Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Desertvalleychickens]

Why are the best dust bathing holes right next to a building or wall?

Softer sand? I don't know?

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Happy Valentines to everybody a day early.

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Oooh, I love the colors!

 

[knoturavggrl]

Beautiful eggs!
Do you always wash your eggs?

No, I do not usually do so but for the photo I went ahead and washed these as I wanted the colors and speckling to come to life. I have found that wet eggs photograph particularly well with my camera.

Thank you eggs really are unique aren’t they? Every chicken has their own particular pattern unique to them. So cool!

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Softer sand? I don't know?

After it rains they dustbathe in the middle of the yard!

 

[BY Bob]

SNOW!!!
It was 50°F yesterday and we woke up to this!

My hawk netting has come down.

 

[BY Bob]

Because there is radiant heat/protection. Sun heat is absorbed by the walls and creates a micro-climate. Here, in the real heat of the summer, they dust-bath under shrubs where it is cooler - but right now they dust bath against the south-west wall of the barn when free-ranging - protection from any Nor-westerly breeze and full-on afternoon sun.

Nothing like a REAL calgon moment, chickie mom!!!

That makes good sense!

 

[BY Bob]

Fifth place.
Probably Agathae egg. Chance it could be a Felicitas egg but probably not.
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@BY Bob The Cream Legbars say hi to Glynda.

Glynda says HI back

 

[BY Bob]

Oh they will dig it up through the snow, that’s what my shysters did with some feed I spilled getting from then truck one day! They don’t forget the little smarty pants!

Mine are locked in the complex. The snow is way too deep for them. Once it melts some Phyllis will be all over it.

 

[BY Bob]

I don’t know enough chicken genetics to understand really. I know green comes from blue and brown egg laying crosses.
So Tassels is a cross between an Ameraucana (blue eggs, beard and muffs) and a Black Copper Marans (brown eggs, black feathers, and feathered legs).
So she has it all and produces a dusty lavender egg?!

Maybe it will turn green later in the season.

It's a beautiful egg

 

[BY Bob]

It looked to me like there was enough shell and stuff for two soft eggs in that first pic. I've been a bit behind, waiting for someone to mention it. So my feeling is she's been "backed up" for a few days before that at least.
I wonder if scarring from coccidiosis could cause some difficulty passing an egg - where the intestinal and reproductive systems share tissues?

I've not heard of any scarring from coccidiosis. It's an interesting thought.