Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

Just who’s job is it, to package this stuff up?
.
.
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Hopefully someone who gets paid a lot!

 

[BY Bob]

I’m taking her to the airport. She’s not passing this thing (she shouldn’t be laying eggs anymore anyways) I will update, when I get back.

Fly safe.

 

[RoyalChick]

MJ commented on our minds being similar just the other day. I hope you take that as a compliment. I know I do.

Are you kidding? I am totally honored - though far from confident that I can live up to that expectation!

 

[BY Bob]

An attempt to get comb closeups of everyone today, and this is the only one that came out. Hazel's comb is a duskier red than the others, which seem more pink. Maybe it's fine. But here's Peanut for now.
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But! In other news, Hazel started eating their feed - Feather Fixer pellets - today! Saw her this morning at the feeder, she was there a while. Yay!

She is coming around. That is great news!

 

[LozzyR]

Oh that's a nice anecdote! Funny little hen it's so funny how they run with their prize held way up high!

I love it when they all run around together in a circle, it's hilarious!

 

[BY Bob]

Her comb is a bit closer to Hattie's right now. Maggie and Diana are both molting and have full red combs. I am not 100% sure Dotty is molting yet.

It seems that it could all be molt related. I hope that is what is going on.

 

[BY Bob]

Separated at birth I tells ya!

I definitely have a brother I would trade in for RC.

 

[BY Bob]

Hopefully someone who gets paid a lot!

I can say that I did not get paid well. Rather I did it for a place to sleep and 3 square meals.

 

[RoyalChick]

I definitely have a brother I would trade in for RC.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Nope - oxalis is wood sorrel which is known to be loved by chickens. I knew that but did not realize that it had tubers and that they are the yummy part.
I just looked it up and apparently they are good for people too.
Feels like we should all be growing it!

I hope not because they looooove it.

The hens eat the leaves too but apparently the tubers are exquisite and worthy of high pitched squeaking and running off with one in your beak so your friends can't get any of it.

It grows wild all over this property and the chickens love it. Here is Ruby on a hill of it back when she was Adventure Girl.
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Yep. And in full or partial sun. Just not when it gets super hot and dry.
Here it is in bloom in March. This is behind the chicken run, under the walnut tree, toward what used to be Poison Oak Forest.
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Yes. In my experience hens are the most successful way to eradicate it because the bulbs are so numerous and easily break off during weeding. I haven't had any oxalis in the backyard since the hens decided it was delightful. I'm looking forward to one day releasing them into the front yard for some extreme weeding, turning and fertilizing, but a new front fence is needed first.

If you give it 5 years undisturbed, it'll be a good sized patch.

Yep! The finding of a soursob bulb is an event of mighty proportions!

Yes, it’s very persistent here. Though I didn’t plant it; it was here when I arrived. The deer love it, too.

There are native oxalis in most natural wooded areas I think. It is considered a survival / wild forage food. There are also lots of naturalized and non native varieties. I have a different one that I happen to have in pots only because we dug up the plants when we moved, it makes more of a mound and has pink flowers.

I haven't found leaves yet that match the pictures. But this seems likely, with different local varieties. We have something called a sorrel here, it has tangy leaves. We used to call it sourgrass when I was a kid. I will find some and dig it to see if it has these tubers. But hey, has no one but me actually tasted this, either the leaves or the tubers? And why no curiosity, if not?