MJ's little flock

[LozzyR]

Today's Alice photo

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Not much skin to be seen now!
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Not long now!

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

All of the girls are looking really good

 

[Grammy60]

Good evening everyone

 

[BY Bob]

Today's Alice photo

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Not much skin to be seen now!
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She is looking much better. She certainly has to be warmer.

 

[BY Bob]

Alice is really looking good! Still a way to go, but she's not scary-bald any more.

Well, Janet's back feathers are a bit sparse on her and a bit thick on the ground. But I'm excited to see her flight feathers growing in! They'd been cut back before I met her. For the first time since we met, she's not laying.

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Mary seems to be at the end of her moult. Perhaps there are a few butt fluffs to drop out and regrow, but otherwise she's looking pretty good. If last winter is any indication, she won't be laying til Spring.

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Peggy and Ivy don't seem to be moulting, but maybe they're replacing just a few feathers. Every now and then I see one of Ivy's downy feathers on the ground.

All four are eating well. Lots of manufactured food, both pellets and grain mix, lots of foraging, and one shared treat each day. They're not thrilled by these new pellets we're trying, but they're nibbling at them in a mash with their grain mixed in.

Here's Ivy making her daily Jacaranda inspection

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Ivy has grown up to be a beautiful lady. I love her shape and her coloring. Her and Peggy will likely not molt their first year. It does not always happen. Hattie did not molt her first winter.

 

[pspatbyc]

Are you planning a build @pspatbyc ?

Planning an expansion to existing fortress.

 

[Shadrach]

Lock.

 

[MaryJanet]

Ivy has grown up to be a beautiful lady. I love her shape and her coloring. Her and Peggy will likely not molt their first year. It does not always happen. Hattie did not molt her first winter.

Nor did Janet, but Mary did. Mary's just finishing up her second full moult and Janet's going through her first. According to the people who had them before, they're only 2 weeks apart in age and they experienced exact same living conditions. So I'm thinking genetics must play a part in triggering the first full moult, else why did Mary have her's so young and Janet a year later.

Anyway, Peggy has all her feathers except for the ones she used to feather her nest when she was broody. Ivy seems to drop a downy feather every now and then.

Bob, do you think Ivy looks like an adult or still a little juvenile? Her behaviour is still a little juvenile, with lots of scampering about. Maybe she was very young when I brought her home.

 

[BY Bob]

Nor did Janet, but Mary did. Mary's just finishing up her second full moult and Janet's going through her first. According to the people who had them before, they're only 2 weeks apart in age and they experienced exact same living conditions. So I'm thinking genetics must play a part in triggering the first full moult, else why did Mary have her's so young and Janet a year later.

Anyway, Peggy has all her feathers except for the ones she used to feather her nest when she was broody. Ivy seems to drop a downy feather every now and then.

Bob, do you think Ivy looks like an adult or still a little juvenile? Her behaviour is still a little juvenile, with lots of scampering about. Maybe she was very young when I brought her home.

I remember in her first pictures thinking she looked young. Now, I can't honestly tell because I've never seen a hen that looks like her before now. One thing to look at is to compare her physically to the others. She is not a bantam so is her head physically similar in size to Mary and Janet's?

 

[MaryJanet]

I remember in her first pictures thinking she looked young. Now, I can't honestly tell because I've never seen a hen that looks like her before now. One thing to look at is to compare her physically to the others. She is not a bantam so is her head physically similar in size to Mary and Janet's?

It never occurred to me to compare headsize! I'll take a look later on.