It was with an air of contrition that I let the chickens out this morning.
Yesterday family was here all day with a very enthusiastic german shepherd puppy. A 70 lb. puppy. The cats go to ground and the chickens scatter away from the exuberant dancing dog.
Around 6pm, dark out, I go out to the coop to close the door. Door has been pushed shut by wind or by dog or by careless chicken. This happens sometimes. Everyone heads for the plan B roosting location, but I had closed that door earlier to keep raccoons out. No chickens, no chicken noises, no replies to my chicken noises and no indignant low cackling at the sight of a flashlight. No eyes to register it.
I felt guilty.
Bad Steward.
Came back in to the house and had a piece of cake to fortify me in the next level of after dark chicken stalking.
When they roost on the ground they resemble a pile of leaves instead of a pile of poultry so it's easy to miss them.
Their Plan B location is under the coop, but even that was too exposed in the presence of a dog. They had burrowed under the shed, it is probably about 4" off the ground, but that's where they had gone, and they were far under there -well out of reach.
I had an 8' length of plastic gutter which I managed to scoop them out with one at a time while lying fully extended on frozen chicken shit.
I collected all but one; Pearl, of course had found some other place to hide where she could not be found. I went in hoping that she would do what she has done in the past when this happens, and come around to the door asking for advance rations in the morning. That is what happened, and I still have 8 chickens. I'm facing up to the fact that my lax attention to the behavior of winds and doors may lose me a chicken or 2. I'd better get it together before the fisher cats do.
This morning I was eyed with more than a little suspicion. Everyone also kept their distance and made warning noises to each other if I got too close. Of course, the instant I turned my back, and Buck thought he saw an opportunity to hamstring me he'd take it. It's going to be another week of walking backwards.
Yesterday family was here all day with a very enthusiastic german shepherd puppy. A 70 lb. puppy. The cats go to ground and the chickens scatter away from the exuberant dancing dog.
Around 6pm, dark out, I go out to the coop to close the door. Door has been pushed shut by wind or by dog or by careless chicken. This happens sometimes. Everyone heads for the plan B roosting location, but I had closed that door earlier to keep raccoons out. No chickens, no chicken noises, no replies to my chicken noises and no indignant low cackling at the sight of a flashlight. No eyes to register it.
I felt guilty.
Bad Steward.
Came back in to the house and had a piece of cake to fortify me in the next level of after dark chicken stalking.
When they roost on the ground they resemble a pile of leaves instead of a pile of poultry so it's easy to miss them.
Their Plan B location is under the coop, but even that was too exposed in the presence of a dog. They had burrowed under the shed, it is probably about 4" off the ground, but that's where they had gone, and they were far under there -well out of reach.
I had an 8' length of plastic gutter which I managed to scoop them out with one at a time while lying fully extended on frozen chicken shit.
I collected all but one; Pearl, of course had found some other place to hide where she could not be found. I went in hoping that she would do what she has done in the past when this happens, and come around to the door asking for advance rations in the morning. That is what happened, and I still have 8 chickens. I'm facing up to the fact that my lax attention to the behavior of winds and doors may lose me a chicken or 2. I'd better get it together before the fisher cats do.
This morning I was eyed with more than a little suspicion. Everyone also kept their distance and made warning noises to each other if I got too close. Of course, the instant I turned my back, and Buck thought he saw an opportunity to hamstring me he'd take it. It's going to be another week of walking backwards.
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Glad to hear from you, but criticisms will be ignored. It's the beauty of the web. I will answer all friendly remarks. Buck handles the rest.