this is the first time in a long time that we have been gone and not home before dark.
It was probably a 1/2 hour after dark and we pull up with the van to shut the coop doors. In the first coop my daughters find 2 hens from the other coop in there. (that has never happened in 6 months).
So I drive over to the other coop and there are hens standing around outside. Inside the coop is a oppossom eating the eggs that weren't collected today.
My hubby is sick in the bathroom so I call my dad who lives a 1/2 mile away and he comes down and kills the oppossom. We clean up the mess and the 1/2 dozen or so eggs that are junk now.
The kids and I shoo in the chickens but we are missing 4. I head up to the house and there is one by the front door. I drive around the yard and don't see anything else and my dad heads home.
The oldest two stay out looking with flashlights while I get the younger three to bed. My oldest comes in the house all excited she found one of her favorite hens behind the house (where they never go) at our basement walkout.
A few minutes later she runs in saying that there is another oppossom under the feed trailer eating the remaining cat food. So call my dad again and he comes down and kills another oppossom. This one is bigger than the first.
We are still missing two chickens. I am figuring that they are hiding and will be by the coop in the morning. I hope they keep warm tonight in the cold windy night in Michigan.
Will update tomorrow on the statis of the missing chickens.
Funniest thing is there were 4 hens that never left the coop, sitting on the highest roost. They had their heads cocked looking at the oppossom but weren't budging, not even with gun fire!
It was probably a 1/2 hour after dark and we pull up with the van to shut the coop doors. In the first coop my daughters find 2 hens from the other coop in there. (that has never happened in 6 months).
So I drive over to the other coop and there are hens standing around outside. Inside the coop is a oppossom eating the eggs that weren't collected today.
My hubby is sick in the bathroom so I call my dad who lives a 1/2 mile away and he comes down and kills the oppossom. We clean up the mess and the 1/2 dozen or so eggs that are junk now.
The kids and I shoo in the chickens but we are missing 4. I head up to the house and there is one by the front door. I drive around the yard and don't see anything else and my dad heads home.
The oldest two stay out looking with flashlights while I get the younger three to bed. My oldest comes in the house all excited she found one of her favorite hens behind the house (where they never go) at our basement walkout.
A few minutes later she runs in saying that there is another oppossom under the feed trailer eating the remaining cat food. So call my dad again and he comes down and kills another oppossom. This one is bigger than the first.
We are still missing two chickens. I am figuring that they are hiding and will be by the coop in the morning. I hope they keep warm tonight in the cold windy night in Michigan.
Will update tomorrow on the statis of the missing chickens.
Funniest thing is there were 4 hens that never left the coop, sitting on the highest roost. They had their heads cocked looking at the oppossom but weren't budging, not even with gun fire!
