Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

Read the breed characteristics. Polish never go broody.

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Same with Faverolles apparently!

 

[LozzyR]

And I read this as "Ziggy doesn't appear to have fluffy butt, ..."

This is hilarious! I didn’t even think of that! And I can definitively say that I’ve never inspected Ziggy’s butt to determine its fluffiness, but I suspect it’s more fuzzy than fluffy.

 

[RoyalChick]

Today is an appropriate day to talk about our new chicks because two out of four got adopted this morning.

This April my friend who also has chickens (Let's call her W) wanted eggs from our chickens to hatch. W was particularly interested in Inky's eggs. So I had been collecting eggs for her. When Foggy was rehomed on April 17th, we decided that we want some of his babies too! So I gave her 17 eggs and she started her incubator on April 24. Some of the eggs were collected after Foggy's departure but I know the eggs can remain fertile for a while.

Foggy is Rhode Island Blue, which is a cross between Australorp and RIR. Out of these 17 eggs, 15 hatched and thrived! Interestingly enough, the only two eggs (one is not fertile, one developed but never hatched) that did not make it are the only two eggs from golden comets. In fact, they are all from Light since she is my husband's favorite. Is there some theory behind this?

So we took 4 chicks (In fact, we took three eggs that was zipping and one hatched chick from W two days later, but this is another story). We already knew that we will have to rehome the boys and we were hoping that at least two were girls. They were hatched on May 15th and May 16th.

Jumbo (top left), Foxy (top right), Coco
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1. Foxy (daughter of Tina). Foxy behaved like Foggy as a baby and was really really sweet, adventurous and brave. Hubby really likes her but was certain Foxy was a roo. But we named the "roo" Foxy anyway. Today she remains super sweet and inquisitive. She is going to challenge Ginger's crown.
Notice her tail is gray lavender, not black like a true RIR.
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2. Coco (son of Inky, rehomed today). Lazy and sweet boy. Not like his father as a baby. Since Inky is also RIR X Australorp, I think it makes sense that they can produce an Australorp roo?? He is a pretty boy with a purple sheen.
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3. Jumbo (son of Wendy, rehomed today). Right out of the shell he was huge (Wendy always lay huge eggs). He also had a visible comb and big feet. I remember Rebecca mentioned this is a good sign of a boy, which is why I went to W's place and got a 4th baby. GOOD THING I did. This past week he has been crowing in the morning already, but really really funny and pathetic. He is not like his father either.
@Ponypoor This is the mutt that I mentioned looks like one of your chickens. Sorry forgot her name.
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4. Meimei (daughter of Tina or Wendy, she was hatched at W's place and W wasn't sure...)
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So our chicken math works out to be 8-1+4-2 = 9. We have 9 sweeties now! I really wish I could see how Jumbo or Coco would turn out. My dream is to move to more rural area one day and surrounded by farmers...

Adorable. I love Foxy’s tail!

 

[GregnLety]

Went to Kathy's house yesterday and did some work. New circuit breaker in her main panel, rewired her dryer receptacle, cleaned out old cabling from past providers, and trimmed the trees in her front yard. I find it very rewarding to work alongside my daughter. She's smart and does her own repairs. Highlight of my day was dinner with both kids and my granddaughter. Anna was a little cranky in the pic below but I had her smiling later as we conspired to have her mom bring her to my house more often. Of course I promise to cook her favorite foods, playtime with the animals and fishing.

 

[lightm]

There is a reason the wood is those measurements when it's milled

Here is an egg-cellent article on the lumber industry

http://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/issues/45/nominal-versus-actual-a-history-of-the-2x4

Tax

BFTP Henny Penny and her chicks from last October

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Thanks for the article.

 

[GregnLety]

If there is a way to get rid of the hornets without destroying the nest I would. Then I would gently remove the nest and hang it somewhere. For me this would be my porch where wasps and yellow jackets like to congregate. My porch used to be terrible, but this spring we used a paper bag and crumpled it up into the shape of a hornets nest and hung it up. For the first time in 20 years we have not had a single wasp or yellow jacket visit the porch. Hornets eat them, so they thing the paper bag is a hornets nest and stay far away. Now if you are going to continue to chuck rocks at the nest you need someone parked close by with a camera rolling. Eventually you will be chased by the angry things. Might as well get it on film and send it in to america's funniest home video's.

Good point. In my younger days I was burning out a nest of yellow jackets as soon as I lit the fire I took off running. I hadn't made it far when I stepped in another nest and they got me good. Dozens of stings all over me. I ran straight in the shower and finally got them off me. No one was home so I walked a quarter mile to the nearest neighbor. Fortunately the daughter was a nurse and loaded me up on antihistamines before I went into shock.

 

[lightm]

Holy Dinah

I thought she was going to pitch head first onto the ground!!! Is this normal - does anyone else see this with their sleeping chickens??

Yes I've seen my new babies do that. Looks so uncomfortable but I guess it is normal.

 

[BY Bob]

She is looking very good, be careful when trimming that all the feathers are older ones, as in not still growing. A few times when trimming to tear an injury or cleaning up the bum feathers on the less cleanly meat girls I’ve clipped one that has bled. For Mrs Bob’s sake and Gucci’s future vision and haircuts… please be very, very careful. (It probably wouldn’t be too bad Heath wise, but you would never get near her with scissors again.

I did cut one that bled but Mrs BY Bob did not see it thankfully.

 

[rural mouse]

He is a standard, but the owner stated he is thin... Whatever that means!

Worth a look I guess.... Apparently his name is Pom Pom...

You could change that. And getting him could get you your own version of Nardole the Brave!

 

[lightm]

She passed. I'm thankful she was unconscious most of the time and I hope she finds the Cherry tree that bears cherries forever.
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I am so sorry Manue.