Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[knoturavggrl]

How old are your girls now? Mine are about 14 weeks. Some are starting to turn red, but I'm thinking we won't get eggs until September.

Astrid is maturing faster than the others.
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17 weeks and a few days. For both the SFH’s and Pebble and Nyx. It’s a bit early tbh but they are almost all really quite red in the comb and the boys are more than a little interested. So, soon I think.

Astrid is gorgeous!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

17 weeks and a few days. For both the SFH’s and Pebble and Nyx. It’s a bit early tbh but they are almost all really quite red in the comb and the boys are more than a little interested. So, soon I think.

Astrid is gorgeous!

Soon maybe for the Sweedish Flower Hens. The silkies, maybe, but be prepared to wait until January or February for them. Poppet did me dirty and made me wait until she was 11 1/2 months old for her first egg. Her daughters on the other hand, between 6 and 7 months. I also think the time of year had a big part to play in her daughters laying early. They were just coming into laying age in January as the days were getting longer. Poppet hit 6 months in the fall so I know that was a big contributing factor. My 4 current grow-outs, I'm looking at next spring for them as well to start laying. I forget exactly how old they are, but I do know they will hit laying age around November. Poppet did the same and made me wait.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I went back and looked, they hatched May 7 to May 9. They will turn 6 months old the first week of November. Yup, any pullets will lay around the first of February. I will honestly be shocked if they start up in November.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Let’s not forget that Silkies are not real chickens. NOT really chickens!
They are feather dusters!

Ha! Well, I also got three Bantam Calico Cochins so I have three baby chicks then?

First Pasta

The Phyllistines had their first pasta tonight. They had to watch the big girls eat for a bit before they were able to snag some. By then they knew how to eat it quickly.

Mine love leftover pasta it’s beaks down their favorite snack for sure. I never would have thought to give them that, so I have Mrs. BYBob and you to thank for that idea

Candles the eggs tonight, it’s day 7.

P = Polish
S= Silkie

S1
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S2
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S3
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P1
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P2
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P3
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I am thinking P2&3 are not viable, but the shell is a different colour so not sure if that has anything to do with things.

Wha?? I missed a post or three. First adorable chicks and now eggs to hatch. The surprises keep coming from Canada . I am thrilled for you can’t wait to see what hatches!!!

 

[knoturavggrl]

Soon maybe for the Sweedish Flower Hens. The silkies, maybe, but be prepared to wait until January or February for them. Poppet did me dirty and made me wait until she was 11 1/2 months old for her first egg. Her daughters on the other hand, between 6 and 7 months. I also think the time of year had a big part to play in her daughters laying early. They were just coming into laying age in January as the days were getting longer. Poppet hit 6 months in the fall so I know that was a big contributing factor. My 4 current grow-outs, I'm looking at next spring for them as well to start laying. I forget exactly how old they are, but I do know they will hit laying age around November. Poppet did the same and made me wait.

Yeah, I expect the SFH’s to lay first for sure. Probably around 20 weeks or so but you never know! Nyx I think may well wait till Spring with other chicks. Pebble will never lay any eggs, he is too busy crowing and being a silly teen boy pecking my shoes when I round them up to go back in . He may be tiny but he doesn’t lack for nerve I tell ya.
The floof duo

Mr Fabio .. I mean Pebbles

 

[SimpleJenn]

She has an Ethel, Delft, Roadrunner, and RePecka (or maybe Gentle) egg I believe. She's in the second favorite box for the tall coop, but third overall. That is as good as I will get with her.
4 marked eggs, so hopefully she will have a couple hatch if she sticks with it.

 

[drstratton]

I feel like these little ladies need to get laying!View attachment 4198869View attachment 4198870

If wishes were fishes...

 

[SimpleJenn]

If wishes were fishes...

My aquarium would be crowded!

 

[drstratton]

Yesterday’s observations - the Nomads are getting better at reading the Spuds and Hazel, figuring out when they should clear out and when it’s not necessary. Like today I saw they were not very concerned about Hazel dust bathing near them.

I think separating the two groups for special food or treats, which I was doing, works, but then waiting for everyone, mainly the Spuds, to calm down and not be looking for remains helps a lot.

Also yesterday I didn’t bring special treats which the Spuds go insane for and which bring out their hyper-competitive spirits, like mealworms and particularly oats (“Mealworms and oats, or death!” is the rallying cry), and maybe just jacks up the adrenaline.

I put out handfuls of pellets on a couple of cinder blocks, which they really like and for some reason they treat as pretty special and are eager to eat as if they haven’t eaten all day. Why they love this I’m not sure, except it’s a gesture from me, and different from getting it out of the treadle feeder?

So then I waited for them to thoroughly check out both cinder blocks and to put their minds on to something else….At least that’s what I tried yesterday. All was calmer.

The Nomads relaxed on the end there, one lying down, one drinking, and notably Isabel was eating peacefully from the yellow chick feeder in the back. Hazel and Tedi see them, but they don’t see them eating anything they “gotta have”, and they still have some of their own pellets left in a special place to pay attention to if they want.
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Isabel joined by another, think that’s Shanai on the left.
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Felt Isabel’s crop before this, and it felt pretty good! A firm unshelled walnut size crop, small half golf ball. Very similar to the other Nomad’s crops, just a tad smaller. Yay!

Glad she's doing well!

 

[rural mouse]

I went back and looked, they hatched May 7 to May 9. They will turn 6 months old the first week of November. Yup, any pullets will lay around the first of February. I will honestly be shocked if they start up in November.

Surprisingly, my May hatched chicks started in November/December, while my Feb hatched chicks started laying , then stopped to moult their first fall.