Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pastel the Rooster]

Happy Monday everyone.
Tassels is out on day release again today.
Who can resist that face? But I fear once again she has deceived me. I just heard broody sounds.
Please Tassels. It has been almost a month now. Just STOP!
Here is her mugshot. I remain besotted, though also exasperated!
View attachment 3852187

Is that picture from today? I’m no expert but her comb seems a little bit red for broody Willow’s always gets pale, but I guess every hen is different. I think you asked about broody combs a while back.

This is her from her first batch of chicks. Notice her pale comb?
Also look at how cute the chicks were! Gumbo standing up, Opal and Ruby sitting down in front her her, and Crystal poking her head out from Willow’s wings I miss when they were chicks. The AC’s and Bolts two chicks weren’t as sweet or fun.

 

[RoyalChick]

Is that picture from today? I’m no expert but her comb seems a little bit red for broody Willow’s always gets pale, but I guess every hen is different. I think you asked about broody combs a while back.

This is her from her first batch of chicks. Notice her pale comb?
Also look at how cute the chicks were! Gumbo standing up, Opal and Ruby sitting down in front her her, and Crystal poking her head out from Willow’s wings I miss when they were chicks. The AC’s and Bolts two chicks weren’t as sweet or fun.
View attachment 3852209

It was yesterday’s picture. I think it must be the bright sunlight because up close it looks very pale. I noticed it looking red in the picture too.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

It was yesterday’s picture. I think it must be the bright sunlight because up close it looks very pale. I noticed it looking red in the picture too.

Okay, that makes sense I just know that Willow’s comb is always pale when she is broody, but I’m not sure about other people’s hens.

 

[BeastBaby]

She's had some coconut oil and now she's drinking water

This is her from earlier

That poo looks normal, but I’m concerned that if you pump her full of new foods (like coconut oil) it will end up making her poo look unusual.

Where did she have egg gunk on her? On her bum, or chest? It kind of looked like she laid a soft shelled egg (normal for an old gal!) and then both laid in it and ate some. This will probably happen again with her next soft egg.

 

[BeastBaby]

Now I’m extra jealous! I only have one colorful egg layer. Kinda a light-ish olive green color. I’m not sure if I have any pictures.

I wonder if I breed Bolt and Pastel (and get a pullet) if I will get a dark green egg? Bolt lays green and Splotch (Pastel’s twin) lays light tan eggs.

I’m not sure what color they would lay.

From the top- Bolt, Splotch, Bolt
Bottom- Willow (or Opal,) Eli, Crystal (I think, I’m not really sure on any of the bottom ones)
View attachment 3852203

You would get a dark green if you had a dark layer (think: Marans, or welsummer). If you mixed your Easter egger with another light brown layer it would just make a more mild colored laying Easter egger.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

You would get a dark green if you had a dark layer (think: Marans, or welsummer). If you mixed your Easter egger with another light brown layer it would just make a more mild colored laying Easter egger.

Oh, okay.
So if I mixed my EE with the more mild colored laying one, what would I get?

I’m not good at thinking about egg colors.

 

[LhickenChicken]

Oh, okay.
So if I mixed my EE with the more mild colored laying one, what would I get?

I’m not good at thinking about egg colors.

Something like very light green eggs, I would think.

 

[LhickenChicken]

I don't have a more recent photo of her, but look who's got a name now!

After debating forever, I finally decided on Columbia. She's still the biggest of all the chicks, and her beard and muffs remain fluffy. She's feathering out white with brown feather tips. Columbia also seems to be the leader of all the chicks in the brooder. Unfortunately some look like cocks, but not her, I hope I'm wrong and they don't have to go in the freezer. I already picked out two cocks that I'm keeping (Frank and Red) and I don't want to give them up.

 

[ManueB]

Awww. She also lays the prettiest dark khaki-green eggs. Of course if she spends her whole summer being broody I won't see many of those!

It can be nerve wrecking, but remember it will likely extend her life by giving her laying breaks.
And maybe it's a black chicken thing ?
Since I have began using an excel file sheet to track eggs in January, I can also actually track how many days the hens have been broody. I knew Merle is often broody... but now I know just how often.

Broody all January, 11 days in February, 7 in March, 19 in April and 15 in May !
(I do a gentle break everytime - lock up the coop in the afternoon so she can't access the nest, and put her on a roost a night.)
She is so fun when she is not broody though that I will gladly put up with it. If we decide to hatch more chicks next year or the year after, she will definitely be our broody.

This was the first time she went broody, two weeks after beginning to lay, and when she was six months old. I posted it at the time not sure what was going on .

 

[featherhead007]

I don't understand why my post's are coming out doubled?

What do you mean? What do you mean?