Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I must say I’m so glad we don’t have half these nighttime predators here in Aus! My 2 ISA’s used to scare any crows and magpies that dared to land in the backyard, running at them and leaping with ‘talons out’. A poor seagull got the treatment one day too
Cats got on the fence but didn’t have much of a chance because our terrier mutt would burst out anyway being the sheriff he is and start the running off and the girls were so big they would intimidate the cats I guess, the cats never dared jumping down off the fence into the yard.
They would free range in the backyard all day, unsupervised for 2+ years without any incident.
With the newbies I am a bit less complacent. I feel I have had my eyes opened by you good folks on here and feel lucky that Penny and Bok got out unscathed. I shut the coop nightly just to be safe, haven’t done that since Pen and Bok were about 8 months old (Bok will be 3 in March)
They don’t have the freedom our first 2 had (of which we still have Bok) and our gardens and concrete are much neater for it They do have free range time each day and Belle is always hopping up on my knee to see if I have food, jumping down when I don’t
I won’t let them free range unsupervised with the dog yet either. He’s a great fella and I love him to death (first child before our now 5yo human child ) but the pullets move so fast I can see him getting excited and wanting to play but his play and what they can handle are 2 different things. He’s 11 but they still have puppy energy type moments.
Sorry for the novel, got a bit too into sharing

Helps to know a little bit more. Thanks for sharing! You are lucky that there are less predators for chickens in Australia. Unfortunately everything there seems designed to kill humans! Especially the drop bears!

 

[BY Bob]

I think Edwina is not the sharpest tool in the shed though. She keeps banging on the lid of the feeder and seems startled when she puts her foot on the treadle and it opens. She's only been using the treadle feeder for 2 years...

Oh Edwina.

 

[featherhead007]

The Aunties, I just love that term for them. I smile every time I read it

I have to show your video to my Rocks-Anne. (Maybe then, she would turn broody)

 

[featherhead007]

Helps to know a little bit more. Thanks for sharing! You are lucky that there are less predators for chickens in Australia. Unfortunately everything there seems designed to kill humans! Especially the drop bears!

 

[Marie2020]

As most of you know, I have Cillin as an overnight house guest currently. He sleeps in the pet carrier on top the the house nest box, about 8 metres from where my head is when I'm asleep on my bed.
Most will also have read people complaining about their rooster, or someone elses rooster crowing, mostly outside the house and in a coop I've gathered.
I'm not deaf I need to point out.
This morning Cillin started crowing at 0634. I'm auto awake by then and it just nudges me into full consciousness. This morning I was very tired. I had been up until 0200 the night before. I fell back to sleep and didn't wake up again until 0740.
There is no way I can beleive that Cillin didn't crow again untill I woke up the second time. I must have slept through him crowing. This is 8 metres away in a house!

Hello
There was a lady on the news about a year ago, she had a noisy lad, she tried all ways to prevent him from crowing at first light. What worked for her was to keep him in the dark, until she could let him out in the morning. So no more early wake up calls for her neighbor's

 

[Marie2020]

It's about time I said hello to everyone in this thread my apologies for not doing so earlier.

Hi there
I'm in BYC because I love animals of most kinds and not only chickens. When I came across this thread I found it interesting then got carried away on reading about Bob's goat and totally forgot to properly introduce myself.

I first discovered BYC when I was trying to find answers on keeping chickens and at the same time still learning too use the internet plus this site.

Thanks to all that have replied to me

 

[Shadrach]

Hmmm - it looks like blood and fluid. I vaguely remember you have a microscope (did I get that right?). Is it full of cells or mainly fluid?

I do have a microscope but it isn't powerful enough to see cells.

 

[featherhead007]

Hello
There was a lady on the news about a year ago, she had a noisy lad, she tried all ways to prevent him from crowing at first light. What worked for her was to keep him in the dark, until she could let him out in the morning. So no more early wake up calls for her neighbor's

I have to bring my roo “Jaffar” inside at 3:45am when he starts his crowing. That gives me another couple hours sleep, till his ladies wake up. Then it’s back outside to eat and drink.

 

[featherhead007]

I have to bring my roo “Jaffar” inside at 3:45am when he starts his crowing. That gives me another couple hours sleep, till his ladies wake up. Then it’s back outside to eat and drink.

And sometimes, when it’s really cold, they all stay the night in my “chicken room” in the house

 

[BY Bob]

I have to show your video to my Rocks-Anne. (Maybe then, she would turn broody)

You definitely should. You need some chicks. It is amazing!