Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

I admit, I have 1 girl that I would love to see go broody this year and that is Poppy. Just the thought of that smaller then a Jiff peanut butter jar poof ball becoming a angry shrieking demon is amusing to me. If she ever does decide to be a momma she'll have to hatch her own eggs because in her exploration of the nest sites I've already caught her sitting on the other girls eggs. She could not cover 3 of the normal size girls eggs even though she was trying. And if I did let her hatch out the big girls eggs, around 2 weeks old they would be too big for her to keep them warm.

 

[Marie2020]

In that case old Nellie will live to be 20 hahaha!

So will princess, I'm lucky if I get an egg every two months

 

[Marie2020]

@RoyalChick
Is the buddleja plant safe for them too eat? I was just looking this up?

 

[Sally PB]

Mug shot/tax owed for something or other.

 

[MaryJanet]

Roosting Changes

Here is the first evidence of changes in the tribe post Sansa's loss. You will see that Aurora has switched from the Daisy position to the high roost. Lilly is back to the former prime roosting location.

View attachment 2948683

I have video I have been trying to cut up which shows roosting from before we lost Sansa. I thought it interesting at the time but now it looks even larger. I will try to finish the cut up today to go along with this so you can see how roosting was working prior.

@Ribh, @MaryJanet, @Aussie-Chookmum

Interesting because #1 and her enforcer each have a roost.

 

[MaryJanet]

You sure are fast.

She's only going to get faster now she no longer has to down tools before responding!

 

[MaryJanet]

Heading out for a night on the town

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Sunrise the next morning, (She is never more grateful we dont have a rooster)
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I do wish she would stop smoking. I don't mind about the late nights but she really ought not to be putting smoke in her lungs.

 

[MaryJanet]

Not really a mugshot but I am so excited to see this picture I just had to share.
This is Maggie eating from the feeder.
Apart from a token nibble at some starter/grower feed a week ago this is the first time she has chowed down on chicken food.
She has been foraging - but there are sparse pickings out there right now - and she is always happy to eat venison, cabbage, and kefir - but this is the first real chow down I have seen.
It is feather fixer so high protein.
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What a relief!

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm always thinking ahead, but how many days should a hen go broody before you decide she's committed?

I've been taking the hens seriously from day one. I wonder if that's the right thing to do?

 

[RoyalChick]

@RoyalChick
Is the buddleja plant safe for them too eat? I was just looking this up?

Poultry DVM has it on its safe list and I haven't found it on a toxic list anywhere. Mine have interacted with them and tend to ignore them - but they do provide good cover for the ladies.
The biggest concern I have heard is that they can be invasive and some US States have banned them for that reason. They do reseed like crazy but I already have that problem so not sure this will make that worse!
http://www.poultrydvm.com/nontoxic.php