Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Going forward I will confirm that each time I record, actually results in an egg.
A couple of times she has got up at 3am and gone into the box. But then she goes in again later so I am not sure the 3am visit is actually laying time.
I will confirm over the next few days.

I'm very interested in this. It is not as easy to tell as one might think. I usually check this in the summer because I start bumping into them laying over a couple of days and randomly grab a few data points then work to complete the data set.

 

[featherhead007]

Rain has stopped. The girls are out in the yard. Us guys are inside having lunch

 

[bgmathteach]

I have started close observation of Babs and her cycle. But I can get a reasonable indication by looking on the camera at the times she goes in and out of the nest box.

Are you sure that is how it works? It seems logical but from the records over the last week, Babs has not read the memo it seems.

In the last week her probable egg laying times (when she came out of the box having been in there for about 45 mins - not just a quick look around) - are as follows, working back from today:
- 8:45am
- 6:50am
- 2:20pm
- 7:49am
- 6:54am
- 9:00am
- 7:45am

Egg cycle tax: Babs isn’t telling.
View attachment 3732043

I think she is just playing with you, some of those times are 'fake-outs' , and she really just sneaks in quick to lay once in a while, avoiding the camera somehow....just to keep you guessing!

Seriously, though, were any of those times the night of or the day after the fox harassing them? Stress can alter that - if one is in the shoot, it may not stay in the shell gland as long.... Have you used any of the eggs? Were the shells a bit thinner than normal for her?

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm very interested in this. It is not as easy to tell as one might think. I usually check this in the summer because I start bumping into them laying over a couple of days and randomly grab a few data points then work to complete the data set.

I am on it - camera and spreadsheet to the ready!

I think she is just playing with you, some of those times are 'fake-outs' , and she really just sneaks in quick to lay once in a while, avoiding the camera somehow....just to keep you guessing!

She is totally playing with me. Today she went in at 7am and came out at 7.45am. In the 15 minutes it took me to rinse my breakfast plate and put on boots and coat against the snow she had gone back in and came out again 45 mins later. So I counted the egg as from the later time, but really it could have been earlier.
I cottoned on to one of her games because at 3am she goes into the lower level boxes, but she lays her egg in the upper level. So I realize the 3am visit was probably just a squabble with Bernie that resulted in Babs going to sleep on the sofa!

Seriously, though, were any of those times the night of or the day after the fox harassing them? Stress can alter that - if one is in the shoot, it may not stay in the shell gland as long.... Have you used any of the eggs? Were the shells a bit thinner than normal for her?

So maybe last week was more than usually disrupted because of the foxes and the hawk. So we will see how it goes from here. She doesn't seem stressed or flustered. One thing I have noticed about her is that she can be all settled in a nest box and when I rattle the seed cup she shoots out and grabs some seeds and then goes back to her box. She is not one to miss out!
Her eggs seem normal. They have been fading over the last year so it feels like she needs to top up the ink - but shells are fine and she is a voracious eater of crunched up egg shells. Well a voracious eater period.

I really want her to take a break - I hate that she is exhausting herself. She is such a poppet.

Looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. But yet, she is playing games!

 

[Ponypoor]

I’m confused View attachment 3732014View attachment 3732018

Nice try buster!

How about some rocks??

 

[Lilion]

What on earth is wrong with Sheba now?

First, I apologize. Seems like I only post problems.

After Randy was rehomed last week I came down with the flu and was pretty out of commission. My husband has done all the chicken tending in until today, and he's not very observant. He doesn't get in the run like I do. Today I took them some warm treats and saw Sheba in daylight for the first time in ages.

The other hens look 100% fine and healthy!

She acts fine. She eats fine. Surely that's not all from Randy? It looks like her head is losing all its feathers and I'm not sure what's going on with her comb.

Again, everyone else is healthy.

She has finally stopped laying. Maybe moulting is finally happening?

 

[Ponypoor]

The deep straw the coop is providing entertainment. I keep throwing cracked corn into it. Sydney was having a good time digging up treasure.

I do that too! I throw corn oat barley mix into the stalls and they have to work for it

No wonder my straw is everywhere!

 

[RoyalChick]

What on earth is wrong with Sheba now?

First, I apologize. Seems like I only post problems.

After Randy was rehomed last week I came down with the flu and was pretty out of commission. My husband has done all the chicken tending in until today, and he's not very observant. He doesn't get in the run like I do. Today I took them some warm treats and saw Sheba in daylight for the first time in ages.

The other hens look 100% fine and healthy!

View attachment 3732093View attachment 3732094View attachment 3732095View attachment 3732096View attachment 3732097View attachment 3732098View attachment 3732099

She acts fine. She eats fine. Surely that's not all from Randy? It looks like her head is losing all its feathers and I'm not sure what's going on with her comb.

Again, everyone else is healthy.

She has finally stopped laying. Maybe moulting is finally happening?

Molting plus someone pecked her comb maybe?

 

[Ponypoor]

The deep straw the coop is providing entertainment. I keep throwing cracked corn into it. Sydney was having a good time digging up treasure.

I’ll have to ‘watch that at home’ I am guessing there is a video. But all I see is a grey gap.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have started close observation of Babs and her cycle.

But meanwhile, I can get a reasonable indication by looking on the camera at the times she goes in and out of the nest box.

Are you sure that is how it works? It seems logical but from the records over the last week, Babs has not read the memo it seems.

In the last week her probable egg laying times (when she came out of the box having been in there for about 45 mins - not just a quick look around) - are as follows, working back from today:
- 8:45am
- 6:50am
- 2:20pm
- 7:49am
- 6:54am
- 9:00am
- 7:45am

Egg cycle tax: Babs isn’t telling.
View attachment 3732043

Ok Babs give it up, tell us what you know or we will steal your eggs…