Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Ah! I forgot!

Tax
Baby Alice and Edwina
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Oh my gosh!! Cuteness overload! Thanks for going into the history vault. These are wonderful.

 

[RoyalChick]

I've seen that behaviour too!

Oh I remember that. HILARIOUS!

 

[BY Bob]

Ready

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Steady

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Look at all that green grass she gets to enjoy now.

 

[RoyalChick]

I love when they are energetic in whatever they are doing. I'm actually hoping that we see the sun here for the first time in 2 weeks today. I want to see how everyone behaves with the warm sun out.

We got the sun yesterday afternoon and my lot all dropped like flies to sunbathe.
Then suddenly Diana remembered digging detail and they were all back at it.
Their yard is now almost completely straw except where I put some fences to protect little shrubs I planted for them for next season and some big tough native shrubs that reseeded themselves and have resisted all attempts to dig them up.

 

[BY Bob]

They can tell when someone is helping (provided they're not lost in blind panic). Check out those vids of people untangling wild animals from fences.
We had a hummingbird go up into the skylight window of the patio roof. she couldmy find her way out but could find a rough patch to perch on. We could get her to perch on a bristle in the corn broom, but she'd fly right back up when we'd get the broom down to 3 inches above the opening. Finally got smart. The window crank has a long handle with a hook on it. Hung the feeder on that, lifted it up. Poor little thing (caliope female: smallest hummingbird in US) fell upon it like a starving wolf. Rode the feeder down, and was still feeding when we had it back by the hook it usually hangs from (10-15 feet away). The hammers have all stayed away from those windows since. doesn't stop them from whizzing through the patio in their quest to defend the feeder from all others though.

Great job.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm wanting to read through some of the other threads.....not sure I'll be able to keep up with this one. After all the catch up, I don't want to fall behind again either....

It's a commitment. Sorry.

 

[rural mouse]

I have never heard of ravens killing chickens. That is news to me. Mine love the crows when they start coming by in fall and winter.

Adult birds, no. Chicks/pullets: depends upon how big. When my pullets were tiny and locked in the coop, Rusty paced circles around the coop and alerted to the magpies (and anything bigger). As the littles got bigger, he stopped alerting to the magpies (until Storm hatched). The little kestrel that dropped in one day was so tiny compared to Rusty, but he alerted for it anyway. It came back yesterday morning (same size as Storm). Cheetah alerted and I watched the whole flock stalk it. They stayed under the olive trees, and eeled their way up the hillside to places where they could eyeball it themselves. When it decided to fly off, they squawked more, and stayed alert for awhile longer. Size wise that little bird wasnt a threat, but talon /beak wise, it could still do some damage. If a broody was caring for some freshly hatched chicks, that kestrel would most certainly have been a threat.

 

[rural mouse]

It's a commitment. Sorry.

Don't be sorry. I'm enjoying all the stories, knowledge, and fellowship.

 

[BY Bob]

Adult birds, no. Chicks/pullets: depends upon how big. When my pullets were tiny and locked in the coop, Rusty paced circles around the coop and alerted to the magpies (and anything bigger). As the littles got bigger, he stopped alerting to the magpies (until Storm hatched). The little kestrel that dropped in one day was so tiny compared to Rusty, but he alerted for it anyway. It came back yesterday morning (same size as Storm). Cheetah alerted and I watched the whole flock stalk it. They stayed under the olive trees, and eeled their way up the hillside to places where they could eyeball it themselves. When it decided to fly off, they squawked more, and stayed alert for awhile longer. Size wise that little bird wasnt a threat, but talon /beak wise, it could still do some damage. If a broody was caring for some freshly hatched chicks, that kestrel would most certainly have been a threat.

Fascinating. Who knew? We do not frequently have ravens here.

 

[micstrachan]

Nice to see a memory of Ruby.

Does oxalis grow in the shade?

Yep. And in full or partial sun. Just not when it gets super hot and dry.
Here it is in bloom in March. This is behind the chicken run, under the walnut tree, toward what used to be Poison Oak Forest.