Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

I have no idea who layed this monstrosity (egg on left). The one in the middle is what the Princesses normally lay and on the right is a Minnie’ mini contribution.
The one on the left is one ugly egg!
It isn’t the first sign of some deadly disease is it?

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Is it hard or squishy?

 

[BY Bob]

I have no idea who layed this monstrosity (egg on left). The one in the middle is what the Princesses normally lay and on the right is a Minnie’ mini contribution.
The one on the left is one ugly egg!
It isn’t the first sign of some deadly disease is it?

View attachment 2555162View attachment 2555163View attachment 2555164

That thing is giant. I would expect it is a one of a kind. Poor baby.

 

[RoyalChick]

Is it hard or squishy?

Very hard - feels like the shell is very thick.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Wondering if anyone here has tried growing fodder for their chickens in the winter. I have, they live it. Should have grown some for them this year. Been a bit busier. But they do love it!

After watching them eat the very sad, trampled, pooey dead grass in front of their run, I started some sprouts and offered it from my hand yesterday. It had just gotten nice little green seed leaves. They took an interest and everybody tried them, then came back picking at it for seconds and thirds, but didn't go to town on it. Consistent interest but not craving. It was new. Today they went at it with more enthusiasm. I might try it in soil in a pan and with a cover so they can pick and rip and tear at it, more natural for them?
It's a sprouts mix that I bought in the beginning of the pandemic when we hunkered down and didn't go out at all and figured out ways to get fresh green things to eat and cook (i.e., we grew more celery from the root of the store-bought stuff, dug and brought in outside chives, garlic and parsley). I was going to buy wheat grass to sprout for the chickens and remembered this. It's broccoli, crimson clover, red radish, & alfalfa seeds. Eat your vegetables!

I got some pictures of their roosting arrangement the other night. The coop light has come on, in a few minutes the autodoor will close. Of course they were taken aback to find me creeping all bent over up to their pop door at that time of day (the coop run is I think 38 inches high) , and it made them a little unsure what was going to happen next.

So the two in back stood up. That's Queenie of course in front and to the right, facing out. I can't tell who is who here with the Buckeyes, but I think the "sentinel" here besides Queenie, the one always standing and watching, might be Popcorn.

Somebody is also in the front, facing in. She never looked up during this photo shoot. Can't a girl get some rest!

The one in the very back took a look for a while, then went back to facing left, she's parallel to the back wall.

On the right middle back is another, here preening a bit, she did look up when I tried to get a closer shot, and they all got nervous and unsettled so I backed off. In this shot you can just make out on the right the edge of the doorway to the nestbox area. That's a removeable panel divider with a sliding door in it. There is outside access from the side into the nestbox for collecting eggs. The coop light (and the round handle mechanism on the back panel) is roughly in the middle of the whole coop box.

It was a still, cold night (5F, 0.3F in the morning after) and they are not using the whole area available to them, they are more or less snuggled up.

 

[RoyalChick]

That thing is giant. I would expect it is a one of a kind. Poor baby.

Yes! And I don't even know whose it is. They all seem fine but everyone was already roosted with heads buried in their feathers when I collected - there is an icy North East wind blowing and I didn't want to disturb them as they were all puffed up and retaining heat in their down PJs.

 

[MaryJanet]

Very hard - feels like the shell is very thick.

Did someone skip a day's laying and put double shell on one egg?

 

[MaryJanet]

Yes! And I don't even know whose it is. They all seem fine but everyone was already roosted with heads buried in their feathers when I collected - there is an icy North East wind blowing and I didn't want to disturb them as they were all puffed up and retaining heat in their down PJs.

Perhaps open it and see how many yolks are in it.

 

[featherhead007]

I have thought , that I have seen everything, but that egg WOW not so explainable

 

[BY Bob]

Bob the Rooster

Well I was back to playing rooster today. It is rewarding to be needed. Today it was in a number of different ways.

1st, Lilly squatted for me. It has been a while since that happened. That means Phyllis, Sansa and Lilly are all squatting for me now. 50%, not too bad.

2nd, escort duty. With the nice weather the tribe has scattered all over the yard. This is great until someone stops and realizes they are alone. Sansa and Lilly were off doing their own thing. Aurora and Sydney were laying eggs. That left Hattie and Phyllis to their own devices.

I was down on the patio and Hattie decided to come visit. I won't lie, after a little corn she realized that she was alone. She did not like that. Phyllis was over by the magnolia tree and she was circling looking for others as well. Hattie started calling out. Phyllis as well. So called Phyllis over to me and she and Hattie were joined. That solved one problem.

Of course before long, Sansa and Lilly were separated. Sansa was checking out the woodpile, Lilly was in the garden.

Bok

Buk

Bok

Buk

Hattie joined in, Bawk.

Bok

Bawk

Buk

I started to get up to try and resolve this when the eggs were laid in the coop and the two loudmouths (Aurora and Sydney are the loudest of my hens) joined in with something I have not heard in a loooonnnggg time.

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Bok

Buk

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Bawk

Bok

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Buk

Bawk

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

So I figured I better go get the layers and escort them somewhere.

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Bok

Buk

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Bawk

Bok

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

As I go i gather up Phyllis as she immediately runs to me, Sansa decides to come along as I go past the woodpecker

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Bok

Buk

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

I get to the coop. Sydney! I call out, Sydney! Out the door she comes the volume is deafening.

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Buk buk buk buk BUKAWK!

Aurora comes out behind her

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Bok bok bok bok BOKAWK!

Lilly comes around the coop from the garden

BOK BOK BOK BOK BOK BOK BOK

It is deafening now. Only Hattie is silent. Even Phyllis has joined in.

Bauk Bauk Bauk Bauk Bauk Bauk Bauk Bauk

Hattie is over by the deck where the big bag of sunflower seeds are.

An idea!

I bring my bokkers over to Hattie, all 6 are back together. Sunflower seeds for everyone.

What's that I hear?

Nothing. Blessed silence. Everyone is happy and the tribe is back together.

They spent the rest of the day as a unit. I think that separation was too much for all of them.

They are such a joy.

 

[micstrachan]

Well, that was a bit disappointing. There were more dead crickets than live ones, and they were super slow. Only a few hens were around when I opened the box and they did eat them dead or alive. I’m hoping in the warm house and with a little water drizzled onto the bedding, the crickets might perk up overnight and be more interesting in the morning. Not video worthy.