Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Hi everyone. I hope all is going well. It was a terrific day with the girls. You know what? I think the veggies I’m grating for them might be making them healthier. That combined with the spring-like weather we are having (drought in California is returning to scary levels after a completely dry January). Today there were two eggs. The youngins seem to be coming back into lay. The almost 5+ year olds? Not so much.

In other news… we might have a place to move to!!! The best part? The owner who lives next door is excited for chickens and tomatoes!!! I think it’s going to be OK. It’s only 7 minutes away from here and we’ll still have a bedroom for my son to come home to from college. We’ll be paying 32% more in rent (ouch) for a slightly smaller place, but we’ll just have to not be so spendy on other things. And my chickens will be welcome. I’m actually kind of excited.

So glad you've found somewhere suitable and chicken friendly.

 

[Kris5902]

I just want to say thank you again to everyone, for all the support, understanding, and kindness… I’m kicking myself (just a little) for not coming back on sooner. I felt bad about how things were going, embarrassed and upset about the house situation. After my Dad even loaned me the cash for the guys that didn’t even show up, I literally avoided calling him for over four months. My Chicken friends here all sort of fell into that same avoidance cycle. If I don’t log on I don’t need to let anyone know how bad things are. It literally took a slightly disreputable tow truck driver calling me out on my trucks condition to kick me in the backside and get me doing things again.

 

[micstrachan]

Then this will work for a coop only as long as they have the run. It is too small to be all their living space.

Oh, yes, I know that. I’m wondering about sleepy time. I’m going to research sheds.

 

[micstrachan]

Free Ranging on a Saturday

Yesterday's free range meeting went very well despite the need for them to work on some pecking order reminders and establishments.

Betty must have been relationship building along the drop door as no one was phased at all when she came around the corner and joined everyone.

Here is the first time they truly met, beak to beak.

Aurora did give her one little peck that weren't nothing but Lilly knows how to welcome new hens. The best part of this video is when Lilly spits out Betty's feather at the end. I don't know why but it made me giggle. Poor Betty but that is so classic Lilly. The old girl still has it.

I think it went amazingly well! The feather spitting cracked me up, too!

 

[micstrachan]

So you need to add on that additional expense before comparing to the cost of relocating the hens' existing home.

True. I just don’t know how realistic it is. I’m having trouble finding a good photo that shows size perspective, but here is DH putting the roof shingles on years ago. Note how the top of the ladder is well below the lower roof line. Anyway, he confirmed two things tonight. It’s pretty impossible to take apart to move and it wouldn’t fit in any path to get it where it needs to go.

The shed search is on.

 

[micstrachan]

Digging into the archives for Mugs Monday. I just came across cutie Cashew as a chick.

And here is Dorothy for Bob. The coop and run are in the background. The lounge chairs are good for size reference, as is the little, red, prefab coop inside the run.

 

[micstrachan]

I just want to say thank you again to everyone, for all the support, understanding, and kindness… I’m kicking myself (just a little) for not coming back on sooner. I felt bad about how things were going, embarrassed and upset about the house situation. After my Dad even loaned me the cash for the guys that didn’t even show up, I literally avoided calling him for over four months. My Chicken friends here all sort of fell into that same avoidance cycle. If I don’t log on I don’t need to let anyone know how bad things are. It literally took a slightly disreputable tow truck driver calling me out on my trucks condition to kick me in the backside and get me doing things again.

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We are here for you! I’m so glad you are back!

 

[micstrachan]

Hawk Attack
As most of you know, I have a lot of chickens. I am out with them when free ranging, but it is impossible to be 'near' them all as each group tends to go to a different spot.

So, I was hanging around with the group that is in the most unprotected area...when I hear a "Whummmp" (Sounded like a cow-patty hitting a wooden wall.) Then, a fruckus breaks out from the group near the house, with hens running & squawking bloody murder!. I go running over to that space (thinking the neighbor's dog was out & chasing them.) Nooooo, as I arrive (out of breath) a 'chicken'; flushes from the dense yew shrub against the house - I look down under the shrub, and there is a hen 'dust-bathing'. I look back in the direction the flushed 'hen' went and see our resident hawk sitting on a limb not 30 feet from me. I ran at ?her? yelling & waving my arms and she took off.

Back to the hen under the shrub..I could see blood dripping from her mouth, but she was clearly frightened and wouldn't let me near her. Finally got hubby to help and caught her. After cleaning her up, it appears this is her damage:
Scraped/abrasion on skin @ base of left side of beak and just below eye - minor. Blood from inside the mouth leaking out both sides of beak and dripping from cheek puffs appeared to be from a talon piercing the right 'cheek' through into the mouth, and she has an abrasion/cut around her right nare. After cleaning her up best I could and applying triple antibiotic ointment to exterior, she seemed okay but still quite frightened (she was anything but cooperative!). She will be fine if she doesn't get an infection. I am concerned about the inside of her mouth getting infected...but outside has been flushed well & again, anti-biotic cream....

Didn't have camera with me then, but older, poor pick of hawks (I am pretty sure they are Cooper's)
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My Americauna hen, after clean-up: (it was still bleeding slightly)
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Aww, poor girlie! I’m glad she is mostly ok. Scary stuff!

 

[micstrachan]

So we have some new introductions… here is Chunk Roostie’s boy, he’s big like his father, and quite Tall. With a very good demeanour. Still has a bit of the cow hocks going on, but he’s a sweetie.View attachment 2985428

And Dean Crowing, you can see the still black tips of his comb from the frostbite…View attachment 2985432Tailless, Goldie (aka mean meat mama!) and the new favourite dust bath spotView attachment 2985441

And this nice little girl shows her grand-dad Chickie Hawk’s cheek puffs!View attachment 2985443

All beauties!

 

[LozzyR]

I just want to say thank you again to everyone, for all the support, understanding, and kindness… I’m kicking myself (just a little) for not coming back on sooner. I felt bad about how things were going, embarrassed and upset about the house situation. After my Dad even loaned me the cash for the guys that didn’t even show up, I literally avoided calling him for over four months. My Chicken friends here all sort of fell into that same avoidance cycle. If I don’t log on I don’t need to let anyone know how bad things are. It literally took a slightly disreputable tow truck driver calling me out on my trucks condition to kick me in the backside and get me doing things again.

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So glad you’re back. Sorry you’ve been having so many troubles!