Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Not just chicken nostril. Yours too!

So all this time I've actually been a chicken? Who knew?

 

[Kris5902]

Crazy Encounter!

We were outside on the patio watching a movie, with a separate speaker going. My dog’s ears perked up and she was looking at the fire pit, where I had a jack-o-lantern sitting. (A rat had chewed on it the night before, so we all figured the dog heard a rat.) I ran inside and grabbed a bright flashlight. I could not see the rat, but figured I’d throw out the jack-o-lantern right then before I forgot (the movie was still going). I headed for the waste bins with flashlight in one hand and pumpkin in the other and just as I was about to step off the patio, my flashlight illuminated a mountain lion 50 feet away, just sitting there behind my neighbor’s vehicle. I quickly told my family, “There’s a mountain lion. Get inside.” We shined a light on it again and it turned its head and just looked at us, not at all bothered by our presence. We went back inside. Several minutes later, my husband went out with a flashlight again. Our neighbor came out with a flashlight, as well. It just laid there in the field with two bright lights on it and humans calling out to each other across the yard. It finally retreated, but I find it worrisome that it would come into the yard while people were outside watching a movie, and then not run off once we obviously saw it. The waste bins in between us and the cat? That’s where I was headed with my jack-o-lantern. The cougar was literally 20 feet from the bins before it retreated to the field in the video. With daylight savings, the chickens won’t have free range time after work this week. I’m ok with that!

The video is poor quality, but still!

This post totally slipped by me!!! Just Wow! That is scary... we used to get these sorts of things with bears when I was living in the mainland, but I’ve never seen a cougar do that! Attacks on humans are very rare, but I would be keeping everyone in for a while. God job doggo for not doing anything rash but alerting to the predator. At least it looks well fed? Most attacks on people seem to come from desperate starving cats... at least in our area. Stay safe! (Have to admit they are majestic, beautiful cats)

 

[Kris5902]

O Kris, I did not mean to start this.

It is good to remember those we lose. I try to take a moment now and then to remember them, and most of my losses are the rescues... I did everything I could for them to have a better life before the end. I remember a few more names to add to my list, Mrs B and Croppy, Goose, Gobbler, Shanti, Big Red. Today adds Bob and my sweet little Marans hen with the severely impacted and sour crop I haven’t been able to cure. Every loss hurts, and the day it doesn’t will be the day I quit farming. Even the Meat birds that I have raised with the specific intention of becoming dinner for someone. I am just happy that they have good lives, get to live as real chickens, and whenever possible a quick and clean end.

A Window Opens

They say that when a door closes, a window opens.

View attachment 2396292

Elphie's passing led to us rescuing the two hens that along with Daisy, the greatest hen ever, would form our flock for the next 3 years. Mrs BY Bob did not want another leghorn as she associated the white hens with tragedy. When I learned of these poor hens living their lives under a porch I decided they were for us. I also decided that we needed a "spare" chicken in case something happened so I wasn't scrambling to find a friend for a lone hen ever again.

Lilly was that "spare" chicken. What a great decision that was. When Daisy passed I was able to take my time and plan the flock expansion. And just look at her. She is still going strong strong today.

Patsy and Lilly came to join us 5 years ago today. Here they are that first day. Their feet touching grass for the first time.

View attachment 2396321View attachment 2396322

And this is exactly why I’m still taking on rescues, even knowing it is going to break my heart losing them all too soon. Those first steps on grass, finding bugs, scratching in the dirt! It is worth the pain of loss to bring a little love and enjoyment to the lives of our animals.

 

[Kris5902]

The Story of how Patsy & Lilly came to live at Fluffy Butt Acres

When Elphie passed I went onto Craigslist to try and locate a replacement or two. It being November there was not much listed. I saw an ad for full grown Rhode Island Red hens. I had RIRs when I was young so I thought why not. They lived way longer than any of these leghorns. So I reached out and found out that the owner was being forced to get rid of them. He said they were good calm hens, very friendly with humans, especially his children. I spoke with Mrs. BY Bob and she agreed so I went to pick them up.

That's when I learned they had been living under his porch. When I arrived he pulled up the floor in his porch, reached in and plucked them up. He was very proud of his porch coop. Thought it was very clever. I saw immediately that they were clearly not RIRs. Then I looked at where they were living and thought, I need to take these hens. This is what I am meant to do.

So I took them not really knowing what kind of chickens they even were. I did tell Mrs BY Bob they weren't RIRs but I didn't care. They needed a better home and I thought we could at least give them that. She was very blunt with me.

Those are your chickens not mine. You are responsible for them now.

I was fine with that. To be fair all of the early losses were very hard on her and she could not really stand the thought of losing more beloved pets. Luckily it would be another 3 years until Daisy, the greatest hen ever, passed.

When I think of our chickens, this is what I picture as my flock. I hope that someday the chickens I have now will be what my mind pictures, but these three yahoos own my heart as a flock.
View attachment 2396477

Mrs BY Bob did name my chickens. So she wasn't completely disengaged.

In fact until Maleficent and Aurora, all the names were hers.

So sweet the three of them together there! Now I feel somewhat bad about my thoughts of a potential under-deck coop. I’ve been trying to think of things to do on the south side of the house, right now my dining room doors open to a 5-6’ drop. I know I am going to have to put a deck off the back of the house and was toying with the thought of walling in the space underneath for some chickens. I may brick it up as a root cellar too.

 

[Kris5902]

I appreciate the intent but some losses are still too raw for me to fully participate. My 1st 18 months or so I lost a BR to broodiness, & 3 Australorps to unknown causes; 1 faded away & 2 I still have no idea. One went to bed in a nesting box & was dead in the morning. The other laid her egg, went downstairs & I found her dead under the coop 10 minutes later. I still have no idea...

A lot of it is just unknown... and things can happen in moments. You do a wonderful job keeping your flock, and they are happy and healthy and lucky to have you to care for them! I know too many people who just don’t understand, and the phrase “it’s just a chicken” has become my #1 most hated phrase.

 

[Kris5902]

A story for you ByBob.

We have a double glass sliding door leading from the kitchen/dining area to the side yard.

A couple of weeks ago I heard a tremendous squawking and flapping just outside this door .
Outside, there is Deana leading the charge with beak, claws and wings against a young red bellied black snake about 2.5 feet long.

The poor thing was thrashing up against the window trying to get away from these deadly velociraptors . It looked so panicked that my first impulse was to open the door and let it in! Luckily I thought better of it and the snake found a gap under the front gate and escaped to the front yard.

Chickens : 1
Deadly Australian Snake: 0

(Actually Google says Red Bellies can make you sick but don't usually kill you)
Here's a pic of one from the net. I wasn't quick enough to take a photo of our visitor.
View attachment 2397249

Please don’t invite the venomous snake in... please! It’s very pretty, and I’m sure it was just looking for an escape... it might not be terribly deadly but still, I wouldn’t want you to get bit by it trying to help it escape your vicious attack chickens! Now if only we could train them to go after zucchini like that!

Do you get Eastern Browns where you are? Or Taipans? Most of Australia gets King Browns, or Mulgas, which are interestingly enough actually a close relative of the red bellied blacks, and not an actual brown snake.

One of my ex co-workers father was bitten by a red bellied black, he was a cattleman and out working his herd alone when it happened, and had to drive himself to hospital. It wasn’t a dry bite, but he may not have taken a full envenomation. He survived it, but really, the casual attitude to all those venomous reptiles still boggles me!

 

[BY Bob]

This post totally slipped by me!!! Just Wow! That is scary... we used to get these sorts of things with bears when I was living in the mainland, but I’ve never seen a cougar do that! Attacks on humans are very rare, but I would be keeping everyone in for a while. God job doggo for not doing anything rash but alerting to the predator. At least it looks well fed? Most attacks on people seem to come from desperate starving cats... at least in our area. Stay safe! (Have to admit they are majestic, beautiful cats)

They are amazing animals. They are here but we never see them. That was a really cool video. I too am amazed the dog did not do anything stupid. Smart dog. It knows its limitations.

 

[BY Bob]

It is good to remember those we lose. I try to take a moment now and then to remember them, and most of my losses are the rescues... I did everything I could for them to have a better life before the end. I remember a few more names to add to my list, Mrs B and Croppy, Goose, Gobbler, Shanti, Big Red. Today adds Bob and my sweet little Marans hen with the severely impacted and sour crop I haven’t been able to cure. Every loss hurts, and the day it doesn’t will be the day I quit farming. Even the Meat birds that I have raised with the specific intention of becoming dinner for someone. I am just happy that they have good lives, get to live as real chickens, and whenever possible a quick and clean end.

And this is exactly why I’m still taking on rescues, even knowing it is going to break my heart losing them all too soon. Those first steps on grass, finding bugs, scratching in the dirt! It is worth the pain of loss to bring a little love and enjoyment to the lives of our animals.

Well said Kris. I deeply respect how you care for your animals. I am proud to know you.

 

[BY Bob]

So sweet the three of them together there! Now I feel somewhat bad about my thoughts of a potential under-deck coop. I’ve been trying to think of things to do on the south side of the house, right now my dining room doors open to a 5-6’ drop. I know I am going to have to put a deck off the back of the house and was toying with the thought of walling in the space underneath for some chickens. I may brick it up as a root cellar too.

An underdeck coop is one thing. Do they get to come out and experience the world is another. Patsy and Lilly never left the under the porch coop. They barely got any sunshine. I am certain they never had a true sunbath or ate any grass until they came to live with us.

I know that yours would be allowed to be chickens in the sun. An under the deck coop is actually a good idea.

 

[BY Bob]

the phrase “it’s just a chicken” has become my #1 most hated phrase.

Agreed. How about, "It's just a dog"? they are living beings all animals deserve to be treated with respect. It our responsibility as a human beings to care for them not abuse them.