I had 10 just a week ago! Then there were 9! And now 8!
A Predator has found the Hen House and killed two of my girls. And the dam thing only takes the head and neck, Leaving the body behind to show the other Chickens what is in store for them if they were to remain in the old Hen House!
Last week I took Izzy and Holly to the Vet to be spaded and was told by the Vet to keep both dry as the stitches would dissolve when wet. So with all the snow and rain we have had, the only place I can take them outside is the driveway. No standing water there.
So I had Holly out and was near the end of the driveway and she made a lunge to the right. It was dark and what she had seen that I did not was one of the Chickens! Which ran back toward the Hen House. I took Holly back inside and got a flash light to see if I could find this Dumb A--! I went to Terri's house to get her to help me (She has a better flashlight then I do) and we found one of the "Brown Leg Horn" Hens trying to climb into a stack of pallets. I was able to get her and headed to the Chicken yard to put her away and Terri spotted another Bird sitting on top of the fence around the yard, It was Cuddles and it was easy for me to gather her in too! But I then knew that something was wrong as there were four more of the girls huddled in one corner of the fence.
I took the two I already had to the new Hen House and put them inside. Terri was looking around with the flashlight and spotted another one on the back side of the yard and it looked like it was trying to crawl out through a hole on the fence. But it was stuck and when I walked back there, I realized that it was dead! Head and neck were gone and it was stuck in the fence where our night time dinner had tried to pull her through!
We must have scared it off as I did not see it and I opened the back of the old Hen House to find another Hen sitting at the top of the roost. So the Predator must have gotten into the Hen House and grabbed one of them and scared the rest of them so badly that they made a dash for the outside! There were feathers all over the inside of the coop and some of the girls are missing tail feathers.
I got 6 birds into the new Hen House and locked inside. I have had the inside construction done for quite some time, But have not been able to get a fence put up around the new Chicken yard yet. There were still 2 girls not accounted for and we took a walk around to see if we might be able to find them.
As I walked across the front yard with Terri behind me, She spotted one of to my right and though it was also a goner! But as I got near her she turned her head to watch me and I was able to just pick her up. She was not hurt and I placed her with the others and tried to see if we could find # 8. But no luck and we though she must have been carried off.
We called it a night and went inside.
Terri called me early the next morning and told me that there was a Chicken running around out back. I could not believe that one had gotten out! And it hadn't, this was #8! We just missed her the night before!
So all 8 are locked in the new Hen house and seem to be adjusting to the new place. I know they want outside and that makes the building a fence a must now. But it's not in the budget yet. SOON!!
Tomorrow I will be building a new brooder so I can get at least a dozen new day old chicks on Saturday from Tractor supply! I hope thy have a decent selection to choose from?!
So, Predator 2, Hens 0!
It's my night to cook and I need to get over to Terri's and get started. Grilled Pork steaks, Oven fried potatoes, Collards and Apple Sauce! Yep, That sounds good!
Tom
A Predator has found the Hen House and killed two of my girls. And the dam thing only takes the head and neck, Leaving the body behind to show the other Chickens what is in store for them if they were to remain in the old Hen House!
Last week I took Izzy and Holly to the Vet to be spaded and was told by the Vet to keep both dry as the stitches would dissolve when wet. So with all the snow and rain we have had, the only place I can take them outside is the driveway. No standing water there.
So I had Holly out and was near the end of the driveway and she made a lunge to the right. It was dark and what she had seen that I did not was one of the Chickens! Which ran back toward the Hen House. I took Holly back inside and got a flash light to see if I could find this Dumb A--! I went to Terri's house to get her to help me (She has a better flashlight then I do) and we found one of the "Brown Leg Horn" Hens trying to climb into a stack of pallets. I was able to get her and headed to the Chicken yard to put her away and Terri spotted another Bird sitting on top of the fence around the yard, It was Cuddles and it was easy for me to gather her in too! But I then knew that something was wrong as there were four more of the girls huddled in one corner of the fence.
I took the two I already had to the new Hen House and put them inside. Terri was looking around with the flashlight and spotted another one on the back side of the yard and it looked like it was trying to crawl out through a hole on the fence. But it was stuck and when I walked back there, I realized that it was dead! Head and neck were gone and it was stuck in the fence where our night time dinner had tried to pull her through!
We must have scared it off as I did not see it and I opened the back of the old Hen House to find another Hen sitting at the top of the roost. So the Predator must have gotten into the Hen House and grabbed one of them and scared the rest of them so badly that they made a dash for the outside! There were feathers all over the inside of the coop and some of the girls are missing tail feathers.
I got 6 birds into the new Hen House and locked inside. I have had the inside construction done for quite some time, But have not been able to get a fence put up around the new Chicken yard yet. There were still 2 girls not accounted for and we took a walk around to see if we might be able to find them.
As I walked across the front yard with Terri behind me, She spotted one of to my right and though it was also a goner! But as I got near her she turned her head to watch me and I was able to just pick her up. She was not hurt and I placed her with the others and tried to see if we could find # 8. But no luck and we though she must have been carried off.
We called it a night and went inside.
Terri called me early the next morning and told me that there was a Chicken running around out back. I could not believe that one had gotten out! And it hadn't, this was #8! We just missed her the night before!
So all 8 are locked in the new Hen house and seem to be adjusting to the new place. I know they want outside and that makes the building a fence a must now. But it's not in the budget yet. SOON!!
Tomorrow I will be building a new brooder so I can get at least a dozen new day old chicks on Saturday from Tractor supply! I hope thy have a decent selection to choose from?!
So, Predator 2, Hens 0!
It's my night to cook and I need to get over to Terri's and get started. Grilled Pork steaks, Oven fried potatoes, Collards and Apple Sauce! Yep, That sounds good!
Tom
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