Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I am SO far behind now, but I have lots to say/share! LOL.

Share away, find your voice.

 

[BY Bob]

I hope you get a chance to give it a pop and scare it off! I have hawks around all of the time...so far my flock has been fine, they have a lot of tree's in their pen!

You have an amazing complex. They are very lucky.

 

[BY Bob]

Not to rub it in, but I just caught up...took me all day...you can do it...

Way to apply yourself. I hope it was enjoyable.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Read it in little manageable bits and it will be fine.

Thank you. I feel I'm not prepared enough for this venture, I'm always catching up. So today one of my Buckeye pullets let out a single "honk", kind of like a sneeze it seemed. She had been eating some scratch out of crevices in a log. She did it once or twice, then I saw her bend forward and shake her head too. Something went down the wrong way? An hour later another honk, and a little while after that another one. Then nothing for another couple of hours, and now they're roosting. I will look them over tomorrow and keep an eye on them. Shad's hens and @featherhead007 's loss today have me worried and sad and a bit freaked out.

So I looked up @Shadrach 's new recommendation and found this on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Diseases-Fre...p-1873580789/dp/1873580789/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
And a reviewer mentioned that the medicines are all oriented to the U.K. and this reader had to keep looking up the U.S. equivalents. I'm not sure if that is a problem or not. I'm in the U.S. I would think the main thing is to become aware of what is going on, and then work from there using multiple resources.

Amazon also recommended this one by Gail Damerow, The Chicken Health Handbook, is it any good? The author is from Tennessee, is there a benefit to getting one oriented to my country? Or get both books?
https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Heal.../ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

[drstratton]

You have an amazing complex. They are very lucky.

Thank you Bob, I love their yard! They could still get caught out in the open in a few locations...so I have been lucky! Hopefully they will always be alert...I don't have a view of them from my house, so I don't always see what is going on out there!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Routine

I mentioned to someone, I have forgotten who already (I'm sorry whoever it was) that hawks love routine. Well guess who was back tonight, same time. Hattie gave the alarm, I stood up, same chair, same spot. I located the hawk. It was sitting on top the light pole on the corner of my property.

View attachment 2429213

It drove after something in the neighbor's yard.

Here they were hiding under the trumpet vine for protection.
View attachment 2429223

I've been very concerned about the flock lately as they have spent a lot of time stationary, under cover. There was also another incident where the flock was behind me in the Rose of Sharon bush. I was facing away and something scattered them they ran screaming and flapping in all directions. I never saw what it was but it took me a bit to gather them back together.

I am now surmizing that the hawk is hunting my property. If I could kill Le Rat I would feel OK locking them in the complex for a few days. Or the hawk could land somewhere within range of the gun and I could hit it once.

This is yet another challenge for all of us.

The thing is, how can you only have one loner, Monsieur Le Rat? I am afraid there must be more. Are you sure? What kind of rat lives alone? Or this rat is foraging far from home in your complex?

 

[Ribh]

Thank you. I feel I'm not prepared enough for this venture, I'm always catching up. So today one of my Buckeye pullets let out a single "honk", kind of like a sneeze it seemed. She had been eating some scratch out of crevices in a log. She did it once or twice, then I saw her bend forward and shake her head too. Something went down the wrong way? An hour later another honk, and a little while after that another one. Then nothing for another couple of hours, and now they're roosting. I will look them over tomorrow and keep an eye on them. Shad's hens and @featherhead007 's loss today have me worried and sad and a bit freaked out.

So I looked up @Shadrach 's new recommendation and found this on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Diseases-Fre...p-1873580789/dp/1873580789/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
And a reviewer mentioned that the medicines are all oriented to the U.K. and this reader had to keep looking up the U.S. equivalents. I'm not sure if that is a problem or not. I'm in the U.S. I would think the main thing is to become aware of what is going on, and then work from there using multiple resources.

Amazon also recommended this one by Gail Damerow, The Chicken Health Handbook, is it any good? The author is from Tennessee, is there a benefit to getting one oriented to my country? Or get both books?
https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Heal.../ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

What I've found is the US recommendations are useless as regards my country so my recommendation would be to find one oriented to your country of origin otherwise you will be hunting for equivalents & never sure if you've got the best stuff.

 

[Ribh]

Thank you Bob, I love their yard! They could still get caught out in the open in a few locations...so I have been lucky! Hopefully they will always be alert...I don't have a view of them from my house, so I don't always see what is going on out there!

I think your run is fantastic & your hens are very lucky!

 

[drstratton]

Way to apply yourself. I hope it was enjoyable.

It was, there were definitely sad times too, but it's so nice to be able to share the good, bad and sad with others!

 

[drstratton]

I think your run is fantastic & your hens are very lucky!

Thank you Jehane...they seem to be very happy there!