Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pastel the Rooster]

Yes. It was silent. I didn't notice until afterwards when the song birds started up again and the mice started hopping around in the dead leaves. Lesson for me - I just didn't notice it was so quiet.

I notice that whenever hawks circle around the coop, that my guineas go quiet and start making a longer kind of tweeting/ whining sound. Of course, whenever that happens all of the chooks freeze and look up at the sky. Pastel lets out his warning scream. Whenever I hear any warning noise from any of my birds, my gaze instinctively shoots into the sky. I really hope that your girls are okay.

 

[Marie2020]

Princess is a lucky chook to have green grass - it a snowy icy landscape here - though hopefully after next weekend it should warm up and maybe whatever snow is around would be melted.

Fingers . It's cleared up for them soon

 

[Marie2020]

The morning after

The wind and rain have made the runs completely soaked (even though they both have a solid roof). Not a bad thing as it encourages composting and worms, but it makes everything look muddy and sad and damp.
The ladies however were keen to come out into the run (yesterday they wouldn't leave their house and some wouldn't leave the nest boxes).
They all ate a hearty breakfast of mash with some stewed beef, chopped nuts, shrimp tails and some kitchen scraps.
I watched everyone very closely. Everyone ate, drank, and moves normally. For a moment I thought Pooh might be favoring a leg when she jumped down off things but I think I am being paranoid. I will keep a close eye.
Pooh is also being much more vocal than normal. It doesn't sound like fear or pain or distress. More like she is telling everyone about her exploits. She is having her Henry V Saint Crispian moment (@Ponypoor, this one is for you!):

Gather round ladies and listen up,

...
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
...
...
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
...
...
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

William Shakespeare, Henry V​

I think Bernie has lost some of those long flight feathers and some feathers on the crown of her head. Babs may have been more involved than I thought as she has some ruffled patches on her side.

@BY Bob did tell me to examine Pooh and Bernie last night, but when it came to it I really wasn't sure because as @RebeccaBoyd said I was worried about really tipping them into shock. Pooh in particular still looked really terrified when I went back out in the night with the intention of taking her off the roost to examine her. I just couldn't do that to her.
That may have been the wrong decision but I did what I thought was best in the moment, and what is done is done (or rather what was not done was not done).

Hopefully, whatever it is isn't to serious.

I will definitely examine them tonight and will watch for signs of infection over the next 3-5 days. I will see if I can book a vet appointment for mid week (I can always cancel it). If there is infection it should be obvious by then and the vet can help me properly examine her.

Pictures of Pooh this morning and one of Bernie showing her long wing feathers not sitting quite right.

View attachment 3724964View attachment 3724965View attachment 3724966View attachment 3724967View attachment 3724968

 

[Marie2020]

so, very late to the party...but my 2 cents:



DO check Pooh - hawks have very strong, long talons, and Pooh may well (most likely will) have puncture woulds. They are, as I am sure you know, very hard to clean thoroughly, but do try if she has any - you don't want to find - 4 or so days out - that she has developed an infection and you catch it because if her subdued behavior because she is feeling like crap from the infection.

I've used colidial silver to clean up wounds. That's worked for mine. But if it was one of mine today I would keep her alone for a little while and use honey if I knew where the wounds were.

Good Calypso. I know it must have been horrible not being able to find her, but it DOES mean she was doing what she should do - hide and remain motionless. That she stayed so long meant she was really quite scared herself AND that no one gave the all clear signal.



Hugs to you and the girls. I hope Pooh is okay! This was a great learning experience for Bernie and the others - and it seems to me like Bernie is taking her job as top hen seriously - to be protective of Pooh afterwards. I know this is not the way you want it to happen, but this just might be an event that makes the whole flock gel together a bit better as a flock.

 

[Marie2020]

@featherhead007

How are you today my friend?

 

[BY Bob]

Tree Down!

The wind was just crazy here yesterday. I lost 2 trunks on birch tree and several other limbs. Lots of clean up to do this morning. Fortunately no injured chickens or damage to the coops or run.

 

[fuentemoon]

Serious question on feeding the crows. Do you just scatter them around and hope nobody else eats them?
It would be well worth my while to feed the crows, but there are a lot of critters out there!

We mostly toss walnuts on the roof when we see or hear them around, they watch for them. Of course we feed most of the other creatures too

 

[BY Bob]

Dangerous animals at large! Hahaha reminds me of those videos with the kids making faces at the rooster and the rooster them chasing the kid

Or this guy…..

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7166316750399655211

That is my brother. So afraid of roosters.

 

[BY Bob]

Don't crows feed on the ground rather than bird feeders?

Crow feeding tax: Pooh checking in for her telemedicine appointment via the coop cam. She seems to be doing fine!
View attachment 3725722

Way to go brave lady.

 

[BY Bob]

Ravens also, got a box of frozen caribou steaks in the back of your truck? No problem! Great place to land and snack

Those ravens are as big as a chicken!

This Raven is a chicken, so is Larry
View attachment 3725726

I once had a Raven steal a double sized snickers out of my golf cart. How it even knew to look where it did I have no idea. It was hysterical.