Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

What did this?

I mentioned yesterday that there had been an incident which is keeping the ladies in there run. Maybe you can all help me to figure this out.

Here is everyone enjoying quality time together as a family.
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Timing: this all takes place during the afternoon while the flock is free ranging.

When collecting eggs the other day there had been another smashed one. I removed the remains from the box when I gathered the other eggs. This does limit my egg smasher to be one of the three that have been laying, Aurora, Sydney, or Sansa. It's not Hattie (sorry for blaming you sweetie).

Well, having discarded the remains, I collected the eggs and went back in the house figuring I would deal with cleaning up the nest later. Aurora and Hattie took care of the remains for me.

This is what I found when I came back later to clean up.

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Something was missing. The green ceramic egg was missing. At first I thought they had kicked it into the main coop, but it was not there. It was nowhere to be found.

I eventually found it under the magnolia tree!
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Some how the egg moved from the nest box to the magnolia tree during the day. This is the distance it traveled.

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Now my chickens do not wear pants, so no pockets, they don't have purses or backpacks, so I think I can rule them out. They have no way to carry the egg.

What would enter the coop during the day and try to make off with an egg? What should I be watching for?

Most egg thieves work at night, like skunks. What could it be?

Whatever it was had to be very disappointed. The ceramic egg was not edible. So there is that. Perhaps that will discourage a return visit. Well that and a locked up coop and run.

This is downright scary, Bob. What does coop cam have to say about it?

 

[micstrachan]

In that spirit I would like to add #3 - @BY Bob asserted that his chickens don't have pockets or purses, but it has always been clear to me that Phyllis is the kind of chicken that has someone else carry her purse for her. I have no idea who is carrying it, but I think we should assume Phyllis has a purse. I am confident it is an elegant clutch in black with a subtle sequin motif.

Ah, of course! Phyllis’ sidekick!

 

[micstrachan]

Maggie - not ready to throw in the towel just yet - 9/29
Moving very fast to grab a meal worm from my hand. Hard to hand feed and photograph a speedy chicken at the same time!
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Go, Maggie, go! We’re rooting for you, girl!

 

[micstrachan]

And Elizabeth decided to hang out with the young ladies on the big ladder. I wonder if that means they will dare come off the top of the window for the night.
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Wouldn’t that be nice?

 

[micstrachan]

My gosh! You are right! I was just going through some old video and I thought I caught Sydney handing something to Phyllis. I blew up the shot and I think you can see a small clutch under Phyllis' wing there! What do you all think?
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I see it!

 

[micstrachan]

Some hens are more demanding than others. Some have no patience at all!
This Mel. She's seen me put the bread under the grill and get the peanut butter out. I had the door pushed to because I was sweeping up behind it. I could hear her tapping on the window.
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Oh my gosh that’s cute... tapping at the window!

Somehow this reminds me of Bridge attacking my tomatoes.

 

[micstrachan]

It is fairly well documented here that the ladies know they are fake. The blue egg has been tossed out of the box and into the coop numerous times. That is why I moved the greenish one to this box to replace the blue. It is also why I checked the coop for the egg first.

If they can tuck an egg under the wing and carry it, where I found it makes sense. When released from the complex, that is the first place they go, the magnolia tree. I can see them dumping it right as they stopped their initial sprint out.

As for golf balls, I can personally tell you this is true but I believe I can explain it. When I was a young lad on the farm, my hen Speck raised thousands of meat chicks for us. Every spring she would go broody. She would start out sitting on eggs laid by our flock. My Dad did not want her hatching eggs from Rooster Cogburn and the other ladies, he wanted her to raise meat birds. So as soon as she decided to sit, I would remove the eggs and replace them with golf balls. She would set the golf balls until 3 weeks later when one night we would remove the golf balls and stuff her full of chicks.

Speck was either not a chicken mathematician or she just loved being a mom because 4 or 5 eggs would turn into 12-13 chicks. She did not care. She would raise them with pride and take care of every one of them. She never lost a chick.

So how does this relate to explaining why hens will sit on golf balls? I actually think @MaryJanet Ivy has explained that to all of us as she is trying to hatch, nothing! What is the difference between golf balls and nothing? If you will hatch air why wouldn't you hatch golf balls.

For those of you who have never seen it (read this thread from the beginning), here is the only picture I have of myself as a young lad with my two best hens, Speck (on my right shoulder) and Brownie. Sadly I have no pictures of Rooster Cogburn.
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Fabulous!

 

[micstrachan]

That's true about Ivy (and Mary). I remove eggs immediately. They spend almost 24 hours a day sitting on nothing.

Cashew sat on nothing before I got her chicks last year.

 

[micstrachan]

So do mine when they brood. I do believe they set each other off. If I have 1 broody I'm bound to get 1 or 2 more in quick succession.

I have seen it be “contagious” in my flock, but not to that extent.

 

[micstrachan]

Better than me for sure. I'm weak

Me, too, Bob. I was going to be strong this year until Millie’s broodiness was so persistent. And then I ended up raising them myself, anyway. LOL.