Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Yesterday morning, I was about to leave for work when Sherlock barked in the house. I started to yell at him when the chickens lit up. I went out the door. Rounded the corner to see the fox in hot pursuit of one of the girls (didn't stop to not which beyond she was orange) I yelled, he whipped about and was over the side of the hill in an eye blink. I went after. He stopped just inside the horse pasture to watch me. (If I'd gone back in for a rifle, he'd have been back up and grabbing someone before I got back out the door. I skipped that and headed down the hill (he's running so not starving, rabid, protecting babies, or cornered, so safe bet, "he" because mate is likely at the den nursing pups this time of year). About halfway across the pasture, I'm thinking about going back for a rifle while looking around for the horses. They're the greys below my place and I haven't seen them in the half light of just before sunrise. Then they moved. The cheeky bugger is right between them. Lost him when he dropped into the creek bed, so headed back to let the family know....while keeping an wye out behind me.....and he's attempting to sneak back behind me. He hangs back while I'm climbing the hillside, so I slipped in the closest door, notified DH, ran upstairs just in time to catch the youngest coming back form putting Sherlock out on the lead. He thought I'd already left for work and Sherlock was more interested in the chickens than finding what he'd barked at (understandable as we were both out in the pasture by then). We all went back out on the deck. By this time light was behind , making the fox a dark shadow in the pasture. DH said it's awfully big for a fox (I saw the white tip clearly in the yard when I first went out). He thought it was almost as big as Sherlock. It eventually started moving off, so they went back in. I stayed there until I saw it moving up the pasture for the horses in the barn across the alfalfa field across the creek valley. It had decided on breakfast hunting elsewhere...for the moment. It's a fair bet that Thing's and Jessica's disappearances can be attributed to him.

Was almost late for work. As I got to work, I realized that while we don't have a 22 rifle (a safer shot with all the angles around my place than the heavier calibers we do have) my FIL does have at least 1. Sent him a text asking if we could borrow one for awhile. Answer came back yes.

After work, I sent a text to the neighbor who's pasture I invaded this morning and headed to FIL'S to pick up the rifle. Neighbor texted back while I was on the road: seen the fox last week. Had him in crosshairs but couldn't shoot as another neighbor's cows were in the background.

Spent an hour or so with FIL talking. He's starting seedlings for MIL'S beloved garden and feeding her chickens even though he's not fond of either. He's been going through papers, finding some surprises. Haven't been able to go through her cedar chest yet. I told him it's OK. If he doesn't touch that for a couple of years yet, it's fine. We laughed over the grow light not working (got it working) and over the heeler following him into the pantry room and getting shut in....for 2 hours....while FIL is calling him and out looking for him...and not making a sound. He greetet the opening door with a happy tail wag and a look of what took you so long?

Brought home a 22 for varmint shooting. Everyone was present in the coop, and half asleep. Sherlock's evening run was all over the hillside the fox used. We even lost one of Sherlock's rubber balls on it.

Birds tax from MIL'S flockView attachment 3773416The trio center back are all Cheetah's daughters. Front of the 3 is Nellie's (other one of those just off camera to the left). The 2 behind are Thing's. The black split to mottled can evidently pop through. The mottled one had 2 white feathers on one shoulder last summer. Last fall's moult grew back in as fully mottled.

This will be a story to follow.

@rural mouse Vs the Fox

 

[rural mouse]

This will be a story to follow.

@rural mouse Vs the Fox

Unless a neighbor gets him

 

[BY Bob]

Until I saw people saying it was a cat, I actually thought it was a coyote or fox… I’m kinda slow

You can't really tell until she gets to the coop. Until then she could have been a fox with that tail.

 

[BeastBaby]

Yesterday morning, I was about to leave for work when Sherlock barked in the house. I started to yell at him when the chickens lit up. I went out the door. Rounded the corner to see the fox in hot pursuit of one of the girls (didn't stop to not which beyond she was orange) I yelled, he whipped about and was over the side of the hill in an eye blink. I went after. He stopped just inside the horse pasture to watch me. (If I'd gone back in for a rifle, he'd have been back up and grabbing someone before I got back out the door. I skipped that and headed down the hill (he's running so not starving, rabid, protecting babies, or cornered, so safe bet, "he" because mate is likely at the den nursing pups this time of year). About halfway across the pasture, I'm thinking about going back for a rifle while looking around for the horses. They're the greys below my place and I haven't seen them in the half light of just before sunrise. Then they moved. The cheeky bugger is right between them. Lost him when he dropped into the creek bed, so headed back to let the family know....while keeping an wye out behind me.....and he's attempting to sneak back behind me. He hangs back while I'm climbing the hillside, so I slipped in the closest door, notified DH, ran upstairs just in time to catch the youngest coming back form putting Sherlock out on the lead. He thought I'd already left for work and Sherlock was more interested in the chickens than finding what he'd barked at (understandable as we were both out in the pasture by then). We all went back out on the deck. By this time light was behind , making the fox a dark shadow in the pasture. DH said it's awfully big for a fox (I saw the white tip clearly in the yard when I first went out). He thought it was almost as big as Sherlock. It eventually started moving off, so they went back in. I stayed there until I saw it moving up the pasture for the horses in the barn across the alfalfa field across the creek valley. It had decided on breakfast hunting elsewhere...for the moment. It's a fair bet that Thing's and Jessica's disappearances can be attributed to him.

Was almost late for work. As I got to work, I realized that while we don't have a 22 rifle (a safer shot with all the angles around my place than the heavier calibers we do have) my FIL does have at least 1. Sent him a text asking if we could borrow one for awhile. Answer came back yes.

After work, I sent a text to the neighbor who's pasture I invaded this morning and headed to FIL'S to pick up the rifle. Neighbor texted back while I was on the road: seen the fox last week. Had him in crosshairs but couldn't shoot as another neighbor's cows were in the background.

Spent an hour or so with FIL talking. He's starting seedlings for MIL'S beloved garden and feeding her chickens even though he's not fond of either. He's been going through papers, finding some surprises. Haven't been able to go through her cedar chest yet. I told him it's OK. If he doesn't touch that for a couple of years yet, it's fine. We laughed over the grow light not working (got it working) and over the heeler following him into the pantry room and getting shut in....for 2 hours....while FIL is calling him and out looking for him...and not making a sound. He greetet the opening door with a happy tail wag and a look of what took you so long?

Brought home a 22 for varmint shooting. Everyone was present in the coop, and half asleep. Sherlock's evening run was all over the hillside the fox used. We even lost one of Sherlock's rubber balls on it.

Birds tax from MIL'S flockView attachment 3773416The trio center back are all Cheetah's daughters. Front of the 3 is Nellie's (other one of those just off camera to the left). The 2 behind are Thing's. The black split to mottled can evidently pop through. The mottled one had 2 white feathers on one shoulder last summer. Last fall's moult grew back in as fully mottled.

AH! Oh my, so much going on.
What are your bird’s main defenses now? Fencing? Are you hoping Sherlock may do some LGD duties during the daytime once he’s matured?

 

[Ponypoor]

Yesterday morning, I was about to leave for work when Sherlock barked in the house. I started to yell at him when the chickens lit up. I went out the door. Rounded the corner to see the fox in hot pursuit of one of the girls (didn't stop to not which beyond she was orange) I yelled, he whipped about and was over the side of the hill in an eye blink. I went after. He stopped just inside the horse pasture to watch me. (If I'd gone back in for a rifle, he'd have been back up and grabbing someone before I got back out the door. I skipped that and headed down the hill (he's running so not starving, rabid, protecting babies, or cornered, so safe bet, "he" because mate is likely at the den nursing pups this time of year). About halfway across the pasture, I'm thinking about going back for a rifle while looking around for the horses. They're the greys below my place and I haven't seen them in the half light of just before sunrise. Then they moved. The cheeky bugger is right between them. Lost him when he dropped into the creek bed, so headed back to let the family know....while keeping an wye out behind me.....and he's attempting to sneak back behind me. He hangs back while I'm climbing the hillside, so I slipped in the closest door, notified DH, ran upstairs just in time to catch the youngest coming back form putting Sherlock out on the lead. He thought I'd already left for work and Sherlock was more interested in the chickens than finding what he'd barked at (understandable as we were both out in the pasture by then). We all went back out on the deck. By this time light was behind , making the fox a dark shadow in the pasture. DH said it's awfully big for a fox (I saw the white tip clearly in the yard when I first went out). He thought it was almost as big as Sherlock. It eventually started moving off, so they went back in. I stayed there until I saw it moving up the pasture for the horses in the barn across the alfalfa field across the creek valley. It had decided on breakfast hunting elsewhere...for the moment. It's a fair bet that Thing's and Jessica's disappearances can be attributed to him.

Was almost late for work. As I got to work, I realized that while we don't have a 22 rifle (a safer shot with all the angles around my place than the heavier calibers we do have) my FIL does have at least 1. Sent him a text asking if we could borrow one for awhile. Answer came back yes.

After work, I sent a text to the neighbor who's pasture I invaded this morning and headed to FIL'S to pick up the rifle. Neighbor texted back while I was on the road: seen the fox last week. Had him in crosshairs but couldn't shoot as another neighbor's cows were in the background.

Spent an hour or so with FIL talking. He's starting seedlings for MIL'S beloved garden and feeding her chickens even though he's not fond of either. He's been going through papers, finding some surprises. Haven't been able to go through her cedar chest yet. I told him it's OK. If he doesn't touch that for a couple of years yet, it's fine. We laughed over the grow light not working (got it working) and over the heeler following him into the pantry room and getting shut in....for 2 hours....while FIL is calling him and out looking for him...and not making a sound. He greetet the opening door with a happy tail wag and a look of what took you so long?

Brought home a 22 for varmint shooting. Everyone was present in the coop, and half asleep. Sherlock's evening run was all over the hillside the fox used. We even lost one of Sherlock's rubber balls on it.

Birds tax from MIL'S flockView attachment 3773416The trio center back are all Cheetah's daughters. Front of the 3 is Nellie's (other one of those just off camera to the left). The 2 behind are Thing's. The black split to mottled can evidently pop through. The mottled one had 2 white feathers on one shoulder last summer. Last fall's moult grew back in as fully mottled.

Beauties - love their colours and how they just seem to be on the prowl for any small critter they can eat

Meanwhile hearing about your fox is very scary, and un-nerving. Do you have a plan for predator control other that the .22 ?? What about an electric fence? 4 strands each about 6” apart would work great for canine predators. And likely help kee the bigger chooks contained (if they reach under the strands and get zapped they should stay away from it!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Truly is colicky

Came out late to feed and do chores and found Truly down in her stall, I wasn’t sure what was going on but just wanted to watch her, she got up after a about a minute.

So I did chores and fed as usual, but Truly just didn’t seem right, so I have her some pain meds figuring she was achy with her arthritis.

She wouldn’t eat her hay but I figured I would just keep any eye on her.

Back at the house I logged back on to the camera and she was down again and rolling - so back to the barn I went. I got her up and started walking her a bit to stop her rolling. Horses can get a twisted gut if they have gassy distended bowels.

So here I sit now in the dark with Truly standing quietly in the alleyway me on my lawnchair watching over her. As long as she is quiet she can stand there calmly.

Meanwhile I will sit here freezing!

View attachment 3773206

Yep that’s Truly and I in the alleyway.

Oh no. Do you know why she’s colicky? Has there been really bad temperature changes there?

 

[BY Bob]

Unless a neighbor gets him

True. That's certainly possible. Do you practice shooting a lot? I can't remember the last time I shot a gun.

 

[Ponypoor]

I checked the camera to see if moving Babs off the heater mounting bar had worked, and she stayed down on the roost all night. Today I will clean the massive mess she made on the window and see if I can tape some paper up to block access.
What struck me about the photo though is that it is a good shot of how big Bernie is. Bernie and Sylvie are standing together at the far left. Similar pose but Bernie is so much bigger!
View attachment 3773413

Do you have a weight on her? I must get weights on everyone before they start going broody.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Truly update

Well we walk a bit stood a bit then she started getting interested in her hay, so she is now in her stall and i am back at the house.

I will set my clock for an hour from now to check on her. But she has her face in the hay net as usual.

View attachment 3773253

Oi boy, these animals are going to give me grey hair! At least the chooks are good - knock on wood!!!

Oh I’m so glad. I hate it when horses colic. One horse I used to ride coliced (I can’t type! Why can’t I say colic-ed without it saying that it’s wrong?) and my instructor had to call the emergency vet. Pippa was sick for a few weeks. And it stinks because that was right before our championship show (which I got first in) but she was okay for the show.

 

[RoyalChick]

You can't really tell until she gets to the coop. Until then she could have been a fox with that tail.

Not really. I have lots of very healthy looking foxes and not one has a tail as splendid as hers!