Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

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Marie2020 said:
I'm so pleased that hawk didn't manage to snatch butters, queenie or pooh.
I would have been a wreck. Good for you finding a solution đź‘Ť
Click to expand...
I got a notification and am popping in (I want to participate more here than I've been able to).
Marie, I know you care deeply, so thank you. But I'm sorry to say that Queenie did die from the hawk attack, in May 2021.
Butters survived it, with a couple of talon wounds to her shoulder and back but the hawk didn't get a good enough grip to hold her. She lost feathers there, which grew back a light golden color. Then with the next molt they were more usual. She lived two more years, until last October.
This is her with Popcorn, in July 2021 showing those light feathers
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1705712653724.png
 
RebeccaBoyd said:
What is it with the Queens on this thread. We heard a few days ago that @BY Bob had to rescue Queen Aurora from walking in the snow to the coop. Yesterday Queen Raven had to have her own rather humiliating rescue.
A little backstory, in the last month Raven had taken to roosting beside Momma Hen in the tree. It seems at one point or another she has convinced most flock members that roosting in the tree is the way to go.
Monday the snow hits. Everyone has enough sense that first night to not roost in the trees, even Momma Hen. Tuesday night, Raven bless her heads for the tree. That would not have been a problem per say except, once up she refused to come back down. I gave her 36 hours after I realized in the middle of day 2 of staying in the tree to come down on her own. I tried coaxing her down by calling her and tossing food and treats in her direction on the hill. Nope, stubborn is staying put. A hour before dark Wednesday I had no choice but to get her down out of the tree one way or another. In this weather she is not going 48 hours without eating or drinking. If I had known Tuesday she had not come down I would not have waited as long as I did. Since she could not be lured or bribed down I had one choice. I had to sling a few snowballs in her general direction, while hitting the branch near her, but not her to make her fly down. She was angry and let the world know chicken abuse was going on and I think calling to the boys for help. Sorry girl, Bubba stayed on the roost and branch just joined you in complaining but not stepping a foot in the snow. Once down she was still on the hill out of reach. More snowballs were tossed behind her to herd her off the hill into the creek where I was able to use a poop rake to scoot her across the creek. Once crossed I quickly grabbed her and carried her to the barn isle. Indignant, mad, humiliated do not begin to describe her. She started squawking from the first snowball that hit her branch and did not quit for 20 minutes after I got her in the barn isle. Twice she flew up onto a smaller branch on the way down the hill trying to get back up into the tree. She is fine now and has not ventured back out into the snow, but I am stalking her. No more tree roosting for anyone until the snow melts.
Click to expand...
I got home from work to this welcoming committee...
20240119_170448.jpg
Everyone else is in the coop. Enigma let me pick her up and pack her into the coop. Not Cheetah. He climbed higher in the bush...and higher still when I bent some branches down....migrating into the middle at the same time. I got the long handled snips out and started trimming so I could get into the bush (breezy, sun setting fingers getting cold, still in work clothes...), then started trimming branches out so I could reach some sort of long handle perch into him. Went for a whisk broom on a long handle. NOPE! Climbed higher AND scooted down the hedge. Kept working with the broom all the way past the flagpole
20230716_061214.jpg
(Just to the left of the center roof support, but back in front of the BIG hedge)

Finally caught him. BTW, treats did NOTHING either.
 
RebeccaBoyd said:
What is it with the Queens on this thread. We heard a few days ago that @BY Bob had to rescue Queen Aurora from walking in the snow to the coop. Yesterday Queen Raven had to have her own rather humiliating rescue.
A little backstory, in the last month Raven had taken to roosting beside Momma Hen in the tree. It seems at one point or another she has convinced most flock members that roosting in the tree is the way to go.
Monday the snow hits. Everyone has enough sense that first night to not roost in the trees, even Momma Hen. Tuesday night, Raven bless her heads for the tree. That would not have been a problem per say except, once up she refused to come back down. I gave her 36 hours after I realized in the middle of day 2 of staying in the tree to come down on her own. I tried coaxing her down by calling her and tossing food and treats in her direction on the hill. Nope, stubborn is staying put. A hour before dark Wednesday I had no choice but to get her down out of the tree one way or another. In this weather she is not going 48 hours without eating or drinking. If I had known Tuesday she had not come down I would not have waited as long as I did. Since she could not be lured or bribed down I had one choice. I had to sling a few snowballs in her general direction, while hitting the branch near her, but not her to make her fly down. She was angry and let the world know chicken abuse was going on and I think calling to the boys for help. Sorry girl, Bubba stayed on the roost and branch just joined you in complaining but not stepping a foot in the snow. Once down she was still on the hill out of reach. More snowballs were tossed behind her to herd her off the hill into the creek where I was able to use a poop rake to scoot her across the creek. Once crossed I quickly grabbed her and carried her to the barn isle. Indignant, mad, humiliated do not begin to describe her. She started squawking from the first snowball that hit her branch and did not quit for 20 minutes after I got her in the barn isle. Twice she flew up onto a smaller branch on the way down the hill trying to get back up into the tree. She is fine now and has not ventured back out into the snow, but I am stalking her. No more tree roosting for anyone until the snow melts.
Click to expand...
That is just hysterical. What we do to protect them from themselves. :gig :lau :gig :lau
 

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