Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Why do you think she has a damaged liver?

A conversation i had with a vet.

Shattered shad totally, and repeating this . please look into maryjanet 's thread

 

[Shadrach]

I've had a terrific day.
I had planned to do some responsible grown up stuff today. But, come mid day, the sun was shining and I looked out the window and thought to myself I know where I would like to be and there is lots to do there as well, so there I went. There, is of course the allotments and chickens.

I got another stretch of fence sorted. I will explain a bit about the whole setup at some point. This stretch of fence had no buried chicken wire and just the stock net at the bottom half. Very easy for a stoat or weasel to get into the run.

I don't work flat out these days; pensioners privildge. So, I head back into the run and watch the chickens on a regular basis.
The area I cleared a while back under the trees has become the favourite resting place for the chickens. They have the run fence at their back, cover in the weeds and from the trees and a good line of sight into the open run area. Thing is, the geese like it as well. There is constant mild friction between the geese and the chickens. It's mostly hiss and spit but given the size difference between the geese and the chickens, even Henry who is not a small rooster, if I'm not there, gives way to the geese.
When I do herd the geese away they waddle off back towards their "end" of the run and that's it until next time.
The youngest male who is one of the grey geese fancies himself a bit and is the first to make that ungainly head lowered charge at a chicken given the chance. There is a pathway around the back of the large netted frame that sits at one end of the run. I'm right behind the geese herding them on when four of them peeled off right to go around the netted frame when Mr I'm well hard peels off left to go around the back. Lima is standing about halfway along the back path having a bit of a dig. Mr I'm well hard drops his head and makes a bit of a charge at Lima. I'm about to dive on him full rugby style. Lima jumps up and foreward, gets a double foot smack on the gooses head, gives him a peck on the beak on her way down and is up in the air again for another go.
Mr I'm well hard falls over as he attempts to go backwards (there isn't any room to go around) flaps himself 180 degrees and runs away to join the others.
To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement.
This is a view looking from the other end, the geese end. The geese were coming towards you in the picture, away from the chickens. As you can see where the pallet is there isn't a lot of room to get by.

Just to remind you, Lima.

And in case you can't think how big geese are compared to these chickens. That's Mr I'm well hard at the front.

 

[Blazinga]

Some guache chickens, breed favorites of our keepers. Marans fans do not worry, your time will come soon. Apologies to all the legbar fans.

 

[BY Bob]

Well, scary as that is, it seems like she got some extra 'Daddy time' out of it, and you got a few extra snuggles!!
She has a gorgeous mug - that first pic with you is priceless

Is the critter ladder near the filter, where Aurora got stuck once? Maybe having one diagonally opposite it in the pool, too. Or, maybe train them to use it? They are smart enough View attachment 2873693 that if they aren't in a complete panic at the time, they probably would use it if they were taught.

The critter ladder never worked. It's all about observation.

 

[bgmathteach]

View attachment 2873730
There is something wrong with this picture. I'll tell you what it is, Bunny is in the kitchen where she does not belong. The weather has been wonderful in the afternoons so we've started back leaving doors and window's open again before winter hits. Bunny is done raising her chicks and has started back laying. Today makes egg number 3. The problem with this is for the 3rd time she's came in the back door and inspected every square inch of the living room, dining room and kitchen looking for a place to lay. If I let her she would lay that egg in the recliner. After her walk-a-bouts I've carried her to the front porch nest boxes where she used to lay and she's settled in and laid. She could skip the house tour entirely, and she knows that. But nope, have to sneak in and inspect everything and then head straight for the recliner. Also, how can a 5lb hen stomp and sound louder then a 90lb dog walking through the house? CeeCee does not make that much noise when she walks around.

Well, of course she makes that much noise...she needs to let you know that she is doing her inspection and it had better pass muster...or else their will be clucking to pay!!

 

[Ribh]

I know that they do. I have seen it myself. No one will ever convince me otherwise.

Me too. Everyone visits Sif every day as soon as they're let out & there is always 1 or 2 hens sitting with her throughout the day.

 

[bgmathteach]

I think the crack will repair itself. I would use cyanoacrylate adhesive if I thought it needed it.

Of course you would know what to use! Silly me.

I am assuming that crack isn't too bad, then? That's a good thing

 

[Shadrach]

The day got even better. Once I had finished digging the trench and got the wire in the bottom I went and sat on the ground close to the run and trees where a few of the chickens were relaxing. I sit cross legged on the ground. I can get up without having to use my hands quickly if necessary from that position.
I haven't been sitting for long when Lima comes around from behind me, climbs onto my boot and settles herself in my lap, stick her head under her wing and stays there!
Of course I'm entranced and sit there looking at this strange brave hen who would be the keel bone test be pronounced dead having anap in my lap. When I look up, Lima's legbar friend is standing by my boot looking at Lima and five of the Ex Batts are sitting or standing around me close enough for me to breath on.
Henry comes over and after a bit of awkward shuffling around me he gingerly walks up to my knee and gives it a peck then makes the coo cooing sound he makes to his hens when he's talking to them nicely and walks away to join the others.

One of the problems I've had is getting to have a decent look at all the hens and of course Henry. Most people who keep chickens will know that you can have a handfull of chickens under your feet, but bend down to pick one up and there are gone!
I picked up six hens this evening.

 

[BY Bob]

I am very reluctant to do anything bar the bare minimum with beak problems.
This study will help explain why.
I'n still horrified that there is an article here on BYC about beak trimming.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/

I have reshaped a couple of hens beaks in the past. I do it very carefully with an engineering file, a bit like a nail file. It takes weeks doing a bit at a time, trying to mimic the natural wear achieved when a hen wipes her beak on rough stone.

Thanks for posting. I have been saying this for years but never had the article to back it up. It was taught as fact at University so I assumed it was universally known. It is not. The chronic pain from removal of the tip is also worth noting. Poor things.

 

[RoyalChick]

I've had a terrific day.
I had planned to do some responsible grown up stuff today. But, come mid day, the sun was shining and I looked out the window and thought to myself I know where I would like to be and there is lots to do there as well, so there I went. There, is of course the allotments and chickens.

I got another stretch of fence sorted. I will explain a bit about the whole setup at some point. This stretch of fence had no buried chicken wire and just the stock net at the bottom half. Very easy for a stoat or weasel to get into the run.
View attachment 2873833View attachment 2873834View attachment 2873835
I don't work flat out these days; pensioners privildge. So, I head back into the run and watch the chickens on a regular basis.
The area I cleared a while back under the trees has become the favourite resting place for the chickens. They have the run fence at their back, cover in the weeds and from the trees and a good line of sight into the open run area. Thing is, the geese like it as well. There is constant mild friction between the geese and the chickens. It's mostly hiss and spit but given the size difference between the geese and the chickens, even Henry who is not a small rooster, if I'm not there, gives way to the geese.
When I do herd the geese away they waddle off back towards their "end" of the run and that's it until next time.
The youngest male who is one of the grey geese fancies himself a bit and is the first to make that ungainly head lowered charge at a chicken given the chance. There is a pathway around the back of the large netted frame that sits at one end of the run. I'm right behind the geese herding them on when four of them peeled off right to go around the netted frame when Mr I'm well hard peels off left to go around the back. Lima is standing about halfway along the back path having a bit of a dig. Mr I'm well hard drops his head and makes a bit of a charge at Lima. I'm about to dive on him full rugby style. Lima jumps up and foreward, gets a double foot smack on the gooses head, gives him a peck on the beak on her way down and is up in the air again for another go.
Mr I'm well hard falls over as he attempts to go backwards (there isn't any room to go around) flaps himself 180 degrees and runs away to join the others.
To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement.
This is a view looking from the other end, the geese end. The geese were coming towards you in the picture, away from the chickens. As you can see where the pallet is there isn't a lot of room to get by.
View attachment 2873866
Just to remind you, Lima.
View attachment 2873869
And in case you can't think how big geese are compared to these chickens. That's Mr I'm well hard at the front.
View attachment 2873873

Go Lima - you show those geese!