Numi

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We've been graced w/a few sunny days in the 60's, so I've been taking Numi outside for brief periods when I go sit w/the girls.
The first day,I had Numi bundled up. She sat on my lap for a few minutes watching the big birds before struggling to be unbundled & hopping down in the middle of them. Momma promptly pecked her on the fanny and she hopped back in my lap panting,decided she'd had enough of that and crawled inside of my jacket sleeve.
Today she rode out on my shoulder unbundled, & stayed there. She watched them and they watched her, some vocalizations took place, but she stayed put.
She spends daytime hrs in that pop up netted play area where she has room to stretch her wings and hop around. She has mirrors, a perch, and a bridge inside of it. A new xylophone is next; PJ destroyed the last one.
I got tired of buying puppy pads, but not putting bedding in that play area, so picked up a cheap bolt of fleece & made pads from it. She loves it. The 1st thing she did was start "dust bathing" on it. A perk is that I can usually take it outside,shake the poo off of it & reuse it, so less laundry (Lysol has a disinfecting prewash).
She's getting some faint dotting, has a really pretty blue around her neck. Still has a baby face but her little helmet is making an appearance. She likes to have it, her neck and chin rubbed- and yes, she still likes to curl up next to me and fall asleep, now w/her little beak resting on my jaw. She's funny- she does her thing all day while I'm dealing w/kids &what not, but around 7 pm she starts chattering, letting me know it's HER time.
I will cont to say "she", I have no idea. If I were placing bets, I'd wager "she" ends up being a "he"- and I base that solely on my opinion that male animals tend to be calmer & more affectionate than females.
In any event, she is thriving, growing, and has become part of the family.

Aw, Numi sounds so sweet! I can’t believe she just hopped right into Mama’s business and got pecked for her initiative!

 

[Sydney65]

Too chilly for Numi today, but finally took camera outside to show you @Mixed flock enthusiast -

I know @R2elk said it's more prominent @ breeding season; mb w/no males around my girls are putting more effort into primping-
And -
This is an awful pic- I hazard to guess what's on her face & she wasn’t happy to be held in such a manner, but I only have 2 hands. It doesn't show well, but I think you can see some of the blue I mentioned-

- Mia knew I was trying to get a frontal and being defiant. Despite being a different color, she reminded me so much of Blue in the face today.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Too chilly for Numi today, but finally took camera outside to show you @Mixed flock enthusiast -
View attachment 2918602
I know @R2elk said it's more prominent @ breeding season; mb w/no males around my girls are putting more effort into primping-
And - View attachment 2918605
This is an awful pic- I hazard to guess what's on her face & she wasn’t happy to be held in such a manner, but I only have 2 hands. It doesn't show well, but I think you can see some of the blue I mentioned-
View attachment 2918610
- Mia knew I was trying to get a frontal and being defiant. Despite being a different color, she reminded me so much of Blue in the face today. View attachment 2918611

Cute. Are you talking about the purple iridescent collar on your adults?

 

[R2elk]

Cute. Are you talking about the purple iridescent collar on your adults?

I believe she is referring to the raised feathers on their back. When their bustle is full it is easiest seen in a side view. I have never seen my hens have full bustles except when they are laying. It makes it really easy to tell laying hens from males.

 

[Sydney65]

Cute. Are you talking about the purple iridescent collar on your adults?

Which part?! Lol. The bustle? Remember the corsets that poofed women's dresses out on their fannies? R2 associated that to the bump- upped feathers on the hen's back, ahead of the tail. I don't know if it's an actual anatomical term.
Brodie's mohawk?- mzybe the wrong analogy since it's on her back, mb I should relate it to a Rhodesian Ridgeback, or a cowlick..feathers along her spine kind of stand up.
Or the blue I'm seeing on Numi? Yes, that I'm seeing on her neck feathers. Nugget's (previous lavender) neck feathers were still dark purple, so it's very different to me- and a lousy picture so the most you can see is at the tip of the feathers.
He did have coral & light blues as well as lavenders in his flock; If that is what mated, could there be that kind of bleed through for lack of a better term? Everything always seems so black and white w/them that I never thought about it, but I guess it would be kind of like the 1 white wing feather phenomenon, or seeing the image of my RP in the face of his PG offspring yesterday.
Ps - I don't know what kind of update this tablet did, but was looking through your pics last night that you've posted of yours & the colors were stunning. I wish they didn't have to change as adults.
Wait - are the words with arrows not showing up in pictures? That would explain the confusion.

 

[Sydney65]

This one might be better

 

[R2elk]

This one might be betterView attachment 2919505View attachment 2919506

I have thought that it is a Lavender from the start.

 

[Sydney65]

I have thought that it is a Lavender from the start.

I have as well, I'm just intrigued by the blue dots.

 

[Sydney65]

Numi - 6 wks
We've cont going out for brief periods when the weather permits, he on my shoulder. He stays abt 5' from the ladies, grazing w/
them & stretching his wings while I tend to the coop. They keep an eye on him,but no more pecks. We don't stay out long. He seems well feathered on top but still has bare spots around the keel, so not fond of wind, which we've had in abundance.
He was being camera obstinate when I took these,so he looks like a butterball, but I promise, he is not.



He still likes to cuddle in the evening after everything has settled down for the evening. I was hoping for some empathy after a fall the other night, but he just went to sleep.

"HE" - chis when he is most content and just before falling asleep. Only other sounds are trills & tweets.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Numi - 6 wks
We've cont going out for brief periods when the weather permits, he on my shoulder. He stays abt 5' from the ladies, grazing w/
them & stretching his wings while I tend to the coop. They keep an eye on him,but no more pecks. We don't stay out long. He seems well feathered on top but still has bare spots around the keel, so not fond of wind, which we've had in abundance.
He was being camera obstinate when I took these,so he looks like a butterball, but I promise, he is not.
View attachment 2932353

View attachment 2932354
He still likes to cuddle in the evening after everything has settled down for the evening. I was hoping for some empathy after a fall the other night, but he just went to sleep.
View attachment 2932357
"HE" - chis when he is most content and just before falling asleep. Only other sounds are trills & tweets.

Awwwww Almost makes me wish I had one that tame… Ghost has been eating millet out of my hand at least! But he takes a bit of finger skin with each bite of millet…