Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

You have one stubborn girl there, Bob. I wonder what's set it off... Is it the chicks, do you think?

If you remember when I first got them Sansa was their alpha hen. Then Sydney started laying and with little fanfare took over the 4th spot in the pecking order. It took a few months after Sansa started laying before she took over again from Sydney.

I can only guess that Sansa is concerned about losing her spot again to the new mom. Anyone else have a thought?

 

[Shadrach]

Just administered Fat Birds anti biotic eye ointments for the night.
There is absolutely no doubt that not only is her eye looking better but she's feeling much better. But, there are still bubbles in the corner of her eye in the morning and her lower eyelid is still slightly swollen. I think there is still a bit of something in her eye. I've looked and can't see it so it's back to Gloria next week if there is no improvement over the ext couple of days.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am

You know it. I'm in the pool watching the sky right now.

Lord, I hope they don’t jump in there with you!

 

[BY Bob]

Lord, I hope they don’t jump in there with you!

It would be a great way for them to cool down today.

 

[biophiliac]

And Again

I Believe that a juvenile hawk just swooped the yard at fence height. It was so fast I almost missed it.

This is getting ridiculous! I am getting the nerf gun! The next one gets it.

I see the juveniles as more dangerous, especially to those chicks.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Sansa vs Sydney

Sansa's abuse of Sydney is reaching new heights becoming almost non stop. Sydney does not fight back. She just runs away. It seems that unless Sansa is otherwise occupied she is targeting Sydney's back. I've seen her running all the way across the yard to get at her. This incites Sydney to run and causes confusion in the chicks as their mom shoots away.

Last night Sansa would not let Sydney and the chicks into the coop. Now Sydney has enough trouble getting the two of them into the coop to have Sansa chasing and scattering everyone. After running them off twice, Sansa decided to stand guard over the entrance.

That was enough for me. Lord knows I try to let them figure everything out for themselves. Last night I got involved. I went over scooped Sansa up. We had a little conversation about going too far. I put her back on the porch, a small pat on the bum and told her to go to bed.

Did she listen?

Nope.

She went into the coop to fill me but came back out again.

Not my first rodeo, I was waiting.

She got to the end of to porch again and pulled up short when she saw me.

"Go to bed Sansa"

"Bawk. Baaawwwwk"

"Go to bed" "You've done enough"

"Bawk" "Bawk" Bakaawwk"

"No, I said go to bed"

****pat pat ****

"SQUAWK!!!"

"Now go to bed!"

The pat on the bum did it. She turned around and went into the coop but did not roost. She stood just inside the coop door waiting. I looked into the door.

"Go to bed"

She started pacing.

"Go to bed"

Pacing, pacing

"Go to bed"

Flap, flap, flap

Finally!

I let Sydney know the coast is clear and left them to finish the process themselves.

At least she, kind of, listens to you.

Tsuki does the same thing with the three youngest. I'll have to have a word with her next time she does it. Or maybe I'll put her on the phone to you Bob!

 

[BY Bob]

I see the juveniles as more dangerous, especially to those chicks.

A juvenile hawk attacked Hattie and Jabber when they were chicks about this size. They were in a small mobile run experiencing the outdoors. I was on the other side of the coop and the hawk apparently hit the run so hard it wobbled and Hattie got out of it. She ran screaming for the cover of the grape vines.

This part always chokes me up.

I started around the coop to see what was happening, Patsy was next to me. Patsy took off like a shot to where poor Hattie was. Patsy was all fluffed out and ready to fight by the time I caught up. She did have her spurs at the time.

She had only met the chicks through the wire the day before but she had Hattie by the time i could get there.

The hawk meanwhile had settled on the fence looking down into the grapevines.

When I first got to where Jabber was yelling. I had no idea what had happened. Jabberwocky was still in the portable run, Hattie was gone. I started looking around and I saw Patsy all fluffed out and then I looked up and saw the hawk on the fence.

I heard Hattie peep and saw her with Patsy. I scooped Hattie up, saw she was bleeding and screamed for Mrs BY Bob. She came running out of the house. I handed her Hattie to look at and I proceeded to try and scare the hawk away.

It would not leave.

I yelled and waived my arms.

It took off, circled briefly, and landed back on the fence.

We stared at each other.

Patsy and Lilly had gone into the run, so I locked them in.

Still the hawk had not left.

Mrs BY Bob pronounced Hattie fit, she had cut her comb somehow but was otherwise OK.

Still the hawk stared.

I gathered up Jabberwocky, handed him to Mrs BY Bob and told her to take them back inside to the brooder.

Still the hawk stared.

I got the idea to grab the skimmer poll for the pool and try to reach him with that. I had just gotten the poll when the hawk flew off.

That was when I purchased the nerf gun. No hawk hangs out at my house any longer.

Hattie in the run about the yime it happened

.

 

[BY Bob]

At least she, kind of, listens to you.

Tsuki does the same thing with the three youngest. I'll have to have a word with her next time she does it. Or maybe I'll put her on the phone to you Bob!

I will be glad to have a conversation with her. This stuff only goes so far.

 

[WhoDatChick]

This has been hard. I've been thinking about this quite a bit since you posted it. I'm not sure how to advise you. It feels out of the blue to me.

I think you have to ask yourself why you want to do this. I'm sure the chickens will be well cared for or you wouldn't even consider it, so I don't see that as a factor. I guess as long as they are well cared for and you think it's best, then do it.

Be sure you are ready to let them go is my advice. That's best I can do I think.

Thank you for your thoughts.. I feel bad for them just staying broody so much and if they go then they should be able to hatch eggs of their own... Nilky has not gone broody again since last year when I let her adopt the Cochins... but she gets stomped on at times... and today when I let the newbies out Petunia came off the nest for food and a stretch and boy you talk about viciously try to attack them and I caught her ripping feathers out of Trump... so I don’t know how well there integration is gonna go with three grumpy broodies on the loose... so that was actually helping out my decision... but I get you... I also feel so sad too...

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you for your thoughts.. I feel bad for them just staying broody so much and if they go then they should be able to hatch eggs of their own... Nilky has not gone broody again since last year when I let her adopt the Cochins... but she gets stomped on at times... and today when I let the newbies out Petunia came off the nest for food and a stretch and boy you talk about viciously try to attack them and I caught her ripping feathers out of Trump... so I don’t know how well there integration is gonna go with three grumpy broodies on the loose... so that was actually helping out my decision... but I get you... I also feel so sad too...

I cannot imagine it would be easy,. I think it is aart that says chicken math includes subtraction as well. That's what I had to tell myself with Jabber. I will have to tell that to myself when the chicks move on as well.