Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Nobody is laying now but you are very right.

Still getting eggs, I guess I have enough lighting in the barn and it cozy in there with the horses.

This morning I made the go into the nest boxes hahaha. I kept removing them from the hay and plopping them in the boxes. My silkie finally have in and laid her egg in one . My two Easter Eggers are holed up in a couple other boxes, and Buttercup was screeching blue murder when I went near her... I am fairly certain they used chicken screeches in The Exorcist for sound effects

 

[Ponypoor]

It's done that here too. Saw a fire on the mountain outside town where I work last weekend. (They were working on it). Next morning: several inches of snow, gone by Monday. Now have a bit more than a dusting (less than an inch), and the temp + lack of cloud cover to keep it....but it's all dry powder, so the wind is going to snatch it.


You asked where: Montana Rockies.

Been a crazy weather year here, wet, cool summer, warm wet autumn, now crazy winter weather.

Seems anything goes! Now it's Snow here again.... On top of all that mud ugh......

 

[Ponypoor]

Eating, felt nice and warm, wasnt shivering, has been laying, joining in the afternoon sunning party close to the coop, raiding the oyster shell in the coop. Will see in the morning how she's acting.

Glad she is ok. Chickens.... Tough birds!

 

[Ponypoor]

Eating, felt nice and warm, wasnt shivering, has been laying, joining in the afternoon sunning party close to the coop, raiding the oyster shell in the coop. Will see in the morning how she's acting.

Glad she is ok. Chickens.... Tough birds!

 

[RoyalChick]

Another Minnie glamor shot. She seems to specialize in the over-the-shoulder look.

 

[rural mouse]

Been a crazy weather year here, wet, cool summer, warm wet autumn, now crazy winter weather.

Seems anything goes! Now it's Snow here again.... On top of all that mud ugh......

That is miserable

 

[ChicoryBlue]

FEAR

I know i keep harping on this but i got another example of how scared they are today.

i screwed up today. I was up before the sun and had the coop open. I did not latch the door, I pushed it shut. Sometime after the sun came up the door must have blown open. This is what I found when I went to the kitchen at lunchtime.

View attachment 2932185

I was sure that they were out in the yard. They always break out if they can. When I went outside I was frightened out of my mind. Because when I went outside there was no noise, no sign of them at all. I was sure that the hawk had come back. When I got to the coop, this is what I found.

View attachment 2932186

They never left the coop. Everyone was there even Phyllis.

Later in the evening I decided to take a break from work and let them out for surprised free range. These chickens who would not go out the open coop door, came out to scratch around with my protection.
View attachment 2932200

I know it's a change but it's a good thing and they are wiser now. Also they knew it was out of the routine to have the door blow open like that without you there. Aren't they being true to their nature to be afraid without a powerful guard such as a rooster or you there, and even then, shouldn't they be ready-to-assess-and-escape chickens? Even our domesticated cat is wary outside (maybe others' aren't?). He doesn't really relax until he's safely on the couch inside.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Another Minnie glamor shot. She seems to specialize in the over-the-shoulder look.
View attachment 2932722

Wow, this is a frame-worthy portrait!
Holy smokes don't let anyone else's photographers see this, we'll all be out of a job!

 

[Lexicon]

Thought you guys might like this article from the home page.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...prove-chicken-diets.77197/#ams-comment-521309

I might give that a try. I already give my hens wheatgrass fodder and I grow them regular grass in buckets and take it out to them since everything has been covered by snow for over a month now, but this could be a good addition.
My girls just love working over my compost pile when it isn't a frozen block, so this would give them similar nutrients and would be something new for them.

 

[Marie2020]

Caturday the dog has decided he's going too love the cat again