LGBTQ+ Poultry Keepers

[Jener8or]

Here's some pics of my gals!

Spicy Boots (constantly broody and meaner than a snake who married a garden hose (but still cute)):
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Missy Boots (also doesn't live up to the "sweet cochin" stereotype, but isn't trying to actively kill me like Spicy is):
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Beetle (Green Queen Bantam - has feathers on her legs and 5 toes on one of her feet - is a consistent layer of small, very light, more blue than green eggs):

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The last bantam is Dinky (a vert strange little bird who lays the tiniest blue egg and waddles around on tiny short legs, but otherwise seems healthy, aside from her feather shredding (I lover her very much, but I won't ever order from Meyer Hatchery again...)):

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And here she is next to some others for size comparison:
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Those are beautiful chickens! The shredder gene is a bummer. They must have mixed blue and lavender in that pen or something because I'd assume she's a splash lavender?? Was she sold as a Bantam EE? It seems like the shredder gene is a hard one for the hatcheries to breed out, so yeah, maybe keep the lavender out of those pens, but whaddoIknow?

Hi and nice to meet you! Welcome back!

 

[fluffycrow]

I have 1 Green Queen Bantam, 2 Mottled Cochin Bantams, and 1 Splash Ameraucana Bantam (I ordered 2, but one passed the day after I got them home and the other is the tiniest chicken EVER. She also has weird feather shredding and very short legs. I think too much inbreeding or something??)

I also have a huge Bielefelder that was in that group. She's very sweet.

Here's some egg pics (I'll post pics of the girls shortly - I don't have any recent pics):
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I had no idea one could keep succulents outside...shows how much I know about plants . It's very cool you have so many varieties! I'm planning to start a "Food Forest"/"Edible Landscape" in the spring, so I'm really trying to brush up on this plant stuff (lol)...

Glad things are looking up (beautiful chicks!), but I'm sorry about your losses - I've had a couple this year myself...never really gets easier.

Gorgeous egg pics!

Ohhh, food forest, please do share more! Definitely trying to add more native cover and food options for both the chickens and the local wildlife, and would love to hear your plans!

Thanks! It really doesn’t, but we can only move on.

Here's some pics of my gals!

Spicy Boots (constantly broody and meaner than a snake who married a garden hose (but still cute)):
View attachment 4200781

Missy Boots (also doesn't live up to the "sweet cochin" stereotype, but isn't trying to actively kill me like Spicy is):
View attachment 4200782

Beetle (Green Queen Bantam - has feathers on her legs and 5 toes on one of her feet - is a consistent layer of small, very light, more blue than green eggs):

View attachment 4200787

The last bantam is Dinky (a vert strange little bird who lays the tiniest blue egg and waddles around on tiny short legs, but otherwise seems healthy, aside from her feather shredding (I lover her very much, but I won't ever order from Meyer Hatchery again...)):

View attachment 4200788

And here she is next to some others for size comparison:
View attachment 4200789

They’re too cute ! Missy Boots just looks too cute to be real! I also love the little black speckle Dinky has on her upper eyelid, two bantam girls here have the same, and it’s beyond adorable!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Welcome back my dear! I've thought about you over the past year, wonderful you have returned! Congratulations on the Masters degree, that's quite an accomplishment!!

Your flock is stunning, thanks for sharing!

Thanks, TC ! I've definitely thought of you all while I was toiling away, finishing my degree. The break was needed, but I'm happy to be back at BYC (I thought I had to create a whole new account bcs I canceled my PFM last year. Apparently that's not the case, so I'm trying to see if I can get the 2 accts merged since I already purchased a new PFM with this account...)

Anyway, I'm happy to be able to interact with this group again!

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks, TC ! I've definitely thought of you all while I was toiling away, finishing my degree. The break was needed, but I'm happy to be back at BYC (I thought I had to create a whole new account bcs I canceled my PFM last year. Apparently that's not the case, so I'm trying to see if I can get the 2 accts merged since I already purchased a new PFM with this account...)

Anyway, I'm happy to be able to interact with this group again!

We definitely missed you!!

 

[fluffycrow]

Waiting!

Is it tomorrow yet?

If you insist (as if I wasn’t going to share them anyway)…

Here it is! Repotted, and in desperate need of some watering (which I did right after taking the photo). This one had mealies, so it’s currently living alone, but the bugs were quickly taken care of.

Here’s the new haworthia as well, please tell me I’m not the only one who sees new growth on her!

Last photo I promise. One of the garden bed succulents, I planted this two or three years ago I think. It isn’t thriving, but it isn’t dead either! The beds don’t really have the ideal conditions for succulents, so I’m glad this one is doing ok

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Gorgeous egg pics!

Ohhh, food forest, please do share more! Definitely trying to add more native cover and food options for both the chickens and the local wildlife, and would love to hear your plans!

Thanks! It really doesn’t, but we can only move on.



They’re too cute ! Missy Boots just looks too cute to be real! I also love the little black speckle Dinky has on her upper eyelid, two bantam girls here have the same, and it’s beyond adorable!

Both of the Bootsie girls are so fluffy I can hardly stand it. I just want to cuddle them (Missy Boots will let me hold her, but I don't think she likes it much. I have to wear gloves to even go near Spicy )

I will definitely share more about my food forest/permaculture journey as I get going.

First step is preparing the land/soil for the spring using sheet mulching. We have horrible rocky/clay soil that is going to need a lot of prep work before we begin planting. I've already ordered 2 apple trees that will be delivered at the end of Sept. I will be constructing "guilds" around both!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Those are beautiful chickens! The shredder gene is a bummer. They must have mixed blue and lavender in that pen or something because I'd assume she's a splash lavender?? Was she sold as a Bantam EE? It seems like the shredder gene is a hard one for the hatcheries to breed out, so yeah, maybe keep the lavender out of those pens, but whaddoIknow?

Hi and nice to meet you! Welcome back!

Dinky was sold as a Bantam Splash AmeRAUcana (not EE), so I'm pretty irritated that she's so wonky (only bcs I paid more. It's not like I'm going to shows or anything and I love her to the moon, but I paid a premium bcs of the breed). She's definitely a character!

Nice to meet you too! Thanks for the welcome!

 

[fluffycrow]

Both of the Bootsie girls are so fluffy I can hardly stand it. I just want to cuddle them (Missy Boots will let me hold her, but I don't think she likes it much. I have to wear gloves to even go near Spicy )

I will definitely share more about my food forest/permaculture journey as I get going.

First step is preparing the land/soil for the spring using sheet mulching. We have horrible rocky/clay soil that is going to need a lot of prep work before we begin planting. I've already ordered 2 apple trees that will be delivered at the end of Sept. I will be constructing "guilds" around both!

You seem to have planned this much more thoroughly than I have, so I think our successes will largely reflect that ! Best of luck, will definitely be waiting for more! What’s the final goal/how many different plant species are you hoping to cultivate?

 

[ChickyCh00k]

You seem to have planned this much more thoroughly than I have, so I think our successes will largely reflect that ! Best of luck, will definitely be waiting for more! What’s the final goal/how many different plant species are you hoping to cultivate?

Lol! When I set out to do something, I go balls to the walls on learning as much as I possible can.

Ideally, I would like to have the 2 apple tree guilds, 2 honeyberry guilds, some perrenial beds (asparagus, wild strawberries, walking onion, perennial herbs, and lots of other plants/flowers that make good companions attracting pollinators, pest deterrents, chop and drop mulchers, weed supressors, and soil improvers), and I'll have some annuals interspersed as well.

It's going to be a BIG project that will likely take several seasons, but from what I've gathered, once everything is established, things tend to take care of themselves (or at least a lot less maintenance than typical gardens require)...

 

[Jener8or]

Dinky was sold as a Bantam Splash AmeRAUcana (not EE), so I'm pretty irritated that she's so wonky (only bcs I paid more. It's not like I'm going to shows or anything and I love her to the moon, but I paid a premium bcs of the breed). She's definitely a character!

Nice to meet you too! Thanks for the welcome!

Ooh, sorry I hope I didn't offend you (or Dinky) for mistaking! And about it! I would feel the same way! She's darn cute, though.

Lol! When I set out to do something, I go balls to the walls on learning as much as I possible can.

Ideally, I would like to have the 2 apple tree guilds, 2 honeyberry guilds, some perrenial beds (asparagus, wild strawberries, walking onion, perennial herbs, and lots of other plants/flowers that make good companions attracting pollinators, pest deterrents, chop and drop mulchers, weed supressors, and soil improvers), and I'll have some annuals interspersed as well.

It's going to be a BIG project that will likely take several seasons, but from what I've gathered, once everything is established, things tend to take care of themselves (or at least a lot less maintenance than typical gardens require)...

Sounds like a huge project I'm not ready to be inspired by ! lol. No, I'm kidding, I think a perennial food garden sounds amazing! We planted some Asian Pears (apparently they tolerate wet feet) but I've always wanted to grow asparagus and strawberries--(that we don't have to replant every year.)

Plums grow really well around here, (but the ones I've seen, at least the suckers, have thorns!) But I'll probably cave someday and see if I can grow those. My sister keeps wanting me to grow mulberries (she's a big plant person.) I heard you could just throw out some optuntia and it will just take over and grow. It's edible.