Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Such an amazing story! I’m so glad you got to witness it first hand. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

We are very lucky to know her, for many reasons, but this story is special.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks, Bob. I’m wondering if it has something to do with the fact that I catch up on my phone, through my browser. Maybe if I use the app, instead. The app really just appears to be a browser, however. And also posts all my replies at the bottom of the page I’m on. So I do what Lozzy suggested and go back a page or two or three and forward a page and back… It takes forever.

I'm using the app exclusively right now. I have the same problem you do. So each time I post, I refresh the page. That moves my post where it belongs at the end and then I go back to reading where I was. That might stop you from missing anything.

And, refresh.......

 

[BY Bob]

Nearly done. Not quite done. There is one chick left and Mom is trying to encourage it to leave the garage. Dad tried too. But the chick is way too comfy in the garage with meal service.
The two parents and baby make quite a racket. I feel the parents are yelling ‘get up and get a real job you lazy slob!’ And the baby is mumbling ‘I’ll look after I have had another cheeseburger’.
mom even suspended meal service for several hours during which the baby bleated non stop. And of course she relented and came back with a big bug. So interesting to watch this play out!

Teenagers!

 

[BY Bob]

Love! Who is the blue/lavender one? Actually, why don’t you name them all for us?

Yes, names please!

 

[BY Bob]

OK, this one got me laughing out loud!

Nothing beats food with fresh spices, right?

 

[BY Bob]

harsh truths of nature... we have a family of Canadian Cobra Chickens with 4 babes (Canadian geese) two nights ago the only came up with two. Bear in mind Daddy will mess you up if you even look at them the wrong way, while mama herds the littles away at amazing speeds for the little fluff balls. I’m hoping whatever took babes 3&4 thinks twice about attempting another attack. The geese can literally punch a hole through the sidewalk of a tyre without a second thought with their beaks, and are capable of breaking bones.

to really depress everyone I could go one further for you with what I did with the baby mice in my chair. My cat must’ve succeeded in catching mama, and after days of plaintive squeaking I finally managed to catch one that crawled out of the chair and cut its sibling out as well. They were slowly starving to death, so I hand fed them some warmed up cow milk, and held them in my hands until they fell asleep. I just couldn’t kill them myself, but there’s no way I can take on nursing two baby mice! The fastes and surest end came by putting them out in a patch of warm sun with an egg. Within minutes they were gone thanks to my ever present Ravens.

Nature is beautiful, but merciless. But it was a kinder end than starvation or my cats would have offered them. I still feel like a murderer.

Unless you were going to put them in a cage and keep them safe this was going to happen eventually anyway. Don't beat yourself up too bad.

 

[Ali James]

She is beautiful!

Thanks RC, she is the bottom of the pecking order, but compensates by being very clever, and lightning quick!

 

[BY Bob]

OK, so I love understanding some of the chicken vocalizations. I was sitting under a tree catching up on this thread on my phone, and suddenly one of the birds was doing the aerial predator call. Of course, they all stand still like statues when this happens. I got up from my chair and looked around and around and around and could not see anything. But the girls were all still standing there like statues… Sure enough, there was a hawk! We have a pair that’s nesting nearby. I’m not sure what type they are. The ones that look like this that live around here are Sharpshinned, Cooper’s and Red Shouldered. I’m not great great at hawk identification, but they are definitely not Red Tailed hawks, that live here too. This particular nesting pair has a lot of red on them and a barred tail. Anyway, you should’ve seen me! I was running around flailing my arms attempting the aerial predator call over and over again. I also threw the ball where the hawk could definitely see the dog. The hawk moved on, I told the girls it was OK, and they resumed their business. Phew!

I'm so glad you were out with them when it happened. Very fortunate. Way to protect your flock.

 

[BY Bob]

I think it’s nice that you gave them a little comfort before offering them up. Personally, I probably would’ve offered them to my chickens. So mean!

Recycle them into eggs.

 

[Ali James]

I love a good mouser!

Jinxy is getting older and slower now at 13, going on 14 years old. I'd be amazed if he caught it all by himself, most likely nicked it off Hex who is a much more efficient hunter!