Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I think something really scared my flock. Yesterday I had trouble getting them home when I let them go over to my neighbor’s yard. They would not come when called. I had to go over and hand carry one home at a time , except for a few who came at the beginning. Currently, the gate is wide open and more than half of them are choosing to stay inside the run. This is really unusual behavior for them.

Just lovely!

 

[BY Bob]

Doesn't Flash fly? I assumed it was a breed characteristic. It freaked me out a bit at first but now I like it even if when I let them out in the morning I have to duck to avoid collision!

My leghorns liked to fly. Daisy, the greatest hen ever, was a great flyer.

 

[Ribh]

I think something really scared my flock. Yesterday I had trouble getting them home when I let them go over to my neighbor’s yard. They would not come when called. I had to go over and hand carry one home at a time , except for a few who came at the beginning. Currently, the gate is wide open and more than half of them are choosing to stay inside the run. This is really unusual behavior for them.

Has your big cat been back?

 

[BY Bob]

Good night ladies. Sleep tight.
View attachment 2422773View attachment 2422774

That is absolutely a wonderful flock photo. Remember that you never thought you would see this.

 

[RoyalChick]

I have never had a chicken fly into me. That must have been quite an experience.

It is not uncommon with the Little Princesses. They are great flyers but don't have superb navigation or even landing gear so they sometimes brush my shoulder or the top of my head as they fly by. Sometimes they land and then 'taxi' into my legs. This time was unusual in that it was a full on body blow for which as I understand it I am at fault for standing in the way.
I actually worried about it at first because on BYC there are lots of posts about chickens breaking their necks by flying into the wall. But from observing them I don't think they are that dumb. They do sometimes misjudge but they usually turn and hit what they are going to hit (i.e., me) with the side of their body not their head.

 

[RoyalChick]

That is absolutely a wonderful flock photo. Remember that you never thought you would see this.

I know. I am so happy about it. And it is all relatively peaceful. Maggie encourages the Little Princess to fly down and walk back up if they come up 'out of order' but as they are always flying up and down off the big roost it is not particularly disruptive.

 

[micstrachan]

So all the litter in the chicken run is quite soft. I do that so they don’t get injured jumping off roosts, etc. However, I just noticed that Dorothy’s claws are way too long, and I suspect others might look like that, too. I think it’s not an issue in the summer when they’re out free ranging and scratching a lot harder ground a lot more. Should I try to trim them? clearly, she has been digging... look how dirty her feet are. But those toenails!

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you! I saw the original post, and some later posts where she was doing well. But I thought there was also a post where she wasn’t doing as well?

I think this is what you are looking for.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-23572787

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you!

Oooops - I mistook the post and thought it was aimed at Minnie. If you and @drstratton are OK I won't mention to Minnie that it wasn't about her.

 

[micstrachan]

Has your big cat been back?

Not that I know of. But we do have a couple resident hawks… I suspect it was that. I saw one swoop pretty low across the yard this morning, but the girls were still in the run at the time.