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.

More Snow Days

Yes, for those family members and friends on the West Coast, it's snowing here...

Not again, Norma Jean!

I have  no intentions of having more chicks or chickens.  We have enough.  Norma Jean apparently disagrees.

And she isn't sitting on just the 5 eggs I thought she had...

Perhaps I should turn the heater up

It's a little cold inside the house apparently.  I find my fingers and hands getting cold when I'm working on my computer and other than not  using the computer, there isn't much I can do about it, so I created a solution.

Now I can still use the computer since it has a touch pad mouse.

Writing not allowed

I was trying to get some things written down this morning.  Cash apparently didn't approve...

Yummy Yummy Pencils

He's lucky that he's so darn cute.

The hunt is on

Last week, Silkie Sue was killed by a raccoon.  We found her body with evidence to prove who killed her.  It was sad because she's been such a great girl and was a wonderful mom hen to so many of our hatches.  She was also in the very first batch of girls that we got.

So we had a hunter come set traps to protect the rest of our birds and I set up our game camera.

It was only the second time that I pulled the card and I saw this fox walking across the driveway into the garden area.

A few days later he caught a fox.  He also was tracking the foot prints and found two sets of fox tracks, at least one raccoon and an opossum.

This morning the youngest came running inside to say that a opossum was in one of the traps.  I went out to snap a picture and felt really bad.  It's so cute!

The trapper came and took care of things.  I don't know what that means because I don't want to know.  I know he's let some things go before, especially younger animals, but I know I need to protect our hens so I just let him do what he does best.

Dog updates

The 5-gallon bucket that we keep outside to refill chicken water bowls froze solid.  It wasn't just the top later, it was a complete block.  I brought the bucket inside thinking it would defrost, but apparently the kitchen isn't much warmer because after a few days, the only defrosting occurred from the dogs licking it.

So the oldest decided to hack away at the block to give the dogs some ice to eat.

They went crazy for chunks of ice and were running around the house playing with them.  It was hilarious.

Later, Paisley was curled up on the arm chair, nice and cozy, until Cash decided to come over...

Firewood

I came home from the gym this morning and decided it was time to start cutting up the trees that the county chopped down.  I knew it would be easier to cut them when they were still fresh, and I figured it was an eye sore.  I cut them into firewood size chunks with the chainsaw and then had the boys come out to help me.

We loaded up our little trailer and I'd drive them up the driveway to unload behind the house where our firewood pile is.  

The first load

 I told the oldest that he gets to split them with the ax and I went back down to get a second load with the youngest.

When I came back, I was suprised to see how much he'd split.