Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

Goodbye to a Friend

Today I said goodbye to another friend. This time in the pouring rain. The rest of the tribe watched from the open door to the complex wishing it would stop so they could come out and enjoy the yard but alas it did not.

She is buried next to Patsy. Both of Lilly's friends together. Someday Lilly will join them but hopefully not for a long time yet.

Goodbye my friend, rest in peace.

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Because there was no real free ranging today, I hung out with them in the run. I can't really tell what if any changes are happening in the tribe as a result of their loss. Once i see any I will share.

Sydney did spend some in the Cluckle Hut today.

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Lovely photos of Sansa, @BY Bob If there is any afterlife, Pasty will be a wonderful companion for Sansa.

Sydney is looking good

I am sure that they enjoyed your company...even if it wasn't while free ranging.

 

[BY Bob]

Another night of by BayWatch. (Beetov-Hen) watch that is! She coughs and sneezes, and her breath is pretty bad. But she’s still alive!

All the best Alex.

 

[bgmathteach]

They hatched 14th Oct; I feel they will hold off till summer personally, but hey what do I know!!!

Probably start to lay early March, my best guess; that would be at around the 18 week mark.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Ok - question: my chicks are 11 weeks old, I figure the two hens will start laying around 18 - 20 weeks, so that would be spring; will they hold off to start laying do you think? Does anyone have experience with late season chicks?

I have 2 late season pullets, although not as late as yours. The first one was hatched August 18, and the 2nd one was hatched somewhere around the 2nd week of September. Both of these girls are a 3rd generation Marans for me. I expect eggs from them around 5 1/2 months old as their mother and grandmother each laid their first eggs in that time frame. So for Corona I'll begin egg watch for her around the first of February and Baby, formerly Frack I will begin looking for her first egg to appear around the first of March.

 

[micstrachan]

Yes indeed. I really wish Minnie would go back to roosting on the main roost now she is no longer molting and is clearly hale and hearty again.
I also wish she wouldn't get up in the middle of the night and lay an egg in the nest box where poor Maggie is hiding out for the night.
And I wish Maggie would get fully well and stop sleeping in the nest box and I wish she wouldn't climb up to the roost for the sole purpose of pushing the Roadrunners off it before climbing back down and going into her nest box.
I think I have to stop watching - it is all just too much fuss. Only Dotty seems calm, she just waits on a side roost until all the kerfuffle is over and then quietly goes up and roosts next to Diana.
While I am wishing I wish Diana would stop molting - she is still shedding feathers and isn't yet growing any more.

That’s a lot of drama. Hang in there!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Corona is looking good so far at 4 1/2 months old. Besides her hackle markings she's the spitting image of Grandma Daisy. She also is starting to act a lot like her as well. I'm thrilled with that as Daisy is my favorite Marans girl.

Little sister Baby at 3 1/2 months old. Mom decided that Frack was not a girly enough name for her and changed it. She's in one of my favorite stages right now where her voice is changing and she sounds like a goose with her honks.

 

[bgmathteach]

My tax for today:

 

[Ponypoor]

My experience with late season chicks (where I am...if more south, with longer days, it doesn't hold as true) if they aren't yet ready to lay by late October, then they hold off and are some of the first to start laying in late Jan/early Feb as the days lengthen. In your case, your chicks are really late season, so wouldn't be coming into lay until late Feb. I don't think they will start laying earlier than the 18-20 weeks.

I've forgotten, do you have a Roo? If so, it sometimes hastens their sexual maturity by a week or two from what I have read. Since I have always had at least 1 Roo, I don't have any first-hand comparison of Roo/no-Roo to support or negate this.

Yep have a Roo, they will be 20 week by March first. But here that is winter still but days getting longer. Not that I am worried about them laying, I get on avg about 5 eggs a day I am awash in eggs hahaha.

 

[Ponypoor]

Probably start to lay early March, my best guess; that would be at around the 18 week mark.

Yes, around there, but it's still winter here then, even tho days longer still miserable generally.

Guess time will tell!

 

[Ponypoor]

I have 2 late season pullets, although not as late as yours. The first one was hatched August 18, and the 2nd one was hatched somewhere around the 2nd week of September. Both of these girls are a 3rd generation Marans for me. I expect eggs from them around 5 1/2 months old as their mother and grandmother each laid their first eggs in that time frame. So for Corona I'll begin egg watch for her around the first of February and Baby, formerly Frack I will begin looking for her first egg to appear around the first of March.

Here it is still miserable weather winter in March and even though days longer it is cold and snowy usually. KY has way better weather by then , here anything goes!

I will be very interested to see what they do