Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Mugshot Monday
I had a few mugshots so I chose this one.

Good choice

 

[BY Bob]

I'm wondering about this winter too. Hubby would love a "hard" winter with lots of snow. Me, not so much. I'll be ordering some new filter material to put over the openings in the coop to cut the drafts down. I also lower the roosts a few inches to keep the airflow above the chickens' heads.

I put clear shower curtains up on the windward sides of the run. If anyone is wondering, yes, they have held up really well. This will be the 4th winter for some of the pieces. The trick is to secure it so that it doesn't flap in the wind. The curtains with metal grommets (instead of just the plastic reinforced holes) are better.

I also use shower curtains. I get new every year to be safe but they hold up extraordinarily well.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes they are very friendly, for me they remind me of a little banty hen - oh I am not complaining about their size as I am happy enough for them being small. I was just really curious as at the Hendrix site they state they are 50% leghorn ancestry.

Also the splash colour and Topsy topknot surprise me, but then with the Araucana background and the fact that the Exchequer Leghorn was an offshoot from white leghorns makes it less surprising.

I wonder if they will start to lay white eggs as time goes on like Glynda.

Let's hope their sprayers stay in operation. It does happen that as they age egg color can fade.

 

[BY Bob]

Mugs Monday
I feel like a Glynda mug is in Order today.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Might be making beer there

Only for the flies!

 

[Ponypoor]

I caused a kerfuffle this evening.
Sylvie has been roosting in her own the last few nights and has chosen a spot where all her poop falls on the fire escape.
They don’t need the fire escape any more so all that is doing is creating a big nasty poop ball.
So I removed the fire escape. It can wash down in the rain overnight and then dry off in the garage and in the next nice day I can scrape it properly clean. Make some tweaks to it and maybe even paint it so it is ready for when I next get chicks.
Great plan.
But it was such a nasty day that it was dark really early and so Sylvie was already getting ready to sleep when I pulled the fire escape.
Silly girl panicked and flew around in the dark.
Now she is roosting here. I have to say, sweet Babs wasn’t very welcoming!
View attachment 3644625

Don’t you just love bed time drama!

And a cat?

I didn’t see the cat very well on my phone, it wasn’t till I saw it on my laptop monitor haha knew then it wasn’t his chickies

This is my fear as well. An early hard winter is coming. Hattie does not usually molt until late October. She is in full molt right now!

The weather network up here is saying because of La Nina weather system there will be a mild winter in the west, and a brutal winter in the east. Not sure how it affects you in a more southerly zone but likely you will also get the cold weather.

Leghorns are small sleek birds. Remember they were bred for optimal egg production. Small birds require less fed. Part of the reason they fly so well is large wing to body mass ratio. The typical leghorn hen only weighs 4.5 lbs or 2 kg. That is slightly larger than Phyllis at 3.7 lbs or 1.7 kg.

The are very lean as The Greatest Hen Ever proves in this photo
View attachment 3644779

thanks for the info, they don’t seem to have as long legs but the do look like your quintessential white leghorn hen but only Topsy and Flopsy have floppy combs. twisters is upright.

 

[Ponypoor]

Great description!

I am really enjoying them, I was a bit freaked out that they might be wild as the wind, being raised in a factory setting; but they have really settled in well.

Actually I am extremely surprised at the ease with which everyone has got on this year with the addition of my niece’s hens, and all the babies. Other than Marty hunting the babies like a T-Rex everyone has just done their own thing.

 

[Ponypoor]

You need house poop for that!

Ummmm I meant HORSE poop

Darn autocorrect!

 

[Ponypoor]

Let's hope their sprayers stay in operation. It does happen that as they age egg color can fade.

White eggs are ok I don’t have any white egg layers. Wonder if the school chicks will lay white or light eggs. Polish lay white eggs, so I imagine Mr P’s genes will lighten whatever colour they will lay.

 

[SimpleJenn]

Mugs Monday

Shep doing shep stuff