Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

I know you didn't ask me but when it comes to eggs from my own chickens, I don't refrigerate them, but I don't keep them in a very warm place. I put them in a container in the kitchen. Unrefrigerated eggs will, of course, be unsafe but the eggs from our chickens don't last long since we eat them for breakfast every morning, so I have never considered them as "unsafe". Just my two cents. I haven't gotten ill from unrefrigerated eggs that have never been refrigerated.

Same here

 

[Sylvester017]

View attachment 4168750
She has the six eggs that didn't fit in the incubators. It'll be a learning experience for both of us. But they have a chance instead of having to be tossed.

She's got such beautiful feathers. Hope she does well. Broodiness is a strong instinct

 

[Sylvester017]

Very cool I love snakes.

There are some valuable ones Unfortunately here, rattlesnakes are too common in our valley/mtns. My DD/SIL live against a nature preserve & have to watch their step before leaving their house. It's a sane reason for them not to keep chickens w/ bears, pumas, lynx, bobcats, skunks, possums, 'coons, coyotes, rattlers, rats, etc, showing up all the time!

 

[rural mouse]

I watched a youtube video where the owner said it's a pretty good sign it's a cockerel if he bites. I never had roo's so guess it must be true. My therapist's asst says his MIL's roo not only bites but chases & attacks anyone who gets near him!

Based upon that, PITA, Nellie, Storm, Lark, Indigo, Cardhu, Nimbus, Kate....are all cockerels. They all tried to bite as chicks.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Based upon that, PITA, Nellie, Storm, Lark, Indigo, Cardhu, Nimbus, Kate....are all cockerels. They all tried to bite as chicks.

I have a lot of biters here too! Although I am confident in BlackJack being a boy, those wattles and comb were apparent from like a week old!!!

 

[SimpleJenn]

 

[featherhead007]

Dad said I should have left her to the birds! Nah, I love snakes!
Do y'all get blue racers up there?

We get blue racers, red racers, any color of car, they all race in the open highways away from town. Crazy kids with dangerous heavy weapons, that they don’t even know the danger of racing.
(I know, because I used to do it too) I hear their engines racing at night on weekends! They should do what I did. Get a job, and keep it. Buy a plane, and go as fast as it will let you!!

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Rooster Experts - I have some questions for you.

So in many ways I feel like I won the “straight run lottery”. Out of 11 potential roosters I am now fairly confident I only ended up with two cockerels. But….that also means I ended up with two cockerels. I know many of you have multiple roosters without any major issues. And with 31 hens/pullets I think I am ok as far as rooster-to-hen ratio. I have read many helpful articles and posts on this site over the past three years. But I definitely still have some questions and concerns. I know y’all will most likely have several different opinions on things, but here is what I would like some advice on.

First of all, I have one full size (Chocolate Orpington) and one bantam (silkie) cockerel. If I continue to keep everyone as part of the same
flock, how much risk is there of the full size rooster hurting the bantam hens? Especially the Sebright and Duccle, since they will be small even for a bantam. We really don’t want to have to split the flock. Of course we will if we start having too many issues, but it definitely wouldn’t be the easiest thing to do.

How do you decide when it is just “hormonal idiot phase” and when it is a bad rooster? I know we will have to draw the line if one or both of them become people aggressive. I am hoping we will be lucky since both breeds are know for fairly even-tempered roos, but obviously there can always be exceptions. What other things do we really need to watch it for? So far Nestle, the Orpington, is fairly calm and backs down pretty quickly with both us and all the girls. He is 13 weeks old, and has been crowing for a few weeks but we haven’t seen him try to tidbit, dance, or breed yet. Cotton, the silkie, is another matter altogether. He is 12 weeks old, started crowing a week or so after Nestle, isn’t tidbittng or dancing yet, but has been caught trying to breed a few times. Every time I catch him it is with one of the Cochin bantams. They are still only 13 weeks old, are not interested, and squeal pretty loudly. But he does not back down and I have to go knock him off of them. After which I pick him up and tote him around under my arm for a while. I also have caught him pecking at the other young ones on occasion, including the Lavender Orps who are only 7 weeks old. That also earns him some well placed “pecks” from me or my husband and some more time getting hauled around under our arm.

We have handled both the boys almost every day since we got them. And as it became apparent they were males it has been much less “cuddly/affectionate” and more about establishing who is in charge and that we decide when they will be held and whether or not they get any treats.

Another concern I have with there being two males is the space we have them all in. The coop is 10’ X 12’, with 20’ of upper roost and about 10’ of lower roost, which has mainly been used as a way to get to the higher one. We have also added some wider shelf areas to the upper roost, and a large “silkie/bantam” shelf at the end of the lower one. There are at least two waterers and two feeders in the coop, and a little bit of clutter.

The coop is open every day, and the run is about 16’ x 50’. There is another feeder and several water sources out there, and some more clutter. I know that compared to where some chickens live that is a lot of space. But am worried it will be a little small with 33 chickens that include two cockerels/roosters.

Thought? Suggestions?

 

[featherhead007]

Rooster Experts - I have some questions for you.

So in many ways I feel like I won the “straight run lottery”. Out of 11 potential roosters I am now fairly confident I only ended up with two cockerels. But….that also means I ended up with two cockerels. I know many of you have multiple roosters without any major issues. And with 31 hens/pullets I think I am ok as far as rooster-to-hen ratio. I have read many helpful articles and posts on this site over the past three years. But I definitely still have some questions and concerns. I know y’all will most likely have several different opinions on things, but here is what I would like some advice on.

First of all, I have one full size (Chocolate Orpington) and one bantam (silkie) cockerel. If I continue to keep everyone as part of the same
flock, how much risk is there of the full size rooster hurting the bantam hens? Especially the Sebright and Duccle, since they will be small even for a bantam. We really don’t want to have to split the flock. Of course we will if we start having too many issues, but it definitely wouldn’t be the easiest thing to do.

How do you decide when it is just “hormonal idiot phase” and when it is a bad rooster? I know we will have to draw the line if one or both of them become people aggressive. I am hoping we will be lucky since both breeds are know for fairly even-tempered roos, but obviously there can always be exceptions. What other things do we really need to watch it for? So far Nestle, the Orpington, is fairly calm and backs down pretty quickly with both us and all the girls. He is 13 weeks old, and has been crowing for a few weeks but we haven’t seen him try to tidbit, dance, or breed yet. Cotton, the silkie, is another matter altogether. He is 12 weeks old, started crowing a week or so after Nestle, isn’t tidbittng or dancing yet, but has been caught trying to breed a few times. Every time I catch him it is with one of the Cochin bantams. They are still only 13 weeks old, are not interested, and squeal pretty loudly. But he does not back down and I have to go knock him off of them. After which I pick him up and tote him around under my arm for a while. I also have caught him pecking at the other young ones on occasion, including the Lavender Orps who are only 7 weeks old. That also earns him some well placed “pecks” from me or my husband and some more time getting hauled around under our arm.

We have handled both the boys almost every day since we got them. And as it became apparent they were males it has been much less “cuddly/affectionate” and more about establishing who is in charge and that we decide when they will be held and whether or not they get any treats.

Another concern I have with there being two males is the space we have them all in. The coop is 10’ X 12’, with 20’ of upper roost and about 10’ of lower roost, which has mainly been used as a way to get to the higher one. We have also added some wider shelf areas to the upper roost, and a large “silkie/bantam” shelf at the end of the lower one. There are at least two waterers and two feeders in the coop, and a little bit of clutter.

The coop is open every day, and the run is about 16’ x 50’. There is another feeder and several water sources out there, and some more clutter. I know that compared to where some chickens live that is a lot of space. But am worried it will be a little small with 33 chickens that include two cockerels/roosters.

Thought? Suggestions?

Space Space space! If you need another coop, build one for the little ones.roosters will be roosters, unless you are willing too spend the time necessary to train your Roos, like i do.

 

[featherhead007]

Space Space space! If you need another coop, build one for the little ones.roosters will be roosters, unless you are willing too spend the time necessary to train your Roos, like i do.

Ps I pray that you’re in a high area. That Texas flooding is no joke, hundreds of people have died because of flooding.