Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Phyllis Explores Everywhere

Once she was allowed out Phyllis took off and started exploring everywhere. While the others mainly stayed around the coop, Phyllis went everywhere she could.
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She blazed a trail right through her old friends.

Sydney did feel the need to reassert her dominance. This looks worse than Phyllis seemed to take it.

I like the look of that solid little coop

 

[Marie2020]

So glad you've found somewhere suitable and chicken friendly.

The chickens being accommodated was paramount imo. That's was really important. I'm so happy for her

 

[Marie2020]

Hawk Attack
As most of you know, I have a lot of chickens. I am out with them when free ranging, but it is impossible to be 'near' them all as each group tends to go to a different spot.

So, I was hanging around with the group that is in the most unprotected area...when I hear a "Whummmp" (Sounded like a cow-patty hitting a wooden wall.) Then, a fruckus breaks out from the group near the house, with hens running & squawking bloody murder!. I go running over to that space (thinking the neighbor's dog was out & chasing them.) Nooooo, as I arrive (out of breath) a 'chicken'; flushes from the dense yew shrub against the house - I look down under the shrub, and there is a hen 'dust-bathing'. I look back in the direction the flushed 'hen' went and see our resident hawk sitting on a limb not 30 feet from me. I ran at ?her? yelling & waving my arms and she took off.

Back to the hen under the shrub..I could see blood dripping from her mouth, but she was clearly frightened and wouldn't let me near her. Finally got hubby to help and caught her. After cleaning her up, it appears this is her damage:
Scraped/abrasion on skin @ base of left side of beak and just below eye - minor. Blood from inside the mouth leaking out both sides of beak and dripping from cheek puffs appeared to be from a talon piercing the right 'cheek' through into the mouth, and she has an abrasion/cut around her right nare. After cleaning her up best I could and applying triple antibiotic ointment to exterior, she seemed okay but still quite frightened (she was anything but cooperative!). She will be fine if she doesn't get an infection. I am concerned about the inside of her mouth getting infected...but outside has been flushed well & again, anti-biotic cream....

Didn't have camera with me then, but older, poor pick of hawks (I am pretty sure they are Cooper's)
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My Americauna hen, after clean-up: (it was still bleeding slightly)
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Poor love. My next move would be giving her some low fat natural yogurt.

I'll be using old DVDs hung high many believe the lights flashing on them scare them a little

Thank goodness she got away and you could deal with her injuries

 

[Marie2020]

You see a puncture wound into the right "cheek"? I can't see it. Is it possible the bleeding is from the nare damage, bleeding into her mouth, or possibly from a talon getting into her open mouth and cutting tissues there (or her tongue) from inside? I've never heard of anything that can be done for internal mouth injuries. I'm hoping she recovers well.

Maybe someone here can come up with dealing with mouth injuries . Apart from yogurt I can't think of anything else except maybe silver after last meal

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

A Polish Present!

One of the Polish laid an egg today! They gathered all of the eggs together into one nest. Check it out!

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I took this just in case it is Betty's first egg here!

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Congratulations Bob. (just in case it was Betty. )

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

So about my too many cockerels here are the main culprits, they were all supposed to be named “Sausage” when I took them in from a friend who though they had hatched 8 “hens” so there were originally 7, but one was getting picked on quite heavily right from the get go, and I separated him for three days then moved him into my main flockView attachment 2985892
He turned out pretty decently and has integrated very wellView attachment 2985895
He was even a good guy and sheltered many of the newly weaned chicks when mama turned her back on them he would let them snuggle under his wings at night… he’s a keeper, but I haven’t found the right name for him. The other six are awaiting their previous owner to pick one (when the roads are ok for him to get here) as he also lost most of his flock including his two roosters, these guys’ dad to mink attacks. Plural. He didn’t listen to my suggestion of consolidating flocks and securing one coop fully… and has trapped 8 mink so far this year… 8!

He's beautiful. He seems a noble looking bird, how about Charlemagne (Charlie for short) or Roland?

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I should probably add in about the Giant Land Chickens… I have mostly sworn off of them for the time being. Unless I can have a reasonable amount of control/input into their management I cannot work with them, it breaks my heart. Two have come up lame, several are being shipped to auction. They tried to ship Gus to auction as well being such a scary aggressive bull… but his former owner was the drover and took him home instead. “Can’t figure out why they didn’t want him, he’s beautiful, great conformation, such a good temperament…???” You can clearly see the aggressive nature in this picture… no zoom, no fence, he was getting cheek scritches from DH! LolView attachment 2985904
Circa late October or early November, 2021

Thanks for the update on the Giant Land Chickens Kris. I was wondering how they were going.

I remember Gus trying to get in the caravan coop and causing you grief. I'm so glad he didn't go to auction but went home with someone who appreciates him.

Such a pity about you and the in-laws not being on the same page with animal husbandry. Actually, it's a pity about the in-laws all around.....

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Seeing as I have real internet for a few more… today’s efforts View attachment 2985981View attachment 2985982

And house build tax…
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I have no idea what I'm looking at on your house build but it all looks neat and tidy and well done.

Good to see it's coming along. Go You!

 

[RoyalChick]

This is a popular color today. Yours looks nice too. And I agreed, Bob has talent. It was a bit spendy having the company our mine in. But with my hubby gone now, I have to hire. I forgot about the .. tax thing here...lol..fun. View attachment 2985988

She is cute!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I just want to say thank you again to everyone, for all the support, understanding, and kindness… I’m kicking myself (just a little) for not coming back on sooner. I felt bad about how things were going, embarrassed and upset about the house situation. After my Dad even loaned me the cash for the guys that didn’t even show up, I literally avoided calling him for over four months. My Chicken friends here all sort of fell into that same avoidance cycle. If I don’t log on I don’t need to let anyone know how bad things are. It literally took a slightly disreputable tow truck driver calling me out on my trucks condition to kick me in the backside and get me doing things again.

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I know what you mean. I don't like to post bad news, especially if I feel I have contributed to it. But it can help to vent.

None of us are perfect and we all have bad times. We can at least sympathize and validate you if you ever need us..
It's good to have you back in any case.