Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

From what I've read it is the seed pods that are toxic. They are mildly toxic to horses. It stated that large quantities needed to be ingested over a period of time. From my reading unless essentially starving horses tend to leave them alone.

We tie ours up to the mimosa tree while cleaning the stalls and they have never once so much as even offered to nibble the leaves that hang in front of them.

I wanted to plant some Kentucky Coffee Trees but was told those are toxic to horses so they didn’t get planted.

Do the mimosa lose their leaves in the Fall like other trees?

Hmmmm might be an option for the Rooster Run too….

dress up the chickens home with a lovely tree

 

[Ponypoor]

Those littles are so cute! It seems animals love having company of other living beings around them. I keep chuckling about the horses watching chicken TV!

Pretty Willows...I had no idea they could survive snowy weather. They really get huge. There are a couple houses around here that don't trim them & they are enormous...but oh so pretty!

Those willows get trimmer up by the horses, they eat the drooping branches and they get trimmed to the height that the tallest horse can reach.

I also really like the thicker branches for the chooks, the rough surface and the irregular bends make a nice play ground for the young chicks. They can run along the branch and not slip off and they learn to fly hop flap about those branches

 

[Ponypoor]

They are completely fearless they are so tiny and right next to the horses hooves, bless them

I keep a very close eye on the chicks, they don’t know the horses and could get killed easily. Reenie is very quiet so it’s easy to watch them with her.

It’s always a worry with the chooks though and the horses, if the horses are inside during the day I keep the stall doors closed so the chooks can’t get in there.

Of course there a few that fly up and over the door…

Like Butterscotch….

 

[RoyalChick]

Isabel is a color combo where lavender affects the red as well as the silver/black tone. The cream legbar has some barring. Lavender got introduced (probably had to do several generations/back crosses to get the double lavender (rather than split to lavender) and all the legbar characteristics. Once there, lavender washed EVERYTHING to really pale, making the Isabel/opal color scheme. Isabel is a specific color scheme involving both black and red (Isabella leghorns: black breasted red washed down to the soft dreamy grey breast (on roos) with pale blonde head/hackles/saddle).

So you are correct in Piglet has lavender (2 copies). Isabel is a "subsidiary" of lavender.

Your "pretty chicken" genetics understanding is expanding!

Ooooh THANK YOU!!!!
It is so cool to understand Piglet a bit more.
One question, just to make sure I understand. Does 'Split to lavender' mean only one copy of the lavender gene?
And you know she has two copies because it is a recessive gene, so you would only see it if she had two copies, otherwise she would look like a regular Crested Cream Legbar. Did I get that right?

I know she also has two copies of the gluttony gene - but I guess that doesn't affect her feather color, only her behavior!

I didn't find any good shed feathers this morning, but got a couple of slightly better pictures showing her 'washed out' markings.

Definitely a pretty chicken IMHO!

 

[Ponypoor]

Ooooh THANK YOU!!!!
It is so cool to understand Piglet a bit more.
One question, just to make sure I understand. Does 'Split to lavender' mean only one copy of the lavender gene?
And you know she has two copies because it is a recessive gene, so you would only see it if she had two copies, otherwise she would look like a regular Crested Cream Legbar. Did I get that right?

I know she also has two copies of the gluttony gene - but I guess that doesn't affect her feather color, only her behavior!

I didn't find any good shed feathers this morning, but got a couple of slightly better pictures showing her 'washed out' markings.

Definitely a pretty chicken IMHO!
View attachment 4020418
View attachment 4020420

The chuckle is for the double gluttony gene comment


On another thought - Laverne is a lavender Orp and seems to have that shredded feathers issue. And think that is also related to the lavender gene…. Am I right?

 

[TOMTE]

You can read all about Bobs sweet chooks (including beautiful Gucci) here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/fluffy-butt-acres-a-primer.77796/

Oh my gosh, I didn't know Versace was only 14 weeks old when he passed wow, he was stunning even as a chick!

 

[RoyalChick]

Those willows get trimmer up by the horses, they eat the drooping branches and they get trimmed to the height that the tallest horse can reach.

I also really like the thicker branches for the chooks, the rough surface and the irregular bends make a nice play ground for the young chicks. They can run along the branch and not slip off and they learn to fly hop flap about those branches

I am very jealous about the willows. I love willows and don't have any here even though I live on the edge of a swamp!
You know that they have all sorts of amazing properties. If you soak their cut twigs in water it create a pretty effective rooting powder to help take cuttings.
Also, just push a small branch in the ground and it will grow. Willow is the usual type of tree to create living structures - fences and so forth. Just push some sticks in the ground and weave them together. I thought of buying willow just to create my living gazebo for the chickens, but decided to go with the pears that are on hand. But a willow would be seriously wonderful. Maybe I can figure out where to put one!

Willow tax: Calypso greeting the chilly morning.

 

[TOMTE]

I've asked them too let me know when there's an open day. I'm also hoping to connect with my family at the same time.
Because my family and i live so far away from each other...I've sent them a link of places they could book and I'm looking to, so we maybe we can spend a couple of nights together away from our homes.

This is just an idea because my family are always busy with non stop little ones. The little ones will enjoy this farm and it's apparently a large place with lots of animals that they can see

I wonder if princess would remember me.

Chickens never forget! I bet she'll not only remember you but be happy to see you too! <3

 

[TOMTE]

I am very jealous about the willows. I love willows and don't have any here even though I live on the edge of a swamp!
You know that they have all sorts of amazing properties. If you soak their cut twigs in water it create a pretty effective rooting powder to help take cuttings.
Also, just push a small branch in the ground and it will grow. Willow is the usual type of tree to create living structures - fences and so forth. Just push some sticks in the ground and weave them together. I thought of buying willow just to create my living gazebo for the chickens, but decided to go with the pears that are on hand. But a willow would be seriously wonderful. Maybe I can figure out where to put one!

Willow tax: Calypso greeting the chilly morning.
View attachment 4020427

I love willows! Weeping willows are my favorite. When I was a kid and my aunt worked as a flight attendant, grandma would take my cousin and I to the airport to send her off, and there was a big open grassy area where my cousin and I would play and watch the planes take off and land. There was a big, old weeping willow in that field that we would climb. I wonder if it's still there? I hope so, but they've done a lot of expanding on that airport over the past decade or two. So I don't know if that field is even there anymore, or open to the public.

Tax

Second time this morning squatting for me!

HERE'S an album cover!

 

[featherhead007]

The chuckle is for the double gluttony gene comment


On another thought - Laverne is a lavender Orp and seems to have that shredded feathers issue. And think that is also related to the lavender gene…. Am I right?