Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

Big black birds.
It seemed today there was a convention of big black birds in the field outside the Chicken Palace.
There was a large hawk calling out (the Chickens were aware of its presence and stayed in their covered run).
The crows were running interference and making a lot of noise.
Then there were the vultures. These were not turkey vultures, they were black vultures. What is scary is that black vultures do not limit themselves to carrion - they will take live prey and are known to be able to take down a newborn calf.
Yikes!
Blurry photo of a black vulture. The tell-tale sign is that the face is grey rather than red.

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Scary!!! Glad the girls know to be wary!!!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It appears I'm in the minority with Kris in not liking the name Wasabi. I don't even know why she is so dead set on naming one that. She has never even tried it, although she does like spicy stuff so I'm sure she would like it. Now if you were to ask me why I do not like the name, I don't have any other reason besides thinking it is not a chicken name.

 

[featherhead007]

Thanks he is a looker, both are pretty. But they r holy terrors! Pangoo is completely stressed with them. I will need to get rid of them...

But you aren’t getting rid of Pangoo? NO!

 

[featherhead007]

That concentration of those species would have me expecting to find something deceased in the vicinity… our turkey vultures are migratory and not due in for another three weeks or so. I will appreciate them arriving and cleaning up some of the nearby dead goats. The Eagles are mostly currently focused on doing unpleasant things to newborn lambs.

I have to say it. If Turkey vultures are migrating, and coming your way, do they carry coconuts also? If so, save me a few.

 

[Kris5902]

 

[featherhead007]

It must be a pleasure, to have so many feathered personalities like you have!

 

[Kris5902]

It must be a pleasure, to have so many feathered personalities like you have!

These four decided not to go for the scratch… they were too happy with their dust bath. The little white one who got bloodied by a cockerel had me worried for a second, I don’t think Dean and Barney’s boys are going to be with us too much terribly longer either

 

[Kris5902]

I find all of this fascinating. Do you maintain breeding charts? I assume a lot of what you do is intentional but there must be happy accidents too, right?

So I should probably start maintaining more records about who is who and such for my breeding, but so far I’ve been just keeping most of it in my head. With the whole flock being together and not having any trapping nextboxes it’s a bit of a guess right now as to whose egg is whose and who the day might be! I’ll be a bit more organized when I start giving broodies eggs this year, I hope. I didn’t have great hatch Rates with the meat breeding program, in fact this was the first time I successfully hatched any of the Curvy girls eggs. Almost all of them are Sasso/Roostie crosses, although one might be from the Western Rustic Meat Rescues from that other Farm. Chunk is the only one with any real size to him but as you can see the pullets maintained some of their parents conformation. The Sassos were a slightly slower growing Ranger type and after the mink Attack I have three left, Meat Mama (who went Broody) Ziptie (my not so little flier), And Trouble who developed the habit of pecking my legs after they lost Roostie and hadn’t integrated with the main free Range Flock. Tailless doesn’t seem to have viable eggs, but I may try a few more this year.

The last photo isn’t really a perspective trick, she is THAT small compared to her cousin in the foreground, a western rustic. She’s currently the most popular with the little jerks, because she is so small and round she’s easy to catch… which is why she’s so rough looking. She also has been playing at being broody, so we might be getting to that time of year again.

 

[Kris5902]

This little girl just keeps posing for me, which is why you are seeing so many pictures of her!

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes it is. Their wing span is about 5’. The Turkey Vultures (which I also have) are a shade bigger but are purely carrion eaters.

Very familiar with turkey vultures, they nest in my neighbours barn. I love watching when the babies start learning to fly , take off pretty good, flapping is hilarious, gliding takes some learning an landing is down right comical

By end of summer tho they are soaring pros.

The chickies are freaked out whenever they soar overhead!