Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

So I was out with them all morning, no signs of anything and the chickens are acting normal. Everyone is in the horses stalls now napping so it's a good time to come in. Have to get Rosie started with her school work. Until she's off quarantine she is virtual. She may get to go back Friday but it depends on what her covid test comes back as. I suspect as does the doctor that she is positive. 4 days ago she started complaining of a headache and earache. She also woke up that morning with her nose on fire, exactly how my symptoms started. The rapid test came back negative but they then did a different test which is supposed to be 99.9% accurate and takes up to 48 hours to come back with results. According to them the rapid test is only 90% accurate. Either way there was fluid on her ears so they started her on antibiotics and musinex for a ear and sinus infection. She is pretty much on everything besides the steroids that they treated me with, so if it is covid she has a jump start on medication.

Hope all is well with Rosie (and you)!
I think you will not see the predator unless you stay out of sight (but nearby to act).

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Not likely wild predator: no marks on pullets (except the last one), just somewhat squished (like large mouth/broken bones but no blood). The fox took the bodies. This left all but the last 1 and didn't shred/eat any. The 6 pullets were 13 weeks old, so small enough that a red-tailed hawk could take one. A hawk won't take that many though. Weasels will kill just to kill, but there's blood everywhere, and the only bloody body I found was on the last body I found. I suspect a dog, not a starving stray as didn't try to eat any of the early kills, just part of the last (and took the final body with).

Correct. Crushed bodies, some feathers loose around for the 1st 4 pullets and Mama. Rusty had lots of feathers missing, tail, leg stripped but no attempt to watch the naked leg. The pullet farthest out was a bigger mess. I'm thinking dog started tasting blood with Rusty, but he was too big to deal with, then spotted the pullet. The final one probablyw as taken with. Maybe owners will find at home and realize what happened. Word will spread, so...?

Likely just a dog having fun.

Definitely sounds like a domesticated dog. Arrgh!

 

[RoyalChick]

2.5 acres of chain link is. $

Got it. I have never used chain link so I didn't know.

 

[featherhead007]

Got it. I have never used chain link so I didn't know.

RC, ignorance is bliss! I try to forget the cost of it, just to reap the rewards that it provides. I love, cherish my chickens !

 

[featherhead007]

RC, ignorance is bliss! I try to forget the cost of it, just to reap the rewards that it provides. I love, cherish my chickens !

I’m sure, that my colleagues are spending their retirement on their own aspirations. But dammit! I have my chickens, my land, house and my airplane! And I have Jaffar, best rooster in the world! I don’t need any more!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Hope all is well with Rosie (and you)!
I think you will not see the predator unless you stay out of sight (but nearby to act).

I plan on being out there in the morning again. This time I'm going to sit just inside the building. I know I need to be out of sight, but I fear if I get too far away I wont be able to act quick enough and the thought of loosing another one kills me. This has also spurred me to contact the guy I got my original marans from. He's been producing a lot of blues this year. Once everyone is out of quarantine me and my brother are going to get a dozen eggs in hopes of hatching some blue chicks. I'm going to need to bring in some genetic diversity anyway. I have the 2 boys now who are Drumstick x Holly sons. Holly and Daisy my original 2 girls and Bunny a Holly daughter. The new chicks that Bunny is raising thankfully 4 of them are clover chicks and I'm hoping for a daughter to keep. Clover was my Daisy daughter. It is also really depressing to have lost Clover as of all my girls she laid my favorite egg. Hers were not only dark, but heavily spotted.

 

[featherhead007]

I plan on being out there in the morning again. This time I'm going to sit just inside the building. I know I need to be out of sight, but I fear if I get too far away I wont be able to act quick enough and the thought of loosing another one kills me. This has also spurred me to contact the guy I got my original marans from. He's been producing a lot of blues this year. Once everyone is out of quarantine me and my brother are going to get a dozen eggs in hopes of hatching some blue chicks. I'm going to need to bring in some genetic diversity anyway. I have the 2 boys now who are Drumstick x Holly sons. Holly and Daisy my original 2 girls and Bunny a Holly daughter. The new chicks that Bunny is raising thankfully 4 of them are clover chicks and I'm hoping for a daughter to keep. Clover was my Daisy daughter. It is also really depressing to have lost Clover as of all my girls she laid my favorite egg. Hers were not only dark, but heavily spotted.

I’ll send some salt water taffy as you wait. I just heard that the goose next property over, was in trouble. Stray dog was trying to get in. I had a stick.., dog is gone, I went out to check on the barn/coop (can I have a jacuzzi and sleep now? Gezzz

 

[BY Bob]

Let’s see the size of the egg!

Excellent! Well played!

 

[BY Bob]

I plan on being out there in the morning again. This time I'm going to sit just inside the building. I know I need to be out of sight, but I fear if I get too far away I wont be able to act quick enough and the thought of loosing another one kills me. This has also spurred me to contact the guy I got my original marans from. He's been producing a lot of blues this year. Once everyone is out of quarantine me and my brother are going to get a dozen eggs in hopes of hatching some blue chicks. I'm going to need to bring in some genetic diversity anyway. I have the 2 boys now who are Drumstick x Holly sons. Holly and Daisy my original 2 girls and Bunny a Holly daughter. The new chicks that Bunny is raising thankfully 4 of them are clover chicks and I'm hoping for a daughter to keep. Clover was my Daisy daughter. It is also really depressing to have lost Clover as of all my girls she laid my favorite egg. Hers were not only dark, but heavily spotted.

In my experience, no eagle or hawk will be afraid of you. They will consider you not a threat and hunt anyway. They laugh at me and have tried to attack chickens at my feet while I was sitting in a chair next to them. They have no fear of me at all.

 

[featherhead007]

Kick me out if you want, but I’m inside the chickens room with Arizona,Dakota,Xzit, and BoPeeps, and my rooster Jaffar, listening to soft Christian music in the still darkness. Only thing shines is my iPhone and the stereo console. Good night peeps