Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

What an excellent suggestion... now... if only they could read!

You need to write it in chicken scratch!
Do I have to think of everything?

 

[BDutch]

So we bought a smaller treadle $75 w/ softer sounding resin parts but not one chicken would use it. Followed all the advice for training but only the wild birds ate from it. 2016

My neighbourhood friend who has chickens has the same treadle feeder. Her hens didn’t want to use it either unless she put a stone on the step and it opened a little before taking the step to open it further.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm kind of impressed that people have cats that can hunt and kill rats. In my experience, cats are the right size for mice, voles, moles, and shrews, but rats require a terrier-sized dog or larger.

The exception might be that the presence of cats might cause rats to move elsewhere, but I've seen videos of rats staring down cats while continuing to munch on whatever they're eating.

I agree that not all cats are good mousers/ratters. My Mom always kept female barn cats cuz they were better than the males she tried... but each cat is different... some are excellent catchers & some only play at it.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I agree that not all cats are good mousers/ratters. My Mom always kept female barn cats cuz they were better than the males she tried... but each cat is different... some are excellent catchers & some only play at it.

My cat, one of whose earned names is Profoundly Useless, makes a big show of being a toughie from a distance, especially through a fence, but she'll turn tail and run if she's nose to nose with anything bigger than a cricket.

Recently I've found her in the chicken yard area (outside the run, but mildly fenced to keep them in only part of the back yard.) She's about two inches away (no fence in between) from the older pullets, who are regarding her with great curiosity, and she's just staring anywhere but at the chickens, with her best dum-de-dum expression.

My previous cat was a good hunter, although with her stumpy little legs she was pretty much restricted to smaller rodents including the occasional chipmunk or baby rabbit*. She left her offerings on the front door mat. The offerings could be classified into "critters" (identifiable animals, although always missing a body part or three) and "parts" (unidentifiable animals and sometimes unidentifiable organs. )

She was always very proud of them though, and received lavish praise as I flung them into the woods.

*Edit: ok, a rabbit is a lagomorph. But still.

 

[Sylvester017]

The chooks just had a little snack.
I cooked and cut beak sized morsels for each bird. Kinda wore me out.

DH doesn't like menial tasks either... like peeling or mincing food down to beak size for the chickens so I get that deflected honour...

Pomegranates for example...

 

[Sylvester017]

My neighbourhood friend who has chickens has the same treadle feeder. Her hens didn’t want to use it either unless she put a stone on the step and it opened a little before taking the step to open it further.

We did that too... I think our problem is that Silkies are spooky about noises & only one standard hen would use the smaller treadle. Even when we put a brick to hold the treadle down & the feed was exposed the Silkies still would not use it & it was their favorite seed... but the wild birds had a party!!!

 

[BY Bob]

Am I seeing similar facial structures coming on this imp?View attachment 4224960

The lower jaw is not as pronounced. What cutie though!

 

[BY Bob]

2ferView attachment 4224965last lingering hollyhocks....oddly, last year the flowers were pink, not pale peach...

View attachment 4224966they mostly paired off....keeping an eye on Bijou

Our hollyhocks are long done. Beautiful.

 

[Sylvester017]

My cat, one of whose earned names is Profoundly Useless, makes a big show of being a toughie from a distance, especially through a fence, but she'll turn tail and run if she's nose to nose with anything bigger than a cricket.

Recently I've found her in the chicken yard area (outside the run, but mildly fenced to keep them in only part of the back yard.) She's about two inches away (no fence in between) from the older pullets, who are regarding her with great curiosity, and she's just staring anywhere but at the chickens, with her best dum-de-dum expression.

My previous cat was a good hunter, although with her stumpy little legs she was pretty much restricted to smaller rodents including the occasional chipmunk or baby rabbit. She left her offerings on the front door mat. The offerings could be classified into "critters" (identifiable animals, although always missing a body part or three) and "parts" (unidentifiable animals and sometimes unidentifiable organs. )

She was always very proud of them though, and received lavish praise as I flung them into the woods.

I remember having only one great mouser in my lifetime & that was 40 yrs ago when I first moved into this old neighborhood. She spent her youth outdoors (after spaying) & only entered the house for petting or food treats & right back out for more adventures. She brought me more mice, rat, bird, lizard parts than I can count. Yes, this neighborhood had plenty of rats THEN too! She probably loved the smorgasborg!

 

[Sylvester017]

What cat doesn't go to the barn?

Answer: A 'Fraidy Cat!