Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

This may be silly ... what is a sticky beak?

Oops, must be an Australianism. Yes, it means to have a look, which may or may not be being nosey.

 

[LozzyR]

It's not at all unusual for people here to have chickens 11 and 12 years old.

That's what I want!!!

 

[LozzyR]

Three naughty chickens

My three have worked out that if they follow me into the run for breakfast, they get shut in for the day. They have stopped following me and now I have to carry/chase them into the run on workdays, or when I'm going out. Who said chickens were stupid?!

 

[BY Bob]

Three naughty chickens

My three have worked out that if they follow me into the run for breakfast, they get shut in for the day. They have stopped following me and now I have to carry/chase them into the run on workdays, or when I'm going out. Who said chickens were stupid?!

They do learn. If I take the mealy worms into the run, Lilly will wait outside the door until I go back to the big coop. I have locked her in that way too many times. She no longer runs right in.

 

[MaryJanet]

Three naughty chickens

My three have worked out that if they follow me into the run for breakfast, they get shut in for the day. They have stopped following me and now I have to carry/chase them into the run on workdays, or when I'm going out. Who said chickens were stupid?!

Lettuce works at our place.

 

[BY Bob]

Lettuce works at our place.

Mine love cabbage. I hang it in the run. I was in there with them today because it was raining. There was a nub of cabbage left hanging and Lilly was struggling to get any off. I thought I would help by pulling some pieces off and feed them to her.

Of course as soon as I started Maleficent showed up. Fortunately Lilly and Mal share ok. Things got really crazy when Hattie figured out what was going on. Everyone else likes cabbage, Hattie LOVES cabbage. She showed up and started, literally, throwing her weight around. She body checked Lilly out of the way and forced her to stand back behind her. Even when I tried to reach over her to give Lilly some, Hattie would jump up and take it from me.

Once Hattie had Lilly out of the way, she turned to force Maleficent away. That did not go as well for Hattie. I believe that Mal may be almost as big as Hattie now. Hattie's attempt to push her away was met by a growl and a snap of the beak. Maleficent even physically pushed her back. It was settled at that point. They shared the cabbage as i broke it up. Aurora took to darting in and out stealing from the others and I had to specially work to get cabbage to poor Lilly in the back.

I've seen this happen to a physically smaller alpha hen before as Patsy did it to Daisy (the greatest hen ever) over swordfish. Patsy was twice Daisy's size. Patsy actually jumped over Daisy to get some fish and landed on top of Daisy. After that Daisy just stood aside and let Patsy have it.

 

[MaryJanet]

Food time is fascinating. Sandy is so timid that when she was sick, I started giving her an hour in the henhouse by herself with a plate of pellets softened with water. Now she's recuperated, but we're still doing it. I like watching all those pellets disappear into her The other two don't mind, they're usually off having their shared dust bath and purring to each other.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

A short time after I took this video, Maleficent would jump up on that ottoman and take a hashbrown potato cake right out of my hand and take off with it. Quick as I could blink my eye. It was so fast I couldn't even get a picture. The little dinosaurs devoured it in seconds.

Well, I had an ibis reach over my shoulder and steal one of my chips, and a seagull fly over my shoulder from behind and steal the tomato from my hamburger but so far the chooks haven't had the opportunity. Poor things are missing out!

 

[LozzyR]

Well, I had an ibis reach over my shoulder and steal one of my chips,

Bin chicken!! (May be another Australianism, or may even pertain only to NSW!)

 

[drumstick diva]

I remember when I was a young kid, my uncle was talking and waving the hot dog in his hand as he did so. One gulp and my dog had swallowed the hot dog. My uncle didn't even realize it till he couldn't find the hot dog.