Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Yes I want to avoid production hens.
She did briefly have a little rusty colored cochin cross named Biscuit. This new red hen is going to be named Biscuit Two.
View attachment 4019268
She says Butterbirds are orange and we need them too haha.

A bonus if they have pompoms. She says she wants a red polish hen but I've only seen laced.View attachment 4019269
Here's one from the UK, I'll send this picture around to the people I know breed polishes to see if they know where I could find one.

There are several colors of Marans I want. Most are being developed in Australia and with importing restrictions will probably never be available to me. One can dream though right? Does she consider the topknot on silkies pompoms? If so a nice red silkie hen is your best bet.

If you can get past the broody nonsense they are a perfect breed for children.

 

[BY Bob]

I was wrong

That's ok. I loved your guess!

 

[BY Bob]

Hope it’s not the magnolia.

No. Its the birch tree in the courtyard of the complex. The magnolia tree did suffer greatly during the drought but it survived nicely. It should be fine going into next year.

Lone birch trees of this type do not survive long. This tree is 50 years old and is the only one for quite a distance around me.

Tree Tax

From warmer times, Lilly trying out a nesting location for Sansa.

 

[SimpleJenn]

There are several colors of Marans I want. Most are being developed in Australia and with importing restrictions will probably never be available to me. One can dream though right? Does she consider the topknot on silkies pompoms? If so a nice red silkie hen is your best bet.

If you can get past the broody nonsense they are a perfect breed for children.

If they're sweetheart broodies like Samara and Morinth were, I would even welcome broody hens. They were so cuddly.

 

[BY Bob]

I did not look and I still stand by my original guess. It is the light tan color of a orp egg. I still think Aster is a Splash orpington.

I appreciate your guess on the egg color.

There is simply no way she is an Orpington. She is too small and too lean. No Orpington can maintain flight at a height of 5 feet for over 38 feet in distance. Her egg is also much smaller than Hattie's or Lady Featherington's.

Whatever breed she is is closer to her Mum, Frost Legbar, than any Orpington. Her egg may be beige, but it is very similar in size to Glynda's egg.

 

[rural mouse]

It's Official!

Aster has laid an egg, 7 in fact!

We have been away visiting family for 11 days. She must have started right after we left. There were no eggs on 12/22. In fact I had not seen her even check out a nest box. let's allow a day or 2 and estimate that it was a Christmas present from her to us. that would then be 7 eggs in 9 days!

So now its guessing time. Before looking, what color do you think it is? Is it white like a leghorn? Is it another beige egg? Could it b dark brown? Did BY Bob get another Blue layer somehow like her mum? Is it green of all things? Or is it a royal Pink in hue?

Guess before looking

Spoiler: What color is it?

It is the official color of FBA, Beige.

View attachment 4019181

It weighs 1.7 oz or 47 grams

View attachment 4019182

Does that help at all with breed identification? It must at least rule some breeds out, right?

Green?

 

[rural mouse]

It's Official!

Aster has laid an egg, 7 in fact!

We have been away visiting family for 11 days. She must have started right after we left. There were no eggs on 12/22. In fact I had not seen her even check out a nest box. let's allow a day or 2 and estimate that it was a Christmas present from her to us. that would then be 7 eggs in 9 days!

So now its guessing time. Before looking, what color do you think it is? Is it white like a leghorn? Is it another beige egg? Could it b dark brown? Did BY Bob get another Blue layer somehow like her mum? Is it green of all things? Or is it a royal Pink in hue?

Guess before looking

Spoiler: What color is it?

It is the official color of FBA, Beige.

View attachment 4019181

It weighs 1.7 oz or 47 grams

View attachment 4019182

Does that help at all with breed identification? It must at least rule some breeds out, right?

It does rule out some. When I get home and can backtrack, I'll review...

 

[Sylvester017]

So lightening up fluffy butt's

What was good for you in 2024?

@Everyone

Aside from unhappy things like BYC friends losing their pets, or my broken arm, or losing my favourite 94-yr-old auntie, DH & I looked forward to our 3 newest DNA-sexed Silkie chicks in Jan 2024 (after ordering them back in May 2023!).

3 chicks in a millet treats frenzy

 

[rural mouse]

There are so many brown layers that her Leghorn parent could've crossed with. I can only guess Leghorn for sure but to get the splash spots maybe crossed w/a black Australorp? Australorp egg color is beigey. The guessing begins!

White leghorn crossed with black australorp (whether single or double gene dominate white and either way rooster/hen) doesn't account for the splash marks. The white legs could come from an australorp, but the only way for the splash to be there is if 1 parent was splash and the other blue, or if both were splash or both were blue (last is a 25% chance). Build wise, she very much does look like a leghorn. I have more thoughts, but am out of time. Back to work.

 

[Marie2020]

Limb Down!

The wind is incredible here yet again. I had a limb come down on the coop last night.

View attachment 4019113

I need to take that tree down the rest of the way once the weather improves. Checking on the cameras I see no coop damage.

Spoiler: In Other News.....

It seems someone is ready to lay!

View attachment 4019116


Aurora stopped by to inspect her nest and provide some pointers on how to build one properly. Stand by everyone, we may have exciting news today!

there's a good girl

Stay safe Bob . Our weather has been bad. It's been good today but we are expecting snow this weekend.