Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

They really are beautiful lil bits of floof. Mine go out with the SFH’s we do have rural property but we also have lots of hiding spots and a huge murder of crows that legit help out. All my chickens listen to the warnings and dash for cover when they hear it. I have seen them drive hawks away as well. In turn, I ignore that they eat more of our barn cats food then the cats do and I also pay in peanuts

The blessed Crows! In the morning they are awake, flying, patrolling the city neighborhood, & cawing before any other birds are stirring. LOVE our Crow murders too for chasing off the hawks while leaving our chickens & yard alone

 

[drstratton]

& no artificial fertilizers or chemicals in use either... makes me mad to come across a dead bee... can't stop everyone from using pesticides but at least all my fruit tree neighbors on all sides of me don't use them

That's great that you don't use pesticides. But you will still come across a lot of dead bees, even if no pesticides are used. The workers only live about 45 days in the summer months. You would be shocked how many die around the Apiary, we were, but it's just the way they were designed. They basically work themselves to death. It's sad, but highly efficient.

Bee tax

 

[drstratton]

Wattles Wednesday

Phoenix!

 

[drstratton]

Has anyone heard from @BY Bob?

 

[rural mouse]

Wattles

Gone

oh, wait. He has a beard, so no wattles. He still likes crowing inside the roof.

 

[RoyalChick]

Has anyone heard from @BY Bob?

He is fine. Has a very big meeting for work. I think maybe today. Has needed a lot of prep and travel for the meeting.
He was having an irritating flight situation on his way there yesterday.
But don’t worry - he is OK and I am sure will be back with us soon!

 

[drstratton]

He is fine. Has a very big meeting for work. I think maybe today. Has needed a lot of prep and travel for the meeting.
He was having an irritating flight situation on his way there yesterday.
But don’t worry - he is OK and I am sure will be back with us soon!

Thank you! He's usually so active here, I was starting to get concerned.

 

[RoyalChick]

The other Chippy

 

[Ponypoor]

WattlesView attachment 4210399

GoneView attachment 4210400oh, wait. He has a beard, so no wattles. He still likes crowing inside the roof.

I see he’s still enjoying the echos in the wishing well

What a hoot!

 

[Sylvester017]

That's great that you don't use pesticides. But you will still come across a lot of dead bees, even if no pesticides are used. The workers only live about 45 days in the summer months. You would be shocked how many die around the Apiary, we were, but it's just the way they were designed. They basically work themselves to death. It's sad, but highly efficient.

Bee tax
View attachment 4210389

I can only pray that's why I find dead bees in the yard... that they don't live long anyway.

Other questions ~ all the workers are female? So where does a fertilized queen come from & how is she chosen for such an honor? Does each individual hive/house/box have its own individual queen when we see several boxes set side-by-side in a field?

Bee Tx
Thirsty Thursday ~ Keiko ~ day early