Ribh's D'Coopage

[micstrachan]

The main problem with moulting hens.

This is Fudge and Moon. Both are having what looks to be an unconfortable moult.
It's Moon's first moult and Fudge's second. The last moult for Fudge was seriously worrying. She spent hours on her own in unsafe territory looking for the things moulting hens crave.
This bank is the dump bank for hay and straw. Of course, as it composts, it produces a plentiful supply of bugs which the moulters here hunt for.

View attachment 2393009View attachment 2393010View attachment 2393011

These two are up here on their own. I dragged one of the house dogs up for a while and she sat watch while I fed Tribe 2.
This bank is a notorious hawk strike site. Quite a few chickens have died on this bamk over the years. Fudge has seen something and is fully alert.
View attachment 2393012View attachment 2393013

This is where she seen something. The Goshawk hunts up on that ridge. They have an almost perfect view of the bank the chickens are on. A rooster up here with them will watch that ridge and give the alarm when he sees a hawk drop out of the trees. The hawk does just drop out of the trees and head for the ground. It crosses the filed below about a foot off the ground and out of sight of the chickens.View attachment 2393015

The next thing the chicken knows is there is a hawk coming up the bank underneath the trees you can see.. The straw is not easy to run on. The chicken has about two seconds to make the bushes to the left of the picture. When Mel was attacked she went right into the woods.View attachment 2393016

This is Moon, oblivious to the fact that Fudge has seen somthing.View attachment 2393017

Fudge left the site shorly after but Moon was still digging. Fortunately the ducks who have an excellent view gave the somehow allerted Moon to a possible danger. This is Moon tearing down the track to make it to the bamaboo clump on the left of this picture. She's very exposed and on her own.

Nobody got struck this time. If they were not moulting this is much less likely to happen.View attachment 2393018

Scary that the molters go off on their own like that. Do the roosters protect all the pullets and hens, even if they are not in lay?

 

[Grammy60]

Good evening everyone

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

 

[BY Bob]

Good morning all.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning all.

Good morning Bob, have a great day

A nice red sky for us this morning

 

[Grammy60]

Good morning all.

Good morning Bob have a great Saturday

 

[BY Bob]

Sunrise at the beach, Avon, NC. From my trip there a few weeks ago.

 

[Grammy60]

Sunrise at the beach, Avon, NC. From my trip there a few weeks ago.
View attachment 2393896

That's beautiful

 

[BY Bob]

That's beautiful

It really was.

 

[Ribh]

Good morning Bob, have a great day

A nice red sky for us this morning
View attachment 2393861

Gorgeous!