Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

Oh yes I want one of those! Legbars were one I looked at but the hatchery is saying they are not available - boo hoo!!! But I am hoping that they will have some further along in the Spring / summer. I was hoping for a shimmering white one like @by_bob Glynda but a spotty one would be nice also!

Exchequer leghorn, I think, is a little less 'over bred', and splotchy (versus speckled) black and white, and has nice comb and wattles. Alas, not dark brown eggs, though.

 

[bgmathteach]

Pictures on line of the breed show big combs and wattles. Bernie however is rather modest in that department.
Bernie does what Bernie does!

View attachment 3390606View attachment 3390607

And Bernie does it so well. She is a gorgeous, independent lady!!

 

[Marie2020]

You be careful with what you're binging on young man

 

[Marie2020]

I am completely astonished constantly by the variety of colours shapes eggs feathers etc of chickens !! 3’ high chickens, fluffy chickens, chickens with mutant feet, naked chickens, teeny tiny chickens - with wattles, without wattles, 3 toes 4 toes…. Tails no tails….

And don’t get me started on combs!!!

I want one of each variety - gonna need a huge barn!!!

Or a block of apartments

 

[ManueB]

Ooooo! I see fuzzy legs!

Tell me - those photos of the hen roosting in the tree with the nice green leaves - is that back in the summer? or is that an ever-green type tree? if so what kind of tree?

I am always on the lookout for different trees for at home, I have evergreen type trees like Wintergreen - it has lovely shiny green leaves, and red berries.

I wouldn't mind putting something like that up at the barn that the chickens wont eat, tear up.... I have pretty much given up on flowers and veggies/tomatoes

It's a laurel tree and yes, an evergreen. It's a life savior shelter for my chickens, only the goshawk goes inside to get them out. It's a Mediterranean tree but can handle zone 8. Ours is a bit out of control .

I'm getting more evergreens. I'm realizing one of the reasons why we have so many raptors attack in winter is that the land is so bare.

Pictures on line of the breed show big combs and wattles. Bernie however is rather modest in that department.
Bernie does what Bernie does!

View attachment 3390606View attachment 3390607

I think she looks just perfect.
But I wonder how she will react if Elie and Babs start to lay before she has.

 

[RoyalChick]

It's a laurel tree and yes, an evergreen. It's a life savior shelter for my chickens, only the goshawk goes inside to get them out. It's a Mediterranean tree but can handle zone 8. Ours is a bit out of control .
View attachment 3390617
I'm getting more evergreens. I'm realizing one of the reasons why we have so many raptors attack in winter is that the land is so bare.

I think she looks just perfect.
But I wonder how she will react if Elie and Babs start to lay before she has.

I think you are right about needing more shrubs to keep them safe from raptors. Though I am sure your terracing walls also help.
I spent last season planting shrubs around the chicken area and I am really hoping it helps keep my Princesses safe.
I too am curious about what happens if Eli and Babs start to lay before Bernadette. I still haven't plucked up the courage to weigh her, but I think she is probably twice Eli's size. So I am thinking she is not letting top-hen status slip from her easily.

 

[bgmathteach]

I think you are right about needing more shrubs to keep them safe from raptors. Though I am sure your terracing walls also help.
I spent last season planting shrubs around the chicken area and I am really hoping it helps keep my Princesses safe.

Are many of them evergreen? I know you were planting quite a bit for them - I'm curious as to what you have planted?

I am looking to make a hedgerow of sorts with a few evergreens and the remaining shrubs ones that produce food of some sort (want lilacs as they are an early flowering shrub for bees, but most bird food, like high bush blueberries). There are a couple fairly decent sized Maples that will stay, but also some scrubby, poorly 'built' trees that will go so there will be a decent amount of sun for the shrubs in all but 'high noon'.

Some shrubs I have in mind:
1Rhodedendron + a mountain Laurel I am hoping to transplant.
High bush blueberries
couple lilacs
pea trees
couple of roses ( the low growing, large rose-hip kind)
serviceberry
chokeberry

Then on the sun facing slope, thinking of a couple low growing evergreens
and perennials, such as coneflower, daisies, daylilies, Russian sage, lavender, daffodils & crocus (both early flowers important for bees), etc. These, however, will be outside the pen, as it slopes down to the road....the fence will be in the 'middle' if you will, with a 'fencerow' of shubs either side of it (but placed far enough away that I can keep it trimmed to about 1' either side of fence when full sized - so can run an electric wire along the top. and, in another area not too far from there(would be in the same 'pen') I'm thinking of planting a Mulberry for fruit and extra shade

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Yes you have.....View attachment 3390438This little guyView attachment 3390439I need to get some new pics of him. The feathers around his head were finally growing in the other day.

The legs on this guy are fantastic! I love how each slate blue scale is delineated with a lighter border. Feature legs, patio legs! Beautiful laid-in stone.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

Hi, everyone. I wish I have photos of what my chickens have done on Saturday but I forgot to upload the photos to my laptop so you'll get them later today or tomorrow.
I'll give you one hint: they made a big mess.

 

[RoyalChick]

Are many of them evergreen? I know you were planting quite a bit for them - I'm curious as to what you have planted?

I am looking to make a hedgerow of sorts with a few evergreens and the remaining shrubs ones that produce food of some sort (want lilacs as they are an early flowering shrub for bees, but most bird food, like high bush blueberries). There are a couple fairly decent sized Maples that will stay, but also some scrubby, poorly 'built' trees that will go so there will be a decent amount of sun for the shrubs in all but 'high noon'.

Some shrubs I have in mind:
1Rhodedendron + a mountain Laurel I am hoping to transplant.
High bush blueberries
couple lilacs
pea trees
couple of roses ( the low growing, large rose-hip kind)
serviceberry
chokeberry

Then on the sun facing slope, thinking of a couple low growing evergreens
and perennials, such as coneflower, daisies, daylilies, Russian sage, lavender, daffodils & crocus (both early flowers important for bees), etc. These, however, will be outside the pen, as it slopes down to the road....the fence will be in the 'middle' if you will, with a 'fencerow' of shubs either side of it (but placed far enough away that I can keep it trimmed to about 1' either side of fence when full sized - so can run an electric wire along the top. and, in another area not too far from there(would be in the same 'pen') I'm thinking of planting a Mulberry for fruit and extra shade

I have a mix of evergreen and deciduous and I try to go with natives where possible.
Let me see if I remember:
- Three native Sweetbay Magnolias - not evergreen but hold on to their leaves a long time (transplanted from another spot where the deer were snacking on them too vigorously)
- 1 weeping hemlock - evergreen and creates a big spread they can hide under
- 3 honey berries - but they were very tiny bareroots and I don't know if they survived the drought followed by the cold - not evergreen but BERRIES!!
- Multiple butterfly bushes (well they planted themselves from seeds elsewhere). They are not evergreen but they create such a tangle of branches that I think they provide some protection anyway
- 1 evergreen viburnum

I am going to walk around and see if I can take some cuttings of other things I already have so I can keep evolving the chicken jungle!