Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

More thirsty bird

Even Thing prefers wild water, in spite of the chance of wet crest. I hate to tell her, but I cheated on this one: the sprinkler filled the tub....

 

[Sally PB]

What about taking some fresh eggs as a gift? Though a cheese platter is a wonderful idea.

 

[RoyalChick]

This is the prize shrub for the chicken garden. They don’t have access to it yet because it was only planted yesterday and needs to settle in. But I am very excited as it will provide nice hidey holes for them.
It is a weeping hemlock.
I also transplanted a couple of native multi stemmed magnolias that were badly eaten by the deer. Their shape is a bit too upright to be a really good hidey hole but thanks to the deer I think they are growing a bunch of lateral branches so will work quite well.
The chicken garden has been the big project I have been planning for a while so I am quite excited about it all.
Oh, and here is a Diana in the wild.

 

[RoyalChick]

What about taking some fresh eggs as a gift? Though a cheese platter is a wonderful idea.

 

[featherhead007]

What about taking some fresh eggs as a gift? Though a cheese platter is a wonderful idea.

I already give them eggs twice a month

 

[RoyalChick]

Thirsty Thursday
Finally I have a taker for my probiotic laced water. Everyone has diarrhea (except Diana) and I am hoping the probiotics will help. But they won’t help if everyone drinks wild water instead!

 

[bgmathteach]

I have several different kinds of ants. These are between a quarter and half an inch long, all black, and many are winged. I looked into ants last year. Most emit a bitter excretion, so chickens don't particularly like them. Last year, I had flying ants (like these) swarm and the chickens went bananas for them. not sure what kind of ant they are, but they must taste different. I've also had most of my birds eat tiny black ants as chicks. They leave red ones and red and black ones alone. I think the tiny ants make for good protein that a small chick doesn't have to expend much energy for once they've found the ants' trails. Of course, once the grasshoppers are out, ALL ants are disgusting.

I suspect that you have carpenter ants. There may be other kinds that get wings, but I know for a fact that carpenter ants get wings in the late spring (around here) and fly away to mate and to start a new colony:

Nuptial flight[edit]​

When conditions are warm and humid, winged males and females participate in a nuptial flight. They emerge from their satellite nests and females mate with a number of males while in flight. The males die after mating. These newly fertilized queens discard their wings and search for new areas to establish primary nests. The queens build new nests and deposit around 20 eggs, nurturing them as they grow until worker ants emerge. The worker ants eventually assist her in caring for the brood as she lays more eggs. After a few years, reproductive winged ants are born, allowing for the making of new colonies. Again, satellite nests will be established and the process will repeat itself.[14]

 

[bgmathteach]

Thirsty Thursday
Finally I have a taker for my probiotic laced water. Everyone has diarrhea (except Diana) and I am hoping the probiotics will help. But they won’t help if everyone drinks wild water instead!

I see it is a really good thing you put the waterer right next to the stairs. The water on the backside of the waterer is soooo much better than that in the front!

 

[bgmathteach]

Recent pics of one of my Roos and his ladies, for Taxes for all my recent ant and wine talk:

P.S. Yes, my Roos have had a few 'discussions' with each other these past few months...esp. the younger ones @ 1 yr. old....feeling their oats the young'uns are! They are starting to settle down more now...hopefully next year there will be less 'discussion' and more 'protecting the girls from predators' action! The first pic of the Roo shows some comb & wattle 'discussion' results.

 

[bgmathteach]

I really like that! I'm sure the chickens will LOVE the hidey holes it will provide. Watch out though, it will be a perfect place to make a secret nest!!

How big (tall/wide) will it eventually get?