Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

It may get better once he has female CHICKENS to mate with/look after - as opposed to his human mum. Give him another month or two -to get all hormonie and chasing the girls instead f perceived threats...and REALLY needs to start protecting them.

I have to say - it is awful sweet he is so protective of you from threats (real or imagined). I still haven't gotten the image of him attacking and hanging onto Russ's tail out of my mind yet!

So far he has paid zero attention to any of the girls. Come to think of it, before Branch discovered the laidies, he had a love affair with my hand.

 

[Ponypoor]

You KNOW I want to see these now.

He's just so chivalrous

He’s a dingaling! But he’s my dingaling….

Oh darn another song

 

[Ponypoor]

So far he has paid zero attention to any of the girls. Come to think of it, before Branch discovered the laidies, he had a love affair with my hand.

Oh dear, yep Clyde is my right hand man

 

[Ponypoor]

I have oyster shell sprinkled all around the yard

I would also put a bowl of it out by their feed. My ladies like to pick through the bowl, and I also sprinkle it on the floor for them.

Are they getting a layer feed? Right now I have layer out for the main flock, but Mr P and his ladies are getting a mix of the layer textured and grower to lower the calcium levels. The silkies aren’t laying at the moment.

I am going to get some calcium into Flopsy tomorrow nigh, if she has a fracture I want her to heal up fast. Birds bones heal faster than our do as they are not as dense.

 

[rural mouse]

The first year I had chickens (well, second winter - first batch were 18 mos. old), I put lights in the coop, and they laid throughout the winter - then I read about how bad it is for them to not get a break, and I have not since. Those 18 month olds laid much more productively than any other 18 month old. batch I have ever had. So, it is an unscientific study as it was one group (mixed breeds like now - 2 EE, 3 BR, a Partridge Rock, 2 Light Brahmas).

I will say milder winters they lay better...but that is with the caveat that on really cold snaps, they stop or slow down. In moderate cold, my lighter weight girls stop...my heavies keep laying like nothing going on weather wise. I find my 'newbies' lay through the winter if they already started laying. Girls that have molted - depends on age and breed if they atart up again. Older girls, nope, 18 y.o., usually do - but at a slower rate, and again, depends on weather and their body weight. Just like my really heavy girls don't like the heat and during heat waves, stop laying - others might slow a bit, but don't stop in a heat wave.

That has been my experience. Again, unscientific...but I'm pretty confident that light has something to do with it...and also temperature 'stress' impacts lay, just like any stress does.. (i.e. heavy girls in the heat - 'my heat' in the Northeast - and lighter girls in the cold it affects their rate of lay.)

That does sound like temp does affect it, so a combination of things (like most of nature)

 

[Ponypoor]

And some Mugs for the Monday

Some BFTP photos

Betty

Miss Flopsy

Penelope and Ruth

 

[rural mouse]

I have oyster shell sprinkled all around the yard

So....hmmmm....maybe a smallish container near their primary feed station? See if it makes a difference?

 

[Ponypoor]

So....hmmmm....maybe a smallish container near their primary feed station? See if it makes a difference?

She could also jut be curious - my young pullets are very curious about eggs when they first start laying. After a month or so they ignore eggs in the nest.

Drop one on the floor though and it’s game on!

 

[Ponypoor]

Were’s Georgie?!

She isn’t on the ledge or her favourite perch the spool…

Oh there she is - sheesh now how did she get up there?! She is snuggled with Clyde.

Best get her down and check to see where the rest of the munchkins are.

Good night everyone I am off to do chores.

 

[featherhead007]

I had an image of Russ swishing his tail and George going flying!

Clyde is my wee little man, he is such a cutie, when I call him he come running and dances for me and snuggles up. What a little turnip. Mr LC has decided he doesn’t like me anymore, he likes the hens better haha. That’s ok, I want him to be a lookout for them.

I have seen Clyde trying to breed the hens but they have no time for him. Today he go into a brawl with Sue and let me tell you, for a silkie he has some serious ninja chicken moves! And he can leap over top of her no problem! Oh he’s a brat!

Mr Wyandottey has left me, for the ladies too. Rudy still shows interest in me but he is also getting violent with Mr Wyandottey over those ladies. Poor Coco gets mated by Rudy way too much. It doesn’t matter where he does it either