Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[AfiafiAfi]

I'm definitely not a expert, but that particular egg I don't think was fertile. But, you have a rooster so it's safe to assume he is doing his job. And here is the thing, not every egg she lays is going to be fertile. My boys do their job quite well, Basil is very busy with the girls that are currently laying. I'm not saving any eggs for incubation right now but I still look every time I crack a egg, about 80% have been fertile. I'm happy with that number as Basil is new to this and a young cockerel, and there are only 5 hens laying. I pulled this image off the web for you, it shows you the bullseye I'm talking about when I look at the yolks. I just did not see that on the egg yolk you pictured.
View attachment 2862187

Oh,I’m sorry I didn’t mean to say ur not an expert.um I guess im just gonna have to wait.Lilly laid 16 eggs in total by now I put on in my incubator.I will update the results 3 days later

 

[AfiafiAfi]

Does he dance too?

Oh he loves dancing( and cuddling)and training!well he gets mad when I do the ‘Lyle jiggly Joop’

 

[AfiafiAfi]

I bought a pumpkin for the chooks, but now, how do I serve it to them?

What do u mean?carve out creepy eyes and mouth and voila!
Place it infront of their coop.They won’t only not try to investigate it,they will want to stay 40 chicken feet away from it.

 

[AfiafiAfi]

Ok. Ice cream then.

No chickens like the sort of um…..(I made some… some cream thing Lilly and Era’s favourite.)

The lonely bowl.
INGREDIENTS
Water
Vanilla essence
Milk
Mix of feed
Cabbage powder
Chiocolate syrup
Seeds
And the rest of the feed dumped in
And mixed to reveal Afi’s special something.



P.s they didn’t um like it much I guess.that’s why they stayed away from that?….ok I admit it.it’s been here since September 8th and I thought they would still like it?Oh never mind they’ll love it!

 

[LozzyR]

Hazel update, she has not acted "off" as she did a few days ago and I'm encouraged that maybe that was the low point. I saw her poop a normal poop yesterday, which I collected to try a fecal float, but most of her poops are still quite watery. Color looks normal but it's just very loose. I gave her a short once over and saw nothing yesterday but will look more carefully again soon, with gigs and a funeral and things this weekend has been busy. Today she was digging next to Peanut who was dirt bathing in a hole in their uncovered netted run, then next I looked she was bathing too, & thought that was another good sign.

She is bones and feathers, but not quite so picky about foods and not so standoffish when out foraging, she is getting in the middle of things and eating. Today I snuck her about a tablespoon of cooked hamburger bits which she liked, and everyone got a bit of some too, and cooked medium-grain brown rice which was a big hit. Later they cleared the bowls of brussel sprout trimmings chopped up, and some crumbled cornbread.

Hugs CB, you’ve got a lot on.

 

[LozzyR]

It’s windy and cold up here, too, Alex! When I got home from work to leg tge girls free range, they were too scared of the wind to venture very far from the coop and run.

Does anyone’s chooks get particularly vocal when it’s really windy? Mine seem to, although it’s anecdotal.

 

[RoyalChick]

What do u mean?carve out creepy eyes and mouth and voila!
Place it infront of their coop.They won’t only not try to investigate it,they will want to stay 40 chicken feet away from it.

Mine were frightened the first time they saw one and it didn't even have a scary face carved out!

 

[featherhead007]

Excellent! Do you make it yourself?

No. I buy it in town (When I’m in town)

 

[rural mouse]

Does anyone’s chooks get particularly vocal when it’s really windy? Mine seem to, although it’s anecdotal.

Not that I've noticed...they're more inclined to do the unhappy croon when the weather turns to steady snow/rain. Wind they just ignore or settle into the lee side of something.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Oh yes, I know that about hawks. Last time I was chasing it, yelling with my hands waving in the air and it still went after the chickens. It was when I told Lexi to “get it!” that she bolted for it and the hawk flew off. Hawks can dive bomb their prey in open areas and stun or injure them, then start eating them alive. Brutal predators!

I have never heard that about bald eagles. I know they are considered fishing birds, but have seen with my own eyes one carrying some sort of plump mammal; I thought it must have been a rabbit, but could not tell for sure. Why not a chicken?

Could have been a muskrat. Maybe they would take a chick or a young small pullet, or bantam pullet or baby rabbit. I doubt they can, or want to, lift more than 2-3lbs but I don't know the facts there. They will stand next to carcasses and eat. But they are not bold or particularly fierce and don't like harassment. Crows and Ravens can chase them off a dead deer (the local Audubon group puts out roadkill in fields for them), a Red-Tail hawk can do it too just with it's ferocity (seen it on video). A Golden Eagle on the other hand will prey on and take down a Bald Eagle. It is bigger, yes, but it has more predator heart to it than Bald Eagles do.