Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Greetings all, another mildish day...

Caught everyone dust bathing yesterday

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm very happy to report that Chiquita is fully integrated into the flock and I will now remove the cat carrier from the pen. She spent her first full day outside with everybody. I did not intend to leave her out all day when I let her loose yesterday morning but things happened. Ended up having to be at my grandmothers at noon, expected to be home in a hour and instead arrived home 2 hours after dark. First thing I did was go to the pen looking for Chiquita hoping I would not have to track down a tiny hen in the dark. When I got to their pen first thing I see is the carrier is empty, my heart sinks. I then look up and I'm floored, there she is, on the big roost in the pen between Branch and Poppy. I had not yet tried to see if she knew how to roost, was planning on doing that this week. I did have to track down Corona who was sleeping in the dog house. Corona is spoiled and it is all my fault. She knows how to roost, but if I do not pack her and place her on it she stubs up and hides in the dog house waiting on me. Once inside I did ask Rosie if she had put any of the chickens on the roost as the pen was shut. She said she had placed Poppy on the roost beside Chiquita and she could not find Corona. I asked her if Chiquita was already up on the roost by herself and she said both she and Branch were. Branch must have shown her how to get up on the roost by hopping up on the sawhorse that is in the back of the pen. It is actually in there as a step ladder for the silkies as they cannot make the 5 foot leap in one go as the others can.

How wonderful.

 

[RoyalChick]

Betty's Long Range Exploration

During yesterday's free range time you can see Betty head off on her own wanting to see more of the yard. She does have an "encounter" with Sydney but is able to enjoy the rest of her time exploring. All the way to the apple trees this time!

@MaryJanet @Ribh @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue

So good to see. Betty seems like a strong confident young lady.

 

[BY Bob]

Greetings all, another mildish day...

Caught everyone dust bathing yesterday

I love watching them dustbathing.

 

[BY Bob]

So good to see. Betty seems like a strong confident young lady.

She seems to have a decisive mind. She goes where she wants when she has it made up.

 

[BY Bob]

Mystery Layer Identified

I caught this young lady heading into the nest box today. There is a freshly laid egg in the box and the hen in question sang the song of her people for 15 minutes afterwards.

Spoiler: Mystery Layer

@Ribh @MaryJanet @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue

 

[Ponypoor]

I love watching them dustbathing.

Yup all that dirt flying hahaha, and they were so quiet! Like kids I was worried they were up to something

 

[Ponypoor]

Mystery Layer Identified

I caught this young lady heading into the nest box today. There is a freshly laid egg in the box and the hen in question sang the song of her people for 15 minutes afterwards.

Spoiler: Mystery Layer

@Ribh @MaryJanet @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue

Is this her first?

 

[RoyalChick]

Mystery Layer Identified

I caught this young lady heading into the nest box today. There is a freshly laid egg in the box and the hen in question sang the song of her people for 15 minutes afterwards.

Spoiler: Mystery Layer

@Ribh @MaryJanet @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue

Nice job Phyllis!
I was out in the Chicken Palace when I looked at this. My princesses were definitely intrigued by Phyllis clucking around. They became very alert in a 'stranger in our midst' sort of way.
A little later when it was not playing they did the alarm trill and all froze to the spot - but I couldn't figure out what they saw. I was right there!
I fear Dotty may have got a bit of frostbite on a couple of the tips of her comb. I wonder if she just didn't have enough feathers to keep her comb warm when she buried her head, or whether when she got sopping wet and later it froze that was a problem.
It is certainly not severe and I may be wrong - I didn't want to handle it in case it hurt. I will observe over the next few days but it wouldn't astonish me if she lost a bit of a tip.

I feel really bad about it - but it must be said she seems full of beans and is definitely growing new feathers - I see a lot of black tail feathers coming through and some around her neck.

 

[Marie2020]

I'm very happy to report that Chiquita is fully integrated into the flock and I will now remove the cat carrier from the pen. She spent her first full day outside with everybody. I did not intend to leave her out all day when I let her loose yesterday morning but things happened. Ended up having to be at my grandmothers at noon, expected to be home in a hour and instead arrived home 2 hours after dark. First thing I did was go to the pen looking for Chiquita hoping I would not have to track down a tiny hen in the dark. When I got to their pen first thing I see is the carrier is empty, my heart sinks. I then look up and I'm floored, there she is, on the big roost in the pen between Branch and Poppy. I had not yet tried to see if she knew how to roost, was planning on doing that this week. I did have to track down Corona who was sleeping in the dog house. Corona is spoiled and it is all my fault. She knows how to roost, but if I do not pack her and place her on it she stubs up and hides in the dog house waiting on me. Once inside I did ask Rosie if she had put any of the chickens on the roost as the pen was shut. She said she had placed Poppy on the roost beside Chiquita and she could not find Corona. I asked her if Chiquita was already up on the roost by herself and she said both she and Branch were. Branch must have shown her how to get up on the roost by hopping up on the sawhorse that is in the back of the pen. It is actually in there as a step ladder for the silkies as they cannot make the 5 foot leap in one go as the others can.

Brilliant news