Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Sylvester017]

Do mini-wattles count on a non-bearded Moorhead "Keiko" for Wattles Wednesday? The wattles are there but they are meant to stay small & black like the rest of her skin.

 

[Marie2020]

I'm fighting for my dogs life.

I'm sure he had dementia.

I've given him krill oil vegetables and meat this morning, he still wouldn't rest.
Then I chopped in raw beetroot with his minerals and vitamins from a trusted vet. I think with everything he ate after eating this beetroot he started to relax. It really is a super food full of antioxidants

I can't leave him because he get so strung out. Last night I almost called the vet to have him put to sleep. But for now things have really improved, he actually sleeping and snoring contently. But one little sound and he wakes up.

Yesterday I had a very important appointment, this really upset him. I had to get supplies and found it extremely difficult to get home. But thankfully a couple of friends got me back.

 

[TOMTE]

Yesterday sure was a day...

Around 10am I just came back outside from feeding my cat, literally just opened the door and stepped into the garage, and my dad said "Holy ****, what was that?!"

Apparently I had JUST missed a really loud chicken squawk. We both stepped outside and saw a hawk land in a tree and then take off again. Aliss was hiding under the smoker, panting a little, so I got her out and held her. She was stressed out but fine, no injuries.

Then we noticed that the other 4 girls weren't there. So right away, I'm walking around with Aliss in my arms calling for the girls and they are exactly nowhere. Looked around the property for them for probably 20 minutes and then put Aliss in the run.

Over the next few hours I searched for them on and off, around the yard, in the woods, under the deck, under brush piles, everywhere, and I couldn't find them. Dad was looking too, we were both really worried, and we even walked down the road a little bit and met a neighbor getting her mail to ask if she'd seen them. We started talking a little bit about what to do with Aliss if they didn't come back.

After 5 hours of worrying and searching we're sitting in the garage. I think I see something brown out of the corner of my eye but when I turn to look there's nothing so I go back to whatever I was doing on my phone. 10 seconds later my dad says "Welcome back, girls!"

They all just walked up the driveway like everything was normal and nothing happened. I was so relieved I almost cried, LOL!

I wonder what type of adventure they got themselves into out there? They better not do it again!

 

[Marie2020]

Yesterday sure was a day...

Around 10am I just came back outside from feeding my cat, literally just opened the door and stepped into the garage, and my dad said "Holy ****, what was that?!"

Apparently I had JUST missed a really loud chicken squawk. We both stepped outside and saw a hawk land in a tree and then take off again. Aliss was hiding under the smoker, panting a little, so I got her out and held her. She was stressed out but fine, no injuries.

Then we noticed that the other 4 girls weren't there. So right away, I'm walking around with Aliss in my arms calling for the girls and they are exactly nowhere. Looked around the property for them for probably 20 minutes and then put Aliss in the run.

Over the next few hours I searched for them on and off, around the yard, in the woods, under the deck, under brush piles, everywhere, and I couldn't find them. Dad was looking too, we were both really worried, and we even walked down the road a little bit and met a neighbor getting her mail to ask if she'd seen them. We started talking a little bit about what to do with Aliss if they didn't come back.

After 5 hours of worrying and searching we're sitting in the garage. I think I see something brown out of the corner of my eye but when I turn to look there's nothing so I go back to whatever I was doing on my phone. 10 seconds later my dad says "Welcome back, girls!"

They all just walked up the driveway like everything was normal and nothing happened. I was so relieved I almost cried, LOL!

I wonder what type of adventure they got themselves into out there? They better not do it again!

@BY Bob
Hung a big flag up to deter hawks. Apparently it scares them. Another thing I've read was hanging old CD's and shiny foil above where your chickens stay

Apparently the silver foil scares off pigeons as well

 

[Marie2020]

Princess laid another egg about an hour ago, so I gave it to her back. She mainly ate the yoke.
So luckily yesterday as i was getting supplies I came across some small pomegranates. Princess really enjoyed her share in the garden as did my dog...Who I might add is fartng for the UK right now

Princess in the garden

 

[BY Bob]

I'm fighting for my dogs life.

I'm sure he had dementia.

I've given him krill oil vegetables and meat this morning, he still wouldn't rest.
Then I chopped in raw beetroot with his minerals and vitamins from a trusted vet. I think with everything he ate after eating this beetroot he started to relax. It really is a super food full of antioxidants

I can't leave him because he get so strung out. Last night I almost called the vet to have him put to sleep. But for now things have really improved, he actually sleeping and snoring contently. But one little sound and he wakes up.

Yesterday I had a very important appointment, this really upset him. I had to get supplies and found it extremely difficult to get home. But thankfully a couple of friends got me back.

I'm so very sorry. This must be terribly distressing. We are paying for you both.

 

[BY Bob]

Yesterday sure was a day...

Around 10am I just came back outside from feeding my cat, literally just opened the door and stepped into the garage, and my dad said "Holy ****, what was that?!"

Apparently I had JUST missed a really loud chicken squawk. We both stepped outside and saw a hawk land in a tree and then take off again. Aliss was hiding under the smoker, panting a little, so I got her out and held her. She was stressed out but fine, no injuries.

Then we noticed that the other 4 girls weren't there. So right away, I'm walking around with Aliss in my arms calling for the girls and they are exactly nowhere. Looked around the property for them for probably 20 minutes and then put Aliss in the run.

Over the next few hours I searched for them on and off, around the yard, in the woods, under the deck, under brush piles, everywhere, and I couldn't find them. Dad was looking too, we were both really worried, and we even walked down the road a little bit and met a neighbor getting her mail to ask if she'd seen them. We started talking a little bit about what to do with Aliss if they didn't come back.

After 5 hours of worrying and searching we're sitting in the garage. I think I see something brown out of the corner of my eye but when I turn to look there's nothing so I go back to whatever I was doing on my phone. 10 seconds later my dad says "Welcome back, girls!"

They all just walked up the driveway like everything was normal and nothing happened. I was so relieved I almost cried, LOL!

I wonder what type of adventure they got themselves into out there? They better not do it again!

After any hawk attack, successful or not, my chickens have been impossible to find and even harder to coax out of their hiding space when discovered. I would gamble they were hiding until they were sure the hawk was gone.

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob
Hung a big flag up to deter hawks. Apparently it scares them. Another thing I've read was hanging old CD's and shiny foil above where your chickens stay

Apparently the silver foil scares off pigeons as well

Mostly I rely on this to deter hawks these days.

It is extremely effective against song birds.

 

[TOMTE]

After any hawk attack, successful or not, my chickens have been impossible to find and even harder to coax out of their hiding space when discovered. I would gamble they were hiding until they were sure the hawk was gone.

I think they probably were. We have a lot of hawks around here, and the chipmunks and songbirds were going crazy with the alarm calls all day yesterday. I know the chickens listen to the other animals because when there are certain calls, the chickens will look around to see what's up! So I wouldn't be surprised if they waited until everything else in the area settled before coming out from wherever they were hiding

 

[BY Bob]

Hawks are Back

I got this video of the crows harassing a hawk as it circled over FBA last week. Hopefully Aster is learning from the others how to stay safe.