Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

You are most fortunate. I have a perimeter fence that keeps mine safe from wandering dogs.

My fence is 6 ft. But I still want to make it less accessible too predators

 

[Marie2020]

It's been a very busy day. Good night all

 

[rural mouse]

Could use some help figuring out where to run fencing....

House is behind me, view from west side of coop. Birds shelter under the Russian olives...and I think Dora was heading into them. If she'd made it, I think she'd have been fine. I suspect that's what saved the rest. Also difficult for hawks to get through, so I want at least some of them inside the fence.

Up the hill to the left of pic1. Brick is my seat, easy to move. Spigot for refilling water is up on top of hill and to the left. There's a gap between olive trees 2/3 of the way up the hill.

South side of coop (opposite from people door). Most of the wind hits this corner first. Also, coop has new roof as of last summer: roughly 9x8 feet for dimensions . wire in foreground is around a sink hole that opened this summer. Suspect drought conditions vs running hose for bird water. Dropped the wire ring around ita nd stuffed tree suckers I'd clipped into it to help keep critters out. I'm thinking compost of yard clippings/coop clean out going in here so it fills in/protects crevice (looked a couple of feet deep). Not sure how else to deal with that at the moment, either. Thing 1 was way down by the distant tree, at the bottom of the cliff the distant tree is anchoring.

View from east side of coop. The slope on the south is more half slope, half cliff. Birds run it easy, people work/slip..lots...

View up the hill from the east side of the olive trees. Mama went down about where the gap is.

Another thought is electric fencing from coop (bird side only?) Looping around the trees, but that seems more temporary.

 

[rural mouse]

It's awful this happened and daunting not knowing

I hope answers can be found but failing this some sort of camera set up put into place. I don't use ebay but maybe a more of a reasonable price could be found there.

The only other suggestions I can think of is a dog or couple of cats. I only have one cat but thinking of finding another after RC explaining how they can become a team. My cat is super protective of my girls but I am afraid he couldn't battle with a dog

Our cat (outdoor only due to allergies) is afraid of the chickens, afraid of dogs, and climbs the windows to get out of the house when he's brought in to catch mice. He does however, climb INTO the bucket to get the mice when I dump them out of the live trap (No water in bucket). Took a mouse out to the coop when I let the birds out around 1030 (3hrs+late). Had to see what they would do. The 2 adults watched it intently, then came out looking for scratch. The pullets just wanted the scratch. The mouse (dumped just outside the coop) ran INTO the coop and then sat watching us all (cheeky little devil). My oldest (who wants nothing to do with the birds but wants to steal the cat when he gets his own place) brought the cat down, cradled in his arms to watch all of this. Had him bring the cat into the coop and set him down facing the mouse. Stared at it intently, sniffed at it a sec, looked around in a panic and bolted out of the coop. Mouse 2, chickens/cat 0 today. Current occupancy: 1 2year old hen, 1 1year old hen, 7 13week old pullets, 1 13week old cockerel, 1 3 week old chick, and 1 small beady eyed little mouse.

 

[rural mouse]

That's great . Someone suggested to me a while ago too add some of the prickly plastic strips on top of my fence. After reading your dilemma I may get hold of some soon.

Good luck, I'll be looking for your update

Prickly plastic strips.... I like the idea..if canine tries climbing/jumping and puts paws on top, gets jabbed for efforts.....close wrapped barbed wire would work too, I would think...russian olives have spines...weave some branches into top CAREFULLY...i LIKE this idea!

 

[Scrambles83]

Came home from work today, having had a good day. found pullets (and cockerel) up near the house. Closer than normal, but they've been working their way closer. Got pasta treat. They came back up in a hurry. then saw 1 off in the yard, not moving. Go check it out.....Dead Nika, my Dominique. no obvious signs of cause, but cold. Looking around, see Sheba, my RIR, also a corpse. See little Storm, running around (NOT a corpse), where's mama? Keep looking. Find corpse of the double laced golden wyandotte, followed by Dora (the pic posted earlier). Have seen Silver and a partridge rock....not sure if Mama or not, but not near Storm. Find Mama on other side of Russian olives, also a corpse (definitely mama as her comb is smaller than the 2IC's comb. Then spot Rusty on the track down below. Feathers everywhere thigh plucked. Finally (after talking with nearest neighbors (1 of whom also has chickens)), find Thing 1, the smart Houdan, torn open. Never did find Helen, my silver Phoenix. Based upon all the senseless killing and the size difference between Rusty and Helen, the smallest, I'm thinking a dog. I need a fence. RIP feathered friends.

View attachment 2810433View attachment 2810432View attachment 2810440
View attachment 2810426
Of the birds in pictures, I still have little Storm in #4, and the barred bird in the pic around the feeder. I also have the 2 with just tails showing. I took the pic of Rusty on Sunday. View attachment 2810449
No one saw/heard anything so don't know if it was someone's pet or a stray. One of the neighbors did see a stray the other day. The foxes back in May I understand. feeding family. This is senseless.

This is so tragic! I’m so sorry for the losses you have had, I hope you are doing ok

 

[MaryJanet]

A fox will chew through chicken wire. Easily. That's why you should use hardware cloth.

Dogs (fox) deserve a much worse reputation than they have. They do kill for fun.

Good advice Bob. I was about to say the same thing.

 

[saxgoddess25]

Came home from work today, having had a good day. found pullets (and cockerel) up near the house. Closer than normal, but they've been working their way closer. Got pasta treat. They came back up in a hurry. then saw 1 off in the yard, not moving. Go check it out.....Dead Nika, my Dominique. no obvious signs of cause, but cold. Looking around, see Sheba, my RIR, also a corpse. See little Storm, running around (NOT a corpse), where's mama? Keep looking. Find corpse of the double laced golden wyandotte, followed by Dora (the pic posted earlier). Have seen Silver and a partridge rock....not sure if Mama or not, but not near Storm. Find Mama on other side of Russian olives, also a corpse (definitely mama as her comb is smaller than the 2IC's comb. Then spot Rusty on the track down below. Feathers everywhere thigh plucked. Finally (after talking with nearest neighbors (1 of whom also has chickens)), find Thing 1, the smart Houdan, torn open. Never did find Helen, my silver Phoenix. Based upon all the senseless killing and the size difference between Rusty and Helen, the smallest, I'm thinking a dog. I need a fence. RIP feathered friends.

View attachment 2810433View attachment 2810432View attachment 2810440
View attachment 2810426
Of the birds in pictures, I still have little Storm in #4, and the barred bird in the pic around the feeder. I also have the 2 with just tails showing. I took the pic of Rusty on Sunday. View attachment 2810449
No one saw/heard anything so don't know if it was someone's pet or a stray. One of the neighbors did see a stray the other day. The foxes back in May I understand. feeding family. This is senseless.

Oh no! I lost five of my seven adult ducks when I was off in Georgia for job training so I feel your pain. Still don't know what got them either. Found several piles of feathers but no blood and 1 hen that didn't seem harmed at all aside from the fact that her head was gone.

 

[featherhead007]

Our cat (outdoor only due to allergies) is afraid of the chickens, afraid of dogs, and climbs the windows to get out of the house when he's brought in to catch mice. He does however, climb INTO the bucket to get the mice when I dump them out of the live trap (No water in bucket). Took a mouse out to the coop when I let the birds out around 1030 (3hrs+late). Had to see what they would do. The 2 adults watched it intently, then came out looking for scratch. The pullets just wanted the scratch. The mouse (dumped just outside the coop) ran INTO the coop and then sat watching us all (cheeky little devil). My oldest (who wants nothing to do with the birds but wants to steal the cat when he gets his own place) brought the cat down, cradled in his arms to watch all of this. Had him bring the cat into the coop and set him down facing the mouse. Stared at it intently, sniffed at it a sec, looked around in a panic and bolted out of the coop. Mouse 2, chickens/cat 0 today. Current occupancy: 1 2year old hen, 1 1year old hen, 7 13week old pullets, 1 13week old cockerel, 1 3 week old chick, and 1 small beady eyed little mouse.

I used to climb out windows at night too (just to see my bad boy friends and my unwanted girlfriend) now, I just use the door!

 

[featherhead007]

What a great day for me! I went out of state, without leaving my property. I had the privilege of the beautiful Dakota earlier, then Xzit, and now the very precious Arizona! I’m so blessed!