Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

ShraView attachment 3965318Twirp moved...at just the right time....she's not actually headless.

I thought it was an alligator

 

[bgmathteach]

How are those goslings doing? Gosh they must be pretty near full grown

Yes, they are. The female is now fully integrated with the adults and accepted - the 2 males mostly are - but Sampson puts them in line at times.

Spoiler: Not all will want to read this

The two male goslings will go to fereezer camp next weekend. Would have been this weekend, but hubby worked Sat, and Sunday & today it rained.

 

[bgmathteach]

I just had an old guy tell me that it isn't the light so much as warmth. He said his parents build a brick chicken coop with a wall mounted heat source (not always a heat lamp) when he was growing up. Time wise, I'm guessing 1950s ish.

The idea was having a place the hen felt comfortable and was warmer than outside by a noticeable amount. Never run across this before as "everyone" says it's the amount of daylight. But they also say hens won't/can't lay in the dark and @Ponypoor can attest that infra-red is enough light for them to see by. This is an interesting thought, and now I want to try testing it.....

Figuring out how to work that is going to be the challenge. Wonder if I can figure out how to mount those heating pads from the ceiling of the lower nest boxes so they warm both the bottom and top at the same time....

The first year I had chickens (well, second winter - first batch were 18 mos. old), I put lights in the coop, and they laid throughout the winter - then I read about how bad it is for them to not get a break, and I have not since. Those 18 month olds laid much more productively than any other 18 month old. batch I have ever had. So, it is an unscientific study as it was one group (mixed breeds like now - 2 EE, 3 BR, a Partridge Rock, 2 Light Brahmas).

I will say milder winters they lay better...but that is with the caveat that on really cold snaps, they stop or slow down. In moderate cold, my lighter weight girls stop...my heavies keep laying like nothing going on weather wise. I find my 'newbies' lay through the winter if they already started laying. Girls that have molted - depends on age and breed if they atart up again. Older girls, nope, 18 y.o., usually do - but at a slower rate, and again, depends on weather and their body weight. Just like my really heavy girls don't like the heat and during heat waves, stop laying - others might slow a bit, but don't stop in a heat wave.

That has been my experience. Again, unscientific...but I'm pretty confident that light has something to do with it...and also temperature 'stress' impacts lay, just like any stress does.. (i.e. heavy girls in the heat - 'my heat' in the Northeast - and lighter girls in the cold it affects their rate of lay.)

 

[featherhead007]

Mine usually are after the calcium to start with. Once it's cracked open, it's a free for all, but the shell is prized. She might be needing some oyster shell.

I have oyster shell sprinkled all around the yard

 

[featherhead007]

Mr P has been picked at again on his rump. And soaked with blood yet again. Those rootin toottin hens.

I cleaned him up the best I could, and sprayed him with some Alu-spray, and his topknot with some Blu-Kote.

That’s it - that.is.it. He is no longer allowed to go out with any of the hens except his original gals. At least until spring. Poor Mr P

He can’t tell the difference between the good ladies and the beyathches! Poor Mr. P. Just trying to be a good rooster.

 

[Ponypoor]

He can’t tell the difference between the good ladies and the beyathches! Poor Mr. P. Just trying to be a good rooster.

He just won’t chastise them. He really needs to chase them off but he won’t.

Thus, he gets to stay away from them until he is fully feathered.

 

[bgmathteach]

OMG George is going to be the death of me. I am going to have to spend every waking moment saving him from himself. Today he went after the neighbors basset mix. Banjo is a good boy, when he is let out to play with the kids he gets the zoomies and runs around like a maniac. He occasionally cuts into our yard but he has never in 4 years looked twice at the chickens. I'm out with the chickens and have all the chicks gathered around me by the building. Here comes Banjo zooming through the yard and George flogs him and chases him out of the yard. Banjo's owner was laughing so hard she had tears rolling down her face. She loves George and calls him a little punk rocker chick. I've never had a young Cockerel this crazy, it has to be a polish thing.

I am seeing a pattern here. George has went after the cats, Russ and now Banjo when I am outside with them. Once again after he "protected" me from some danger he came running back and fell asleep in my lap. For me personally this is a new cockerel behavior that I have not dealt with. Going foreword I do not know how to interpret the behavior. Am I going to have a Tiny Terror on my hands?

It may get better once he has female CHICKENS to mate with/look after - as opposed to his human mum. Give him another month or two -to get all hormonie and chasing the girls instead f perceived threats...and REALLY needs to start protecting them.

I have to say - it is awful sweet he is so protective of you from threats (real or imagined). I still haven't gotten the image of him attacking and hanging onto Russ's tail out of my mind yet!

 

[SimpleJenn]

Could be an interesting cross: all blue or tolbunt with blue replacing the black....

Oooo flashy!! Can’t wait!

You KNOW I want to see these now.

He just won’t chastise them. He really needs to chase them off but he won’t.

Thus, he gets to stay away from them until he is fully feathered.

He's just so chivalrous

 

[Ponypoor]

It may get better once he has female CHICKENS to mate with/look after - as opposed to his human mum. Give him another month or two -to get all hormonie and chasing the girls instead f perceived threats...and REALLY needs to start protecting them.

I have to say - it is awful sweet he is so protective of you from threats (real or imagined). I still haven't gotten the image of him attacking and hanging onto Russ's tail out of my mind yet!

I had an image of Russ swishing his tail and George going flying!

Clyde is my wee little man, he is such a cutie, when I call him he come running and dances for me and snuggles up. What a little turnip. Mr LC has decided he doesn’t like me anymore, he likes the hens better haha. That’s ok, I want him to be a lookout for them.

I have seen Clyde trying to breed the hens but they have no time for him. Today he go into a brawl with Sue and let me tell you, for a silkie he has some serious ninja chicken moves! And he can leap over top of her no problem! Oh he’s a brat!

 

[SimpleJenn]

Poor Bab got caught out in the dark. She's now tuckered in with her friends. I'll need to split the new coops up soon. Getting pretty crowded in there.

Gorgeous moon rise tonight