Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

more chickens coming soon?
I really do have to get caught up over on your thread as well!

I have 1/2 a dozen golden Campines on order but my breeder is having some difficulties coming up with the numbers so I am still waiting. I'm hoping to pick up some silver laced Wandotte out the same way but I can't order those until I know what's happening with the Campines.

 

[ValerieJ]

Owls will go through birdnetting even the strong nylon stuff that’s how I lost 5 birds one morning. One of my friends here had to go into a small chicken coop run to shoo out a lost eagle. He gets quite animated describing the wingspan. What really sucks though is having to get entangled red tail hawks out of bird netting.

Well, I had a very large owl hanging out in the trees around my chicken run, and after a lot of scrutiny, she decided it wasn't worth it. I also always knew she was there because the chickens alerted me. No one here has had an owl attack. Only the bald eagles and golden eagles. Our hawks are too small.

 

[RoyalChick]

I don't hunt. I have in the past. I get wild boar meat from the hunters when I can though.
I don't condemn hunting as such. Unfortunately there are hunters and people who call themselves hunters who crash around in the forest here letting off firearms. I've had a few run ins with the second type.
What is very odd is the pro hunters hunt at night with crossbows. This is illegal here. The day time hunters with the oversized guns, bugles and dogs are legal. Around here the daytime hunters have mistakenly shot peoples dogs, each other and house windows.
I get meat from the nighttime hunters. They come and ask if they can hunt on your land. they are quiet and from what I've seen, serious and skilled. The others are a bunch of cowboys, wounding more then they kill.

Here you have to have a license which can be for bow or gun or both and the bow season is a bit longer than the gun season.
The guy who gives me the venison is a retired cop who grew up hunting in the area with his Dad who was also a cop. He seems like a very responsible person and is very aware of all the wildlife laws and that kind of thing. So I feel OK about it.

 

[Shadrach]

I have seen documentaries of the bald eagles in Alaska where they are abundant and have flocks. They are a very different bird here, extremely territorial, and are never seen in a flock or convocation. The only time I see more than two at a time is when their young fledge. Then they fly together while they teach them to hunt for that one season only, at the end of which the young fly south for two years and don't come back to their parents territory. They have to stake out their own. You have said before that you didn't like their call, but I love it. It's one of my favorite sounds on the river. I often get to hear them having a conversation of sorts. Just like chickens, they have different vocalizations. Fascinating, majestic birds.

Shadrach says I'm unlucky because they got my chickens one year, and that was a heart breaking time, but I feel extremely lucky to get to know this pair of bald eagles as I have.

The Goshawks here are incredible to watch. They hammer up the track from the donkey field to the bamboo here. they come up less than a meter off the ground and if the rooster isn't on the ball, or the hens head for the rockery instead of the bamboo there's a death or an injury. I've watched them in the woods coming through the trees. It's unbelievable the speed they travel at and their maneuverability. I've had them come past me within reaching distance. An added problem is they will silently arrive and settle low in the undergrowth and wait for something to come by. You just don't see them until they strike. There are, which I can't find atm, some amazing videos of Goshawks navigating obstacles.

 

[RoyalChick]

The Goshawks here are incredible to watch. They hammer up the track from the donkey field to the bamboo here. they come up less than a meter off the ground and if the rooster isn't on the ball, or the hens head for the rockery instead of the bamboo there's a death or an injury. I've watched them in the woods coming through the trees. It's unbelievable the speed they travel at and their maneuverability. I've had them come past me within reaching distance. An added problem is they will silently arrive and settle low in the undergrowth and wait for something to come by. You just don't see them until they strike. There are, which I can't find atm, some amazing videos of Goshawks navigating obstacles.

Not sure if you have seen this - they really are stunning birds.

 

[ValerieJ]

The Goshawks here are incredible to watch. They hammer up the track from the donkey field to the bamboo here. they come up less than a meter off the ground and if the rooster isn't on the ball, or the hens head for the rockery instead of the bamboo there's a death or an injury. I've watched them in the woods coming through the trees. It's unbelievable the speed they travel at and their maneuverability. I've had them come past me within reaching distance. An added problem is they will silently arrive and settle low in the undergrowth and wait for something to come by. You just don't see them until they strike. There are, which I can't find atm, some amazing videos of Goshawks navigating obstacles.

I have seen and shared the video of Ellie before. She is an amazing bird! Fortunately, we haven't seen such a bird here. Only the very small red tail hawks. There are larger hawks in the greater area, but the bald eagles will not share the air with them, so they never come here.

 

[ValerieJ]

Not sure if you have seen this - they really are stunning birds.

Yay! Ellie!

 

[micstrachan]

sounds a lot like here, but barred owls are the nastiest I’ve had to face so far. We have great Grey’s but so far they have been ok. The Ravens are now trying to pretend to be chickens... apparently they like the feed and if the land and walk up on the free ranging flock there aren’t any alarms. It’s a hey that’s a different looking hen? Sort of situation

We have a pair of ravens that have been nesting here forever. I call them the guard ravens, and have watched them chase off hawks on more than one occasion.

 

[micstrachan]

Sure do!

View attachment 2377363

So cute!

 

[micstrachan]

Yup. They are very large and have no fear of humans at all. There are way too many around my house these days. On a calm clear day you can hear them calling out in the distance. I know that @CrazyChookChookLady has seen a Bald Eagle up her way. I've never seen one around my house. Nor have I seen any Owls but I know they are around.

For me, arial attacks will come from red trailed Hawks almost exclusively. Its a hard lesson I learned when one of them killed Dolly while she was out free ranging.

Aww, I’m sorry!