Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

She is cute!
Thanks for asking about Bella - she is not well. Her crop was empty in the evening (not good) but when I gave her mash she wolfed it down (good!). She fell off the roost again last night and did not get up bright and early (not good) but she is running around now (good). For what I could see of her during the night she was doing her head stretched and open mouth breathing (not good).
She is a mystery.
I doubt I will get a vet appointment for today but am calling them now to get an appointment hopefully for later in the week.

I was not expecting this report. How long do you think an appointment will take?

 

[BY Bob]

2fer Tuesday
These fine ladies are watching chicken TV. On the other side of the hardware cloth is Dotty chasing the Hooligans.
These matrons stay out of the fight but they enjoy watching!
Diana is also keeping an eye on the main door in case the battle spills outside and disturbs her rest.

View attachment 3174871

That is awesome! I love the way this is working out for your tribe. Too funny.

 

[BY Bob]

Must I go home I'd rather stay here please


@BY Bob
9944
We are getting there
View attachment 3174885

She is beautiful for certain!

 

[BY Bob]

I walked the yard, and found two spots on the dry grass that were burned up. Not much damage, but could have been much worse. (No out of control fires from aerial fireworks) thank goodness for little favors!

Very good news for sure.

 

[bgmathteach]

Well, today has been an interesting day, and it's only noon!

I had thought I had a mouse problem (which I did...there were little droppings in the dilapitated barn). I think I have that under control. However, I soon realized I had a RAT problem as well. They have been living UNDER the cement floor of the barn. However, I got suspicious a week or so ago when I found 'too large to be mice' droppings on top of my breeding/time-out hut. (I have sand on top & 2 8' roosts.....but that CLEARLY wasn't chicken poop, either!)

Caught a rat last night, took it from the snap trap this morning. [Note, @RoyalChick I've been using the Rat Zapper for a month now, assuming I would get the mice....but haven't gotten a single thing with it, despite refreshing the bait, swapping bait out, etc.]

Also, for the past week (since I came home from the conference), many mornings I go out to the barn to find things knocked over, etc. So something has been getting in, but what? We've (my neighbors mostly) already trapped all the raccoons that were dreaming of chicken dinners.

And then my huntress cat, Cleo had a surprise in her mouth when I finished some 'extra' chicken chores mid morning!

Spoiler: Cleo's catch!

Spoiler: Midnight marauder

Sorry about the darkness of the marauder pic, but I assume most of you can still make out what it is!

 

[bgmathteach]

So, yes, Cleo's catch was a young rabbit, that I managed to rescue from her. (Trust me, no easy feat as she takes off if she thinks you are going to steal her catch!) I think she will be okay; she has some puncture wounds from Cleo that I've tried to clean. So, as long as she doesn't die from the stress (according to my sister who raised rabbits for a while as an adult, that is a thing with them!), nor the wounds get infected, she will be fine.

And the marauder was an opossum, as you can tell by the open mouth/bared teeth, s/he was NOT happy.

I took some more 'two-fer' just to pay my taxes:

Two of my 'fake' BRs, with a smidgen of my 'real' BR roo. Unfortunately, he has been a bit too attentive to the girls, as you can see. Also a bit of Goldie under the leaves.

My two older black girls. Raven (one with a somewhat flopped comb - in the back) is maransX lav. orp, the other girl is BRx??. Essentially a barnyard mix.

And, last but not least, my cuckoo marans X EE, & BR X EE.

 

[featherhead007]

Very good news for sure.

Do I owe taxes for that good news?

 

[bgmathteach]

Well, today has been an interesting day, and it's only noon!

I had thought I had a mouse problem (which I did...there were little droppings in the dilapitated barn). I think I have that under control. However, I soon realized I had a RAT problem as well. They have been living UNDER the cement floor of the barn. However, I got suspicious a week or so ago when I found 'too large to be mice' droppings on top of my breeding/time-out hut. (I have sand on top & 2 8' roosts.....but that CLEARLY wasn't chicken poop, either!)

Caught a rat last night, took it from the snap trap this morning. [Note, @RoyalChick I've been using the Rat Zapper for a month now, assuming I would get the mice....but haven't gotten a single thing with it, despite refreshing the bait, swapping bait out, etc.]

Also, for the past week (since I came home from the conference), many mornings I go out to the barn to find things knocked over, etc. So something has been getting in, but what? We've (my neighbors mostly) already trapped all the raccoons that were dreaming of chicken dinners.

And then my huntress cat, Cleo had a surprise in her mouth when I finished some 'extra' chicken chores mid morning!

Spoiler: Cleo's catch!

View attachment 3175057

Spoiler: Midnight marauder

View attachment 3175058

Sorry about the darkness of the marauder pic, but I assume most of you can still make out what it is!

And to think, the only reason I had today off was I am closing on my house, but didn't know what time it would be until Friday.

Hubby & I haven't been married too long (9 years). I'm finally selling my house. Thank goodness, I hated being a landlord, particularly since it is an hour away, and we could use the money to fix up 'our' house! ....and maybe use some of it to make improvements to my chicken housing!!!!

 

[BY Bob]

Well, today has been an interesting day, and it's only noon!

I had thought I had a mouse problem (which I did...there were little droppings in the dilapitated barn). I think I have that under control. However, I soon realized I had a RAT problem as well. They have been living UNDER the cement floor of the barn. However, I got suspicious a week or so ago when I found 'too large to be mice' droppings on top of my breeding/time-out hut. (I have sand on top & 2 8' roosts.....but that CLEARLY wasn't chicken poop, either!)

Caught a rat last night, took it from the snap trap this morning. [Note, @RoyalChick I've been using the Rat Zapper for a month now, assuming I would get the mice....but haven't gotten a single thing with it, despite refreshing the bait, swapping bait out, etc.]

Also, for the past week (since I came home from the conference), many mornings I go out to the barn to find things knocked over, etc. So something has been getting in, but what? We've (my neighbors mostly) already trapped all the raccoons that were dreaming of chicken dinners.

And then my huntress cat, Cleo had a surprise in her mouth when I finished some 'extra' chicken chores mid morning!

Spoiler: Cleo's catch!

View attachment 3175057

Spoiler: Midnight marauder

View attachment 3175058

Sorry about the darkness of the marauder pic, but I assume most of you can still make out what it is!

I am a proponent of the dry ice method for rat removal. If you know where they are, under the floor in your case, find their entrances close them all in but one, pile dry ice over the remaining opening and then cover the dry ice. No more rats. The CO2 sinks down displacing the O2 and they go to sleep never to reawaken.

 

[BY Bob]

So, yes, Cleo's catch was a young rabbit, that I managed to rescue from her. (Trust me, no easy feat as she takes off if she thinks you are going to steal her catch!) I think she will be okay; she has some puncture wounds from Cleo that I've tried to clean. So, as long as she doesn't die from the stress (according to my sister who raised rabbits for a while as an adult, that is a thing with them!), nor the wounds get infected, she will be fine.

And the marauder was an opossum, as you can tell by the open mouth/bared teeth, s/he was NOT happy.

I took some more 'two-fer' just to pay my taxes:

Two of my 'fake' BRs, with a smidgen of my 'real' BR roo. Unfortunately, he has been a bit too attentive to the girls, as you can see. Also a bit of Goldie under the leaves.View attachment 3175063

My two older black girls. Raven (one with a somewhat flopped comb - in the back) is maransX lav. orp, the other girl is BRx??. Essentially a barnyard mix.
View attachment 3175065

And, last but not least, my cuckoo marans X EE, & BR X EE.
View attachment 3175066

Fake or not they are beautiful.