Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[notabitail]

Hawk Attack - not how I planned to spend Fluffy Butt Friday!

At about 12:45pm the sun came out and I thought I would let the chickens out to play in the sunshine before having some soup for lunch.
I was sitting with them and getting ready to post a FBF picture when I heard a thump followed by a lot of chicken squawking. I saw what I thought was Bernie aggressively attacking Pooh and I jumped up and ran towards them shouting at Bernie to leave Pooh alone.
Then I saw Bernie running towards the fight and I realized that the bird that was beating up Pooh was a hawk.
The hawk took off moments before I got my hands on it. Pooh and I stood there looking at each other in a mutual state of shock. Bernie was also clearly quite shaken.
While this was going on I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Babs herded some others into the run, but Sylvie was left outside. She hid herself under old dead twigs and was frozen completely still and would not budge.
I started checking. Both Pooh and Bernie looked superficially OK. They could both walk and both ate some grains.
I found Piglet and Tassels hiding in the nest boxes, but there was no sign of Calypso. She was literally nowhere to be found.
I was absolutely sure the hawk did not fly off with her. The heaps of feathers looked like they belonged to Pooh, Bernie, and maybe also the hawk. No black feathers.
So I spent the next 4 hours crawling through undergrowth and calling for Calypso.

It was just about dark and I had pretty much given up hope, when Calypso showed up shouting to be let in. I burst into tears with relief. I had moved my cameras to look outside the Chicken Palace for signs of Calypso - but none of them picked her up - she just materialized in the run shouting. So I still have absolutely no idea where she went.

Tonight Pooh is roosting in Bernie's prize spot with Bernie's permission - and indeed Bernie is roosting next to Pooh.
My blood pressure and pulse have nearly come down to normal and my temperature has moved up such that I can feel my fingers and toes again.

I do so hope Pooh is not badly injured. I was too cold and shaken to do an examination immediately - though I did observe her walk about, eat and drink so I could see she was roughly OK.
I am now wondering if I should pluck her off the roost in the middle of the night or should just watch her closely over the next 24 hours. Plucking her off the roost feels like it might be terrorizing her all over again.

That hawk came out of nowhere and it must have seen that I was there and just didn't care. Terrifying. Meanwhile, this was the fluffy butt photo I was in the middle of posting when this all happened.
View attachment 3724790

I hope they're all ok.

for all the stress.

 

[SimpleJenn]

I would wait til morning to check on her, let her settle a minute. Poor things, and poor you! Hawk attacks are scary, we had a momma hawk teaching her child to kill at our coop...he just kept killing them and got 4 or 5 by the time my mom figured it out and ran out there to scare it off.

 

[RoyalChick]

I would wait til morning to check on her, let her settle a minute. Poor things, and poor you! Hawk attacks are scary, we had a momma hawk teaching her child to kill at our coop...he just kept killing them and got 4 or 5 by the time my mom figured it out and ran out there to scare it off.

My instinct is to leave them both to settle. But neither of them are easy to handle so that means I won’t examine her for 24 hours.
I still think that may be the right thing to do.
I think Bernie was involved in the fight - her head feathers were all askew and she came running towards the hawk when it had Pooh pinned to the ground.
All the Princesses are in a state of shock poor girls.

 

[Ponypoor]

That’s a great layout, thanks for the tour!

And omg this cold! It’s laughable compared to some other folk’s on this thread, but the PNW is not cut out for this

Yes you guys are getting miserably cold weather, it’s crazy this year. Winter has arrived with a fury here, I was at the barn around 8 and already had a couple inches down. The chooks won’t get outside tomorrow.

 

[Ponypoor]

Almost end results on the noodlesView attachment 3724696


And some of the contributors
View attachment 3724698

Smells great! I smell it way over here - yum!

 

[BeastBaby]

Hawk Attack - not how I planned to spend Fluffy Butt Friday!

At about 12:45pm the sun came out and I thought I would let the chickens out to play in the sunshine before having some soup for lunch.
I was sitting with them and getting ready to post a FBF picture when I heard a thump followed by a lot of chicken squawking. I saw what I thought was Bernie aggressively attacking Pooh and I jumped up and ran towards them shouting at Bernie to leave Pooh alone.
Then I saw Bernie running towards the fight and I realized that the bird that was beating up Pooh was a hawk.
The hawk took off moments before I got my hands on it. Pooh and I stood there looking at each other in a mutual state of shock. Bernie was also clearly quite shaken.
While this was going on I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Babs herded some others into the run, but Sylvie was left outside. She hid herself under old dead twigs and was frozen completely still and would not budge.
I started checking. Both Pooh and Bernie looked superficially OK. They could both walk and both ate some grains.
I found Piglet and Tassels hiding in the nest boxes, but there was no sign of Calypso. She was literally nowhere to be found.
I was absolutely sure the hawk did not fly off with her. The heaps of feathers looked like they belonged to Pooh, Bernie, and maybe also the hawk. No black feathers.
So I spent the next 4 hours crawling through undergrowth and calling for Calypso.

It was just about dark and I had pretty much given up hope, when Calypso showed up shouting to be let in. I burst into tears with relief. I had moved my cameras to look outside the Chicken Palace for signs of Calypso - but none of them picked her up - she just materialized in the run shouting. So I still have absolutely no idea where she went.

Tonight Pooh is roosting in Bernie's prize spot with Bernie's permission - and indeed Bernie is roosting next to Pooh.
My blood pressure and pulse have nearly come down to normal and my temperature has moved up such that I can feel my fingers and toes again.

I do so hope Pooh is not badly injured. I was too cold and shaken to do an examination immediately - though I did observe her walk about, eat and drink so I could see she was roughly OK.
I am now wondering if I should pluck her off the roost in the middle of the night or should just watch her closely over the next 24 hours. Plucking her off the roost feels like it might be terrorizing her all over again.

That hawk came out of nowhere and it must have seen that I was there and just didn't care. Terrifying. Meanwhile, this was the fluffy butt photo I was in the middle of posting when this all happened.
View attachment 3724790

Oh my gosh!! That’s terrifying! I’m so sorry your day took this direction.
Bernie the roo though Did she make it into the fray? Do you know what type of hawk it was?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Hawk Attack - not how I planned to spend Fluffy Butt Friday!

At about 12:45pm the sun came out and I thought I would let the chickens out to play in the sunshine before having some soup for lunch.
I was sitting with them and getting ready to post a FBF picture when I heard a thump followed by a lot of chicken squawking. I saw what I thought was Bernie aggressively attacking Pooh and I jumped up and ran towards them shouting at Bernie to leave Pooh alone.
Then I saw Bernie running towards the fight and I realized that the bird that was beating up Pooh was a hawk.
The hawk took off moments before I got my hands on it. Pooh and I stood there looking at each other in a mutual state of shock. Bernie was also clearly quite shaken.
While this was going on I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Babs herded some others into the run, but Sylvie was left outside. She hid herself under old dead twigs and was frozen completely still and would not budge.
I started checking. Both Pooh and Bernie looked superficially OK. They could both walk and both ate some grains.
I found Piglet and Tassels hiding in the nest boxes, but there was no sign of Calypso. She was literally nowhere to be found.
I was absolutely sure the hawk did not fly off with her. The heaps of feathers looked like they belonged to Pooh, Bernie, and maybe also the hawk. No black feathers.
So I spent the next 4 hours crawling through undergrowth and calling for Calypso.

It was just about dark and I had pretty much given up hope, when Calypso showed up shouting to be let in. I burst into tears with relief. I had moved my cameras to look outside the Chicken Palace for signs of Calypso - but none of them picked her up - she just materialized in the run shouting. So I still have absolutely no idea where she went.

Tonight Pooh is roosting in Bernie's prize spot with Bernie's permission - and indeed Bernie is roosting next to Pooh.
My blood pressure and pulse have nearly come down to normal and my temperature has moved up such that I can feel my fingers and toes again.

I do so hope Pooh is not badly injured. I was too cold and shaken to do an examination immediately - though I did observe her walk about, eat and drink so I could see she was roughly OK.
I am now wondering if I should pluck her off the roost in the middle of the night or should just watch her closely over the next 24 hours. Plucking her off the roost feels like it might be terrorizing her all over again.

That hawk came out of nowhere and it must have seen that I was there and just didn't care. Terrifying. Meanwhile, this was the fluffy butt photo I was in the middle of posting when this all happened.
View attachment 3724790

Scary situation but it was a blessing you were there. I agree with both Bernie and Pooh not showing visible blood it is best not to go out and handle them. They ate, are walking and hopefully drunk something. My biggest concern would be shock now. Adding to their stress by handling them could send them over the edge if they are on the verge. If she would allow them Bernie needs a big hug, Babs too for that matter. Bernie took it upon herself like she has in the past to act like a rooster and defend her flock. Babs did her part by herding the rest to safety.

 

[Ponypoor]

The snow storm that wasn’t…. +3 and rain now.

Checked the chooks and horses Marty is going around her crate like a wild thing, Likely wants to lay an egg, at 3:18am I am not going out there to let her in a nest box!

 

[Ponypoor]

You don’t even understand how that feels: I have shadowed Bob’s thread for SO long, and have always wanted to be taxed

So here it goes!! Current, right-this-minute CHICKEN DRAMA!
View attachment 3724728
I moved the roosts around in the coop to fit Perry’s protection cage so she can sleep in there unbothered…
Well it’s currently bed time and Becky is guarding the door! The other three adults are ready for sleep.

View attachment 3724733
Whiskey and Albert outside the coop, pacing and wondering when damned Becky will let them in.

View attachment 3724736Also, Dottie had a big day! Her first egg in many months! She vacillates between a nice clean beige or lovely pink eggs.

Ah yes bedtime drama - we all know it well, and glad you got to participate in chicken tax

 

[Ponypoor]

Hawk Attack - not how I planned to spend Fluffy Butt Friday!

At about 12:45pm the sun came out and I thought I would let the chickens out to play in the sunshine before having some soup for lunch.
I was sitting with them and getting ready to post a FBF picture when I heard a thump followed by a lot of chicken squawking. I saw what I thought was Bernie aggressively attacking Pooh and I jumped up and ran towards them shouting at Bernie to leave Pooh alone.
Then I saw Bernie running towards the fight and I realized that the bird that was beating up Pooh was a hawk.
The hawk took off moments before I got my hands on it. Pooh and I stood there looking at each other in a mutual state of shock. Bernie was also clearly quite shaken.
While this was going on I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Babs herded some others into the run, but Sylvie was left outside. She hid herself under old dead twigs and was frozen completely still and would not budge.
I started checking. Both Pooh and Bernie looked superficially OK. They could both walk and both ate some grains.
I found Piglet and Tassels hiding in the nest boxes, but there was no sign of Calypso. She was literally nowhere to be found.
I was absolutely sure the hawk did not fly off with her. The heaps of feathers looked like they belonged to Pooh, Bernie, and maybe also the hawk. No black feathers.
So I spent the next 4 hours crawling through undergrowth and calling for Calypso.

It was just about dark and I had pretty much given up hope, when Calypso showed up shouting to be let in. I burst into tears with relief. I had moved my cameras to look outside the Chicken Palace for signs of Calypso - but none of them picked her up - she just materialized in the run shouting. So I still have absolutely no idea where she went.

Tonight Pooh is roosting in Bernie's prize spot with Bernie's permission - and indeed Bernie is roosting next to Pooh.
My blood pressure and pulse have nearly come down to normal and my temperature has moved up such that I can feel my fingers and toes again.

I do so hope Pooh is not badly injured. I was too cold and shaken to do an examination immediately - though I did observe her walk about, eat and drink so I could see she was roughly OK.
I am now wondering if I should pluck her off the roost in the middle of the night or should just watch her closely over the next 24 hours. Plucking her off the roost feels like it might be terrorizing her all over again.

That hawk came out of nowhere and it must have seen that I was there and just didn't care. Terrifying. Meanwhile, this was the fluffy butt photo I was in the middle of posting when this all happened.
View attachment 3724790

Holy Dinah! Oh My! Well that’s it, I am never letting my gang out ever again

Gosh I am just right there with you on the heart beats going up, I was expecting bad news with Calypso. Sure hope Pooh is ok, I am in the process of catching up here