HorseGirlAbby's flock thread!

[HorseGirlAbby]

Today's post is going to be about the chickens' nicknames. Some of them are too weird to even say here, so I'll leave those out, don't worry, Lu.
Here you go!
James Beard: Mr. Beard, Big Guy
Peeper: Spotty, Spots
Colleen: Bukky, Buk
Nancy: Nance
Goldilocks: Cheeks (because of her cheek puffs!)
Baroness: Nessy
Silver: No nickname! Poor hen.
Sprinkles: Sprinks
Dover: Dove, Big Hen
Delaware: Del, Del Chicky
Little Nancy: Lil Nance
Gidget: Gidgy
Holly: Holls
Ivy: Ives
Mohawk: Mo, Moey
That's everybody! Even the chickens who've passed had their own funny nicknames:
Alice: Hugey, Huge hen
Sylvia: Sylv
Amber: no nickname!
Pearl: Pearly Girl, Squeaky
Jumpy: Jumps, Weirdo
Sue: Suey
The cockerels didn't live long enough to get nicknames, sadly.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Here are some recent photos, of Ivy and Bukky. They were having a lot of fun dust bathing!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Would hate for anything to happen to Bukky...

Especially since she's your namesake...

What happens to Bukky happens to Bukky too. Bukky=Bukky. We are linked.

I'll be sure to ask her about that. Tell me if you get bumblefoot in the next few days, ok?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

The chickens are doing well today! It got pretty hot yesterday, up to 102, but everybody survived. Bukky has learned how to stand in the rubber bowl now! Silver must have taught her. Now they have to fight over it.
Bukky:

Silver. Ignore the photobombing chicken!

Ok, she's getting harder to ignore.

Finally, an ok picture! Oh, wait, her head's blurry. I give up.

The photo bomber, Del.

Poor Little Nancy:

Nancy:

Holly, mad that I took her out of her box:

Ivy, way too hot:

Silver looking for food:

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

The good thing about knowing my chickens so well is that I can always spot when someone isn't feeling well. Goldy has always been a quiet hen, even when she was young, but yesterday afternoon, I saw her standing around by herself, looking uncomfortable. I tried calling her inside, but she wouldn't listen, as usual. I resorted to the worms bag, a sure way of getting a reluctant hen inside, but she ignored that as well. Here's where I knew something was really wrong. I managed to reach out into the run through the chicken door and pick her up, and I brought her inside that way. As soon as I touched her, I knew what the matter was. Her crop was full, and rock hard. She looked really, really miserable. I put her in the tractor with Delaware, so she could be away from the others for a while. She pecked a bit at the weeds, but didn't eat much, though she did drink some water. I went out later, and she seemed to be feeling better, but her crop hadn't emptied at all. I brought her out, just for fun, and she had an ok time eating some green grass, but I could tell her heart wasn't in it. Finally, I put her on the roost, and tucked them in for the night. This morning, I went out early (6:00!) to check on her before she'd eaten any food. Thankfully, she was much more alert, and her crop was empty. She must just have eaten too much!
A photo of Goldy from yesterday

Nessy sunbathing

That's not all we've been up to...

Y'all know I'm a horse nerd, right?

Yes, that's a model horse saddle I made. A bit weird, maybe, but it sure was fun!

 

[Bakbuk]

Oh, hey Bukky, since you're online right now, would you mind asking Bukky not to be so rude to the other hens? She was chasing Silver earlier today

Sure!

BUKKY YOU BEHAVEYOURSELF YOU LITTLE GRUMPY OLD LADY OR IMMA HAVE TO COME UP ALL THE WAY TO THE DRY DRY DESERT IN WA AND MAKE YOU BE NICE OK SINCERELY BUKKY BYE

 

[Bakbuk]

@Bakbuk, Bukky needs another talking-to!

Bukky. Come here.

*Buk-BAAAAAAAWWWWWK*

From Bukky to Bukky, listen to me. You need to quit being a grouchy old lady and be nice to both the other hens and the humans!! You're making them sad (and annoyed).

*Bukky stares disgustedly up at me and pecks me hard*

HAY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! BAAAAD! BAD BUKKY!!

*Ba-CAWK! Buk-buk-buk-BaCAWK!!* *Starts flapping her wings and screaming and pecking the heck out of poor Bukky*

AAaaaaaAAAAA!! *runs away* EVIL BUKKY!! HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Bukky. Come here.

*Buk-BAAAAAAAWWWWWK*

From Bukky to Bukky, listen to me. You need to quit being a grouchy old lady and be nice to both the other hens and the humans!! You're making them sad (and annoyed).

*Bukky stares disgustedly up at me and pecks me hard*

HAY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! BAAAAD! BAD BUKKY!!

*Ba-CAWK! Buk-buk-buk-BaCAWK!!* *Starts flapping her wings and screaming and pecking the heck out of poor Bukky*

AAaaaaaAAAAA!! *runs away* EVIL BUKKY!! HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!

Okay, she's not that mean. But she's attacked both my brothers before. I don't think she likes guys. She was pretty cranky today, though. She's starting to have competition, as Nessy's molting now, too.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Hello, peeps! The chickens survived negative wind chills, and two, Charlotte and Sprinkles, are laying now! It's warming up, so hopefully more will start soon. I took quite a few pictures today, so enjoy!
Bean when we got her:

Bean now:

Ivy:

Bukky:

Holly, all nicely feathered now.

Sprinkles:

Gidget:

Crazy Cleo:

Bean, hiding.

Penny:

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Well, it's been exactly a month since I said anything. Charlotte hasn't learned how to lay in a nesting box yet, the stinker. She's been laying for three months, and they've all been on the floor, except when I force her to stay in a box. Bean and Cleo, however, both laid their first eggs this week, and they've been using the boxes! Bean has laid three, her first on the floor, then the others where they're supposed to be. Same with Cleo, though she just laid her second today.
Cleo:

Charlotte:

Our original four chickens, Peeper, Bukky, Goldy, and Baroness, will be six this year! Yikes. Six others, Silver, Sprinkles, Delaware, Dover, Gidget, and Little Nancy, will be five, and even Holly, Ivy, and Mo will be two. Everyone's getting so old! Mr. Beard will be three, I believe, and the littles will be a year. Out of all the hens, Gidget is the only one for sure not laying. She hasn't laid since she was two. All the others laid at least a couple eggs last year, so I have hopes!
Some random other photos:
Little Nancy:

Bukky:

Dover:

Sprinkles:

Ivy:

Gidgy against the sunset: