Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Love the cranes. Your babies have suddenly become miniature grown-ups! Remind me, how old are they now?

3.5 weeks. The little gold one has pushed comb enough for me to be certain is a cockerel too. Getting lots of the head-bob staredowns and lots of flitters about. At least 3 are developing what I THINK are female only colorations (breast colors, uniform patterns). Several of the black chicks are now sporting brown dusting on the black.

Of the 3 blues, 1 has a crest, 1 has a rose/pea comb (can't tell which yet, too active/small), and 1 is developing in slow feather style. I know Hector carries that trait (he slow feathered too). What I don't know is if any in the other flock carry that trait. If that one is from my flock, then only possible parentage is Hector and Storm (Lark and Indigo stay clear of Hector and PITA was already broody when eggs were set. No roo has the blue gene, so....). Now, if that one came from the other flock, then Not A Clue, and it will probably always be a mystery (egg color in both flocks). I also don't know enough about breeding for slow feather vs fast feather to know how sexable it could be.

Anyway, current numbers: 3 pullets, 2 cockerels, 15 undetermined.

 

[TOMTE]

Happy Sunday and belated Caturday!

This is Mama Cat. She was a very friendly stray/barn cat that the neighbors took care of. I met her soon after we moved into this house, when she was pregnant and really young. She had several litters of kittens over the years but I only met the one litter. The neighbors called her Callie (for calico), my cousin called her Tootie (for Cutie Patootie). Dad and I affectionately called her Mama Cat. She passed away last year at a really old age for an outdoor cat, probably about 13 or 14 years old. She was an absolute sweetheart (with that sassy calico streak too, of course), and I miss her dearly.

Some of my favorite pictures of her. The neighbor buried her in the woods between our houses since she spent a lot of time with both of our families.

Miss you dearly every day, sweet Mama. Hope you're hunting as many chipmunks as you want in that great litterbox in the sky!

 

[rural mouse]

@SimpleJenn how are the squeaky bagpipes doing?

 

[SimpleJenn]

@SimpleJenn how are the squeaky bagpipes doing?

Very angry. They hopefully get to sleep in the coop tonight instead of their dog crate.
They are wildly unfriendly and have much sharper claws than a chicken!
But the sounds are cool and the fact they will alert to anything unusual is great.

 

[TOMTE]

Very angry. They hopefully get to sleep in the coop tonight instead of their dog crate.
They are wildly unfriendly and have much sharper claws than a chicken!
But the sounds are cool and the fact they will alert to anything unusual is great.

They're guineas, right? What type are they?

 

[knoturavggrl]

I do not have any ponies for Sunday so I will instead share some rooster photos.

 

[rural mouse]

Very angry. They hopefully get to sleep in the coop tonight instead of their dog crate.
They are wildly unfriendly and have much sharper claws than a chicken!
But the sounds are cool and the fact they will alert to anything unusual is great.

If I recall correctly, they have a much harder time learning where to spend the night. Maybe they will learn from the chickens?

 

[SimpleJenn]

They're guineas, right? What type are they?

Pearl, lavender pearl, and white colors.

 

[SimpleJenn]

If I recall correctly, they have a much harder time learning where to spend the night. Maybe they will learn from the chickens?

Well if we can get the last bit of predator proofing installed they will be sleeping in there with the cochins!

 

[rural mouse]

I do not have any ponies for Sunday so I will instead share some rooster photos.
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They're gorgeous! And the look in their eyes: gentle, alert