Let's start with some butts, shall we?

Poopy and Inky
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InkyButt_230130.jpg


Now some feisty Foxy
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(bonus butt from Wendy and some annoying human parts)
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Inky in all her glory
Inky_230130.jpg


And a lighthouse (Light in the house)
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Light_house2_230130.jpg

I feel really bad that her saddle is on. We will probably take it off in a month or less when for sure there won't be any more cold weather. This way even if she pecks all her back feathers right away she wouldn't be cold.

You can see her wing feathers have grown a lot compared to this photo below.
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Final Powder update:

We were able to put Powder to rest, I found her today under the bridge in the stream. I will never know precisely what caused her death but I am glad to know she isn't out there hurt, lost or scared.

I hesitated to post this because I don't wish to make anyone sad. However, everyone was so supportive in trying to help me figure out what might have happened to her I thought you would want to know even if it is sad.

Thank you everyone :hugs
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I'm so very sorry for your loss. I'm sure it helps to have found her and to give her a and off. Scratch well powder and rest in peace. :hugs:hugs
 
Cocorico !
I disagree, Babs is no goose. I hope she learns to regulate her egg's size ! It looks good though.

@RebeccaBoyd glad Rosie is feeling better, she's been though a lot of health trouble. You're a real mamma hen to her 😁. I love the chick's names after Poe's poems.

@ValarieF I love your roosters. They steal the show ! Hope you are feeling a bit better.

I keep complaining about very small health problems because I'm so lucky not to have bigger ones. I've been having a torticolis for two days! I think you call it a stiff neck but torticolis is a much funnier word. Anyway it's been quite cold here and even though the weather is beautiful I've been spending more time inside than usual which is making me cranky. I do have pictures of Piou-piou drinking through the ice for thirsty Thursday! Have a nice day / evening everyone. My chickens are already asleep here.
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Awesome crow! Beautiful photos ❤️
 
A couple of things, any chance there could be mites in the nest boxes? Chickens will avoid places where they get bit like we all would. Cleaning everything out of the nest box and flaming the box with a torch making sure the flame gets in all the corners and nooks can assure there are no mites hiding. Of course you can't flame every kind of nest box. Don't burn down your coop.

Secondly, how are you encouraging them to use the box? Do you have ceramic eggs in the box. Do you leave any real eggs in the boxes? Both of these can create the realization that the nest box is a safe place to lay.

Thirdly, where are the nest boxes in relation to the door? It has been experience that placing them as far from the door as possible leads to a sense of security. The nest boxes need to seem safe.

Fourthly, is there any chance you have a bully hen who won't let them lay in the nest boxes? My lead hen Aurora has been known to evict other hens from the box she wants to use. I've also seen her reach into the box next to her when she was laying and peck the hen in the box next to her. I had to put up solid dividers between my boxes to stop her from doing that.

Oh how I wish it was any of those things!

1. The boxes are brand new. We built them and put them in less than a week after they started laying. Brand new bedding.

2. Golf balls at first. Then real eggs. Nothing.

3. They are as far from both the pop door and the walk-in door as we can get them. This is the oddest part to me. There are so much quieter places to lay than right next to the pop door!

4. Not that I can tell. Usually they all lay in the same place.

Today I put curtains on both the nest boxes and the underside of the boxes to the floor and put nice new shavings there, with a golf ball where it can be seen. 🤞

The below pics are 1. Nest boxes. 2. Coop...pop door on the left, nest boxes on the right. (Brick where they laid today.) And 3. Silly birds where they begin every night...all 4 piled in a corner behind the feeders. They move to the roosts eventually. Silly birds.
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Let's start with some butts, shall we?

Poopy and Inky
View attachment 3400614View attachment 3400615
View attachment 3400616

Now some feisty Foxy
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(bonus butt from Wendy and some annoying human parts)
View attachment 3400617

Inky in all her glory
View attachment 3400619

And a lighthouse (Light in the house)
View attachment 3400612
View attachment 3400611
I feel really bad that her saddle is on. We will probably take it off in a month or less when for sure there won't be any more cold weather. This way even if she pecks all her back feathers right away she wouldn't be cold.

You can see her wing feathers have grown a lot compared to this photo below.
View attachment 3400620
Such beauties :) I love Light's beautiful comb!
 

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