Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

Someone down my way is breeding them Ribh. Bit of a drive though. And maybe the border is still closed.

Yes, just a bit of a drive... There are breeders up here but I will only take immunized birds & Backyard breeders rarely immunise.

 

[Kris5902]

Until the government steps in and disrupts the eco system of the river. Then hungry bald eagles will eat chicken. Trust me on this one. I lost 3 chickens to them, and a couple neighbors lost several of theirs. I guess once they tasted chicken they decided they like it just fine.

Bird netting helps. They have to have the room to swoop in on their prey. They can't drop straight down like I've seen the owls and hawks do. My chickens are safe now, after the eagle attack. Owls and hawks can't drop through the netting either. Mine is a knotted nylon net. Not sure the plastic ones would work.

Owls will go through birdnetting even the strong nylon stuff that’s how I lost 5 birds one morning. One of my friends here had to go into a small chicken coop run to shoo out a lost eagle. He gets quite animated describing the wingspan. What really sucks though is having to get entangled red tail hawks out of bird netting.

 

[MaryJanet]

Yes, just a bit of a drive... There are breeders up here but I will only take immunized birds & Backyard breeders rarely immunise.

I suppose a hatch is out because you're likely to hatch a cockerel or two.

 

[Ribh]

I suppose a hatch is out because you're likely to hatch a cockerel or two.

The man keeps talking breeding but I am adamant all the cockerels are his to deal with!

 

[Kris5902]

I don't hunt. I have in the past. I get wild boar meat from the hunters when I can though.
I don't condemn hunting as such. Unfortunately there are hunters and people who call themselves hunters who crash around in the forest here letting off firearms. I've had a few run ins with the second type.
What is very odd is the pro hunters hunt at night with crossbows. This is illegal here. The day time hunters with the oversized guns, bugles and dogs are legal. Around here the daytime hunters have mistakenly shot peoples dogs, each other and house windows.
I get meat from the nighttime hunters. They come and ask if they can hunt on your land. they are quiet and from what I've seen, serious and skilled. The others are a bunch of cowboys, wounding more then they kill.

It is much the same here! We have bow and long gun hunting, usually guns though. You’re not permitted to use rifles to hunt, so of course that never happens here either!
I have to say I am not a fan of buck shot. Or even slug shells. Which is what you’re supposed to use here. Not clean enough

 

[Kris5902]

The man keeps talking breeding but I am adamant all the cockerels are his to deal with!

more chickens coming soon?
I really do have to get caught up over on your thread as well!

 

[Shadrach]

Sssshhhh! Remember where this conversation always takes us? The Mighty eagle, majestic predator... fierce screams! (They are incredibly lazy here too, mostly because of the offal pit. Ours were also mostly spared from the DDT poisoning because they were too lazy to fish.)
Edit to add: ooops! too late, it went there already

Ooops.

 

[Shadrach]

Owls will go through birdnetting even the strong nylon stuff that’s how I lost 5 birds one morning. One of my friends here had to go into a small chicken coop run to shoo out a lost eagle. He gets quite animated describing the wingspan. What really sucks though is having to get entangled red tail hawks out of bird netting.

Much like the Goshawk here then. They hammer through chicken wire like it's fun.

 

[MaryJanet]

Much like the Goshawk here then. They hammer through chicken wire like it's fun.

Crikey!

 

[ValerieJ]

Sssshhhh! Remember where this conversation always takes us? The Mighty eagle, majestic predator... fierce screams! (They are incredibly lazy here too, mostly because of the offal pit. Ours were also mostly spared from the DDT poisoning because they were too lazy to fish.)
Edit to add: ooops! too late, it went there already

I have seen documentaries of the bald eagles in Alaska where they are abundant and have flocks. They are a very different bird here, extremely territorial, and are never seen in a flock or convocation. The only time I see more than two at a time is when their young fledge. Then they fly together while they teach them to hunt for that one season only, at the end of which the young fly south for two years and don't come back to their parents territory. They have to stake out their own. You have said before that you didn't like their call, but I love it. It's one of my favorite sounds on the river. I often get to hear them having a conversation of sorts. Just like chickens, they have different vocalizations. Fascinating, majestic birds.

Shadrach says I'm unlucky because they got my chickens one year, and that was a heart breaking time, but I feel extremely lucky to get to know this pair of bald eagles as I have.