Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

If they're children of my white Sapphires (color and build make that likely) and inherit their penchant for screaming until desired box is empty, then Bang and Clang would be appropriate!

Thank you for this....I laughed so hard I had to cross my legs!! You just made my night!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Thanks for all your advice and opinions, obviously there are different ways of coping!
Chipie, the mother hen, is a bantam rejected by all the other hens, so there's no way the flock will protect the chicks. I will try to show the chicks to the cats while they are in the dog crate where we've set them and explain that they are not food, in a week or so.
I'm not too worried about the female Hibou as she has always tried to become friend with the hens. Grochatila, the male, is terrified of the standards, but I've seen him a few times look at Chipie wondering if she was food or not.
We call him "tiger of the Sauches" (our place's name).
View attachment 3139337

How old are these cats? They appear to be young adults. That should factor in. The younger they are, the more risk imo.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Does Grochatila 'listen' at all to commands? Not that many cats can be 'commanded', but my cat knows a few words. She certainly knows the word 'NO', as she is like a toddler when she wants out at night (too many things that go 'bump in the night' for her to be out...things that are much bigger than her & would win) She will either hiss at me or take a swat at my leg, then turn around and saunter away. Basically like a toddler having a tantrum! But, she clearly knows the word 'NO and, while she may not always be happy with it, she generally respects it. My point being that a clear 'NO' to her around the baby chicks and she gets the message. Someone once dropped off some baby chicks they couldn't care for a few years back and one hopped out of her arms (about 2 weeks old, so half flew half hopped); completely new to me,/us, Cleo saw it fall/half fly to the ground and ran up to it...smelled it, looked at me, and turned and walked away! I think chickens have a distinct smell, and she new it was off limits. Her turn of the head away from it, as she walked away I think, was a stress response (like a dog can't look at something it wants but knows is off limits). Could I be 100% certain that she wouldn't have pounced if I hadn't been there? No, in all honesty, I couldn't. However, given the huge amount of other prey for her....and if she had been properly introduced prior, I don't think if would have been an issue. That said, I do NOT intentionally tempt her with 'free ranging chicks' with no adult hens to act as 'guard'. I don't have any bantams, though. Also, she has been 'duly chastized' by the adults. Something like that may have to happen to him for him to 'truly 'earn their respect.


How is Grochatila around your small Rooster? I'm assuming, since your hen hatched eggs, that your Rooster has accepted her? Maybe introduce your hen and chicks to the rooster in a safe-ish (read, enclosed space with you present to observe). Most Roos will accept their offspring, imprint on them, and protect them. If he seems to accept the chicks, and your cat is afraid of him, it might work to place mom, chicks, and Roo for a few hours a day in small pen (safe one) with Grochatila able to see them (after a formal introduction with a severe 'NO' if he seems 'too interested'. That said, I still would be very careful until they are fully grown, or until the Roo takes offense at him being too close and gives him a bit of a flogging. Again, it REALLY depends on your cat!

Tax in next post..this one is too long already.

(P.S. I love Grochatila's name!!!)

This is similar to my experience too. I carefully watched our cat for months whenever he and the chickens were out at the same time, so I saw them run him off (they double-teamed him a couple of times) and how unhappy he was at that (he wants to be out with the humans wherever we are, and be part of the happening) but also saw everyone get more used to each other. Over several months it was clear he could be trusted around them.

 

[Ponypoor]

Makes me wonder why my bowl of mashed potatoes is gone too!

Love mashed potatoes and so do the chickpea

 

[Ponypoor]

This is similar to my experience too. I carefully watched our cat for months whenever he and the chickens were out at the same time, so I saw them run him off (they double-teamed him a couple of times) and how unhappy he was at that (he wants to be out with the humans wherever we are, and be part of the happening) but also saw everyone get more used to each other. Over several months it was clear he could be trusted around them.

Luckily my kitty was attacked by Roxanne and that was the end of Ms Georgettte Bootsie coming near the barn

Now she is too afraid to come to the barn.

 

[Ponypoor]

What a cutie!

Bob my magnolia only got four blossoms this year.

But my rhododendron got blossoms and I didn’t wrap it this winter so I figured I would have it killed by wind and cold the leaves are discoloured so we shall see what happens later in summer .

 

[Ponypoor]

Hey, @Ponypoor you are back down to 11 again. (Hugs again for your loss...on the same day as news of nephew...more hugs. So hard! )

However, doesn't that open the opportunity for a baker's dozen? (i.e. 2 chickies ? You could pop them under miss broodie!!

Oh my gals are all at an even dozen

It was my nieces hen and I tried to get her to say she would get more so I could grow a couple eggs under Curly but she said no. Now she has 5.

I am thinking next winter they will be at my place, this past winter a few of her gals got frost bite. My barn is warmer than her location so if they come here chicken math with make it 17!!!

And of course bringing them here for the winter is code for can you take my hens forever..,

Tax for whining about magnolia rhododendron and chicken math This iPhone takes pretty good photos and this is one of those Live Photos I think it does movement for a couple seconds??? Though not sure how. …

 

[RoyalChick]

This got me thinking.... @RoyalChick how far have you gotten into the book about chickens around the world (sorry, don't remember the exact title...) does it mention anything about this?

I finished the book. It was really good.
The book is by Andrew Lawler and covered many of the academic theories about when, why, how chickens became domestic animals.
Many of the themes are similar including how chickens were not really food for much of our history and in most places (the Romans were exceptions). I don’t recall such a big emphasis on rice specifically, but I may have forgotten because there were so many fascinating discoveries to engage with.
I definitely recommend it as a good read. It is based on academic work but is mostly an easy read (I got lost in one chapter).
It is called: Why Did The Chicken Cross The World - the epic saga of the bird that powers civilization.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?: The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization https://a.co/d/9qL96Bi

 

[Marie2020]

Yes indeed. Cellulase is an enzyme that breaks down cellulose - so my logic was that if she has a fibrous grass plug that I can't feel - say in her gizzard - that the cellulase would help dissolve it.
I have also given her Sodium Bicarbonate in her food and ACV in her water in the hope that the bubbles created will dislodge something. That would be what the Coca Cola would do but without me needing to syringe something else into her!
And like you I am very upset at the idea that the blockage may be dead worms. How awful! I wondered whether to give her something like Papaya extract - it acts as a meat tenderizer so would break down the worms - but I was worried with complete blockage it might inflame the lining of her crop so I have held off that.
She does seem to be improving a little bit. More crud is emerging from the other end and her crop was smaller this morning than it was yesterday.

Agatha had food that wouldn't go down that has cleared since I have used activated charcoal which I administratored in water through a syringe, just incase of poisoning from this mud she kept pecking or maybe metals of some kind.

Today I received my hepar sulf and have now ordered bryonia. I wish I had ordered this bryonia at the same time.

Fingers crossed these may help

 

[Marie2020]

I finished the book. It was really good.
The book is by Andrew Lawler and covered many of the academic theories about when, why, how chickens became domestic animals.
Many of the themes are similar including how chickens were not really food for much of our history and in most places (the Romans were exceptions). I don’t recall such a big emphasis on rice specifically, but I may have forgotten because there were so many fascinating discoveries to engage with.
I definitely recommend it as a good read. It is based on academic work but is mostly an easy read (I got lost in one chapter).
It is called: Why Did The Chicken Cross The World - the epic saga of the bird that powers civilization.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?: The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization https://a.co/d/9qL96Bi

I haven't read this book but I'm sure I have heard about it before. My old brain tweeked up when I read your post