Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Oooops, can you tell I'm not a Brit??

Neither am I!

 

[featherhead007]

Neither am I!

You need to put away that British dictionary!

 

[BY Bob]

Wow, Hattie is a big girl! I thought she would be more Lilly's weight, just looked bigger because Orpingtons tend to have more fluffy feathers! But then, I am comparing to BRs, and my BRs & Orpingtons tend to weigh similar (the heritage BRs, NOT the production ones...they weigh less)

That was almost a whole pound lower than Hattie's normal weight. She is usually around 7lbs. Hattie is a true dual purpose lady.

 

[RoyalChick]

So specifics please.

1. Did you ever see her shiver on the roost?
2. What was the temperature in the coop with the heater running?
3. How does she seem this morning? It is still that cold outside.

I never saw her shiver but I am not confident in the night acuity of the coop camera. I took comfort that she was smushed right up next to Minnie towards the side that got more of the heat I believe.
The temperature got down to 14.7F - I was all ready to act at that point but it was at dawn and she is clearly perky this morning.
Here she is tagging along behind Minnie (who actually went outside for abou 5 mins) as they head to their favorite morning perch. They like to look out of the window and catch up on gossip.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

New girls!!!

Please welcome our newest family members; three Frizzle bantams (feather-dusters!)

Penguin - a one year-old Pekin/Australorp X hen who needs to regrow her back feathers due to an over-attentive rooster.

Charlotte (Lottie) - a three month-old Australorp X pullet.

Snowflake (Snowy) - a three month-old Sussex X pullet.

More photos to follow once we’re out of the car.

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Welcome Penguin, Lottie and Snowy. They are adorable and the feather duster look is adorable. Maybe one day I will have to add a frizzled something to the flock.

 

[BY Bob]

So she & Betty are (or should be) essentially the same size, then. That is a good thing, I think...them on 'equal footing' so to speak, size wise. Though Betty does look a bit bigger, partially due to the frizzle, as opposed to Phyllis' sleeker look.

I am awed at how much weight they lose being broody....yet survive just fine. Hens really are amazing creatures in so many ways!

They really are amazing. Phyllis was not a good broody. And she went from broody to molting so she was not eating right for months.

She lost about 1/3f her body weight through all of that. Since then she has put about 1/2 pound back on.

 

[bgmathteach]

Welcome Penguin, Lottie and Snowy. They are adorable and the feather duster look is adorable. Maybe one day I will have to add a frizzled something to the flock.

I'm tempted, too. However, it is just too darn cold here for them in the winter....so that works as a check on my chicken math!

I need more chickens like I need a whole in my head. I really have about 20 too many as it is. (As my mother would say 'Want' and 'need' are two different things, don't confuse them!)

 

[bgmathteach]

They really are amazing. Phyllis was not a good broody. And she went from broody to molting so she was not eating right for months.

She lost about 1/3f her body weight through all of that. Since then she has put about 1/2 pound back on.

I think I need to start weighing my girls (, all 92 birds???) That is a HUGE amount/proportion of weight to lose!

I haven't read that portion, so not sure of the timing on Phyllis' broodiness - I'm, only just now closing in on the 2,000ies.
However, it is not at all uncommon for them to molt shortly afterwards. ime, hens that go broody and raise chicks molt shortly after they stop mothering the chicks. Sometimes they start a bit before that. I suppose that that makes sense, though....they pluck out a bunch to 'feather the nest' and to be able to keep the eggs warm enough...plus they practically starve themselves while sitting, and pretty much put the chicks first for food - at least for the first few weeks. It makes me think that industrial farms took advantage of nature's logical process when they did 'forced molting' by starving. (yes, that is cruel, this, seems natural...though still amazing!)

 

[BY Bob]

I never saw her shiver but I am not confident in the night acuity of the coop camera. I took comfort that she was smushed right up next to Minnie towards the side that got more of the heat I believe.
The temperature got down to 14.7F - I was all ready to act at that point but it was at dawn and she is clearly perky this morning.
Here she is tagging along behind Minnie (who actually went outside for abou 5 mins) as they head to their favorite morning perch. They like to look out of the window and catch up on gossip.

I just love this video. You should share more of them.

Poor Penguin. That rooster really did a number on her back. Just as well it's summer here.

I imagine something fairly high in protein would be good for the younger girls if they are still growing and haven't started laying yet. Penguin could probably do with some extra protein as she starts to regrow those feathers. Maybe sardines as treats every now and then?

I would agree with this advice.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm tempted, too. However, it is just too darn cold here for them in the winter....so that works as a check on my chicken math!
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I need more chickens like I need a whole in my head. I really have about 20 too many as it is. (As my mother would say 'Want' and 'need' are two different things, don't confuse them!)

I will say Betty already has me doing things I do not normally need to do in the winter. I am also realizing that I will be somewhat tied to the house depending on temperature for winters to come. There will be no weekends away when the temp is scheduled to drop into single digits. This would be too much for me to ask JD to do.