Life before 2008 18 Jul 2006 07:32 am
AAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!
This morning we woke to find Richard gone and tons of yellow feathers everywhere. There are also feathers of another kind, white with brown tips, indicating whatever attacker I’m battling is fowl.
Hmmpf. Foul indeed.
I have no idea how it penetrated our fortress. The doors were locked. It can’t be lifted by anyone less than two grown adults. There are no large gaps between the coop and the ground, only very narrow ones.
This is a supreme feeling of powerlessness. It’s times like this when I am faced with a contrast of thoughts:
1-”I should probably just wait until we move to replenish the flock and cut my losses.”
2-”Imagine not so long ago, when farmers faced this problem and there were no food stores or supermarkets for back up.”
It’s not so unlike watching a little “crop” of veggies get eaten by bugs or die from drought. We are privleged so that we won’t starve in such a scenario but life is precarious for many others, both past and present.
Richard was a sweet rooster chick and already very protective of his little group of hens. I’m sure he died sheltering the others from harm. Ugh….what to do, what to do.
on 18 Jul 2006 at 10:05 am 1.Sandy said …
Sounds like it might’ve been an owl or a hawk. Sorry you lost another one - and after having worked so hard on your new coop! Frustrating to say the least I’m sure.
Sandy
on 18 Jul 2006 at 10:09 am 2.Tia said …
Well, upon further looking, I think those other feathers were from the hens. Their under-feathers look alot like that. Whatever it was, it had to squeeze into a small gap at the base of the coop, kill or drag Richard through the gap as well, and then eat everything. There is no blood or hard parts to be found. So, there is still a chance some kind of bird did it (and flew away with him) but my guess right now is a rat. Other things, like weasles or foxes don’t eat the whole bird and are messier about leaving blood. Someone else suggested a snake but I just don’t see how that could be.
Tia’s House: The Killing Fields….
on 18 Jul 2006 at 11:10 am 3.gina said …
Wow, that’s sure a weird mystery. I’m so sorry, hopefully your move will be soon and you won’t loose anymore. We’ve not had anything bother our rabbit that I’m aware. I heard a horror story of how wolves or coyotes can pull rabbits right through the chicken wire! It happened to my friends’ rabbit.
on 18 Jul 2006 at 2:44 pm 4.Bannergranny said …
Tia Cheryl suggested a possum….she had problems with them when she had chickens….they don’t leave remains…and they can dig under fencing.