Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Can I get a witness!!

You cannot be sad after listening to that song.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Id like to note dolly (the sick chick) is doing lots better, i still am keeping a eye on her, but shes getting better for sure.

Its going to be snowing about 6-10 inches here soon, so i just let some in to feed them and give them water as the ground is completely solid. Looks like someone chose their spot to lay a egg. my chair.

 

[fuentemoon]

I have been 20 pages behind for a week, just too busy to sit and read more than a few pages here and there.

We have had crazy amounts of rain this week. They front gutter has a crack in the join where it begins its downspout journey and started flooding the rose bed against the house. The rosebed the chickens spend most of their time in lately. Spred a bag of wood pellets around the front yard to deal with some of the mud. We have a small local backyard farm store here and they fill feed bags of loose hay for 2.50, fun for the chickens to dig and also helps with the mud.

They also sell feed in bulk so I have been buying a small bag of growers pellets and chick crumble and mixing it with their layer feed. I have been feeding a wet mash/fermented feed. Just trying to boost the protein a bit. Feather loss seems to be slowing at last, Rosie is looking better, if a bit thin.

 

[BY Bob]

Changes in Color

Lilly is finally starting to wrap up her molt and I am seeing more changes than usual in her coloring. The gold that was a little bit around the front of her neck has now migrated down to her shoulders.

I am also starting to see some golden feather stems as well. Circled in the picture below.

I see differences in almost every hen after their molt. I find it interesting how they change a little each year.

@MaryJanet, @Ribh, @Aussie-Chookmum

 

[BY Bob]

New Location

Sydney is nest hunting. She built a new nest for today's egg just inside the entrance to the Cluckle Hut and did not use the nest box.

Phyllis showed it to me so I knew about it. She pointed the egg out to me itself.

I would love to leave an egg in the nest for Sydney but it would freeze at night and then thaw during the day and it would be a real mess.

I need to get new brown ceramic eggs. Everyone who watched my chickens last year took the ceramic ones with them and I think they are too embarrassed to tell me. I am down to 1 white and 1 green from at least 4 of them last year.

 

[featherhead007]

New Location

Sydney is nest hunting. She built a new nest for today's egg just inside the entrance to the Cluckle Hut and did not use the nest box.
View attachment 2951716

Phyllis showed it to me so I knew about it. She pointed the egg out to me itself.

I would love to leave an egg in the nest for Sydney but it would freeze at night and then thaw during the day and it would be a real mess.

I need to get new brown ceramic eggs. Everyone who watched my chickens last year took the ceramic ones with them and I think they are too embarrassed to tell me. I am down to 1 white and 1 green from at least 4 of them last year.

That’s funny but not funny. Your chicken sitters taking your counterfeit eggs. You’d think they would chip a tooth trying to eat them!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Changes in Color

Lilly is finally starting to wrap up her molt and I am seeing more changes than usual in her coloring. The gold that was a little bit around the front of her neck has now migrated down to her shoulders.

View attachment 2951714

I am also starting to see some golden feather stems as well. Circled in the picture below.

View attachment 2951713

I see differences in almost every hen after their molt. I find it interesting how they change a little each year.

@MaryJanet, @Ribh, @Aussie-Chookmum

Just like people! The slow changes are unnoticeable when you look at them regularly (or most anyway) but a side by side is obvious! shes very gorgeous to.

 

[fuentemoon]

The fake one we got is so light it is obvious when you pick it up, looks very real though.
Hung out outside for a bit with the ladies, nice to have a window without rain! From drought to drowned.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

They remain very much on edge. Did you hear the absolute silence? No song birds at all.

I have not set out seed feeders this year as I usually do. I did keep a hummingbird feeder next to the kitchen window but they are not the usual prey of hawks. I do know that down the road 1/8 mile our next neighbor feeds the birds in winter, and we used to get eachother's bird visitors. So I don't worry about the change for them too much. It's a sad trade-off though, too bad but I think it could help protect our chicken friends.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I do that too.

I've noticed Mary uses a soft bok to ask Janet where she is and Janet responds with a peep peep. So I've started using those words too.

How do you know they're not telling Knock Knock jokes with all the back and forth?