Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

I thought we bred them that way? To lay so many eggs, that is. Or is it just the high production breeds?

Some of the heritage breeds here in Oz have a life expectancy of @ least 12 years. I don't know how that works in the states. I bought my 1st 5 2 1/2 years ago for just that reason. I have 2 left. There are still illnesses that can take them out, predators & one of mine was lost to broodiness while I was away. It is always a bit of a gamble.

 

[micstrachan]

In some areas, they are. I've talked to a couple Canadians and Alaskans who say so. But if you watch their eagles, there will be dozens in the same area living in harmony. Not so here. They are very territorial. We've had the same eagle's nest on this bend of the river for the 5 years I've been here and I don't know how long before that. They chase any other eagles and osprey away from their space. They eat salmon, ducks and baby geese almost exclusively, none of which are available to them right now. So, like I said, they took down a newborn calf this week. The calf wasn't dead first, it was just newly born. They did this last summer too. I have never seen them eat carrion, and we watch them all the time. Really majestic and awesome birds. I just don't want them to eat my chickens.

We recently had five golden eagles in the trees near one of our schools. I’m sure they would find chickens a tasty snack, but thankfully we have enough other prey around for them.

I also saw a bald eagle on the way to work this morning!

 

[micstrachan]

Oops missed this post when I replied.
I have friends who live right on the water in an inlet in CT and you can see the eagles fish from their dining room table. I think those are some kind of sea eagle not the bald eagles. Amazing sight nonetheless.

Bald eagles do fish. So do Osprey. Could they be Osprey?

 

[micstrachan]

I think that a lot of that belief comes from national pride, but hey, that’s coming from a person whose national animal is a large semi aquatic rodent so...

 

[micstrachan]

I noticed a couple little hole in my bird netting yesterday. It's obviously from the claws of a bird. It didn't get through so that's the good news!!!

Yikes!

 

[micstrachan]

They are quite incredible hawks. I've had them hammer past me a couple of feet off the ground. The females are quite large.
Below is Mel after she fought off a Goshawk and saved her chick.
View attachment 2024831

GO, MEL!

 

[ValerieJ]

... I am in awe of them for sure! You are so lucky to see that all the time.. they have become very abundant here and where we used to live we’d see them often.. we lived near a pond and they’d fish there and catch the occasional Muscovy... here are some pics I took of one eating a fish it just caught.. I’ve posted these before but it’s been awhile.. sorry for poor quality... View attachment 2024862View attachment 2024863View attachment 2024864View attachment 2024865View attachment 2024866View attachment 2024867

Great photos!!! I haven't been able to photograph ours because I only have my phone camera. DH has a great camera, but I don't know how to use it. He retires this year so maybe then we'll get some good pics! Thanks for sharing yours!

Stunning! Though I may now have nightmares.

Ellie! I love that bird!

We recently had five golden eagles in the trees near one of our schools. I’m sure they would find chickens a tasty snack, but thankfully we have enough other prey around for them.
View attachment 2024998

I also saw a bald eagle on the way to work this morning!

We have golden eagles here too, but they don't live in the immediate area. I lost a chicken 3 years ago to a golden eagle because she was up in a tree giving a speech. I still miss Little Red Haired Girl.

Speaking of 5, the first year we were watching the bald eagles they had three babies, and I just happened to be out on the deck when they were flying down the river toward me in formation. "Here come the B-52s", went through my mind.

Yikes!

I know and I just found two more. It's scaring me, but so far so good.

 

[BY Bob]

No idea. I have no experience...

Lucky you for sure

 

[BY Bob]

I thought we bred them that way? To lay so many eggs, that is. Or is it just the high production breeds?

There are many kinds of birds with different laying tendencies. The point being made is that much like rodents, just not to the same degree, chickens are designed to replicate often. Hence all of the eggs that are laid. Even just 3 per week if all hatched would be a lot of chickens. Not all eggs that are laid are hatched as the egg itself is a food source for other animals.

What we humans have done is create breeds like leghorns that lay every day and burn themselves up quickly. We even bred the broody instinct out of the leghorn so we did not have to deal with them stopping laying in order to hatch. It is an extremely rare circumstance that leghorn would ever set a nest. We humans have to hatch their eggs for them.

Someone posted on here about a broody leghorn a year or so ago and my first advice was that she was sick. Leghorns do not go broody. Unfortunately I was right.

 

[BY Bob]

Tonight's Roosting

It went much better. Sansa and Sydney found the roost on their own. In doing so they took the easy spots by the ramp. This blocked poor Phyllis from getting up easily. She wound up roosting in the coop door.

So I got her to step on my hand and used the @Shadrach "back them off the tree limb" technique to back her onto the roost. Very handy!

Maybe tomorrow night we can get to 100%.