Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Oh he is splendid! I have to say I am enjoying my wee game birds. They are also very friendly!

After hearing of Rebecca’s Momma Hen I was terrified they would grow up to be ferocious.

Well, we will see how Mrs Little Chicken is with chicks.
Just saying!

Happy Caturday. This made me giggle.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7436477957746527534

 

[GregnLety]

We rarely ever see deer here, oh there’s lots of them but I guess because it’s so much forest they stick there - or the grain fields.

We feed them year round so they come in regularly. I recently planted a strip of winter wheat which has sprouted but is still small. I think it's going to be good for them after they acorns are gone.

 

[GregnLety]

Oh he is splendid! I have to say I am enjoying my wee game birds. They are also very friendly!

After hearing of Rebecca’s Momma Hen I was terrified they would grow up to be ferocious.

This guy will hop up on Lety's chair arm when she's still enough to sit down. He'll walk up to me but he's friendlier with Lety.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It's a Lety special and everyone here is crazy for them. She names her price for eggs from this girl. My guess at the origin is Sebright male x white bantam female.

She is very beautiful. With all the breeds of chickens sometimes the prettiest ones are happy accidents or run of the mill mixes.

I look forward to next year. The last several years my mixes have been Marans and silkie mixes. The focus has always been feathered feet and bonus points if it is bearded. Next year we are adding crazy wild poof to the mix. It should create some very interesting and if I am honest downright pretty barnyard crosses.

 

[ManueB]

You are correct on the rooster. He is silver. Looks like he has some lacing which can do all sorts of things when crossed with other things.

Annette's feathers look like one of the variations of incomplete or partial lacing.

Laure has incomplete lacing. The black edge doesn't wrap around the feathers far enough to meet the black edge on the next feather, which is what makes the lacing look. Whiskey has the same thing going.

Egg size could certainly come from the father. ALL of Cheetah's offspring came from large eggs. All except 1 of the girls lay small eggs and those all the same shape

Your birds are all unique and gorgeous. And I love seeing them.

The package:

View attachment 3993190Tap the blade/pointy end into a cracked in the end of a log.

View attachment 3993191Beat on the fat end of the wedge with one of these long handled hammers until you drive the wedge through the length of the log. Repeat until pieces are small enough to fit in the stove/fireplace or are size you like.

View attachment 3993192Dawn breakfast

Thanks again for all the explanations ! I love how the small variation in individual feathers will make such a difference in the overall pattern. Kind of like an abstract puzzle !
It's interesting about the egg size. I wouldn't mind bigger hens laying small eggs (which hasn't really happened here) but I'm always a bit worried when smaller or slender type hens lay big eggs. It's another reason to think twice about hatching eggs from parents of very different size.

I haven't tried the wedge yet but I'll be sure to report back when I do. My partner has and said he found it really difficult...so if I fail honour will be safe !

Caturday : I sometimes wish my cats would never wake up. I think I love them the most when they sleep !

And a group picture today. After having several days like FBA's crew the chickens are glad to be out.

 

[SimpleJenn]

I gotta say, it's going to be hard to wait until spring!!! We went to a firefighter fundraiser today (kiddo's FAVORITE) And spoke to the family friend. She asked kiddo if she wanted to have the eggs hatch on her birthday or if she wants to put them in the incubator on her birthday, kiddo is so excited haha. She said "Both!"

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Yes we will see! So far I'm getting a dozen eggs in late March, those will be bym from a family friend. We plan on getting some feed store birds, a dozen eating ones and I believe a handful of keepers. Late spring/ early summer I will be asking the polish chicken lady for more cochin cross eggs (and maybe some polish too).
Hubby says we need a Marans, a couple silkies for brooding, and we should get "a pair of sebrights and a pair of porcelains so we have a better chance of getting a hen. But if we have a halloween rooster we are 100% keeping him. You miss Trickster too much."
I figured we'll do two batches of meaties, a dozen in spring and another dozen (with boys from hatching time) later in summer.

He says he's going to build a round-top tractor for the meaties with a coop that closes predator-proof. I'm sending him plans for cattle panel coops, that seems to be the direction he wants to go.

I hope you are able to find a nice Marans and a few silkies. If I end up with a silkie rooster and someone is heading your way next spring and could make a pit stop, I would send you silkie eggs. Those are the only breed I'm planning on offering next year that are not a barnyard mix.

 

[TOMTE]

There's more and more interest in the nest boxes! Magrat was lying in one earlier! OOOHHH!!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Well after nearly two months of no rain and high temperatures Mother Nature remembered I live in New Jersey.
Temperatures suddenly plummeted down to around freezing (mostly just above) and we got 48 hours of slushy snow like @BY Bob showed in his video.
The snow laid on the ground in shady patches but mostly just soaked into the ground - very much needed. I hope some of the shrubs will have survived the drought.
Today the sun is out and I have brought a pumpkin for the ladies. They were on sale after Halloween so I picked up a bunch.
This chap has a jaunty smile like he believes he will fare better than his cousin did last month.
We will see. Bernie is still diminished from her molt - but she had lots of energy going after its eyes!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I gotta say, it's going to be hard to wait until spring!!! We went to a firefighter fundraiser today (kiddo's FAVORITE) And spoke to the family friend. She asked kiddo if she wanted to have the eggs hatch on her birthday or if she wants to put them in the incubator on her birthday, kiddo is so excited haha. She said "Both!"

I have to say I admire you. Your courage to start over again from scratch. If I were in your place right now I do not think I could do it. At least not right away. I wish you loads of success this time around. No more heartache, you have suffered enough for everyone.