Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

NavyBeans on the ladder
View attachment 4256605

She really got high up ~ hopping on the steps or flying up?!

 

[Sylvester017]

How many eggs does she lay a week usually?

Welbars say 200/year & Welsummers 220-230/year. I pay no attn to projected claims though... each bird is different. Each year hens lay 20% less than their pullet year, & 20% less each successive year.

As we are aware, hybrids are egg-exhausted usually by age 5. They use up all their egg cells fast/early in their laying career.

Broody heritage breeds lay less eggs per year but will lay well into age 8 to 9 years ~ even if it be only a handful by then. Our broody Silkies have layed into their 7th year. Our long-lived Silkies usually stop laying by 6th year. Bantams are not prolific layers. Even some duck breeds only lay 50 eggs/year. But that's a plus for less health issues.

Each pullet chick hatches w/a certain number of egg cells & a hybrid layer exhausts those eggs early in her career while a less prolific layer won't lay prolifically to exhaust all her eggs till much later in her lifespan. My friend's Australorp layed a stray egg at 8 years. No telling what cycle each individual hen has till she's in our possession.

We had to re-home our bully Marans & wanted to replace w/ Wellies or Welbars for dark eggs but timing was never opportune. Beautiful, mostly calm birds.
Welbar ~ such pretty hens

 

[Sylvester017]

I love em!

It's great that they came altogether as friends even though in a different environment... at least they have each other to adapt.

 

[Grandma The Chicken]

On this fine Monday, Hawk and Raven are having a dust bath under the trailer. Consider this an early Twofer.

 

[featherhead007]

Hmmm. At the moment none. All mine are on strike at the moment.
In Spring/Summer about 4-5 a week.
She has gone broody a couple of times but gave up with encouragement.

Broody, tiny bubbles, makes for interesting conversation.

 

[Marie2020]

'Yo habla espanol" & you didn't ask them the breed?

Those birds look very much like BSL's but ruralmouse will best ID. They are pretty & look indeed a lot like Ponypoor's Sophia. You should probably call one of them Sophia

Sophia is a lovely name

 

[TOMTE]

How much longer before I can make an entire new chicken, do you think?

 

[Ponypoor]

Re: Rebecca

Just heard from her, she says hi, she’s just extremely busy with work.

 

[Labsandchickens8]

Coopers hawk attacked. Had one of our chocolate orpington girls. Thankfully we chased it off before it could kill her. She was in shock for a couple minutes then walked off. No noticeable injuries, we ruffled her feathers around and didn't see anything. Boy do I miss BlackJack...Owl just paced back and forth instead of saving her. And the Guineas didn't do anything because she's not in their clique.

Scary! So glad she's okay.
Tell the guineas they're rude

 

[Labsandchickens8]

Ouch! TG you got there!!! Maybe the roo's are still a little young to know how to defend yet? Orps are just so sweet, stocky, slower, easy prey. Love them, but we chose skittish more agile breeds for our open yard cuz of all the Cooper's breeding in the area. Any chicken is a target, but give me a lithe or skittish bird for better escape chances. We've made a lot of hiding areas but still, those hawks are crafty hunters.

Question: I've seen pictures of chicken yards with some ropes crisscrossing open areas, I guess so hawks can't swoop down. Not actual arial netting. Do those work? Currently trying to create an open area for my poor confined birdies.