Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

Poor Sherlock. At least it was just chasing and nothing else. Sigh, just like teenage cockerels he is in the prime idiot stage that all my dogs have went through as well. Gracie was the worst bless her. From about 8 months old until 20ish months she forgot every single command she knew and tested me. Many times choosing instead to give me the fluffy middle finger and ignore a command she knew from 9 weeks old. We both survived and came out on the other side....barely and was the perfect dog the rest of her life. CeeCee was the same, although not quite as bad as Gracie.

I did not have chickens when Gracie was a pup, although she did kill one during that phase. We did not know there was a loose chicken at the barn and dad was exercising her with the 4-wheeler. Until she got older ole Gracie girl could outrun the 4-wheeler to the top of the hill. Dad was taking her to one of her favorite water holes to swim and cool off after a run when the loose chicken flew up from out of the creek in front of her. Gracie was a Golden Retriever and a bird dog. Instincts kicked in, she had never saw one and she caught it. Unfortunately in doing so she killed it immediately. She proudly brought it back to dad and he scolded her for it. Gracie could have been one heck of a bird dog but we do not hunt those. Instead she was trained and was the best at retrieving squirrels when we went hunting. She saved us many trips up and down the hills to get the squirrels when hunting. That one incident though, it was always in the back of my mind once I got chickens. For years I never fully trusted her around them and thankfully by then the idiot phase was over and "leave it" was firmly implanted in her. I relaxed around her when she was asleep in the yard and momma hen was around her of course with chicks in tow. Those chicks were eating the flies off her that were bothering her and she kept snoring.

CeeCee, I fully trust CeeCee around them now but again I worked hard with her and it has taken me a while to relax my guard. In theory CeeCee should be one of the worst breeds to have around chickens. Lab x Malamute, and she has a high prey drive. A superb ratter and Opossum killer. She will also retrieve squirrels for us but that took some extra training as unlike Gracie she wanted to run off with her prize and "kill" it some more. CeeCee grew up with the chickens. The first 6 months we had her she was never off leash unsupervised around them. She learned from Gracie and "Leave It" was a word I repeated 1000x around her. The best lesson she had though she learned from Momma Hen. CeeCee was simply walking around the house with me to water the horses. She was innocent and truthfully did not deserve what she got, but, I am thankful in a way Momma Hen did it. Momma Hen had chicks and CeeCee walked by them. In Momma Hens several foot bubble that no one was supposed to cross. She flogged poor CeeCee and had her cornered in the back of a dog crate cowering while she was attacking the back of her head. I had to catch the angry demon and toss her back to her chicks. While unprovoked and undeserved, it was the best lesson she ever had with the chickens and chicks. She has respected them and their space ever since. She has learned to watch them and if she is outside she guards them faithfully. I should have her outside 24/7, but she is a house dog. She spends the majority of her day outside willingly but at night she wants in. If she wants out though, especially at night she lets us know and you better listen. She knows when there are opossums around, don't ask me how but she knows. With the exception of the big one about 2 weeks ago that she was afraid of she has killed many. Many nights she has wanted out the back door. There has been something on that hill. I do not know what as I could not see but my polar bear has went growling and charging up after it.

Glad to hear on the dog/chicken stories. I hope I have a Momma Hen next spring to finish his education.

This time he responded to the collar immediately, but took another run at it when headed to the house....collar and stopped. When we took the split branch down a few days before, he was out with us, sat, stayed and ignored the chickens. Progess made, boundaries tested, temptation too much... he's getting there.

 

[Sylvester017]

Don’t take me seriously

Was there a memorial for your two church friends? Has your fever gone down?

Tx
A half sun/shade sunbathing Dana ~ photo thru glass door

 

[Sylvester017]

View attachment 3955495
Twoooosday. It's October! YAY!

Mirror twins ~ they're even looking in opposite directions!

 

[featherhead007]

Was there a memorial for your two church friends? Has your fever gone down?

Tx
A half sun/shade sunbathing Dana ~ photo thru glass door
View attachment 3955619

Funerals are still in progress. As a Deacon of the Church I have been busy obviously. But right now I’m busy with my rooster responsibilities. He’s such a handsome man now!

 

[featherhead007]

Maybe I should start my own church? All poultry are welcome

 

[Sylvester017]

Glad to hear on the dog/chicken stories. I hope I have a Momma Hen next spring to finish his education.

This time he responded to the collar immediately, but took another run at it when headed to the house....collar and stopped. When we took the split branch down a few days before, he was out with us, sat, stayed and ignored the chickens. Progess made, boundaries tested, temptation too much... he's getting there.

Great! Consistent reinforcement & you as established leader of the pack that he has to obey. Even wolf pack juvenile yearlings romp, tussle, & play w/each other & mess up hunting trips w/adults before they mature. The juveniles want to play but the adults get the message across thru trial & error. Isn't that the way all youngsters learn? Labs are in the top 10 list of smart & working dogs (but you know that already ).

 

[featherhead007]

You can all be jealous! I have my rooster Rudy right next to me in the house. He’s a big beautiful boy too

 

[RoyalChick]

1. #203,979
2. #203,982

Amazingly these clarify nothing.
You are selling roofing and Alex has a lot of roof?

 

[SimpleJenn]

I want to know what a strangle tube is

And @featherhead007 why would I be jealous when I have my beautiful Bab?

 

[SimpleJenn]

Kiddo is playing Chickens. I don't know where all her toy chickens are so we have 2 rubber duckies, a minecraft chicken, a windup chick, and some weird water drop chicken.