Ranch circles of life
I was raised on a ranch. Which means that I have long understood and accepted the cycles of life. I also learned that once a predator gets a taste for chicken, they always remember it and they always want more.
The fortification of the chicken coop this spring was quite effective. We've had no further weasel incursions. However, just at the beginning of summer, we lost one of out young flock. Fortunately, it turned out to be the one hen that was looking like it was actually a rooster, so we weren't really bummed. We were pretty sure that our dear barn cats were the perpetrators, based on their smug behavior just after the attack, and additional predatory behavior towards the coop. It was like they were saying awww, come on, let us in, don't you know that those birds are *tasty*!
We re-fortified the walls and most especially the ceiling, since that was clearly where the predator(s) had come through (that was where the body still was)...ick!
Several incursion free months have passed with a 12 hen flock settling in nicely together (a 7 hen flock joined our 5 hen flock when my girlfriend had to give away her critters). Saturday night, kushali and ocicat were in the hot tub when they heard a loud disturbance out at the coop. They looked at each other with concern, about to leap out of the tub, when the flood lights were all turned on and aralon came rushing out to the coop.
He found Artemis inside the coop, so he removed her, enticed both hunters into the barn...and grounded them inside the barn for the night. Sunday was spent by all four of us, re-re-fortifying the coop. The morning glories (bind weed) had severely weakened a spot in the roof and the kittens were able to open up a nice hole. Several of the hens got roughed up a little but were pretty much fine. Except dear Pheasant.
The good news is that she is still alive. The bad news is she got torn open rather badly, with a large patch of skin removed entirely. She's been in to the vet, been cleaned up, bandaged, and is now on antibiotics. But her prognosis is not good. She is, however, alert and chipper and eating. All good signs. Now, we hope.
The fortification of the chicken coop this spring was quite effective. We've had no further weasel incursions. However, just at the beginning of summer, we lost one of out young flock. Fortunately, it turned out to be the one hen that was looking like it was actually a rooster, so we weren't really bummed. We were pretty sure that our dear barn cats were the perpetrators, based on their smug behavior just after the attack, and additional predatory behavior towards the coop. It was like they were saying awww, come on, let us in, don't you know that those birds are *tasty*!
We re-fortified the walls and most especially the ceiling, since that was clearly where the predator(s) had come through (that was where the body still was)...ick!
Several incursion free months have passed with a 12 hen flock settling in nicely together (a 7 hen flock joined our 5 hen flock when my girlfriend had to give away her critters). Saturday night, kushali and ocicat were in the hot tub when they heard a loud disturbance out at the coop. They looked at each other with concern, about to leap out of the tub, when the flood lights were all turned on and aralon came rushing out to the coop.
He found Artemis inside the coop, so he removed her, enticed both hunters into the barn...and grounded them inside the barn for the night. Sunday was spent by all four of us, re-re-fortifying the coop. The morning glories (bind weed) had severely weakened a spot in the roof and the kittens were able to open up a nice hole. Several of the hens got roughed up a little but were pretty much fine. Except dear Pheasant.
The good news is that she is still alive. The bad news is she got torn open rather badly, with a large patch of skin removed entirely. She's been in to the vet, been cleaned up, bandaged, and is now on antibiotics. But her prognosis is not good. She is, however, alert and chipper and eating. All good signs. Now, we hope.