Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Ya but she ignores me just like she does Mr P!!!

Mr. P “I was making it right, what the hell? “

 

[featherhead007]

Nice try buster!

How about some rocks??

 

[ChicoryBlue]

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!

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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?

Definite blood on a bit of her comb in the fourth pic. Possibly what @RoyalChick guesses, molting plus picking. Did your temps get ti freezing or close to freezing?
The white in the picture is so reflective, it’s hard to really tell what it is, can you tell? It’s as if she got smeared with urates. Does she have pin feathers coming in on any of these areas?

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Rain stopped this morning at 4AM. When I woke up for school the whole Valley was covered in fog. Coming back home now to get some Tax and Twofer photos.

Tax for now:

 

[Ponypoor]

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Awww such beauties and they all look so happy in that photo.

 

[Ponypoor]

Rain stopped this morning at 4AM. When I woke up for school the whole Valley was covered in fog. Coming back home now to get some Tax and Twofer photos.

Tax for now:
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Be safe hope no flooding where you are.

 

[bgmathteach]

Some take only 20 mn to lay and some take nearly three hours, but it's hard to tell when exactly the eggs come out. Possibly they spend some time in the nest after laying. So I'm not sure if one should take into account the time they walk in the nest or the time they come out to track the cycle.

I have a few hens who sing the egg/escort song within a few minutes of laying, and others that 'rest after their exertion' for over an hour after laying. I find it both varies by breed and individual hen.

So, @RoyalChick you can't always tell by exit time. Because if a hen that usually sits for a while gets disturbed a few minutes after laying - they will exit.

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.

Also, @RoyalChick : I have seen hens pop out for treats, run around chowing down, then, practically cross-legged, run back to the nest to lay - within 10 min!!!!!! They were on hyper speed when getting treats - almost like: OMG, gotta eat before it pops out -quick -quick -quick....my water already broke!!!!

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Be safe hope no flooding where you are.

Nope! Just slippery mud everywhere. I hears there was flooding in places like San Diego though.

Twofer Tuesday on that note (with a few fluffy butts):

(This one's kinda bad but there is Onaga a bit hidden by Stormfeather)

 

[RoyalChick]

I have a few hens who sing the egg/escort song within a few minutes of laying, and others that 'rest after their exertion' for over an hour after laying. I find it both varies by breed and individual hen.

So, @RoyalChick you can't always tell by exit time. Because if a hen that usually sits for a while gets disturbed a few minutes after laying - they will exit.


Also, @RoyalChick : I have seen hens pop out for treats, run around chowing down, then, practically cross-legged, run back to the nest to lay - within 10 min!!!!!! They were on hyper speed when getting treats - almost like: OMG, gotta eat before it pops out -quick -quick -quick....my water already broke!!!!

Yes - the legs crossed dash for treats is definitely a Babs thing.
Babs doesn't sing after laying - it is actually her most quiet time as most of the time she keeps up a running commentary on everything.
I am recording enter and exit time and I have it in a spreadsheet so I can see if there is a cycle based on entry time, exit time or any time in between.
But a hen that lays at 2pm one day and then 7am the next morning isn't sticking to a schedule and I don't need precise timings to see that!
Even if I exclude the 2pm as an outlier, she still isn't showing a progressive pattern.
I will update after a couple more days of observations.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Late Afternoon Snack and Egg Haul:

Tax: