Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

You will never see that much color difference in one hen, the base color will always be the same, Bob is quite correct in that. One thing to clarify though, you can sometimes see slightly different shades of color from the same hen. I’ve noticed it especially in the green range, and with my blue layers and slightly less in my Marans and “regular brown” layers.

Because green is a brownish layering over a blue based egg and the depth of the brown color can sometimes vary throughout the laying cycle, getting paler towards the end and having the deepest color at the beginning of a laying cycle. My blue layers also faded from a fairly bright blue when they first started laying, to a super pale, almost white blue right before they molted. I’m looking forward to seeing if some of that color returns when they start laying again.

You can also get some color changes with health and shell issues. I was getting pink eggs from one of my Isbars. She is supposed to lay a green egg, but was having laying issues and heath concerns/not thriving right from her hatch. She was producing only occasionally, and shell-less or very thin-shelled pinkish eggs for most of her first laying year, despite eating layer feed, with supplemental calcium free choice, and human calcium tablets ground and cooked into eggs as a special treat. Since her molt she has been doing much better and is now producing a light green egg, but still quite infrequently.

Essentially there are two colors of egg shells Blue and White, and everything else is a coating of brown over top. If you pick up a warm, sticky, freshly-laid brown or green egg you can sometimes leave finger smudges in that coating... or see where your chicken tried to play football with it or eat it, and find a bunch of dried on scratch marks in the color...

@Kris5902 is correct. Pigment not only fades over the year but also the life of the hen. My Patsy was a Maran and they lay dark brown eggs Patsy's last eggs were pretty faded. So much that at first glance I almost mistook them for my orpington's.

 

[Kris5902]

@BY Bob If you don’t mind my asking... about how old was Patsy when she passed? (I still get a little teary-eyed thinking of her and seeing her in photos) @Shadrach has Marans as well and has mentioned before about the huge difference in the life expectancy of hens in some Parts of Europe compared to North America. Where many people here are losing hens and expecting “retirement age” to set in between 2-5 years, some people there have 8+ year old hens in their flocks. I want my girls to have long happy lives as well, which is why I’m leaning to breeds like Marans and crosses over the more popular super-high-production hybrids. Just wondering if there’s a big difference between the Marans we have here and there... and I’m sure husbandry and care has a big impact on that as well, and your girls are loved and pampered to bits (just like they deserve to be!)

 

[Shadrach]

@BY Bob If you don’t mind my asking... about how old was Patsy when she passed? (I still get a little teary-eyed thinking of her and seeing her in photos) @Shadrach has Marans as well and has mentioned before about the huge difference in the life expectancy of hens in some Parts of Europe compared to North America. Where many people here are losing hens and expecting “retirement age” to set in between 2-5 years, some people there have 8+ year old hens in their flocks. I want my girls to have long happy lives as well, which is why I’m leaning to breeds like Marans and crosses over the more popular super-high-production hybrids. Just wondering if there’s a big difference between the Marans we have here and there... and I’m sure husbandry and care has a big impact on that as well, and your girls are loved and pampered to bits (just like they deserve to be!)

The eldest chicken I know of here is 14 years old. He's a rooster and lives in a local town.
He wanders about the garden and has two hens to keep him company.
The eldest here is Fat Bird. She'll be 10 next year.
My elder sister holds the current old age record of people I know, with a hen that died a couple of years ago at 16. All her chickens are free range.
None of the chickens here or those on this mountain, or even in this region of Spain afaik are hatchery birds and that I believe is what makes the difference.
It is practicably unprovable but if you want long lived hens, don't buy hatchery birds, don't buy from US breeders unless they can provide a provenance sheet with their birds and don't buy high production breeds.
Imo the hatcheries are no better than the egg and meat industry.

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob If you don’t mind my asking... about how old was Patsy when she passed? (I still get a little teary-eyed thinking of her and seeing her in photos) @Shadrach has Marans as well and has mentioned before about the huge difference in the life expectancy of hens in some Parts of Europe compared to North America. Where many people here are losing hens and expecting “retirement age” to set in between 2-5 years, some people there have 8+ year old hens in their flocks. I want my girls to have long happy lives as well, which is why I’m leaning to breeds like Marans and crosses over the more popular super-high-production hybrids. Just wondering if there’s a big difference between the Marans we have here and there... and I’m sure husbandry and care has a big impact on that as well, and your girls are loved and pampered to bits (just like they deserve to be!)

@Kris5902 I wish I knew her exact age. She had to be at least 6 but could be older. She had stopped laying in any reliable way for nearly a year. I think I got a couple of eggs from her in the spring.

We rescued Patsy and Lilly from living under someone's porch. I don't know how old she was when I got her. I'm sorry I can't help more. It is one of the reasons I always felt like I needed to make this part of their lives special.

 

[BY Bob]

It Works

@MaryJanet It works! I needed a reminder last night. Thanks!

 

[BY Bob]

Think Cool Thoughts

I thought those of you dealing with extreme heat might enjoy a slightly cooler photo. The deck yesterday.

 

[MaryJanet]

It Works

@MaryJanet It works! I needed a reminder last night. Thanks!
View attachment 1984934

I'm so glad! I know what it's like to be so focussed on work the rest of life falls away. I've achieved many adaptations in my behaviour with reminders - most recently under promising so I can over-deliver, and most importantly my physio back stretches.

 

[MaryJanet]

Think Cool Thoughts

I thought those of you dealing with extreme heat might enjoy a slightly cooler photo. The deck yesterday.

View attachment 1984935

Perfect!

 

[Kris5902]

@Kris5902 I wish I knew her exact age. She had to be at least 6 but could be older. She had stopped laying in any reliable way for nearly a year. I think I got a couple of eggs from her in the spring.

We rescued Patsy and Lilly from living under someone's porch. I don't know how old she was when I got her. I'm sorry I can't help more. It is one of the reasons I always felt like I needed to make this part of their lives special.

That’s a good while by many “standards” here, and her years with you were clearly wonderful. All animals can understand affection and caring I am certain of it. She clearly loves you back and was a happy hen. Hugs (emoji button has disappeared for me)

 

[BY Bob]

That’s a good while by many “standards” here, and her years with you were clearly wonderful. All animals can understand affection and caring I am certain of it. She clearly loves you back and was a happy hen. Hugs (emoji button has disappeared for me)

Seeing where she came from I have always felt blessed to be able to give her some good years. God willing Lilly will have many more.