Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

She's going to be okay I think Bob.
I don't post many of the accident and emergencies I get here. It's a common occurrence unfortunately. Thankfully many are not fatal. However, they are all stressful which is why I'm still up at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I'm waiting to go and check she's still hanging in there and to squeeze a bit of Metacam down her throat.

That's good news, Shad.

 

[MaryJanet]

She's going to be okay I think Bob.
I don't post many of the accident and emergencies I get here. It's a common occurrence unfortunately. Thankfully many are not fatal. However, they are all stressful which is why I'm still up at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I'm waiting to go and check she's still hanging in there and to squeeze a bit of Metacam down her throat.

Will you give us an update when you're ready Shad?

 

[BY Bob]

@RoyalChick its been hard today. First I went to check and see if I could learn more about the attack. I could find nothing. I mean nothing. Not a feather, not a drag mark, nothing. I have no idea where she was roosted and what it actually was that killed her.

This is making me lean more heavily towards a weasel.

To that end, I hauled my sick butt out and closed every potential gap that a weasel could squeeze though. I just now came back in. I need to get a trap, until then the ladies will be coop bound. No unsupervised run access until I have this figured out. This will be hard on them but I just can't chance it. I know if it is a weasel, it will be back every night until it has killed them all.

I have disconnected the automated door. They are "cooped" until I decide to let them out. I had to move the camera because of some of my modifications. Here is the new view.

 

[MaryJanet]

That ****** weasel!! I'm stil angry about it

 

[BY Bob]

She's going to be okay I think Bob.
I don't post many of the accident and emergencies I get here. It's a common occurrence unfortunately. Thankfully many are not fatal. However, they are all stressful which is why I'm still up at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I'm waiting to go and check she's still hanging in there and to squeeze a bit of Metacam down her throat.

I am so glad she is going to make it.

I assumed without reading. Frankly I was afraid to read it right now.

 

[ValerieJ]

Along with @Ribh I am not a tattoo person but I appreciate why other people like them. These are a nice tribute to your girls and very well executed I would add. I think you are right that you could wind up with feathers all over your body if you get one for every girl. I don't have a better suggestion. I'm sorry.

It's a pretty tattoo!

How are you doing @BY Bob ? I thought of you throughout the day today because it was such an awful day and I couldn't imagine you could be out there working on your coop, but I know you would be wanting to. I can't even get to my coop because everything is so flooded - I will wade through it shortly to lock them up for the night.

Yikes! It's been pretty soggy here too, but at least I was able to get to the coops to give the chickens some swimming lessons.

She's going to be okay I think Bob.
I don't post many of the accident and emergencies I get here. It's a common occurrence unfortunately. Thankfully many are not fatal. However, they are all stressful which is why I'm still up at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I'm waiting to go and check she's still hanging in there and to squeeze a bit of Metacam down her throat.

I'm so happy to hear this. I can't wait to hear your next update.

@RoyalChick its been hard today. First I went to check and see if I could learn more about the attack. I could find nothing. I mean nothing. Not a feather, not a drag mark, nothing. I have no idea where she was roosted and what it actually was that killed her.

This is making me lean more heavily towards a weasel.

To that end, I hauled my sick butt out and closed every potential gap that a weasel could squeeze though. I just now came back in. I need to get a trap, until then the ladies will be coop bound. No unsupervised run access until I have this figured out. This will be hard on them but I just can't chance it. I know if it is a weasel, it will be back every night until it has killed them all.

I have disconnected the automated door. They are "cooped" until I decide to let them out. I had to move the camera because of some of my modifications. Here is the new view.

View attachment 2011128

I don't blame you keeping them in. They'll be okay, and more importantly they'll be alive. Hope you catch that thing quickly.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Hinge and Notch got attacked by a Goshawk this evening.
Some really terrible pictures in the link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-café.948525/page-6281#post-22143585

Tough ole bird Mr Shad i have high hopes for her. Altho i would have seperated Hinge out. It might be stressful at first but i find often with injury theyll act alright for their flock mates so theyre not picked on and then theyll rest when able and its not as much as she would for 3 days in the big coop.

 

[Shadrach]

Tough ole bird Mr Shad i have high hopes for her. Altho i would have seperated Hinge out. It might be stressful at first but i find often with injury theyll act alright for their flock mates so theyre not picked on and then theyll rest when able and its not as much as she would for 3 days in the big coop.

I don't know mixedUPturk. Years ago I did separate. My vet said given my keeping arrangements (tribe/family) and that they free range, that in her experience chickens recover more quickly when they are with their group.
I have the advantage of being able to monitor quite closely. If I see any sort of problem then she'll be in with me.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hinge and Notch got attacked by a Goshawk this evening.
Some really terrible pictures in the link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-café.948525/page-6281#post-22143585

Oh no! Feels like a lot of predator activity recently. I hope she recovers. Please let us know how she is in the morning.

 

[RoyalChick]

@RoyalChick its been hard today. First I went to check and see if I could learn more about the attack. I could find nothing. I mean nothing. Not a feather, not a drag mark, nothing. I have no idea where she was roosted and what it actually was that killed her.

This is making me lean more heavily towards a weasel.

To that end, I hauled my sick butt out and closed every potential gap that a weasel could squeeze though. I just now came back in. I need to get a trap, until then the ladies will be coop bound. No unsupervised run access until I have this figured out. This will be hard on them but I just can't chance it. I know if it is a weasel, it will be back every night until it has killed them all.

I have disconnected the automated door. They are "cooped" until I decide to let them out. I had to move the camera because of some of my modifications. Here is the new view.

View attachment 2011128

All so sad. I don’t know much about weasels. Are they night creatures? The fox was back today but fortunately everyone was safely inside the fortified run. I rushed to get the paint gun but the fox was way too fast for me. I am mulling electric fencing as an option.