Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Little about myself. When I was very young, my dad bought me a model wood airplane (which I had to build) but when I was finished with it, it took off and flew into the sky. At that moment I knew I would be an aviator. I did love my dad, and I love my Cessna SkyHawk! RIP dad, and thank you again!

 

[Ponypoor]

Well there was a mad stampeed to the back door and everyone rush up Mount Poopmore.

The 12 week old chicks didn't stay out long though, I guess they r doing their 12 week molt and feel the cold more. The grey girls had to think about it also haha

 

[Ponypoor]

This is why I have a chicken room inside the house

Haha awesome! Yep my barn office is a 'chicken hangout room'.

 

[Ponypoor]

Little about myself. When I was very young, my dad bought me a model wood airplane (which I had to build) but when I was finished with it, it took off and flew into the sky. At that moment I knew I would be an aviator. I did love my dad, and I love my Cessna SkyHawk! RIP dad, and thank you again!

Wonderful story!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

A Memory
Everyone who reads here regularly will recognize that Aurora truly hates the snow. Well 3 years ago Aurora was not in charge. Her sister Maleficent was. So great was Maleficent's hold on her that Aurora would go out and explore the snow with her.
View attachment 2954249

Mal always had that 1 tail feather that seemed out of place. So endearing.

And some rare video proof.

@Ribh, @micstrachan, @MaryJanet, @Aussie-Chookmum, @ChicoryBlue, @LozzyR, @Chicken poppy

The date on the video title is December '21, but that's Mal back there? Is it Dec '20 or Dec '19?

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Boy It is tough to live from boxes. I remember doing that. I pray they move out soon.

me to,

 

[Lexicon]

Now under a freezing rain warning and snowfall watch ...

Supposed to be +1 by morning, I think mother nature is bonkers!! But if it gets mild my gang might go out and root around the manure pile tomorrow morning while I do chores.

Then back to -25C for Monday and back up to +3 Wednesday never seen such wild temperature swings before. Livestock really has a hard time with this.

Yes, I can imagine that would be really hard and the ice when everything freezes again must be terrible! We very rarely get temperatures above freezing from November to March which means that every flake of snow we receive stays with us, but at least it isn't sheer ice!

 

[BY Bob]

The date on the video title is December '21, but that's Mal back there? Is it Dec '20 or Dec '19?

Yes 2019. Silly brain.

The month was wrong too.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Apparently the law has been changed on shooting wild birds, it's encouraged too protect the predator species.

I read this in the guardian, if they have a license they can shoot.

Wild birds can be killed to protect game birds in England – new guidance​

Gamekeepers told certain species such as carrion crows and jackdaws can be shot as government updates definition of ‘livestock’

Carrion crows are among the species gamekeepers are allowed to kill, as well as jackdaws, magpies and rooks. Photograph: cadifor/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Helena Horton
Mon 3 Jan 2022 11.07 EST

• 
  
• 
  

Some wild birds can be killed in order to protect game birds bred for shooting in England, the government has ruled, in an update to guidance on general shooting licences.
General licences give broad permissions to shoot certain species of wild birds to protect livestock, aid conservation, and preserve health and public safety.

The new licences have been issued for two years rather than one, with government officials saying this is to provide “stability and certainty” to shooters.
General licences are permissive licences, meaning users do not need to apply for them but they must comply with their terms and conditions when undertaking licensed acts.
There has been debate over whether pheasants, partridges and grouse count as livestock, as they are wild birds, and so whether predators can be shot in order to protect them.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has released a new definition of “livestock” including these birds, to give explicit permission to shoot carrion crows, jackdaws, magpies and rooks.
It reads: “‘Livestock’ is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 [Wildlife and Countryside] Act. For the purpose of this licence, this expression also includes game birds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water or shelter by a keeper for their survival. This does not include supplementary feeding.”
A Defra spokesperson said the change was made after gamekeepers asked for more clarity about whether game birds counted as livestock.
The new language makes it clear that wild predatory birds cannot be shot under this licence in order to protect wild game birds that are not dependent on food and shelter from humans, but they can be shot under the licence if they are.
The official added: “The new general licences have been updated to clarify when they apply and make clear when a game bird ceases to be livestock and becomes a wild bird. None of the changes alter the activities licence users are authorised to do.
“We continue to work with stakeholders to ensure our licensing process is robust for wildlife and workable for users going forward.”
Conservation groups raised concerns that the update could mean an increase in the killing of wild birds.
The RSPB’s head of site conservation policy, Kate Jennings, said: “If this update to the livestock general licence goes beyond a reclassification of terminology and implies that it will lead to an increase in the killing of wild birds to protect game bird interests, then given the nature and climate emergency we find ourselves in, this would be a massive backward step for nature conservation in this country.”
The general licences have been challenged by wildlife groups including the BBC presenter Chris Packham’s Wild Justice. His group has challenged the legislation and in 2019 managed to get it suspended. Wild Justice has since managed to secure changes including removing all gull species, and the places they can be used no longer include sites of special scientific interest and other nature reserves.
This article was amended on 4 January 2022. The headline of an earlier version inaccurately said the law had been changed; it is the guidance on licences that has changed by introducing a new definition of “livestock”. The sub-heading and introduction was also amended to clarify this.

 

[BY Bob]

Wild birds can be killed to protect game birds in England – new guidance​

Gamekeepers told certain species such as carrion crows and jackdaws can be shot as government updates definition of ‘livestock’

Carrion crows are among the species gamekeepers are allowed to kill, as well as jackdaws, magpies and rooks. Photograph: cadifor/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Helena Horton
Mon 3 Jan 2022 11.07 EST

• 
  
• 
  

Some wild birds can be killed in order to protect game birds bred for shooting in England, the government has ruled, in an update to guidance on general shooting licences.
General licences give broad permissions to shoot certain species of wild birds to protect livestock, aid conservation, and preserve health and public safety.

The new licences have been issued for two years rather than one, with government officials saying this is to provide “stability and certainty” to shooters.
General licences are permissive licences, meaning users do not need to apply for them but they must comply with their terms and conditions when undertaking licensed acts.
There has been debate over whether pheasants, partridges and grouse count as livestock, as they are wild birds, and so whether predators can be shot in order to protect them.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has released a new definition of “livestock” including these birds, to give explicit permission to shoot carrion crows, jackdaws, magpies and rooks.
It reads: “‘Livestock’ is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 [Wildlife and Countryside] Act. For the purpose of this licence, this expression also includes game birds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water or shelter by a keeper for their survival. This does not include supplementary feeding.”
A Defra spokesperson said the change was made after gamekeepers asked for more clarity about whether game birds counted as livestock.
The new language makes it clear that wild predatory birds cannot be shot under this licence in order to protect wild game birds that are not dependent on food and shelter from humans, but they can be shot under the licence if they are.
The official added: “The new general licences have been updated to clarify when they apply and make clear when a game bird ceases to be livestock and becomes a wild bird. None of the changes alter the activities licence users are authorised to do.
“We continue to work with stakeholders to ensure our licensing process is robust for wildlife and workable for users going forward.”
Conservation groups raised concerns that the update could mean an increase in the killing of wild birds.
The RSPB’s head of site conservation policy, Kate Jennings, said: “If this update to the livestock general licence goes beyond a reclassification of terminology and implies that it will lead to an increase in the killing of wild birds to protect game bird interests, then given the nature and climate emergency we find ourselves in, this would be a massive backward step for nature conservation in this country.”
The general licences have been challenged by wildlife groups including the BBC presenter Chris Packham’s Wild Justice. His group has challenged the legislation and in 2019 managed to get it suspended. Wild Justice has since managed to secure changes including removing all gull species, and the places they can be used no longer include sites of special scientific interest and other nature reserves.
This article was amended on 4 January 2022. The headline of an earlier version inaccurately said the law had been changed; it is the guidance on licences that has changed by introducing a new definition of “livestock”. The sub-heading and introduction was also amended to clarify this.

Wow. That is something. Thanks for running this down.