Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

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Well, I know exactly what it was. It was a hawk and it is after the littles. Just as I posted the other post, it attack again. This time it was foiled because I surprised it. I was on the deck and saw it coming in. I jumped up and started after it causing it to alter its flight and land on the fence. It did not wait for me to reach out before flying away.

It is a juvenile hawk smaller than my full grown hens. The red tailed hawks which we have here are larger than a normal hen. Here is where the hawk landed.
View attachment 2872269

There must have been an alarm because the littles had time to hide. I did not hear it but I was bent on intercepting the attack.

The littles are hidden in this photo. Can you find them?
View attachment 2872275

Spoiler: Here is where they are

View attachment 2872280

The littles are now locked into the big run. I just can't risk them free ranging. I will try opening it up right before dusk. Mostly so Phyllis could roost there if she wanted. I guess I will be outside a lot for the foreseeable future.

I really don't know how to get rid of it aside from shooting with the nerf gun.

The nerf guns that shoot the golf ball shaped yellow things have more range and are more accurate. On the other hand, an air soft gun shoots those little red pellets and stings a bit.

 

[BY Bob]

The nerf guns that shoot the golf ball shaped yellow things have more range and are more accurate. On the other hand, an air soft gun shoots those little red pellets and stings a bit.

I have been using the golf ball shooter for years now. It reaches everywhere at Fluffy Butt Acres.

 

[featherhead007]

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Well, I know exactly what it was. It was a hawk and it is after the littles. Just as I posted the other post, it attack again. This time it was foiled because I surprised it. I was on the deck and saw it coming in. I jumped up and started after it causing it to alter its flight and land on the fence. It did not wait for me to reach out before flying away.

It is a juvenile hawk smaller than my full grown hens. The red tailed hawks which we have here are larger than a normal hen. Here is where the hawk landed.
View attachment 2872269

There must have been an alarm because the littles had time to hide. I did not hear it but I was bent on intercepting the attack.

The littles are hidden in this photo. Can you find them?
View attachment 2872275

Spoiler: Here is where they are

View attachment 2872280

The littles are now locked into the big run. I just can't risk them free ranging. I will try opening it up right before dusk. Mostly so Phyllis could roost there if she wanted. I guess I will be outside a lot for the foreseeable future.

I really don't know how to get rid of it aside from shooting with the nerf gun.

What are you going to do about that hawk predator? I can’t help (I haven’t experienced anything like that)

 

[BY Bob]

What are you going to do about that hawk predator? I can’t help (I haven’t experienced anything like that)

I need to discourage it. In the past shooting it has worked. I just need it to fly in and sit still for a moment so I can hit it. A juvenile just that size almost killed Hattie when she was a chick. She managed to dodge the attack.

 

[featherhead007]

Skip the Gatorade. Go straight to Bug Juice.

I’ve never given any of my birds Gatorade. DrPepper yes, but not Gatorade

 

[featherhead007]

I need to discourage it. In the past shooting it has worked. I just need it to fly in and sit still for a moment so I can hit it. A juvenile just that size almost killed Hattie when she was a chick. She managed to dodge the attack.

I would hate to see any of your chooks hurt (you know that)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Hattie hard molts every year. So did Patsy. There was no difference regardless of weather.

Spoiler: Patsy Hard Molting

View attachment 2871839

That's Butters now! You can't always see it but there's big bare patches almost everywhere. The good news is she's much less picky about eating than Hazel was.

 

[bgmathteach]

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Well, I know exactly what it was. It was a hawk and it is after the littles. Just as I posted the other post, it attack again. This time it was foiled because I surprised it. I was on the deck and saw it coming in. I jumped up and started after it causing it to alter its flight and land on the fence. It did not wait for me to reach out before flying away.

It is a juvenile hawk smaller than my full grown hens. The red tailed hawks which we have here are larger than a normal hen. Here is where the hawk landed.
View attachment 2872269

There must have been an alarm because the littles had time to hide. I did not hear it but I was bent on intercepting the attack.

The littles are hidden in this photo. Can you find them?
View attachment 2872275

Spoiler: Here is where they are

View attachment 2872280

The littles are now locked into the big run. I just can't risk them free ranging. I will try opening it up right before dusk. Mostly so Phyllis could roost there if she wanted. I guess I will be outside a lot for the foreseeable future.

I really don't know how to get rid of it aside from shooting with the nerf gun.

Wow, the littles are well camouflaged! I had trouble finding them (didn't cheat...but did have to check to be sure I was correct!)

That is very unnerving...maybe a few hits with the Nerf Gun will make him look for more hospitable hunting grounds.

 

[RoyalChick]

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Well, I know exactly what it was. It was a hawk and it is after the littles. Just as I posted the other post, it attack again. This time it was foiled because I surprised it. I was on the deck and saw it coming in. I jumped up and started after it causing it to alter its flight and land on the fence. It did not wait for me to reach out before flying away.

It is a juvenile hawk smaller than my full grown hens. The red tailed hawks which we have here are larger than a normal hen. Here is where the hawk landed.
View attachment 2872269

There must have been an alarm because the littles had time to hide. I did not hear it but I was bent on intercepting the attack.

The littles are hidden in this photo. Can you find them?
View attachment 2872275

Spoiler: Here is where they are

View attachment 2872280

The littles are now locked into the big run. I just can't risk them free ranging. I will try opening it up right before dusk. Mostly so Phyllis could roost there if she wanted. I guess I will be outside a lot for the foreseeable future.

I really don't know how to get rid of it aside from shooting with the nerf gun.

Oh Lord! And no, I only see one little hiding in the picture (and to see her I had to zoom in massively!).

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Abject Fear

I got my coffee this morning and headed out to supervise and visit with everyone this morning. It is a spectacular day. Not a cloud to be found, brilliant blue sky, warm sun, it just couldn't be nicer in the fall. I expected to find the littles cheeping away scratching around and the big ladies scratching away under the magnolia tree.

What greeted me was dead silence and nothing moving.

No song birds,no chickens, nothing. My heart sank.

I found the 6 big girls huddled under the apple trees, not moving. Stark still.

My heart sank. The littles!

I ran to The Hut, hoping they had stayed inside like they normally do in the morning.

They were not there. Still not a sound at all in the yard. Where will the littles.

A frantic search started. I could not find them anywhere. I searched for the tell tale white of the poofy heads as they blended in so well with the leaves, etc.

Nothing.

Then I saw floofy head. Thank God! But it was only 1. I had found Legertha but no Sylvie to be seen.

Legertha was hunched down in this corner alone, quiet, and unmoving.

View attachment 2872229

I figured that if Sylvie was still around, she would be nearby. I searched frantically but could find no sign of her.

As there was no predator around that I could see, I peeped at Legertha. Hoping that I could get a reaction that might spark a reaction from Sylvie. In my heart I was already certain that she was gone. Or else she would have been with Legertha. After a couple of peeps from me, Legertha peeped back and got up. I must of said the right thing?

Legertha got up and started peeping frantically and went under the grapevines like she was looking for Sylvie.

I followed. Here is what I found.

Spoiler: Sylvie

Sylvie was hidden in the corner of the big run under my chair.

View attachment 2872223
She was not responding to Legertha. So I zipped into the run and gathered her up. She was fine. I brought her out to Legertha and now they are sitting in the run extension making this purring sound. Can you hear it?

It is pretty clear that the hawk returned this morning. The song birds just alarmed argain and everyone dove for cover although this time I don't see the hawk. I'm going to have to stay out with them all day at this point or lock them up for a while.

Scary!!!!
That sort of sounds like @micstrachan 's warning trill.
Sharp-shinned hawks are migrating now according to the local Audubon hawk watch counters.