Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

They really are - both grown and beautiful!

Thank you.

 

[BY Bob]

Sunshine
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This one kept breaking out so I sat her in my lap and to my surprise she stayed.
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The chickens like to play "poke the coke" with my mom.

I'm losing reference on them. How old are they now. They look wonderful.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh, yes, she sure is!

It's the only way with that mop top.

 

[BY Bob]

I took this photo on Tuesday and was saving it for Friday… of course I ended up being busy yesterday and was unable to post

Happy Belated Fluffy Butt Friday from Willow and her little one!
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They are super lovely.

 

[BY Bob]

Then it would be a really bad time to mention that in the last week I've sold 2 dozen, gave 2 dozen to my sawdust guy and a dozen to my grandpa and still have 1 1/2 dozen eggs. I have 7 girls laying right now, even Butter who while she's slowed down is still laying about 3 days a week. Oh and technically have another dozen sold that will be picked up monday.

WOW! Your ladies are way more productive than mine have ever been. We are always done by now, except if course when we had leghorns. We had many a frozen egg in those days.

 

[BY Bob]

Hi everyone, just caught back up where I'd been absent since Tuesday evening. Had about 100 pages to read. Felt like I've been at deaths door since Wednesday morning when a stomach bug hit. Finally got out today to spend some time with the chickens and Branch and Bubba definitely missed me. Both of them were fighting to be on my lap. Butter just kept squawking at me and pecking at my pockets, she knew I had raisins and wanted them all to herself.

Such dedication. 100 pages to catch up! Wow. I am always impressed by people you do that. Great job.

 

[BY Bob]

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Yes, it looked to me like you guys get both ones passing through, and ones that will come and stay. In mild enough Winters more will stay... But correction to my location, I can't seem to draw on this from my phone... I'm actually about in the tip of the purple triangle below the white blob and the "C" of ChicoryBlue. Plenty Red Tails here, but not like you, they don't stay up here at 2230 ft in winter, hunting is too hard.

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Sorry. I though you were by Rochester for some reason. I will correct.

 

[BY Bob]

Well since we're talking raptors. I've had an idea about chickens and why they are so good at finding worms. I saw a show about mouse-hunting raptors (I don't remember what kind) where besides the incredible detailed vision they have, it was pointed out that the expanded light vision enabled them to see mouse urine. It stood out to them. So they could essentially see the patterns of mouse paths, where the path was visible to the sky, 'cause as we know, mice pee everywhere they go. (We can see those well-traveled trails in the meadow grasses and lawn grasses in the Spring, after the snow melts). I remember a graphic showing a network of glowing trails superimposed on a shot of a meadow. I don't know if this is absolutely true or was only a theory. I will try to find out. But if it's true, maybe chickens also see these things.

I've noticed the Buckeyes instantly know when a spot of earth or clump of soil is good worm hunting or not. How so? The soil texture or type? I can sometimes see the worm holes in a clump of soil I dig. So that might be some clues. But sometimes the chickens get really intense when I dig something or they dig in a spot, like they glance at it and KNOW there's worms in there (and there are), and they up the digging effort and pull it apart with their beaks, pull a pebble over, break into the clump of dirt, whereas they ignore other clumps and test spots. They do take a look, but go, "Meh, next please!"

Suppose worms' body slime stands out when you can see a larger spectrum of light? Suppose they shed this slime as they move along, and leave trails, and chickens can see that? Maybe even distinguish between fresh and old trails? Or maybe it's the worm castings they see?

This is fascinating. I wonder if you are right? Very interesting hypothesis.

 

[BY Bob]

Interesting. From watching Maggie closely I came to the theory that she could hear them moving just below the surface.
Also a possibility I think.

Their senses are definitely better evolved than ours. Both are definitely possible.

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you. I may just do that.

I look forward to it.