What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

Now I have the idea to get a large canvas and some non-toxic paints and let my chickens pretend to be artists.

You never know, they may be so good you can make your fortune selling their artwork!

 

[Shetland lover]

So, I'm pretty sure the night blooming cirus is the uncultivated close cousin of the df. My varieties, imagine that ♡ varieties , is the red skin, red fruit. Nice and sweet. My other variety that will not bloom for another year, is the yellow Jamaican (I think) and suppose to be sweeter! I was not much of a fan of the df untill I had the red/red. Stuck the ripe fruit in the fridge and it was as good as ice cream with out the hangover. I'm hoping we get delicious fruit from our red/red dragonfruit. Be a bummer if HD mislabeled it
The yellow fruit plant came for a budding collector

That's really interesting! I wonder if your uncultivated close cousin will fruit and if they are edible? And how they compare to the cultivated type? If it is worth crossing with the cultivated varieties to improve hardiness, vigour etc.?
Like you, I'm not so fussed about the red skinned, white fleshed type - although my cat, Elliot (and Stanley) is rather keen but I do like the red/red. When I next come across one, I might try freezing it - make it even more ice cream-like, perhaps? Love frozen bananas then blitzed into ready-made ice cream.

 

[Shetland lover]

Today was yet another bittersweet day with the flock. Had to put “Big Gray” to sleep.

Between last Thursday & Saturday the Roo’s and a couple hens found a sneak thru between the sides of the runs.

Big Gray got attacked in his personal run area because one or both of the other Roo’s got too full of themselves and busted through the wire cloth.

I was outta town and wife & kiddo found “Big Gray hiding with dried blood on his head and both eyes looks pecked at. So on the phone call I learned he was now completely blind.

He was the original lead Roo for the main flock’s 1st 3 years.
Poledark challenged him and took over sometime in year number 4 and 5-6 months later “Big Gray looses an eye” from a tussle in the yard. So I gave him the Batchelor pad for the last 6-7 months I guess.

During this time I finally get around to fully redesigning the inside of the coop.

Butidigress….

Our 20-something numbered flocks have dwindled this year.
Silkies were 7-8 this time last year. Now, 5. Lost two earlier this month to a predator.
Big flock is now 8 from 14-15 this time last year.
The silkie hatchlings from March/April started out as 6. As of last week when the predator got the silkies one of the hatchlings died over night in their crate. So now it’s just the 2 hatchlings. I hope they are both hens.

I have not carefully inspected their saddle feathers but, they both are fanning their tail feather like the big hens do… (shrugs)

The hatchlings are in the lower right nest area of this pic I just took.

View attachment 3905039

So later this week I have to get some
Detailed pics to update the coop’s build thread.

I'm so sorry for your losses. Poor Big Gray. He sounds like he was a real sweetheart and a big loss for the history of your flock. Sending hugs

 

[Shetland lover]

Here we go. A few of the things 'we' made:

And a sparkly Pru poop:

 

[TropicalBabies]

Here we go. A few of the things 'we' made: View attachment 3908161View attachment 3908162View attachment 3908163View attachment 3908164View attachment 3908165
And a sparkly Pru poop:
View attachment 3908168

Here we go. A few of the things 'we' made: View attachment 3908161View attachment 3908162View attachment 3908163View attachment 3908164View attachment 3908165
And a sparkly Pru poop:
View attachment 3908168

Absolutely terrific!! Thank you for sharing yours and Pru's talents.
What fun you all had ♡♡♡ love them all. Wonderful work ♡

 

[kurby22]

Here we go. A few of the things 'we' made: View attachment 3908161View attachment 3908162View attachment 3908163View attachment 3908164View attachment 3908165
And a sparkly Pru poop:
View attachment 3908168

Love the added poop picture!

Your other art pieces are quite lovely!!

 

[fuzzi]

He's a survivor miracle chick! Good doctoring and care from you surely helped him get well. He's a cutie!

Thank you. He's in the difficult teenager stage, but I am hopeful he'll mature into a good roo.

 

[PopoMyers]

Here we go. A few of the things 'we' made: View attachment 3908161View attachment 3908162View attachment 3908163View attachment 3908164View attachment 3908165
And a sparkly Pru poop:
View attachment 3908168

Ooooooo! Just lovely. I especially love the snowflakes. Chickens eat just about anything they fancy. And that's some fancy !

 

[PopoMyers]

A quick update. The garden is in full swing for harvesting, and the girls get all the trimmings, from bolted lettuce, beet tops, bolted kale, weeds, shrimp shells, fallen plums. A large peach branch partly broke, and the peaches were in their reach before I could get it propped up. Some got pecked. Green peaches are not too appetizing. The leghorns have been flying up into the plum tree and pecking at some ot the fruit. There are so many it's actually ok. Been selling much of them, making jam with the ripest ones.
Onyx's molt is almost done, and her tail is halfway grown, her wing feathers starting. She is back to her spunky self, racing for treats, pecking the pullets, dust bathing happily, eating more. I am besides happy that she is almost fully recovered from the vampire mites, and being severely anemic. Just waiting for her to start laying again. She's just over 2 years old.

How is everyone's summer going?

 

[Shetland lover]

Love the added poop picture!

Your other art pieces are quite lovely!!

Aww, thank you!
I'm going to try my hand at sketching the flock next. Can you believe I've never attempted to draw a chicken?