 or 3 chicks.

Henny had 4 her first time and had issues covering them all after a few days she is tiny and she had two half silkies and 2 regular sized chicks. I think if it had been 4 of the half silkies she would have been much better, I had to make sure she had a warm place the first few weeks as it was into Nov, her eggs hatched end of Oct. so it was getting cold!

Might not be such an issue right now but nights are still cool in the country.

I had no luck this year with Dorothy and Whiskers taking babies. Curly of course knew what babies were so it was no problem with her.

Keep the other hens away from her and the babies for a week so she gets to know them and doesn’t get fighting with the other hens. It might be better after that first week to just limit it with her silkie sisters not the bigger hens.

Broodies are bat crap crazy with chicks.