Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

I'm not actually in a big rush to rehome Slowpoke, but I will NOT be eating him if we can help it.
Then vs now...he's come so far from needing to be helped out of his egg, helped to eat and drink, and now he's such a big boy!
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I had a feeling he was closer to lavender than blue, but wasn't sure.

I'm not entirely sure due to the darkish smudges on him, but blue usually has a darker head (and is overall darker than lavender). Lavender tends to be pretty uniform in tone (when the underlying color is solid) except in things like the Isabella leghorns. With those, take the basic brown leghorn and wash in down in tone. I wonder if somehow he's splash with lavender....and the splash smudges are showing as darker spots in the lavender....¿?every time I start wrapping my head around something genetically with the "if this happens, this cannot happen" sort of stuff, a spanner gets thrown into the works.

He's fascinating and I hope you keep him. I want to see how he changes through several adult moults.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yep

How is she today?

 

[Sylvester017]

Funny thing, they don’t sell replacements for damaged covers?

Sometimes we found replacement covers but unless they are from the exact mfr of the popup frame the covers don't always fit. Coleman is a big name brand but there is no Coleman mfr replacement cover for our 10x10 frame so we use tarps which are way cheaper than any replacement cover (even if you can find a cover to fit it is still way cheaper to use a tarp w/tarp clamps!). Covers last about a year so we replace the tarps at least once a year or sooner if Santa Ana Winds tear 'em.

Coleman popup over the chicken sandbox

A week later after the Santa Ana Winds hit

DH & DS putting up a new tarp

A shady canopy-covered sandbox is a cool retreat from summer sun or a dry retreat from pouring rain

 

[Ponypoor]

Was able to spend some quality lawnchair time with the chooks today.

 

[Ponypoor]

Sophia

 

[featherhead007]

Was able to spend some quality lawnchair time with the chooks today.

Super chickens. They don’t need any extra weight do they ?

 

[Ponypoor]

Super chickens. They don’t need any extra weight do they ?

Cash is very deceptive! She doesn’t look that big but she’s a chonker! She likes to nip also the brat!

 

[Ponypoor]

Good night everyone, off to do chores

Ruth the preening chook

 

[featherhead007]

The little ones hopped back into their box by themselves. Mama hen was reluctant, but she is always reluctant. That’s great, a nice quiet evening to reflect and relax.

 

[Ponypoor]

The little ones hopped back into their box by themselves. Mama hen was reluctant, but she is always reluctant. That’s great, a nice quiet evening to reflect and relax.

Everyone was in the Hen Houses A & B last night, it was very warm. I put Red and the dumplings with Georgie in a couple of nest boxes. It's time they started staying with the herd at night.

Of course it's a pain having to carry them into the Hen House, but with Mr P and his gang I 'herd' them into the Hen House by having them follow the light from my headlamp - it shines a nice spot on the floor that they have learnt to follow.

The Youngsters are still up on the walls (those walls are 6' high - that a good height for those heftier girls to fly up on), Tippy and Mr LC on the Hen House door and the Buff Orps on the front door (they like to enjoy the sunset I guess haha). So I have to turn on the aisle lights, shoo them off the doors and walls then when they are all down I turn off the lights, and have them follow the light from my headlamp into the Hen House for the night. What a pain in the patootie.

Mornings, I take Mr P, Georgie, the dumplings, Marty, Red and Mrs LC and let them roam about while I feed horses and do chores. I can't have the whole flock out it's to much mayhem, they get in the way of the horses and trip me up getting under foot.

Once the horses are outside and stalls mucked out I put Mr P and his little band of brats in the Summer House and let the rest of them out of the Hen House - it's a stampede!

Once everyone one is released to the barn, Fluffy, Curly, Henny Penny and Marty (if I haven't released her earlier) all make their way to the door of the Summer House to be let in with Mr P. They do not like being out with the bad Roosters, I don't blame them.

Right now in the Summer House with Mr P there are: Fluffy, Curly, Henny Penny, Marty, Red, Georgie, the 2 dumplings, and Mrs LC. I had to remove Flopsy as she was tearing into Mr P's head feathers.

Such a pain though keeping them separated - yesterday I had to chase down Laverne 3 times for trying to pick at Mr P's head. I finally caught her and locked her away from him.

I have given up chasing down Tippy and Butterscotch for flying out of the run. They can get back in if they want, I am too tired to chase them down. And Butterscotch the beast flew over the fence into my neighbour's yard yesterday, I did go and chase her back for that.

Such brats and time thieves! The horses meanwhile are behaving.... for now!