Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Feel free to ignore this rabbit hole, but while @rural mouse has her genetics laser focused on blue and lavender, here is Piglet.
View attachment 4020380

She is an ‘Opal Legbar’. The color is often referred to as ‘Isabel’.
I believe Piglet is a Crested Cream Legbar with a Lavender gene.
Does that sound right? Is Isabel just another name for Lavender?

As you know, I am perfectly happy that she is simply a pretty chicken, but also keen to learn. What fascinates me about Piglet’s feathers is they are all sorts of shades of pale grey. You can somewhat see in this picture (I will try to get a better pic), but she also has markings (barring?) on many feathers but all washed out.
When I go out today I will try and find some of her feathers that show it more clearly.

She surely is a fancy lady. I just love her look!

 

[Sylvester017]

That's a really good get up for chickens.
If I had a little more space outside my kitchen I could have still kept a couple of rescue chickens but it's way to narrow.

I really like what you have done here

TY Marie ~ We were fortunate that our backyard was pretty much a blank canvas so when I retired & DH wanted pet chickens we were able to plan little by little a chicken-people-friendly environment. In future, after chickens, it will still be a puppy friendly yard if needed. The front & back yards didn't happen instantly. They evolved slowly over 14-15 yrs which included cottage remodeling & yard-fence remodeling. There is more yard than cottage. Builders could've been more generous to add a few more square feet to the bldg but ordinance codes were flimsy 70 yrs ago & builders got away w/cutting corners.

Front yard had a HUGE ENORMOUS ugly date palm in the front yard when we bought the cottage. I think there was more tree than home! The fronds covered the roof, the lawn, & partial driveway!!!

Palm tree gone & yard & cottage redone

Back yard plain at 1st

Same wall today ~ tarped fence replaced w/ block wall.

 

[RoyalChick]

FBA WEEKLY SYNOPSIS
Up to Jan 4, 2025

Last week's synopsis provided by @Ponypoor is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28267049

........HAPPY 2025!!!!

The New Year brought New Styles in headgear....... Thanks to our lovely models!
@BY Bob
@Ponypoor
@featherhead007
@GregnLety

@BY Bob
Shared BIG NEWS from Fluffy Butt Acres.

This news led to renewed speculation about exactly what kind of chicken Aster actually is:

And L.O.T.S. of amazing genetics information from @rural mouse about Blue, Black, Splash and Lavender

For a while there even @rural mouse seemed unsure. But she reflected and settled on an explanation for Aster's parentage.

Before jumping down a genetic rabbit hole where few of us dare to follow, but it was also an excuse to share beautiful pictures of blue chickens, and we can all enjoy that!

Even @RoyalChick dipped her toe into the genetics discussion on behalf of Piglet

***

In other news........

@featherhead007
Has lost Rudy the rooster
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272430
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272728

Coco has a broken toe:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28275975

And Nurse Kelly provided good advice on how to treat the toe
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28277172

Alex also has got some new chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28278676
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28279364
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28282530

Sadly one of the babies has died
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28283022
***

@Marie2020
Got news of the lovely Princess
***

@Ponypoor
And has installed new roosting ledges

Mr.P is finally growing back his topknot

The littles are expanding their

And Pony's littles are expanding their territory
And I am wondering why she is thinking of getting them gender tested if she is going to rehome them. Hmmm!
***

@RebeccaBoyd
George is showing his true colors as Mr P's 'mini-me':
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28274340
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272364
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272377

And hens are starting to lay:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28267636
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28265159
And she is putting the eggs to good use
***

@Sally PB
Also has chickens coming back on line:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28267137
***

@RoyalChick
Has a nearly naked chicken
***

Hopefully I haven't missed any big news, and apologies if my attempts at doing hyperlinks didn't quite work (just experimenting!).

 

[Ponypoor]

My Sapphire Splash hen had feather shredding too.
View attachment 4020524
View attachment 4020525
View attachment 4020526
She was much paler than my blue hen Ash.
View attachment 4020529

Such beautiful chooks, I can’t wait to see your new chickies in the Spring.

 

[Ponypoor]

Had the dumplings out in the Summer House for a bit, brought them back in after an hr, very cold here today.

Clyde entertained us with his charming ways of nest building.

Oh and I heard a crash and everyone squawking and ran so see what happened and Clyde gyrated that bin right off the ledge

 

[Ponypoor]

I think that is what I'm going to replace the birch tree with this spring. The girls could use the shade again and as you said they grow fast.

I checked Rebecca’s growing zone and she is 6/7a where as I am 4b/5a - but I will try the mimosa and see what I can do with it. My worry is the amt and length of time the frost is in the ground. Generally it’s around 3’ of frost and lasts for months. That is why footings here have to be 4’ deep.

So if the tree can handle the frost in the ground then there is hope!

Here is more of Laverne

You can see the shredded feathers

 

[Ponypoor]

FBA WEEKLY SYNOPSIS
Up to Jan 4, 2025

Last week's synopsis provided by @Ponypoor is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28267049

........HAPPY 2025!!!!

The New Year brought New Styles in headgear....... Thanks to our lovely models!
@BY Bob
@Ponypoor
@featherhead007
@GregnLety

@BY Bob
Shared BIG NEWS from Fluffy Butt Acres.

This news led to renewed speculation about exactly what kind of chicken Aster actually is:

And L.O.T.S. of amazing genetics information from @rural mouse about Blue, Black, Splash and Lavender

For a while there even @rural mouse seemed unsure. But she reflected and settled on an explanation for Aster's parentage.

Before jumping down a genetic rabbit hole where few of us dare to follow, but it was also an excuse to share beautiful pictures of blue chickens, and we can all enjoy that!

Even @RoyalChick dipped her toe into the genetics discussion on behalf of Piglet

***

In other news........

@featherhead007
Has lost Rudy the rooster
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272430
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272728

Coco has a broken toe:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28275975

And Nurse Kelly provided good advice on how to treat the toe
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28277172

Alex also has got some new chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28278676
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28279364
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28282530

Sadly one of the babies has died
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28283022
***

@Marie2020
Got news of the lovely Princess
***

@Ponypoor
And has installed new roosting ledges

Mr.P is finally growing back his topknot

The littles are expanding their

And Pony's littles are expanding their territory
And I am wondering why she is thinking of getting them gender tested if she is going to rehome them. Hmmm!
***

@RebeccaBoyd
George is showing his true colors as Mr P's 'mini-me':
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28274340
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272364
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28272377

And hens are starting to lay:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28267636
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28265159
And she is putting the eggs to good use
***

@Sally PB
Also has chickens coming back on line:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-28267137
***

@RoyalChick
Has a nearly naked chicken
***

Hopefully I haven't missed any big news, and apologies if my attempts at doing hyperlinks didn't quite work (just experimenting!).

How did you do the hyperlinks? Did you use Word?

 

[fuentemoon]

Pictures from yesterday

 

[BY Bob]

It is bitter cold here today with wings topping 22mph. The girls are smartly huddled around the heat panel.

 

[Marie2020]

Epsom salt soak or poultice maybe? Supposedly one of the benefits is the magnesium absorbed through the skin. I haven’t dug into the scientific proof of that but I do hear people say it works for joint pain.

It has for my girls in the past