Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pebbles25]

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.

We also only feed our cats once a day in the evening to get them in at night. That way they are more hungry in the morning and they play less when they do catch something. Only problem is there are no more rabbits and rats for them!

 

[Pebbles25]

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.

Our cats meow and meow until we come and say well done! To this gross headless vole they’re swallowing whole! Bleh!

 

[Pebbles25]

And Then There Are 3

Having relearned my lesson by only having 2 Polish I decided that only getting one more polish to try and pair with Niamh may not have been wise. Therefore, we now have another polish.

Everyone meet Tilly.

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She is a gold laced Polish who came to us from Texas. There were no polish anywhere near us so I had to have her shipped here overnight.

She arrived mid-morning safe and sound. She is just over 4.5 months old. Tilly is in the rabbit hutch under quarantine.

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It took quite a bit of enhancement but it should work as a suitable place for her to serve her time.

I now have 2 different quarantines going on opposite sides of my yard.

Hopefully, by having seperate quarantines no one will bond before they are all put together in the Cluckle Hut and start learning from Niamh. I surely hope this works. If not, this is the last time I'm going to try something like this.

Beautiful! Reminds me of my goldlaced polish bantam Trixy who passed away just over a year ago. She and her half sister were my first chickens. She was our ‘posh’ chicken as she never did anything childish I should say chickish! We still have her half sister who is the frizzle version of her, who isn’t any less crazy after 3 years of life! Quarantining birds is fantastic isn’t it! Last time I tried the chicken managed to fly out of some gap despite being the biggest chicken I own.

 

[Pebbles25]

Grrrrrr darn rat….

Rat meet trap
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No don’t go that way!
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Truly is driving me nuts
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Between my RLS and these beasts…..

This is what I want to be doing
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Luck birds!

Maybe try putting the rat trap on the ‘path’ where you see it going a lot? Or put the food away in a rat proof bin or shed or something at nights. That way the only food is in the rat trap!

 

[BY Bob]

View attachment 4225221View attachment 4225222she figured out fence climbing....and found Castor's preferred deck rail lounging location....and Castor did absolutely nothing to teach her this at all...mmmm hmmmm...not a thing!

She's a keeper that one!

 

[BY Bob]

September sure flew by fast! Now that it's October, expect some fall scenery with the chickens. And more chicken pictures in general. I have been slacking on those.
I know I already showed this but Raven seems to like dry grass that has turned tan, especially that one plant that looks like wheat.
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And a throwback photo, of course. Grandma in a leaf pile after we finished raking all the leaves. I put her in there for funsies. This was October 31, 2020 and still remains one of my favorite photos.
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I just love that photo of grandma. What a great picture!

Reminds of this picture of our Isabel from way back when she was just a kitten.

She jumped into a box just full of packing peanuts!

 

[BY Bob]

She is so pretty. I'm praying quarantine goes well. I'm also praying that when the time comes integration goes smoothly and all 3 form their own special little tribe. I hope Niamh realizes just how special a chicken she is. Not many owners would go to the extreme lengths you had to go through to get her not 1, but 2 friends of her own kind after the loss of her sister.

She is also lucky to have friends like you and @RoyalChick Without the 2 of you, neither Joy nor Tilly are here as I could locate no friends for her.

We cannot thank the 2 of you enough.

 

[BY Bob]

This evening I've had the little black polish pullet on my mind. I have not had a update on her since Saturday when I found out they had started on antibiotics. I'm praying right now no news is good news. I do think I'm going to reach out tomorrow and see how she is doing. I've been going back and forth in my mind if I should get her if she recovers. I keep coming to the conclusion that if she recovers I think I really do want her.

First it was Marans now it's Polish. I feel like I've had a real positive influence on you.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh, I forgot to mention that as of Sunday evening I 100% now know what predator I have been dealing with. Mom was sitting out the back door just watching Dirt eat his dinner. To her shock a coyote just hopped off the hill and ran straight up to the silkie coop. By the time she ran in and got the shot gun it had already went back on the hill and she never saw it anymore that night. The chickens are once again on total lockdown and we are back on coyote watch.

CRAP! well at least you know now. Perhaps you should always be armed now when outside just in case an opportunity presents itself. Coyotes are becoming a scourge everyone now.

 

[BY Bob]

Grrrrrr darn rat….

Rat meet trap
View attachment 4225311

No don’t go that way!
View attachment 4225312

Truly is driving me nuts
View attachment 4225313

Between my RLS and these beasts…..

This is what I want to be doing
View attachment 4225314

Luck birds!

Get those rays in ladies. Winter is coming.