Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

@rural mouse knows or can find all RE: feather patterning/coloring

Feather patterning is interesting...and you just explained the partridge pattern so it actually makes sense to me. Thank you!

 

[BY Bob]

Oops my bad! Sorry!

Well heck! No wonder it took me so long to get home once from Lexington at a horseshow!

Someone suckered me into dropping their horse off at their place somewhere in PA - told
me it would be on my way home. It took me hours more to get home!

Beautiful going through all the hilly country (though hauling the horse trailer was a bit scary on some of the steep downhill sections!), but I didn’t even get a thank you from them! Or compensation for fuel! Sheesh!

And toll roads! I never again drove anyones horse anywhere.

Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. I'm glad you enjoyed traveling through it.

 

[BY Bob]

They all thank you, they wanted to have me tell you they are proud of their beards and they wanted HRH Aurora to know they are great admirers of her beard and muff

Beards rule!

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 3756593
Shep says "Yes! Midnight Majesty Marans are the best, softest, peepiest chickens and we lay dark brown eeggs. Glossy feathers, gentle eyes, and feathery legs! What's not to love? You won't be disappointed!"
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Beautiful eggs and chickens!

 

[rural mouse]

I was also thinking it might be pencilling - like a dark brahma.

It is....but because it's gold based not silver based, it's partridge patterned instead.

 

[rural mouse]

Interesting. She does not look like Hattie color wise.

Because underneath, she's not a black bird, but a partridge color (I think).

 

[BY Bob]

That is because Hattie is a black chicken modified by the lavender gene(s) and Piglet is a cream colored chicken modified by the lavender gene(s).
They are both lavender but on a different base.
@rural mouse - am I beginning to understand correctly?

You are truly impressing me with your grasp of these feather genetics.

 

[Ponypoor]

It is bolted to the manger - with rusty bolts that won't come off - it is somewhere around 40+ years old. The guy who originally owned this house logged with horses...he had a horrible accident and died shortly thereafter in the early to mid 80s (vehicle accident - hit by a drunk driver when he was transporting his horses - the story goes)

And, teh DC girls are lower on the pecking order and get tossed off the nests - and she will hop back into any nest that has eggs - hence they won't hatch- hence why I usually have them brood in my broody house - but it needs repairing - and maybe refiguring.

Well it’s too early in the season and very cold anyways, best she not hatch eggs I guess.

 

[BY Bob]

okay - I hate to say this when you are having such a rough day/week....
but
@RebeccaBoyd

It.is.all.your.fault!!!!

Look what I found today hidden away in the barn (note, the barn is dilapidated, but I use it to store bags of shavings (on pallets off the floor, as the roof leaks in spots) and feed in metal bins:

View attachment 3756576View attachment 3756577

Yup. Broody little bugger!!! This is too early for you to go broody!!!! You usually wait until June, when it is nice out - I am not prepared to protect a momma and brood yet.....

(I'm secretly happy - but also nervous because I'm not yet set up for her - and I would hate for anything to happen to her - the rats are in force, and the barn is not predator proof - I have found an opossum and a raccoon in there at different time - plus a skunk - as there are gapes, holes, rotten siding at the bottom.

You have to help keep her safe. Can you move her?

 

[rural mouse]

That is because Hattie is a black chicken modified by the lavender gene(s) and Piglet is a cream colored chicken modified by the lavender gene(s).
They are both lavender but on a different base.
@rural mouse - am I beginning to understand correctly?

You got it!!!