Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

They’re all so happy

Yes, they love mud, snow not so much. Unless it’s on my boots!

Did Mr W go for a ride to the feed store with you at all?

 

[SimpleJenn]

Still $ 10 USDollars here at the store

I sell mine to church friends $7.00

Paid 10$ for 2 dozen last week. Been eating eggs because of the throat healing. Can't wait for mine to start laying!
Thirsty Thursday

 

[featherhead007]

Yes, they love mud, snow not so much. Unless it’s on my boots!

Did Mr W go for a ride to the feed store with you at all?

He did not want to go with me.

 

[featherhead007]

 

[Sylvester017]

All the chicks I got from Peavey Mart (in from Hoovers) are vax for Mareks and coccidiosis.

It worries me initially as none of my other birds are vaxed but having read up on the Mareks vax it put my mind at ease.

14 yrs ago when reading up on Mareck's it was info overload for me ~ apparently Mareck's had at least 5 different strains, some birds were carriers but might never show symptoms themselves, it was almost certain to assume every chicken had exposure, on & on the info went. After that it was the Newcastles restrictions on what states would or would not ship or accept bird shipments. & now it's AI bird flu to hone on.

Soon all weekends in April ~ our nearby Santa Fe Recreation Dam is opening for the Renaissance Faire where my DS/DIL are Faire members. The Faire means a lot of migratory water birds using the Dam w/lots of spectators watching & feeding them even though they aren't supposed to ~ geese, ducks, cranes, etc! We have mild weather so the water will be teeming w/ wild fowl until the warmer temps rise around the last week of April for the migrators to continue their trek northwards. Just enough time for any water fowl AI carriers to spread it to local small wild bird populations in the county. We'll see....

 

[Sylvester017]

He did not want to go with me.

Spring is in the air! Why would he want to leave his ladies?!

 

[Sylvester017]

Big cleanout today. Hubby used the shop vac to really get everything clean.
Here are the inmates protesting their jail.
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We have only a few without tails now.
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I made sure to give them some dried wormies.
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Nosy Posy is turning into something wonderful
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Cutie, cutie, cutie pies

 

[Ponypoor]

Snow snow go away

Yesterday the chooks had sunshine on them, today it’s snow on them

Typical of Canadian Springs.

 

[Sylvester017]

Good morning Fluffy Butt's peeps

TY for these gems of info! Battery hens that are given a useful forever life

I've said for years that hens are actually better after they've stopped laying ~ the older birds aren't broody butts, they teach the newer birds, their poops are good fertilizer for the garden bed, there's insect control, & years of entertainment & cuddling. This old girl still wants lap time w/ DH every day.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have came to the conclusion that in time I will also strive to add in a white silkie. Black will always be my favorite color. I have grown very fond of my partridges having had a buff, then silver and now gold. With the addition of Davy I can safely say I also adore blue silkies. I will get chocolates this year. I made the mistake of seeing them in person, definitely on my "must have" list. Thanks to Davy if I can hatch off a Blue pullet next year Splash's could be possible....yes please.

I also want in no particular order....
Buff
Red
mottled
paint
barred or cuckoo
Lavender or self blue.

Basically anymore to me whether it be recongized or not if it comes in a color in silkies, I WANT IT. Maybe not red pyle.....those are still iffy to me. Whites are a must have in the next year or two though.

Sigh, I still find it hard to believe how hard I have fallen for the silkies. 4 years ago now, they were ALL ugly weird alien chickens. Whites were the ugliest of all and yet here I am plotting to add whites. Dang it, it is all Branch's and Poppy's fault, may they rest in peace.

Once you've had a chance to have a couple Silkies & find out how versatile & hardy they are, it's hard to give them up. No matter how many standard breeds we cycled thru there were always Silkies in our midst.

In the beginning it was a flip coin whether our 1st two backyard pets were going to be Silkies or Pekins (Cochin bantams). Getting 2 free Partridge Silkie chicks settled the choice & it's been Silkies always for us no matter what other standard size breeds we sampled thru the years.

Violet & Trumpet ~ Gold-blue Partridges 2011

Mini ~ Black Silkie 2012

Amber ~ Dark Partridge Silkie 2020

Ginny & Suzu ~ Buff-blue Partridge & Silver Partridge (called Gray in APA) 2021

Mika ~ Dark Partridge 2024
Keiko ~ Moorhead 2024
Betta ~ Blue Silkie 2024