Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

'enhanced Rhodies', probably. Most of them are these days unless you find someone who has 'heritage RIR'. Though there are a few with some lighter feathers as variations. The second chick has way too much blonde, though - but again, I would like to see them after their last juvenile molt, as colors/intensity can change quite a bit now through then.

“I don’t ever change, my daddy loves me just the way I am!”

 

[featherhead007]

Coco made it up to her perch when I put the biggies to bed.
She used to perch with the other Rockettes, but she’s by herself tonight.

 

[Sylvester017]

They grow pretty well in Montana....including the jeans piercing thorns....as I learned the hard way...View attachment 4100644

OUCH!

 

[Sylvester017]

I will be needing a new bigger barn….

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-livestock/barrie/purebred-silver-deathlayer-rooster/1714842942

What a handsome boy! I want some eggs to hatch under Sophia if she goes broody

I cannot believe all the breeds of chicken here now! It’s an explosion of breeds! And I found Spitzhauben!!! And dark Brahma! On a farm not farm from here. Straight run though. And those Deathlayers! Gorgeous.



Next yr maybe look into this.

My experience has been grab it when you see it cuz it might not be there when you go back later ~ especially if it's rare. That's how I lost out on BBS Breda who are nowhere to be found here now.

 

[Sylvester017]

“I don’t ever change, my daddy loves me just the way I am!”

View attachment 4100730

Pretty lady

 

[Sylvester017]

As DH has been adding plants to our 2nd raised garden bed the flock has been circling the netted bed like vultures... worms, green leaves, veggie blossoms, butterflies, watered soil...just wait, girls, all these veggies will be for you eventually...

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Incubation update.

I have spent the day trying to correct a mistake I made last night. I forgot that when I add in the eggs my humidity always jumps up about 10 to 12 percent every single time. My target humidity at this stage is between 45% to 50% at the highest.

What I should have done yesterday was leave the humidity alone until I added the eggs. Nope, not me, I tinkered with it all afternoon until I got it to hold stable at a "perfect" 48%. I woke up this morning to it holding stable at a lovely 60%. Finally I have it back down to a stable 46%.

While this was a error on my part, if I am going to have a mishap the first 24 hours is the time to have it happen. This should not affect the eggs at all at this point. I am upset with myself though. I knew this, I have used this incubator going into my 5th year now. I figured this out after the very first time I used it.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I mentioned last night when I set the eggs that I did not have any broody girls as Poppet had snapped out of it. I do suspect that Goose and Spooky are thinking about going broody. Imagine my surprise this evening when I now have 2 very angry broody girls, neither of which are Goose or Spooky.

Angry broody #1 is Flurry the cochin, at least I think it is Flurry. Her big butt is smooshed in the nest box between the stalls that is everyone's favorite and she had 8 eggs under her. I removed the eggs and left her in the box. I will double check tomorrow to make sure it is Flurry, if so she will probably be broke. Flurry is unproven and one of my 2 egg eaters. Her sister Gryffyn who while also is a egg eater has been proven to sit and hatch and not eat her eggs.

Broody #2 greeted me as a shrieking devil when I went into the silkie pen. Little Miss Reba one of the pullets was hoarding all 4 of today's silkie eggs under her in the 2nd tier of the cabinet nest box. I escaped violence with Flurry, the same cannot be said with Reba. She pecked me several times. I then removed her from the box to see which hen it was and when I set her down she flogged me for good measure before returning to her empty box.

Now I have some decisions to make. I really do not need any silkie broodies right now for at least 2 months. I will not encourage Reba and try to break her. I may or may not be successful time will tell. If Reba is still broody when the chicks in the incubator hatch I could attempt to foster chicks on her. Flurry, if it is Flurry might be a option to test out if she can resist eating eggs while broody. For the first time in her life she has chosen a suitable location to incubate in. Of course it is everyone's favorite box, why would it not be? I can easily block the entrance to keep everyone away from her if I give her eggs. I can also gather tomorrow's silkie eggs and add to today's four and see what happens. I could also let her attempt to hatch some of the big girls eggs.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[rural mouse]

I mentioned last night when I set the eggs that I did not have any broody girls as Poppet had snapped out of it. I do suspect that Goose and Spooky are thinking about going broody. Imagine my surprise this evening when I now have 2 very angry broody girls, neither of which are Goose or Spooky.

Angry broody #1 is Flurry the cochin, at least I think it is Flurry. Her big butt is smooshed in the nest box between the stalls that is everyone's favorite and she had 8 eggs under her. I removed the eggs and left her in the box. I will double check tomorrow to make sure it is Flurry, if so she will probably be broke. Flurry is unproven and one of my 2 egg eaters. Her sister Gryffyn who while also is a egg eater has been proven to sit and hatch and not eat her eggs.

Broody #2 greeted me as a shrieking devil when I went into the silkie pen. Little Miss Reba one of the pullets was hoarding all 4 of today's silkie eggs under her in the 2nd tier of the cabinet nest box. I escaped violence with Flurry, the same cannot be said with Reba. She pecked me several times. I then removed her from the box to see which hen it was and when I set her down she flogged me for good measure before returning to her empty box.

Now I have some decisions to make. I really do not need any silkie broodies right now for at least 2 months. I will not encourage Reba and try to break her. I may or may not be successful time will tell. If Reba is still broody when the chicks in the incubator hatch I could attempt to foster chicks on her. Flurry, if it is Flurry might be a option to test out if she can resist eating eggs while broody. For the first time in her life she has chosen a suitable location to incubate in. Of course it is everyone's favorite box, why would it not be? I can easily block the entrance to keep everyone away from her if I give her eggs. I can also gather tomorrow's silkie eggs and add to today's four and see what happens. I could also let her attempt to hatch some of the big girls eggs.

Decisions, decisions.

FWIW, with today's chick scarcity, you could test both girls and have homes for chicks the moment they hatch if mamas prove to be good incubators and terrible mothers.

A regular customer at work has a friend/family member/neighbor (not sure which)who wants chicks and is getting pissy due to the farm store selling out so fast. If I had an incubator/broody hatching, I could have chivks placed so fast it's not funny. I told the customer that I had no way of telling gender. Dunno how that will go.

Coop news, I have a new nest spot in the coop: just in front of the end door to the kennel cage. Now if one of the ladies would go broody there, I'd be willing to try moving her into the cage to keep the rest off the nest.

Lark was in a nest box at coop close the other night, with eggs....and not the next morning....and out and about all day...she would shock me. Currently none showing broody thoughts.

 

[RoyalChick]

Gosh all these chickies - making it hard for me people!

Today I just told Sophia if she went broody again I would give her eggs! Bad Kelly.

Of course you did!