Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Not all will raise a ruckus. Nellie, PITA, and Twirp will all squawk up a storm. Indigo will sometimes. Lark, Maizie, Pippa, Storm, Jessica, Pear, Primula, Belladonna, Mera will all slip in, lay and slip out. I've witnessed several of those poke a head into the coop, look around and leave. Looks as iff they're checking to see who is in a box before deciding whether to commit to laying or evaluating, "nope, I'll wait." It was this that had be shocked Storm was broody. She was a QUIET lady....flip a switch and buk-buk-buk.....even now...except when someone's too close....then she ninja attacks (no warning).

My point, they are very likely laying. You just haven't figured out where, and they're not announcing to the worldyet.

That’s what I am afraid of I need to get rid of all that loose hay as I am sure there are hidden eggs there. I’ll be finished the nest boxes in the HH-B this morning, so hopefully they will go in there and start laying. Especially those Azurs - at least they lay their eggs in the loose hay out in the open where I can find them

I was hoping the chicks would just lay with the Azurs.

Let the hunt begin!

 

[RoyalChick]

Here you go.

Oh I though he meant three 2fers - ie 6 chickens and I have been scouring the shot for another two!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

How is Ida doing? I'm assuming (?) Anna continues to improve - hoping Ida is stabilizing or getting better, not worse.

And...how is your hip doing after all that hard digging? (I think I remember correctly that you had it replaced a year ago ish.)

Ida Diane is not worse, but I can’t tell if she’s getting better yet. All are acting fine. Her voice may be slightly less honky, and her eyes looked clear a few days ago. Tedi’s eyes look good too but her voice is kind of honky also. The only one who sounds normal with her cheeps is Anna! Anna is still smaller, and I sometimes think she needs more rest still, and maybe Ida Diane too. Tedi is the largest.

Popcorn looks, acts and and sounds okay, but with Hazel I want to check her eyes more closely. They are both molting and Hazel usually acts off so it may just be that.

My hip was the last thing feeling the strain! Hands, arms, torso. I just learned what I was calling an adze is really a mattock, cause it has two blades. The bar thing, a pole with a point, weighs about 35-40 lbs. A good workout! Yes, the surgery was a year ago to the day yesterday (10th). I only notice it after a mile or two of steady fast walking, I feel a certain tiredness in certain particular muscles while they warm up, then it goes away. Must be some muscles that are peripheral to the main business of walking, b/c I don’t notice it any other time. Once in a while I feel a slight ligament soreness that is very transient.

 

[RoyalChick]

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There's my count....

Thank you @rural mouse - I was trying to figure out how to do that editing on my phone!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

If I had any doubts Poppet was used to being handled they have been completely erased. I just went out to let everyone out of the coop. Once it was empty I let poppet out of her box I kept her in last night and showed her where her food and water was. I then squatted down to stay with her for a few minutes. She stopped eating and came over to me and hopped up on my knee chirping away. I rubbed her crop for a minute which she seem to like and next thing I know I have her up on my shoulders trying to snuggle into my hoodie. If it were not 40 degree's out and my turn to be on morning duties for grandma I would have stayed out there with her all morning. I have already lost her though, she is not my hen. Rosie claimed her yesterday. Apparently Owly and now Poppet are her personal chickens.

 

[Ponypoor]

I will have to really evaluate her more closely in the next few days. She could be 5 months. I only spent about 30 minutes total with her yesterday afternoon after she arrived. First impressions, I would peg her to be more likely 4 months old. My instinct tells me she is going to be small though. She is by no means underweight or was she neglected. There is some weight to that tiny body. She is a talkative little thing with a mixture of chick peeps and honks, more chick peeps though leading me to think about a month younger. Where she came from I can see a mix up in age, several different age groups of chicks were hatched this year. I know I mix up ages easily and would forget if I did not have pictures to look back on to see the date they were taken. She was wary of me when I was sitting out with her, but also curious and wanting to come to me. The lady I got her from got silkies last year for her young children. She was broody raised but also handled daily by her son. He wanted to keep them all but she had him pick out 4 keepers of this years hatches and place the others. Smart little boy, he picked 4 pullets and she was the only pullet they had available. I do not even try to negotiate with children or else I would have tried to see if they had just 1 more pullet to place. He remembered me talking to him about silkie's at the horse show this summer. I joked with him this coming spring I might need some eggs and he replied well I know where you live.

That’s so sweet - I think kids should all have pets and care for them. He is a smart boy you should take him up on the offer for eggs to hatch

What will your plans be for this wee little lady, will she be a broody to hatch and brood babies? Or breed silkies crossing her with Branch?

She is such a litttle poppet for sure

 

[Ponypoor]

Usually sometime before Halloween. Whether we keep it or not is debatable. A few years ago, we didn't see any until after Thanksgiving (4th Thursday of november). This year.... Not a clue.

Pretty much same here. Since they are saying a mild winter then I expect a lot of rain or freezing rain. Ugh.

The horses and chooks won’t like that, at least with snow it’s dry and mot muddy for the horses, and I can throw old bedding ontop of the snow or shovel a path for the chooks to get outside.

Tax

Photos taken in March 2023
Truly doesn’t mild snow as long as she has her blankie on.

I shoveled a path for the chooks to get outside

 

[Ponypoor]

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There's my count....

Well done!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

That’s so sweet - I think kids should all have pets and care for them. He is a smart boy you should take him up on the offer for eggs to hatch

What will your plans be for this wee little lady, will she be a broody to hatch and brood babies? Or breed silkies crossing her with Branch?

She is such a litttle poppet for sure

Poppet has one purpose and that is to be my ball of fluff with attitude that silkie hens are known for being. If she wants to go broody in the future I will let her. Chiquita proved to me silkies are amazing mothers. It is hilarious to watch those tiny feather dusters act like they are 100 feet tall and ferocious while they are broody. Deep down a goal is to have a pure silkie daughter of Branch's to keep. Maybe this time around I can make that happen. If it does not I do have his and Chiquita's grandbaby in Spooky even if she is only half silkie. I love my flock and the other hens. It just felt wrong and incomplete without a tiny terror bossing the big girls around.

 

[Ponypoor]

If I had any doubts Poppet was used to being handled they have been completely erased. I just went out to let everyone out of the coop. Once it was empty I let poppet out of her box I kept her in last night and showed her where her food and water was. I then squatted down to stay with her for a few minutes. She stopped eating and came over to me and hopped up on my knee chirping away. I rubbed her crop for a minute which she seem to like and next thing I know I have her up on my shoulders trying to snuggle into my hoodie. If it were not 40 degree's out and my turn to be on morning duties for grandma I would have stayed out there with her all morning. I have already lost her though, she is not my hen. Rosie claimed her yesterday. Apparently Owly and now Poppet are her personal chickens.

Awwwww that’s so sweet I miss my silkie babies but I do have enough of chooks so no more for me.

And I do have a bunch who hop up on various parts of me (always with poopy feet of course) - but I need to point out that Rosie is in school all day so there is your opportunity to snuggle with them

How is your gran doing, has she seen Poppet yet?