Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

I didn't explain correctly. It's in my medical kit.

I got a reply from the online vets, after I wrote telling them that I had received good results from a lab for my chickens, and they were clear of all worms.
They replied that they could only offer worm tests and hoped their reply was helpful

@everyone
Please do not be offended I am simply stating what I feel. I NEVER want too have anyone ever too suggest that I take my animal's too a veterinarian again! Just saying.

This is my past experience of vets...

One deliberately killed a bird I rescued, I was informed of this by another vet, that my bird had be prescribed an overdose of drugs. I paid hundreds of pounds too that psychopath.

My dog was almost killed by being used for money, for a false heart disease, again that was explained by the same vet, he took my dog off that heart treatment, that cost thousands with vet appointments.

My friends cat died within TWO HOURS of taking treatment from another animal doctor, they gave him steroids.

So I think anyone with an ounce of common sense after reading this comment will totally understand why I will never trust them EVER again.

Now I need too learn a lot, so please forgive my silly questions in the future. Because I'm all these poor creatures have too keep them alive. Thank god there isn't a vet that could be bothered too drive a car too this area because as of this last email, I honestly do not want anything to do with the money grabbing waste of time.
@bgmathteach . No veterinarians advice again please, no offence

I know no one here claims too be a professional, but trust me I've read more than enough here that beats the butts off any of the losers I've paid in the past, so I'll take my chances if you don't mind sharing what you can .

Breathe in and out again. Phew

No offense taken...just that question was well beyond my abilities!

 

[bgmathteach]

Shake it Out! Shake it Out!

I was eating lunch on the deck the other day and everyone came running up to me looking for their share. Apparently I interrupted Phyllis' bath. She was up on the deck box posing and I thought I would get a photo of her modeling when this happened.

View attachment 2881401View attachment 2881402View attachment 2881403View attachment 2881404View attachment 2881405

Hmmm, Phyllis a.k.a pigpen!!
What a perfect shot of the dust exploding off her with the shake!!

 

[BY Bob]

They do, at least in the Northeast. The only raptors that might hang around here, and only if they can eat, are eagles. Around here, they hang out at power station outlets (warm water, unfrozen, and fish gather there).

But like Snowy Owls, some far northern raptors will come south only a ways. Like Red Shouldered (I think) hawks will come south from Canada. I don't see them here ever really, only on bird trips in the winter that go further north to the Mohawk Valley. But our Red Tails, Sharp -Shinned, Coopers hawks, and Peregrine's and the Kestrels, don't stay around here, they definitely go further south for the winter.

So they are all likely passing by you too. And the young ones, inexperienced at hunting the fields and forests or usual ways, are starving and desperate. Experienced hawks might go both ways. If there's been good hunting and they've not been harassed they might try it. But generally Red Tails are cautious around people.

Yesterday the Hawkwatch counted 143 Red Tails coming through. Lots of Turkey Vultures too. Bald Eagles have been all through for the most part.

I had originally gone out to let the chickens out to forage beyond the moveable runs, and I would do my vocal exercises and chicken chores and watch them, when I found them fearful and hiding. So after giving them the sunflowers seeds I left them. Came back a while later, two were out getting pellets, so I sang again in there in the attached big wire run and they looked like it reassured them, and the other two came out of the coop but nobody had really any interest in going any further, even into where I was. Hazel ate pellets and drank (good) but stayed watchful. That's her in the back always with the neck up. But they all were pretty wary. It was so persistent I worried about a feral cat (our cat has indicated there's someone about) or a weasel and that's why I double-checked the electric fence. Maybe a hawk had been right over them in the trees. They are safe from hawks in both the wire runs, and safe in the aviary runs except if they are caught right next to the wall through the netting, relatively unlikely.

Butters' moltiness easy to spot on the left. She looks long-legged now, there's no feathers on her legs or belly, hardly. Popcorn in front, Peanut in the middle, Hazel in back. They were doing a lot of checking the coop door, in case they wanted to go up quickly.
View attachment 2881286

Everyone pecking around for any stray sunflower seeds while Hazel watches.
View attachment 2881291

Hazel and Popcorn conferring, Butters with head down, Peanut going to get a drink.
View attachment 2881296

Popcorn eating from the little cup feeder, Peanut and Butters head down, Hazel still watching.
View attachment 2881298

So it seems Hazel was on sentinel duty today for your tribe. The migration of hawks would explain why I see them this time of year. Fascinating. Thanks for the information. I have learned something new today.

 

[BY Bob]

Seven Nights in a Row

Phyllis has now roosted in the Cluckle Hut on her own for seven straight nights. Is it safe to call that switch a success yet?

If so, that is one problem solved and we are on to free ranging companionship.

 

[RoyalChick]

They do, at least in the Northeast. The only raptors that might hang around here, and only if they can eat, are eagles. Around here, they hang out at power station outlets (warm water, unfrozen, and fish gather there).

But like Snowy Owls, some far northern raptors will come south only a ways. Like Red Shouldered (I think) hawks will come south from Canada. I don't see them here ever really, only on bird trips in the winter that go further north to the Mohawk Valley. But our Red Tails, Sharp -Shinned, Coopers hawks, and Peregrine's and the Kestrels, don't stay around here, they definitely go further south for the winter.

So they are all likely passing by you too. And the young ones, inexperienced at hunting the fields and forests or usual ways, are starving and desperate. Experienced hawks might go both ways. If there's been good hunting and they've not been harassed they might try it. But generally Red Tails are cautious around people.

Yesterday the Hawkwatch counted 143 Red Tails coming through. Lots of Turkey Vultures too. Bald Eagles have been all through for the most part.

I had originally gone out to let the chickens out to forage beyond the moveable runs, and I would do my vocal exercises and chicken chores and watch them, when I found them fearful and hiding. So after giving them the sunflowers seeds I left them. Came back a while later, two were out getting pellets, so I sang again in there in the attached big wire run and they looked like it reassured them, and the other two came out of the coop but nobody had really any interest in going any further, even into where I was. Hazel ate pellets and drank (good) but stayed watchful. That's her in the back always with the neck up. But they all were pretty wary. It was so persistent I worried about a feral cat (our cat has indicated there's someone about) or a weasel and that's why I double-checked the electric fence. Maybe a hawk had been right over them in the trees. They are safe from hawks in both the wire runs, and safe in the aviary runs except if they are caught right next to the wall through the netting, relatively unlikely.

Butters' moltiness easy to spot on the left. She looks long-legged now, there's no feathers on her legs or belly, hardly. Popcorn in front, Peanut in the middle, Hazel in back. They were doing a lot of checking the coop door, in case they wanted to go up quickly.
View attachment 2881286

Everyone pecking around for any stray sunflower seeds while Hazel watches.
View attachment 2881291

Hazel and Popcorn conferring, Butters with head down, Peanut going to get a drink.
View attachment 2881296

Popcorn eating from the little cup feeder, Peanut and Butters head down, Hazel still watching.
View attachment 2881298

I too did not know that hawks migrated. There is a raptor rescue near me. They have some really knowledgeable wildlife folk. I should go talk to them and learn more. For some reason I am hopeless at identifying big birds overhead. Which makes me of no help to my chickens! I need to learn more about them.

 

[RoyalChick]

We will do what we can to help. If you do have a problem, use the illness forums too and try to have pictures and video so everyone can see first hand what is happening.

Good advice. @Marie2020 at least for me it would help to know you have posted on the illnesses forum. I am usually of no use as I am so new to chickens. But I worry when I think you aren’t accessing the full set of people on BYC who can help. We are lucky on this thread to have some experienced folk but there are others out there in the rest of BYC who have loads of experience.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I too did not know that hawks migrated. There is a raptor rescue near me. They have some really knowledgeable wildlife folk. I should go talk to them and learn more. For some reason I am hopeless at identifying big birds overhead. Which makes me of no help to my chickens! I need to learn more about them.

Well no big bird overhead is good news unless it's a raven, crow or turkey vulture, black vulture. Oh okay, a Pileated Woodpecker is big, include that. Everybody else is a threat. So you could just work it from that perspective, if you want. But anything big overhead they should be afraid of anyway!

 

[featherhead007]

I too did not know that hawks migrated. There is a raptor rescue near me. They have some really knowledgeable wildlife folk. I should go talk to them and learn more. For some reason I am hopeless at identifying big birds overhead. Which makes me of no help to my chickens! I need to learn more about them.

I do know, that European swallows (carrying coconuts do migrate!) not too sure about the African swallow?

 

[featherhead007]

Say good night to the nice people on BYC , Arizona and Dakota.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Good advice. @Marie2020 at least for me it would help to know you have posted on the illnesses forum. I am usually of no use as I am so new to chickens. But I worry when I think you aren’t accessing the full set of people on BYC who can help. We are lucky on this thread to have some experienced folk but there are others out there in the rest of BYC who have loads of experience.

To add on, some here might be good at knowing who on BYC has the experience and is knowledgeable. Like I would listen to @aart , @rjohns39 , @DobieLover, and there are others I can't think of right now. You can look at the tags -educator is good I think? - and profiles, length of time on BYC and previous posts of anyone who offers advice and get a feel for how experienced and helpful they might be.