Playing Possum

This morning the oldest was helping me in the garden and he dragged a trash can over for us to load with dead weeds and grass.  He quickly freaked out saying there was something in the trash can.  I was a safe distance away, so I told him to figure out what it was.  He knocked it down and there laid the possum.

While he did look fierce with those teeth, he wasn't moving at all and the longer I stood there staring into his face, the more pity I took on him.  I told the oldest that he couldn't kill him, as I thought for sure it would go running away as soon as the coast was clear and our chickens would be fine since we were around.

An hour later we had to leave, but I still thought the thing would run away when our noise was gone.

New predator

We have lost about 1 chicken a week for the past couple weeks to a predator. I thought it was a fox again, but was surprised that the birds were being left behind.

We pulled up to the house a couple days ago and even from across the yard I knew that Norma Jean was gone. I saw the mix of her colored feathers in a pile and knew it was her. And that's when I saw a hawk flutter away from her body and rest on a nearby tree.

I had no idea that a hawk would kill our full-sized chickens but now we know that is who the culprit is.

In order to keep the birds safe they have not been able to free range since then, they aren't happy, but they're alive. Hopefully when the leaves come back on the trees that will provide enough cover for safety and they can have their freedom again.

An update, a year late

I know I haven't written in a very long time.  I've thought about it many times but things just changed so much since Faith passed away and my heart hasn't been in things.  I think that was clear in the decrease of my posts and the shortness of them.

We still have Cash and Paisley.  Cash is healed from his accident, although his back has never looked the same since then and the vets think he will have arthritis and possibly hip dysplasia later in life.

We still have guinea and chickens, although we have lost a couple in the last year.

The county has completely torn up the front of the property, moved the drainage ditch closer to our home where the trees used to be, and ripped up our driveway.  They haven't started laying the asphalt closer, but that's due to the weather.

We survived the snow storm, and that is probably the only interesting thing I have to share pictures of.

Don't let them fool you, they barely shoveled at all

I am thinking we will do the garden again this year and so we cut up the fallen tree and hauled it out of the garden area before the storm hit.  Hopefully I'll get motivated enough to finish weeding and getting the area ready once the weather gets a little warmer.

An Unfortunate Accident

Thursday evening, our renter accidentally left the door open when he took out the trash.  Cash and Paisley were in my room with me but then Cash walked out.  He must have seen the door open and decided to go explore because the next thing we heard was yelling, tire screeching and a honk honking.

The oldest and I took off running through the house, my initial thought was that there was a fox outside, but when we heard the car noises I realized Cash was missing.  When we got outside, the oldest reached Cash before me and yelled out that he'd been hit.  He had a big gash on his hind leg, was obviously in a lot of pain and limping and very scared.  I scooped him up in my arms and ran to the car with him.

We lost Big Red today...

Big Red had been looking worse over the last week.  She'd gone back to being swollen and walking a little more upright, but now the swelling was all over her body.  I found her laying behind the feed trash can one night, which is the complete opposite of the corner she normally sleeps in.  I knew she wasn't doing well, but I guess part of me hoped she would get better.

Then I came home and the oldest immediately came running out to tell me he'd found Big Red laying on her side in the chicken ran when he got home.  He had thought she was dead but when he picked her up, she was still breathing so he brought her into the mud room.

She was sitting in a box, not moving, but still breathing.  I wrapped a towel around her and picked her up, she didn't even attempt to fight me and instead just closed her eyes.  I knew she was dying and I felt horrible that she might be in pain or suffering.  

I called the vet and took her down.  

They put her to sleep for me because I know I am not able to put an animal down myself, and we brought her home to be buried.  The oldest dug the hole for me and I set her down.  We've now lost a few birds and I knew that Big Red was older and sick so it wasn't unexpected, but I still feel horribly about it all.

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In Memory of Clyde

The Chicken Chick is a woman who has a major chicken blog and a Facebook page that is viewed around the world.  She is very informative and helpful to chicken folks.  The other day she was offering a couple free chicken decals and told people to comment with what they were doing for the weekend with their birds and she would randomly pick four winners.

I am not one for attempting to win any sort of prize, but with Clyde passing away and the oldest having a hard time with it, I thought it would be nice to comment to try to win him the decal.

I shared that we had recently lost my son's pet rooster and that weekend we were actually having him cremated.  Kathy replied telling me to give her our address and she would send him whichever decal I thought he would like.

Sure enough, a few days later this arrived.

Johnathon was quiet for awhile while he thought about it and then said how nice it was that she sent the card.  I pointed out that there was something else in the envelope.

He was happy that someone thought about him and then I explained that she'd just recently lost one of her amazing roosters as well.  "Really?"  he asked.  Yes, I explained how her rooster had also been sick and she lost him too and I could see the light in his eyes change as he realized he wasn't alone.

A few days later the name plate arrived for Clyde's box.

The Chicken Chick

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R.I.P. Clyde

Clyde took a turn for the worst last night and didn't stand up on his own a single time.  Even when we got him out of the crate to give him his medicine, he wasn't opening his eyes for very long.  

This morning, his comb was nearly all black and he would only open one eye briefly.  His breathing was very labored and I knew he wasn't going to last very much longer.  Johnathon went outside to check on him and watched him take list last few breaths.

It was devastating and has taken a major toll on both of us.  I started to dig a grave for him but quickly realized I wouldn't be able to bury him the same way we had buried the other birds.  I found a place that would cremate him and we will be picking up his ashes in a wood box this weekend.

Clyde was an amazing bird and definitely was a very influential part of our family learning that chickens were more than just egg producers.  His personality was a delight to see each day from the way that he would call his girls over to get treats he had found to the way that he came running to us each time that we came outside.  

He is missed and will be missed every day both by the oldest son and I, as well as his girls.  

These pictures are in order from when we first got him at about 3 months old to the last picture we have of him when he was healthy.  I'm choosing to leave the pictures of him in his weakened state out of this post as that isn't how he deserves to be remembered.  He was a tough bird and a fierce protector of his girls, but was an amazing friend to my oldest son.

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Clyde with two of his daughters

Doing his manly duties

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