Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Finally, some chickens... Roostie is feeling better enough to do a little fence fighting with Sammy. And one of his hens was on the wrong side of the fence. They know they can just walk around it, but would rather have their little showdown from the relative safety of their own side of the fence!

Initially it was just the two hens scrapping, and I thought I had my camera going. Then they went still, and I saw I hadn’t actually recorded anything! That’s ok, after a solid stare down they decided to go for round 2...

 

[Scrambles83]

This picture of Daisy, the greatest hen ever, was taken in October as she was molting. She had a very gradual molt but in this picture you can see her beautiful new wing feathers but check out her ratty tail. Those feathers are all busted up.
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In seeing this, Bok’s tail is ratty. She’s only ever done a soft moult but like her head being bald, new feathers haven’t grown back. I’m only mentioning it here because it’s been 12+ months and none of it is regrowing. Maybe she’s just a bit defective in the feather department.
You can see in the photos how the shafts are still there and there is still feather at the base underneath but none on the ends.
I have no idea why, she doesn’t care but I miss her beautiful full tail.

 

[RoyalChick]

Finally, some chickens... Roostie is feeling better enough to do a little fence fighting with Sammy. And one of his hens was on the wrong side of the fence. They know they can just walk around it, but would rather have their little showdown from the relative safety of their own side of the fence!

Initially it was just the two hens scrapping, and I thought I had my camera going. Then they went still, and I saw I hadn’t actually recorded anything! That’s ok, after a solid stare down they decided to go for round 2...

Wow - that is a lot of drama! How is Roostie's foot/leg doing?

 

[featherhead007]

It’s sure been a violent day here at Fluffy Butt Acres. “Can’t we all just get along?”

 

[Cynthia12]

 

[BY Bob]

Yes - and if I am not there they will become treats for the foxes who hang out in the meadow. For now I am just being super careful, but I think I might need to more actively train the Princesses to come when called or something like that. I am reasonably confident Maggie will always come for an ear of fresh corn. Not sure about the others.

You should try to teach them to answer to their names. It does make things much easier.

 

[Kris5902]

No llama! Dangerous, foul tempered things... just as bad as an Emu! Here comes some more chicken Tax photo shoots, but back in the day here, there was a llama.

(for any readers without prior context for this story, 600 acres of Sheep and Cattle farm, partially wooded, on a small and sparsely populated island in the Pacific North West of North America. No large land predators, just mink, Raccons, and Otters.)

It was before we (DH and I) came to the farm, back in the early 90’s. During the “time of the Wolf”. It was quite fashionable then to have wolf hybrids as pets, and someone brought one to the island. It was at least half, if not 3/4, Wolf. Although Dogs are predictable, and Wolves are predictable, the hybrid offspring are not. They require huge commitments of time and energy, extremely secure fencing, and a very attentive keeper (I once lived next door to a breeder, and was looking into getting one, and Andrews Great Uncle had one, that’s another story though). Anyhow, long story short, this person did not have the experience or skills necessary to the task. The wolf dog went feral. The “owner” left the island. It was taking down the feral goats and deer at an alarming rate, and with the undefended and often free roaming Sheep flock, the family was concerned that the wooly buggers would soon be next, once the beast made it down the ridge/mountain to the farm.

Something had to be done to defend the sheep. With no predators (and what I’ve realized is a near complete inability to train and control Their own dogs) there was “no need” for the farm to have a livestock guardian dog. They aren’t fans of LGDs here, too hard to control... they are very dangerous dogs, you know! So they got a llama, a grown one that was used to sheep. It will defend the flock, be a well adjusted herbivore guardian animal, without all the added work and expense of a dog. All was well, a hunting party was arranged, and eventually (as in more than half a year later) the Wolf Dog was killed. The next spring though, there were almost no lambs! Many of the ewes just weren’t pregnant... the ones that bore lambs, did so as usual. Twins, the occasional triplets, but more than half the flock was barren.

It turns out that only the very quiet and sneaky Rams were daddies that year. The llama was defending the flock alright, from Marauding wolf dogs, and amorous rams alike! The llama was rehomed, and no real long term harm was done, but the absurdity of the sudden lack of fertility that year will be remembered here for a long time! Beware the llama!

I stand corrected, the story as was told to me by BIL was not quite accurate... wolf dog never made it to our side of the island and it was apparently early 2000’s. Wolf Dog took down the llama, so not such a great guard animal, and 144 days later the lambs started coming (

 

[BY Bob]

Finally, some chickens... Roostie is feeling better enough to do a little fence fighting with Sammy. And one of his hens was on the wrong side of the fence. They know they can just walk around it, but would rather have their little showdown from the relative safety of their own side of the fence!

Initially it was just the two hens scrapping, and I thought I had my camera going. Then they went still, and I saw I hadn’t actually recorded anything! That’s ok, after a solid stare down they decided to go for round 2...

Rooster posing and a real hen fight!

I loved it when hen #1 ran under hen #2 as #2 jumped in the air trying to land on #1. Great move #1!

 

[BY Bob]

In seeing this, Bok’s tail is ratty. She’s only ever done a soft moult but like her head being bald, new feathers haven’t grown back. I’m only mentioning it here because it’s been 12+ months and none of it is regrowing. Maybe she’s just a bit defective in the feather department.
You can see in the photos how the shafts are still there and there is still feather at the base underneath but none on the ends.
I have no idea why, she doesn’t care but I miss her beautiful full tail.

How old is she? You are saying she has never gone full molt, correct?

 

[BY Bob]

It’s sure been a violent day here at Fluffy Butt Acres. “Can’t we all just get along?”

I wish......