Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Tis the way of the chicken. Same issues here. Bossy pants Raven keeps the chickies away from me.

Meanwhile Mr LC got the stuffing beat out of him by Twister tonight - he tried to breed her and she turned around the grabbed him and threw him off. Then she stalked him down and beat the crap out of him. Of course he runs to me for protection haha. Nope sorry buddy you deserved that!

I checked him over when I put Twister away in the Hen House. He’s ok.

Poor Mr LC. Branch got his butt handed to him a few times and he ran to me for help. It is so hard not to intervene. Next to impossible if it is your favorite boy and he comes running to his momma. I know I am going to need my hands tied behind my back when I give Julio permanent free ranging privileges. I can already tell from 2 short meetings he is going to need a beating or two. I'm praying he is smart enough if he runs to me he flies up on my shoulder so I can save him without intervening so to speak.

 

[Lilion]

I just gotta see a pic of a Shepherddoxiepoo!

BTW ~ I'm 80 so if I haven't reached that age yet, then when?

You have! My baby is well documented.

It's hard to get good pics of her, but this one shows her short-longness. LOL

As for the lack of whiskers...good genes. Truthfully, I'm not hairy either...yet. Knock wood.

Once she gets past 2 she will slow down, my silkies have this year, and I noticed my other hens who are over 2 now, slowing down.

Maybe that's why she's skipping days now? Or maybe it's that time of year? I hope maybe she'll finally moult!

Picture for dog talk tax.

 

[Sylvester017]

I did my utmost to remove the “bad behavior from society” just seems like a hopeless attempt. The crime rate has been on increase for years now.

Increased population = increased crime. In my police days (1960's) we needed only 6 units/1 officer per unit each shift change. 20 years later the city tripled the units w/TWO officers per unit per shift. The crimes became numerous with increased population.

More blue eyes

 

[Sylvester017]

Dakota has been doing it again. She chases away all the younger chooks even the roosters. She will guard treats and not let them have any. Then she wants in the house. (Nothing special in the house) but she likes eating the chick feed I keep inside. I’m frustrated. I want to be close to the newer ones so they can be more comfortable and friendly.

Frustrating for sure.

An all-hen flock/no roo needs a lead hen to fill in for a roo's job. In our all-hen flock our 7-yr-old Dana makes it clear she wants to be alpha hen. She's not vicious but she does have a jealous streak demanding to be given first treats, first attention, first priority in all things. Just like w/roo's we give her the attention or the treats first & then SHE decides when to back off & let the others get their turns. When she gets our respect as alpha she is kinder to the flock leaving them plenty of opportunities to get their turns at attention or treats.

The rest of the birds have their own secondary hierarchies established within the flock. We try not to interfere in their politics.

 

[Sylvester017]

View attachment 3941840
I don’t know why they love this bush so much. They have ~1/4 acre of woods but they have only managed to explore 25% of it in the past 5 weeks of unsupervised free ranging. What spoiled brats

Noticed your birds are not only under a shady bush but near your brick wall too. Our birds like to stay under the Pomegranate trees at our backyard block wall too. They know the safest places to relax.

 

[Sylvester017]

Speaking of lights::::
I should get a lamp like this one for my office:::View attachment 3941844

I do appreciate humor but unfortunately this lamp sadly keeps reminding DH & me of the large blackish egg stuck on the vent of our Silkie who had the bleeding ovarian tumor still stuck to the egg. We had to put the sweetie down at the vet or else watch her slowly bleed to death.

Seeing a bleeding chicken brings back the trauma of slaughter/processing day on my folks' farm when I was a kid. I am just too sensitive I guess, altho DH was quite disturbed too about losing our sweet Silkie "Mini".

 

[Sylvester017]

You have! My baby is well documented. View attachment 3941847View attachment 3941848

It's hard to get good pics of her, but this one shows her short-longness. LOL

As for the lack of whiskers...good genes. Truthfully, I'm not hairy either...yet. Knock wood.


Maybe that's why she's skipping days now? Or maybe it's that time of year? I hope maybe she'll finally moult!

Picture for dog talk tax.View attachment 3941850

Ellie is a real cutie! She could almost pass as a full long-haired dachshund ~ love her face

 

[Ponypoor]

I consider chickens to be selectively intelligent. They can be smart but only when it makes your life harder or annoys you

Yes true!

 

[Ponypoor]

I do appreciate humor but unfortunately this lamp sadly keeps reminding DH & me of the large blackish egg stuck on the vent of our Silkie who had the bleeding ovarian tumor still stuck to the egg. We had to put the sweetie down at the vet or else watch her slowly bleed to death.

Seeing a bleeding chicken brings back the trauma of slaughter/processing day on my folks' farm when I was a kid. I am just too sensitive I guess, altho DH was quite disturbed too about losing our sweet Silkie "Mini".
View attachment 3941909

So sad, but I am glad she had you as caring Hoomans to help ease her way passing.

She was such a lovely hen.

 

[Ponypoor]

Vent sexing is not 100% reliable as what you are looking for is so tiny. Honestly I would not be comfortable doing it. With the Marans and Maran crosses truth be told I had a fairly good idea what I had by 3 weeks. 1 problem with that though is people wanted day old prices for 3 to 4 week old pullets and complained if the price went up. I really think I am leaning towards focusing on silkies. I could have sold all 6 the day they hatched. I still could sell them all unsexed if I want. I do not want to and have had to tell several people no. Silkies move and move fast. People may wish for pullets but are willing to take the chances of getting a rooster or two. With my history of producing mostly boys for me that is a plus. I love my marans and my big stock hens and will keep them. I just do not think I will keep breeding or selling hatching eggs of those.

Same here with silkies. But no one wants to pay the prices - they want to get them free or for ‘$5’ - we don’t have a huge market for anything here.

If Clyde becomes a menace and I need to rehome him I will likely just have him humanely euthanized. People definitely don’t want grown Roos.

The dark seamy side of having poultry- what to do with Roos.