Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

The ones who start the wars never seem to get killed fighting them......

Pet peeve of mine. The ones that declare a war should have to be the ones that fight it.

 

[Marie2020]

Good night fluffy butts peeps . one very tired old lady going to bed

 

[Marie2020]

Pet peeve of mine. The ones that declare a war should have to be the ones that fight it.

To right

 

[Shadrach]

You are just smarter than me. I do not have that kind of brain.

Somehow I doubt that.

 

[Shadrach]

In celebration of Fat Bird roosting, the universe brought me a special moment. It frankly was a situation that has not occurred in years. I got alone time with Lilly.

Lilly is never alone. Someone is always with her. Usually Sansa but also Hattie and Aurora.

It developed purely by chance. I was sitting under the magnolia tree sipping some coffee and visiting with the ladies. It was starting to get dark and Lilly was considering going to bed when Mrs BY Bob opened the back door. The rest of the flock took off for the deck expecting one last treat before bed. (they were not disappointed) but Lilly lingered weighing treats with roosting. Which way to go.

I have learned from @Shadrach to keep walnuts in my pocket and I had some at just that moment. So I called her.

Lilly

Lilly

She looked at me.

Lilly

Lilly

She looked at the coop, then the deck, then back to me..

Lilly

Over she came. Very quietly, I held out my hand, cracked walnut pieces in it.

She gobbled them down. I broke up another. Gobbled down again. We talked about things, the snow, Aurora, her egg laying prowess, lack of respect in this next generation, and how to make a proper nest. I told her about Fat Bird and she told me to send her hugs to Fat Bird.
Everyone else was on the deck and no one troubled us. It was one of sweetest moments her and I have had. The timing could not have better. I did not even think to take a photo.

This photo below is from this morning when she popped up to visit me. I was able to bookend my day with Lilly.

That is a special day.
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Lovely Lilly. You and your white hens and me with my black ones....

 

[Ribh]

Her wattles are getting redder and a bit bigger, her comb is bigger that Belles but not huge.
As far as signs go there’s no squatting and I’m not seeing her checking out the nest but at the same time I’m at work most the day.
This was my thought though @Ribh maybe Belle is sensing something I’m missing. Or maybe the pecking order has been cemented a bit more and Belle is just keeping it known.

You will know for certain when that 1st egg arrives.

 

[Shadrach]

Never mind, I figured it out. (Adult memory loss moment)

My elder sister calls those senior moments. She gets them a lot. I think I'm getting them now.

 

[Shadrach]

Clearly there’s no love lost, just sisters being sisters
Belle playing at sentinel for a sleepy Snow
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Getting into a cuddle puddle after Belle had sat on my shoulder for a while of course
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Trying to show Belle’s new spots on her fluffy pantaloons
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Love the first picture.

 

[Shadrach]

I was traumatised the first time I saw the pecking order in action. Bessie and Charlie were 19-week old pullets when Lucy flew at Bessie and ripped some feathers out. The pullets had been sleeping in the tractor which was outside the run and Bessie was running up and down the wire crying for her bed. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

I think for me one of the hardest things to watch is when a mother hen decides it's time for the chicks to fend for themselves. Some are more abrupt than others but watching the chicks, now fully feathered I must admit, trying to get underneath one of mums wings and getting pecked quite hard for their trouble is heartbreaking.
Thankfully it doesn't last for long and many of the mums here end up as friends with their offspring. Ruffles for example was extremely tolerant of her chicks when the grew older.

 

[MaryJanet]

It’s flowering!

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Wow!! That colour is magnificent!