Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Yes I know what you mean, my gang is so happy being out and about, I also run through ways I can keep them safe. Realistically I don’t know how I can put anything over top of the yard at the barn, I drive back there too often.

I have half arse plans for putting a hoop roof over the alleyway between the paddocks and the run, it’s 16’ wide and about 100’ long. So that’s rather pricy to do.

Next summer we will see what I can do to protect them, meanwhile they can stay inside for the winter - it’s too cold for them outside.

Have you had a chance to check them today?

It is just getting light. The weather is appalling - high wind and heavy rain. I am just about to go out with some mash and treats. Looking on camera everyone seems to be moving normally.
Preening party underway.

 

[Ponypoor]

It is just getting light. The weather is appalling - high wind and heavy rain. I am just about to go out with some mash and treats. Looking on camera everyone seems to be moving normally.
Preening party underway.
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We had a few hrs of wild wind and snow last evening, then around midnight the rain started. We only got about a couple inches of snow so that is good,

Now the cold is set to arrive, and I am sure the chooks will be grumpy about that. I really need to get the Hen House ‘B’ set up for them tonight, it will be less drafty for them and warmer at night.

Tonight I am going to keep Marty in the HennHouse, she trashed her crate knocked over her water pooped in her feed. And as far as I can tell didn’t lay an egg at all! Hopefully her feathers have grown out enough to keep her comfy. Chickens!!!

 

[rural mouse]

An hour ago, it was -38. Now it's -39. Staying home and not going out to the coop for at least another couple of hours. Sporadic snow yesterday. Only critters moving around outside were the magpies.

 

[Ponypoor]

An hour ago, it was -38. Now it's -39. Staying home and not going out to the coop for at least another couple of hours. Sporadic snow yesterday. Only critters moving around outside were the magpies.

Brrrrr!

Be careful - those are dangerous temperatures.

And just as well you chooks stay inside.

 

[Ponypoor]

Ponypoor

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Mr P keeps getting pecked by his ladies, and what happened to Flopsy?

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Some baby photos

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Beastbaby

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Perry is such a fun little chook and she flies really well too!

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Marie2020

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Her new waterer is proving difficult to open

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Some suggestions for opening the waterer:

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And her lovely Princess and her moggy Puss are a wonderful team.

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Princess is just so darn lovely

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Grandma the Chicken

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GtC is having a snow event!

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I want a goose like George

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RoyalChick

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Has a new title ‘Hen Pecked’ which has led to other Premium Members changing theirs

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Hawk Attack - gosh so scary!

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And next morning everyone is having a preening party.

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RebeccaBoyd

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Congratulations to Little Dottie your n laying her first egg

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And and Owly should start laying soon also it seems!

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Jan 8th is National Hug your Chicken Day

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All of us are so happy that Rebecca and her family will have some help with her Grandma.

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Rural mouse

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Started some chicken banter (bantam???) surrounding a new title for bgmathteach

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By Bob

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Bob and Phyllis have compiled an outstanding playlist for us all to par-tay (party) to. Let the singing and dancing commence!

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Queen Aurora I doing some dinosaur hunting

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Should she have her own signature theme song?

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Bob thinks this is her ‘song’ hahaha yep!

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She definitely needs a theme song of her own or a suitable playlist for her regal bearing.

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Or maybe this one is better suited to her

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And inspiring…

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Of course there are many suggestions - all of which I love of course

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Featherhead007

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Love the cartoon, now how about a tune !

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Also hoping you feel better soon there Alex

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Notabitail

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Wow check out this Exchequer what a beautiful hen

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His little brother made him a lovely gift

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Fuentemoon

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Popped in with a Tuesday two-fer. Such lovely ladies

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SimpleJenn

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It seems her hubby is now falling for the chicken math dilemma!

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And some advice from RoyalChick on what to build for her new coop

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And she has a wonderful new egg! Who is laying that beautiful egg? Samara is SJ’s guess, We love those first eggs! Congratulations!

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BeastBaby

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I really enjoy hearing about her lovely chooks, and her newest addition Perry

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Pastel the Rooster

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A group photo of her lovely flock

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Lilion

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An update from Lilion on her feathered beauties, and well wishes to her husband having some surgery on Wednesday.

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And a posted update - her husband and her chooks are all good - the weather is another story - ahhh gotta luv winter.

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Some people are just plain rude - it’s not nice when people leave you hanging. Seems the person coming for her Roo never did show up.

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DesertValleyChickens

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Has such beautiful chooks, I love this pretty photo of her Roo and hen.

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GregnLety

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Greg has a beautiful new grandson

Congratulations!

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Kris5902

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Wow I have to say Kris is a wonderful carpenter - she builds a house, goat and chickens sheds, a bed for her mum and a new chicken duck coop for her new home

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[BY Bob]

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.
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What a horrible stressful time for everyone involved.

I say it all the time, humans do not deter hawks. They just don't care. They know we are no threat to them.

The best thing about this will be if everyone turns out to be unharmed. Your girls will have learned a valuable lesson. Expect that there will be noticeable changes in their behaviors including their pecking order.

Bernie seems to be the same kind of lead hen that my Patsy was. Patsy once ran towards a hawk that was trying to kill baby Hattie. Fortunately, I was also there and was quicker than Patsy. Nonetheless, Patsy was going to take it on. She was a big lady and she had spurs. That might have been some fight.

Hopefully, Bernie and Pooh taught this young hawk that then hens at the Chicken Palace aren't easy prey and it will not return.

Calypso is one smart lady. She hid so well you could not find her and did not return home until the last possible moment. Thereby giving herself the best chance to avoid the danger. Of course you need to hope that she does not decide to go broody in some hidden location as you might never find her.

Hugs to you all. I have been through too many of these attacks here at FBA. They are traumatizing to all involved.

 

[BY Bob]

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.

I would not wait 24 hours. Any wounds will be more difficult to see. Any puncture wound, especially those from the initial attack, need to identified and treated with antibiotics. I've heard of too many chickens with missed puncture wounds from a hawk get very ill days afterwards. I would have pulled them off the roost and checked them last night. Especially Pooh.

 

[BY Bob]

Its Caturday already
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What about me
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I love that hoodie!

 

[BY Bob]

Yes I know what you mean, my gang is so happy being out and about, I also run through ways I can keep them safe. Realistically I don’t know how I can put anything over top of the yard at the barn, I drive back there too often.

I have half arse plans for putting a hoop roof over the alleyway between the paddocks and the run, it’s 16’ wide and about 100’ long. So that’s rather pricy to do.

Next summer we will see what I can do to protect them, meanwhile they can stay inside for the winter - it’s too cold for them outside.

Have you had a chance to check them today?

I have netting around the magnolia tree to close off areas that become vulnerable to Cooper's hawks after the leaves have dropped. Even with all of my losses to the hawks I can't keep them locked in all the time. It does not protect them for me to be out with them. The hawks don't care.

Their best protection is their own system of defense. My ladies always have someone filling the roosters duty as a Sentinel. It is obvious who is responsible for everyone else's safety. Mine have learned the hard way that this is necessary and they are quite diligent about it. The role is shared but some never take it. Hattie is never Sentinel. I believe this is because she was on duty the day the hawk killed Sylvie and they no longer trust her. Phyllis is also never Sentinel as she cannot see upwards. The rest all take turns. Glynda and Lady Featherington have been taught the danger and the job by the others. These lessons are learned and passed down. I expect that @RoyalChick tribe will be making adjustments and will be much safer moving forward.

RC, did it get very quiet before the attack? Did the song birds stop talking? That has happened before all of my Cooper's Hawk attacks. The song birds know they are there and go into hiding. That is a warning hopefully your girls now know.

That does not happen when a red-tailed hawk attacks. They come from much higher up and everyone is surprised.

 

[BY Bob]

An hour ago, it was -38. Now it's -39. Staying home and not going out to the coop for at least another couple of hours. Sporadic snow yesterday. Only critters moving around outside were the magpies.

That is too nasty. Be careful. Please.