Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

Return Visit

The hawk was back just 10 minutes ago. It has come in the same way now every time, from the NE parallel to the back fence.

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The littles are still locked in their coop and run but the big ladies were out. I saw the hawk from pretty far out and decided to warn the tribe but how? I don't have the call down like @micstrachan does. So cleverly, I just yelled HAWK! HAWK! It worked! Everyone dove for cover.

The hawk turned tail and flew off. This is not sustainable. What am I going to do?

Oh no! That hawk needs to go elsewhere. All of my ideas are hopeless, like putting netting up over the whole backyard or putting food out for the hawk.

Is there a noise hawks can hear that human and chickens can't hear?? Seems extremely unlikely.

A large pet dog??

All my suggestions are hopeless.

Sorry Bob.

 

[Shadrach]

I had three neatly raked piles, then the chooks took interest. After two hours, I’m back to this mess! View attachment 2875088

What mess?

 

[BY Bob]

Amazing

Guess who chose (on her own) to roost in the Hut tonight.

 

[MaryJanet]

Oh dear God!
I know that all the things people use like dummy owls and reflective tape don't work over time because the individual hawks get used to them - but on the theory that this is a juvenile they might work to teach it to go elsewhere as a habit.
How about you festoon the yard with reflective tape and CDs and that sort of stuff and just make generally less hospitable.
One thing I did (which you may have noticed in my photos of the Chickens in the long grass) is put a lot of stakes in the ground - I am using the step in fence stakes that @CrazyChookChookLady and I both love for temporary fencing (I hate that we haven't heard form CCCL recently but I assume you are in contact and would tell us if anything was amiss).
Anyway, I read a lot and watched a lot of video about how hawks dive bomb their prey, and although they can be very adaptable they do prefer open ground. So I made my ground less open by creating a forest with all these stakes (about 4' high) so it requires some precision for a hawk to land and take off. The chickens navigate them just fine at ground level and they are just far enough apart for me to squeeze through (they are also easy to pull up and put back). I make some of them even more visible with reflective tape flying from the top.
For you it could only be a temporary thing because it makes it harder to move around your yard - but I am guessing it might just teach the Hawk to look elsewhere if you had them up for a month or so.
Stakes are not expensive - I bought a big batch on line but you can get them individually at TSC.

That's gotta be worth a try.

 

[MaryJanet]

I've read ahead and like RC's suggestion.

This probably isn't the place to say, but I do crack up at your red tail hawk renditions on the photos.

They're like helicopter hawks, coming straight down to land

 

[MaryJanet]

Amazing

Guess who chose (on her own) to roost in the Hut tonight.

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Phyllis!! Top work Lady!

 

[RoyalChick]

Amazing

Guess who chose (on her own) to roost in the Hut tonight.

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Oooooh .. .. .. .. I am so excited about that!

 

[BY Bob]

She is an exceptional little hen remember how shocked we all were when she laid her first egg? That was quite a moment.

It really was.

 

[Shadrach]

Henry 11 going to collect the trouble Golden Comet.

Frankly I would have thought facing outward would be a safer option.

Lagbar Digging Co Ltd

Matilda. She lets the others dig and then shows up for the spoils.

One of my regular trip hazzards.

Henry 11 helping out.

Not helping out enough it seems.

 

[bgmathteach]

Happy Friday

A molting bum

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A bum that has nearly finished its molt.

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Awww. Poor Syndey. Yay! for Hattie...almost there, girl!