Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I mostly get red tails, but have had coopers and sharp shins try to take my smaller chicks, 2-3month sized… I was sitting in the trailer and the door was open I saw a flash of grey and the sudden SERIOUS predator alarm. It made a try for my Bully girls chicks that all made it under my jeep. Following the grey flash was a white one. She attacked the hawk! Was pummeling it with her wings a flogging like a rooster a good 50+ feet into the tree line. The one that was taking out my rogue mamas babies (successfully) was a red tail. The only predators I hate more than the hawks/falcons are the mink and Barred Owls.

You do have them all. Don't forget the owls!

 

[BY Bob]

House/Renovation whining Tax: Sammy, not named yet boyo from Rogue Mama, Eleios, and Chunk… View attachment 2990211View attachment 2990213View attachment 2990214View attachment 2990215

You have some beautiful roosters. They are awesome!

 

[BY Bob]

Sometimes I get lucky… and get a decent pic. She’s not named yet either (I don’t name all my hens, just the “special” ones) but I can still tell them all apart for the most part! I have closer relationship s with the Roosters, and mostly let them take care of the ladies. You know how I feel about the really high production breeds (thankfully these beaks were only barely trimmed… but we’re supposed to be intact ). They were part of a point of lay order I brought in for three other people on island, and one didn’t pick up or pay, so I had 9 (7 after the mink attack) high production hybrids added this year.

She is lovely.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Spot on. There was enough weight on a late 60’s caravan door stoop to just push it over the edge… like so many other things, I just hadn’t gotten to fixing it, and the little soft spot and gap in the flooring right at the entrance allowed gnawing and it got bigger without my noticing it. The little monster widened the gap to about a 2” hole, and got in in the early morning. Absolute carnage.

Spoiler: Awful Mink story

I noticed it was too quiet when I approached to open the door, and upon opening started cursing like you wouldn’t believe. Initially no one would come out, I had to pull out most of the fallen, before I could even step inside. I herded the survivors out from the back roosts and tossed some Feed Out by my trailer and set to cleaning out the rest. As I was pulling a youngling out from behind the dog crate broody box there was a scurrying noise and I spotted it. It was still in there. I covered the door hole with a nest box, fetched my raccoon trap and a smaller mink trap and a garden claw/weed hook thingie with a long handle.

It took almost an hour to trap it. It was terrifying, hissing and jumping at me in attempts to escape. The roosts made cornering it very difficult. The little bugger was strong, like you wouldn’t believe strong. It almost forced its way out of the raccoon trap, and I had to hold the flap closed. It bit my finger through the The trap, despite the hand guard, because of the way I had to hold the trap to keep it in. I set it out and weighted the trap door closed with a rock, then covered it with a stove rack and then plywood to keep it dry, because it was pouring rain to boot. It actually got out past the flap door of the trap but was trapped by the rack. Then I had to wait for the .22, again. I will be buying a .22 and possibly a .303 once the house is done and I have a place for a gun safe. And I will be getting my PAL (possession and acquisition license) because guns are harder to own here. But those two days and waiting on it really drove in the “you need to have this tool, even if you don’t really like them” lesson.

I upgraded my phone and it didn’t like the 3000+ photos I hadn’t backed up on the data transfer, or I would repost that picture… lol such a cute bull! After the mink attack I heard a predator kerfuffle a couple nights later outside and set a trap to be prudent; two days later I caught this! I don’t have neighbours, the farm proper is about 2km away… and he was not happy! I believe that this might be why I haven’t had as many rodent issues with my feed in the barn, and it reassured me that the last year or so I kept swearing I heard a cat outside and everyone thought I was nuts, I wasn’t! View attachment 2989532
Sad story tax:View attachment 2989533

Thanks for the reply Kris.
A 2" hole! It's amazing what a small gap it could get through. Well done catching the mink in what must have been rather nightmarish conditions. You are one tough, determined lady.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Sorry Bob
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good job Plati!


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Blue! Congratulations Blazinga!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

BFTP:

OMG, @Aussie-Chookmum I am so going to build one of these for my run. TY, TY, TY for posting this!!

Glad to be of service.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

No need! Today DH said he’d build me a coop to save money. Yay! I’m so excited! I will be right alongside him so it turns out how I want. I know with absolute certainty the quality will be good, as he does very good work. I just don’t want him trying to control the size. I want an absolute minimum of 6x8. He has these wooden stages I’d like to use as a floor, so that might dictate the exact dimensions.

Woohoo! Perseverance wins through!
He must have been getting more and more alarmed as the coop prices kept increasing.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

House/Renovation whining Tax: Sammy, not named yet boyo from Rogue Mama, Eleios, and Chunk… View attachment 2990211View attachment 2990213View attachment 2990214View attachment 2990215

Lovely photos of the boys. They could all go in for POW Kris. You have a knack with the camera.

So exciting to hear that the house is half finished (and that you are still happily married in spite of it!)

 

[micstrachan]

Moments of Unity

All 6 grooming together today during free range.
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And ranging together

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There were definitely some peaceful moments today. There was also one moment today when Betty was bouncing among the big hens like a pinball as they pecked her to intimidate her. But mostly, it was peaceful.

Betty did consider checking out the big coop but Aurora was standing guard on the porch and Betty thought better of it.

Betty is integrating so nicely!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It's Friday here.

Alice's butt for FBF

And bonus Edwina butt