Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Well, heck. They say it will be 56 F on New Year's Day. I sure hope so.
Grandma's hopes and dreams of almost 60 F weather.
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Grandma tries to knit herself a burrito blanket. Emphasis on tried. Instead, she ended up making a fool out of herself by untangling the string... she is okay.
Here's another one:
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, here's Grandma! She tries to knit herself a blanket but makes a fool of herself and instead untangles string. What a mess!
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Grandma finishes up a puzzle. I don't know what her deal is on looking like a bread bun.
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Finally, Tony is relaxed enough for a photo.
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I don't know what is happening here but Parmesan lost her tail from molting.
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Will Grandma be the only chicken eating corn? Come on! You'll warm up!
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I loved your commentary it was very funny

And Grandma is a hoot! Love how she is so quiet and sits enjoying herself knitting and working on a puzzle

Tony and Parmesan are lovely - don’t worry about her tail feathers, I have 4 that are molting and have lost their tail feathers!!

I would submit Grandma knitting to the POW

 

[rural mouse]

Oreo possible frostbite pictures:
It does look considerably smaller today so some of it was indeed dirt. This is what it looks like this morning.View attachment 3360412View attachment 3360413

To me, that looks more like someone bit him. The one tip on top has a couple of spots, so a very light case is possible, but I'm not seeing any inflammation (which tends to go hand in hand with frostbite).

 

[Ponypoor]

Oreo possible frostbite pictures:
It does look considerably smaller today so some of it was indeed dirt. This is what it looks like this morning.View attachment 3360412View attachment 3360413

Awwww - well yes that sure look is like necrotic tissue from frost bit. Not much to do but monitor. And keep up the pain meds a few more days - I hate winter!

 

[Ponypoor]

Some of my girls probably have frostbite. I posted details here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/frostbite-or-something-else.1558351/

Oh poor kiddo, yes frost bit and yep not much you can do. Pain meds though would be prudent - my horses ear tips were frost bitten and she was in extreme pain - and when I had my cheeks frosted it was really bad

I hate winter

I would make sure that the coop is draft free, keep the wind out! That is the best thing to do. Also keep them dry

 

[BY Bob]

Ask Aurora

This week's question comes from Muffless in Massachusetts.

She asks........

Dear Aurora,

You have such legendary beard and muffs. How do I get them? People say ‘drink coffee, it puts hair on your chest”. Is there something I can eat or drink to grow myself a stylish beard & muffs?

Signed,

Muffless in Massachusetts



Dear Muffless,

You are of course correct. I have splendid beard and muffs. I have spent a lot of time growing and grooming them to be the truly spectacular display you see today.

How can you grow them if you don’t already have them is quite a conundrum. But of course, I understand why you want such luscious facial feathers. What is a chicken that is not blessed with superior genetics like me to do? Time for some research. I grabbed my trusty bearded sidekick and we set off to solve the mystery.

We asked every chicken we could find, performed exhaustive research on both Beakbook and the internet. These are all the things we could find that will supposedly put “Feathers on your Face”.

• Black Coffee
• Tabasco Sauce (or Anything Spicy)
• Bread Crust
• Hard Work Scratching and Digging
• Wheaties
• Whisky
• Spinach
• Horseradish Sauce
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Buttermilk
• Responsibility

There seem to be 2 categories of ways to get “Feathers on your Face”, eating certain foods and Working Hard. First, let’s look at all of those things you can eat to achieve a thick gorgeous set of facial feathers. We can rule out some of these immediately:

• Bread Crust
• Spinach
• Wheaties

All of these have been consumed here by many birds including hundreds of songbirds. Have you ever seen a songbird with muffs and/or a beard? Crazy. This is just patently false. Busted!

• Black Coffee
• Whisky

These two are just flat out dangerous. These myths are put out there by chickens trying to get revenge on other chickens without being hen enough to do it themselves. Both of these will kill you if consumed in any quantity. Dare we call them busted? I say so, Busted!

• Tabasco Sauce (or Anything Spicy)
• Horseradish Sauce
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Buttermilk

These are your bitter and spicey foods. I can honestly say that Betty and I love spicey food. There may actually be something to these. Of course, Sydney also eats spicey foods and she has a clean face but maybe it just doesn’t work for everyone. These may be worth giving a try.


That leaves the activity-based means of growing facial feathers. Let’s address them individually.

• Hard Work Scratching and Digging

There is one hen here who never stops moving. She is always scratching and digging. To be frank, I find her exhausting. She is even difficult to peck when needed as she moves so much. That hen is Glynda. If scratching and digging was going to grow facial feathers, Glynda would have a beard down to her knees. She definitely does not. I call this busted!

What would Glynda look like if this were true?

Our final way to grow facial feathers

• Responsibility

I’m pretty certain this one is busted as well. I have heard of no hen who carried more weight and responsibility than the queen who was before me, Queen Lilly. Her reign was peaceful and just. Even when injured and it was hard for her to move, she still made certain we were all protected as best she could. She oversaw multiple successful tribe expansions. Yet she never grew a beard. This photo alone says Busted!

So, my best available advice is to eat as much spicey food as possible. You will need your human’s support as it is hard to find spicey plants. Perhaps one of your roosters might know where some are. Don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen for you. Not everyone can be blessed with beautiful facial feathers. That does not mean you are less of a chicken. Every chicken has value and purpose no matter what they look like………..

except maybe for Phyllis…………

Although I guess her purpose could be to just annoy the crap out of me.

Yours,
Aurora

 

[Ponypoor]

Be a mathemachicken

Hahahaha ok if you say so!

 

[Ponypoor]

Hello everyone ! Glad to hear your chickens made it through the cold. I believe frostbites, though painful, isn't a major problem for the chicken. Please be kind with yourselves, take into account that most of you have had temperatures falling so suddenly it's unlikely to happen ever again in your chicken life time!
@knoturavggrl not the subject, but Oreo is gorgeous in those close ups.

I'm also glad @RebeccaBoyd is slowly getting back into jeans and that Mama hen is still with us, and that @RoyalChick can shower again.

I've encountered a hawk attack on my hen Blanche a few days ago, but I was close by and able to scare it away quickly, so she had only superficial pecks on the eyes and ears. She's healing up slowly. And you may remember I was worrying about little Merle's health-, it wasn't at all mites like I expected, she turned broody on me . I know this is very usual for most of you but having ex-batts I never encountered it before. She's only six months and a half, laying for less than a month, we don't leave her eggs and it's winter. It seems she'll come out of it just by bringing back to the coop at night luckily!
I hope you all have a nice day and more pleasant temperatures.
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Henny Penny went broody at 7 months old, I gave her 4 eggs which she successfully hatched and raised!! It was very stressful for me haha. Merle will make a wonderful mama next summer I am sure

Today it’s mild here in Central Ontario, going to be +2 today - up to 10 by Friday! Crazy weather…

 

[Ponypoor]

He made a fuss? You need to ask permission from a rooster, before you pick him up.

This morning I plucked Mr P off the roost befor he could hop down - he didn’t make a sound! I gently put him on the ground and he strutted off

 

[Ponypoor]

This does make a-lot of sense. He has definitely increased his mating attempts as the girls inch closer to laying age. One of them could well have told him off in no uncertain terms that she isn’t ready yet.

He is really is a gentle giant and I have never once seen him be remotely aggressive in his attempts however he is very persistently attempting. I do have a few feisty girls who may well have gotten irritated with him.

I will definitely keep everyone updated.

He certainly is a beauty

 

[Ponypoor]

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Yes...and he's not the only one
(He's staying well away from the others at the moment....and hunting up pea tree seeds)View attachment 3360490Kren is mostly unscathed, Horus.....not so much....

Oh dear

Tough being a Roo, all that bling can cause so much trouble!