Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I’m so pleased with my Rockettes. All new feathers on each of them. They are even getting along with my two roosters. No more fighting amongst each other. The key to it all is that I spend a lot of time with the Roos and they appreciate it.

 

[Sylvester017]

Mostly I rely on this to deter hawks these days.

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It is extremely effective against song birds.

GORGEOUS kitty! I'm discovering our neighborhood cats are more useful (predator deterrents) & more trustworthy around our hens than the loose stray neighborhood dogs!

 

[Sylvester017]

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.

Great video catch! We LOVE our neighborhood Crows! They have never flown into our yard, they leave our hens & feed/treats alone, yet the Crow murders will chase off any intruding hawks overhead. So lovely to watch & appreciate Crows. I imagine Ravens are the same?

 

[Sylvester017]

Today the chicks are officially 4 months old. Well, today leading into tomorrow for everyone.

George, oh Georgie boy is mid-juvenile molt right now and is channeling his father at the moment. Overnight he lost most of his tail feathers and only has 4 left. I expect the remaining 4 to be lost today or tomorrow.

View attachment 3961968View attachment 3961970View attachment 3961971View attachment 3961972whatever hairdo you want to call this, he is rocking it though.View attachment 3961973
He also wants to let his daddy Mr. P he should be proud of him. He is the leader of his own gang of silkies like him.View attachment 3961975View attachment 3961976
My only for sure silkie pullet, the rest are now very questionable.
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If the majority of these are boys like I fear, I will have multiple roosters for a while. I will have to choose 1 or maybe 2 to stay. But which one. Right now I can make a case for every single one to stay if they are boys dang it. I do know first thing I am going to do if I have multiple boys like I suspect is contact my cousin who has "Tiger Chicken". When I do I need to have my keeper for sure picked. I am going to tell her to bring her grandson and let him pick out a boyfriend for her.
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So-o-o CUTE! Yep, take your time on final Silkie gender verdicts. They change day-to-day so reserve judgment till it crows or lays. We were fooled for 7 months!

 

[BY Bob]

Do the CD's or foil scare the chickens also I wonder? After a while the flappy things aren't scary any more? to chickens or hawks? Just like scarecrows in a corn field eventually don't scare off crows? Just wondering if anyone on here has experienced these deterrent methods?

I've never tried CD's or foil. I have bird netting up for additional cover.

 

[BY Bob]

Call that late? Don’t forget Bernie was over a year!

That is beyond late!

 

[rural mouse]

Love the crows.
I have noticed here the mockingbirds (or they may be cat birds) are small but very aggressive to hawks and foxes.
Blue Jays also.

Gotta love the alert alarms of the assorted jays, magpies, crows, and ravens. They're a wonderful assist to roosters

 

[rural mouse]

Do the CD's or foil scare the chickens also I wonder? After a while the flappy things aren't scary any more? to chickens or hawks? Just like scarecrows in a corn field eventually don't scare off crows? Just wondering if anyone on here has experienced these deterrent methods?

Typically they all work at first, but you have to move then around every couple of weeks or more frequently so local birds don't get used to them. Migrating birds aren't around long enough to get used to your specific ones. However, if they encounter the same things in lots of different locations along their migratory routes, I would expect them to get wise at some point also.

 

[BY Bob]

Don't forget Owly. That little lady was 11 months when she laid her first egg. Poppet was what? 9 or 10 months old when she laid her first. I know it felt like forever waiting on that silkie egg.

I am assuming winter came into play. I expect this lady will be relatively old when she lays her first egg.

She is 14 weeks old today. If she were to lay mid-february she will be 40 weeks or 9.5 months old. That will not be a late starter for any reason other than winter arrived as she would normally start laying.

 

[rural mouse]

Great video catch! We LOVE our neighborhood Crows! They have never flown into our yard, they leave our hens & feed/treats alone, yet the Crow murders will chase off any intruding hawks overhead. So lovely to watch & appreciate Crows. I imagine Ravens are the same?

Ravens will do so also....and I've seen a single solitary CROW chase a bald eagle for over a mile....all the while maintaining the higher air.