Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Clears throat.....

I TOLD YOU SOO!!!!!!!!!!

Yes she was nice about you taking them. Did you hear the growl though when your first discovered her. Before you touched her I might add. I did. I bet if you were to feel her chest you will find she was starting to pluck those feathers. You found that nest just in time. Her size it is very possible she could have chosen this evening to start setting.

Now you are in for it. She is going to abandon that spot and find another. One even more hidden and out of the way. It is the nature of a game hen, have fun.

Wonderful job Mrs. Little Chicken on your first try. Momma Hen is smiling down on you. She too was foiled many times in her quest for chicks.

No missing feathers on her chest - yet

And yes I am sure she will look for another spot. Tomorrow all that lumber and such will be cleared out of there and moved to the 'renovation' side of the barn. This will make is once again a 10x20 box stall.

Actually I need to get the game birds out of there - it will be too cold there for them overnight in the winter, even the Silkies will be cold there when it gets to -30s overnight. I need to get everyone back into the Hen Houses - darn those hens for picking Mr P, and darn Mr P and Bert for fighting.

I really need to get on the job of 're-homing' the boys, they are getting more and more troublesome with the girls.

 

[Ponypoor]

Josephine gives thee a extension to spring 2025.

Thank you Madam - my plan is to actually give her a couple chicks to raise if she goes broody. Some Wyandottes which I can re-sell (I don't need any more chooks), can you just see her with a couple regular sized chicks? in a few weeks they will be as big as she is hahaha!

 

[Ponypoor]

Sounds like a plan!

I never had Orps but people who own them love their calm temperaments.

EEs will give you different green-blue eggs from the varying light brown Orp eggs ~ though I hear owners have been disappointed their EEs did not necessarily lay green-blue eggs but tinted or white. We were afraid to risk an EE for that reason & went w/ a true Blue Wheaten Ameraucana for guaranteed blue eggs.

Ameraucana blue eggs & Breda white eggs
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We are ordinanced for only 5 hens/no roos so we had to be more picky about breed choice if we wanted different egg colors. An honest hatchery will post disclaimers that sometimes their EEs might lay 4 different colors ~ pink, white, mint, or blue eggs.

We stayed away from Delaware & Barnevelder only because they are larger & reportedly less friendly reputation breeds but everyone has their favorite breeds either for personality, eggs, meat, or eye candy. For white eggs w/ friendly personality I would pick Barred Rock or Dominique over Delaware but that's me.

Use time to research general breed temperaments before mixing your flock. Some breeds are top of the pecking order & some are timid in nature. Alike breeds tend to pal around so get 2 minimum of each breed if they will be confined in a closed run. If you have a large open range rather than a confined run then mixing breeds should be less problematic.

We had a Cuckoo Marans for dark brown eggs but she was so mean that I wish we got Welsummer instead ~ the Wellies' terra cotta eggs w/dark brown speckles are unique & different from other brown egg layers.

Marans, White Leghorn, Breda, 3 Silkie eggs
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A turkey? By itself? Dunno , never had any, & my folks' farm never did either. But it sounds interesting. I found someone who bred bantam white turkeys teehee! Bantam turkeys around chickens sounds better than big turkeys?!

In the end pick your heart's desire & then learn like the rest of us what worked best in the end for you ! Can't wait to see what you get!

I have to say I am thrilled with my Azur Blue hens - I was a bit worried getting them and ready to lay pullets, afraid they would be wild as the wind. But gosh they are super friendly and calm, surprisingly though they don't fly well for Leghorn crosses. Maybe the Aracuna makes them less able to fly.

And they lay lovely robin egg blue eggs. My worry is the number they lay. Right now Flopsy is laying soft eggs, I had hoped that my calcium I have been giving her for her hip (which BTW is doing great) would help, but she is still laying soft eggs. I really wish she would moult and stop laying all together.

 

[Ponypoor]

Why did you rob Mrs. Little Chicken of her eggs? I seem to remember you claiming you would be sure they were infertile because she is so small and the boys to big for her. Terrible injustice here. March at least half of those eggs right back out to her and apologize.

Well firstly because there is a rat around and I don't want to have any 'food' sources around.

Also I need to clear out that stall of all that 'junque'. Most of it is good lumber I use for repairs and making things so I just need to store it elsewhere. I am sure she will find a nice new spot to lay her eggs. But I am planning on making her a nice cozy nestbox only she can access that is safe from the other bossy girls. Betty and Georgie are really brats!

 

[Ponypoor]

Sybil just squatted for me as I was putting everyone to bed! OMG!

count 2 weeks from now and you should be getting eggs then!

 

[Ponypoor]

It's a Palindrome!
20902.

Oh @Ponypoor! Look what I found!

I beat you to it - you owe SHRA (or back in this case )

 

[notabitail]

I beat you to it - you owe SHRA (or back in this case )

You didn't put the number though. So no.

Who am I kidding? You all are chicken-picture-crazy.

 

[GregnLety]

Hi Kelly,

Mike is cancer free and doing well. Thanks for asking.

 

[Ponypoor]

You didn't put the number though. So no.

Who am I kidding? You all are chicken-picture-crazy.

View attachment 3994803

Beautiful flock you have there - we love seeing them!

 

[Ponypoor]

Hi Kelly,

Mike is cancer free and doing well. Thanks for asking.

That wonderful! I am so glad to hear this.