Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

The effect of 'protective ointments' on risk of getting frostbite has been quite extensively studied by the army in Finland. I don't know why I found it funny, but that is why I remember the results.
Putting on 'protective ointments' was a risk factor for developing frostbite (even more so than not wearing a scarf).
There is a lot of literature on this - apparently frostbite is a serious concern in the Finnish army!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8541749/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10086864/

Frostbite tax: Sylvie roosting on the underlay-wrapped bracket so I am not worrying about frostbite on her feet.
View attachment 4037756

YAY! Sylvie! That's my clever girl!

& as for frostbite on straight combs ~ we haven't acquired any more straight comb birds since 2013 so no more frost issues. Long wattles (usually on males) can frostbite too but on hens the wattles are usually shorter & tucked into breast feathers during roost. Our Dominique hen has never had frostbite on her rosecomb or short wattles. Dana has the added benefit of having one wattle shorter than the other one so no frost issues w/ her ~ TY, Dana, for being such an easy hen to keep

We don't have snow but a couple winter weeks of temp drops do happen so having no straight comb birds is a boon cuz we don't use heat source panels. Our problem instead, is dealing w/months of heatwaves. Silkies pile up for their heat source or move away slightly for cooling. Smart little buggers!

 

[Sylvester017]

My DH enjoyed this road runner video. We play the Wingspan birds board game & road runner is one of many featured bird cards

 

[Sylvester017]

Wonder what the northern rangers here have studies on for that. Most of them are Inuit so well used to cold and how to protect one’s self.

They likley think we are nuts for not covering up! And wearing proper footwear….. mitts (are better then gloves btw).

I detest winter, whining tax
July 2025

Marty
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Clyde and Georgie
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Silkies, loves of our life Best birds we've had for our climate! We don't have snow but they weather cold temps here very well. For bantams their eggs are a good size too. Our 3-lb girl is laying egg size of a small Dominique egg! Wish we were zoned for more birds or we'd add a couple new Silkies every 2 or 3 yrs to keep the eggs coming ~ but sadly we decided these will be our last birds in our old age.

 

[Ponypoor]

Silkies, loves of our life Best birds we've had for our climate! We don't have snow but they weather cold temps here very well. For bantams their eggs are a good size too. Our 3-lb girl is laying egg size of a small Dominique egg! Wish we were zoned for more birds or we'd add a couple new Silkies every 2 or 3 yrs to keep the eggs coming ~ but sadly we decided these will be our last birds in our old age.

Yea two of their eggs on toast is perfection

I find Fluffy does ok with the cold but poor frizzle Curly struggles - her feathers are just not insulating enough.

My wee dumplings are finally getting feathered enough they can enjoy digging around, the was worried about them for a bit, but mama Georgie did a good job with them.

Should keep this for fluffy butt Friday but I laughed at Mr P roosting away from the savage hyenas who peck at him. He was watching the babies run about

He tried to breed Georgie this morning and he got told off by me. But Georgie didn’t seem overly worried, hoping she isn’t thinking of dumping her babies!

They are already wandering off on their own when I let them roam the barn in the morning before I let the main gang out.

Of course then they freak out when they can’t see mama - who most time now ignores them. They then come running to me hahahaha so cute

 

[Ponypoor]

Silkies, loves of our life Best birds we've had for our climate! We don't have snow but they weather cold temps here very well. For bantams their eggs are a good size too. Our 3-lb girl is laying egg size of a small Dominique egg! Wish we were zoned for more birds or we'd add a couple new Silkies every 2 or 3 yrs to keep the eggs coming ~ but sadly we decided these will be our last birds in our old age.

Oh now that’s just sad! I hope you have them around for a good many years yet!

How’s your arm getting on?

 

[RoyalChick]

Silkies, loves of our life Best birds we've had for our climate! We don't have snow but they weather cold temps here very well. For bantams their eggs are a good size too. Our 3-lb girl is laying egg size of a small Dominique egg! Wish we were zoned for more birds or we'd add a couple new Silkies every 2 or 3 yrs to keep the eggs coming ~ but sadly we decided these will be our last birds in our old age.

I know Silkies don’t do well in very cold weather. Do they do better than other chickens when it is hot?

 

[Ponypoor]

YAY! Sylvie! That's my clever girl!

& as for frostbite on straight combs ~ we haven't acquired any more straight comb birds since 2013 so no more frost issues. Long wattles (usually on males) can frostbite too but on hens the wattles are usually shorter & tucked into breast feathers during roost. Our Dominique hen has never had frostbite on her rosecomb or short wattles. Dana has the added benefit of having one wattle shorter than the other one so no frost issues w/ her ~ TY, Dana, for being such an easy hen to keep
View attachment 4038746

We don't have snow but a couple winter weeks of temp drops do happen so having no straight comb birds is a boon cuz we don't use heat source panels. Our problem instead, is dealing w/months of heatwaves. Silkies pile up for their heat source or move away slightly for cooling. Smart little buggers!
View attachment 4038744

Hahahaha still love that photo

 

[Sylvester017]

No you NEED show quality silkies. I am fully enabling this. I pray if you go this route your postal service is better then mine was. Written all over the box call to pick up, do not deliver. Does my mail carrier even bother to read the package....no lets throw them on the truck and hit every pothole along the way. I ordered 6 show silkie eggs, I got 8 and well, poor things were essentially scrambled. I had 1 hatch and sadly it did not make it past the first week. They also did the same with George's eggs, out for delivery.

Over a dozen yrs ago we had the same problem w/our local post ofc where the mail carrier decided it was a good idea during a May heatwave to have our 2 Buff Leghorn juvenile pullets to travel in the little mail truck when postal policy was for pickups only! From that experience I urged all subsequent shipped birds to be plastered in giant letters on the shipping box "CALL CUSTOMER FOR PICKUP" ~ my breeders did their best to write in bold letters & I got called every time after that for pickups.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yup gonna need another barn!

It’s a good thing Peavey isn’t getting chicks in. Meanwhile there I am looking at Freys they have buff Brahma and Lavender Orps, but only as POL. Wonder how much…..just curious.

My philosophy is when/if your heart's desire shows up grab it when you see it cuz it might be gone next time. Reason for getting it when you see it is that you'll be losing one or two older birds thru natural attrition anyway in the next yr or so. One year we had 5 birds & in the span of a couple months went down suddenly to only 2 birds at which time it was a scramble to find replacements. We now keep over limit birds to allow for natural attrition. DH & I discussed if we ever got down to only one bird left it would most likely be a house bird to freely come & go outside so it would have us as her "flock" since we are not continuing/adding chickens in our old age.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yea two of their eggs on toast is perfection

I find Fluffy does ok with the cold but poor frizzle Curly struggles - her feathers are just not insulating enough.

My wee dumplings are finally getting feathered enough they can enjoy digging around, the was worried about them for a bit, but mama Georgie did a good job with them.

Should keep this for fluffy butt Friday but I laughed at Mr P roosting away from the savage hyenas who peck at him. He was watching the babies run about

View attachment 4038796

He tried to breed Georgie this morning and he got told off by me. But Georgie didn’t seem overly worried, hoping she isn’t thinking of dumping her babies!

They are already wandering off on their own when I let them roam the barn in the morning before I let the main gang out.

Of course then they freak out when they can’t see mama - who most time now ignores them. They then come running to me hahahaha so cute

I am glad Mr.P can get some peace and watch the babies.