Life before 2008 13 Jul 2006 07:57 am
Thursday
I would like to have no more pressing concern today than why my little cookbook ad (recommendation of the month, er, last month) has turned into an obnoxious Amazon ad. But the chickens are dead and I am sick to my stomach.
Not all of them; just four. Half of my little flock is gone. Night before last we moved their tractor a little too far in the open and the top was off. In the morning, Richard was out in the front under David’s car, skittery but alive. Two hens were missing without a stray feather even to hint at what happened. My best guess was an owl.
Last night we made sure the top was on well but we didn’t move them. Chipolte is gone and another hen, her bloody head next to the coop being eaten by bees. The remaining birds were hysterical. Richard and three hens are all that’s left.
Cut off heads is pretty classic racoon carnage. Cats usually leave more mess. There is a host of other rodents that live in the woods that probably are licking their chops at our offering of fresh chicken dinners for their nocturnal pleasure. The kids are upset; these were pet birds. Today’s project is to tighten the wire sides, pull them as close to the house as we can get, and put stones on top of the cover so it can’t be lifted.
on 13 Jul 2006 at 8:08 am 1.Sarah K. said …
Oh no, I am so sorry.
on 13 Jul 2006 at 12:03 pm 2.Bannergranny said …
Oh I feel so bad for you…and the kids. We get so attached to our animals….even when they aren’t cuddley….I do so hope you can protect the others adequetly….try not to dwell on the method and circumstances of their death. Maybe Chipotle has hidden somewhere and she will come back.
on 13 Jul 2006 at 12:06 pm 3.Kim said …
Oh no! So sorry! I know exactly how you feel, except I know who got mine. We watched and couldn’t do anything about it! They both got over the fence and back in their former yard, where their former dog friend chased them down and killed them. Neighbor was distressed as well, since he gave us the chickens to begin with. Anyway, he’s getting rid of the dogs, and I’m getting two more chickens that come from far away! Hope things go better tonight.
on 13 Jul 2006 at 1:03 pm 4.erin said …
One of the ladies here at work said a fox might have been the culprit as well. Seeing that raccoons can move rocks, you might want to jimmy rig a twist tie out of wire or lock the cage with something.
on 13 Jul 2006 at 8:21 pm 5.Tia said …
Oh Kim!! I didn’t know yours died!! And wow…their own old dog. I hope your new ones do better. How old will be when you get them? I think I might get a few chicks from the feed store if they still have them and see if I can introduce them safely.
on 15 Jul 2006 at 12:27 pm 6.Kim said …
We talked about it last night, and Dana thinks maybe if we get younger ones they wouldn’t have any memory recognition and we could acclimate them to our house successfully. Where did you get yours? Did you order them or get them at the feed store? The neighbor will give me more of his (he’s trying to get down to just Buff Orpingtons), but we don’t want any more that want to return home. His dog also tore through his chicken wire a couple weeks ago and got another chicken!- so the neighbor is currently trying to relocate the dog elsewhere. Whew! Can’t wait to see pics of your new Chickhouse!
on 15 Jul 2006 at 3:39 pm 7.Tia said …
Kim~ raising them from babies definitely makes a difference!! They come to know you and are very loyal. It’s surprising really. I got my first ones at an area feed store. It’s late in the season so they may not have them anymore. I’m going to run into that myself if I try to add new chicks into my current brood. You can also order them online from a hatchery. We got ours from Murray McMurray (google that and you’ll get it) but you have to have a minimum order of 25. Maybe the other farmgirls in your area would go together with you?
We split our last one three ways. They throw in a bunch of extra roosters so be prepared for that.