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- #21
This is a sad, sad update in that I found Ms. Broody dead in the stall next to her nest this morning. I knew something was wrong when I peeked into stall and did not see her on nest and there was a black sex link hen in the stall eating her food. When I entered I saw the feathers and knew the worse. I found her in the stall next door - well what was left of her. Poor thing- but whatever it was must have been starving because there wasn't much left of her except feet and feathers.
It's sad but I knew the odds were against her. That 100 year old barn has been abandoned for the past 30 years. The family didn't sell it when they sold off the house and we just recently acquired it. The grass around it was 6 feet tall. I'm sure it's full of snakes and I know it's full of mice and rats. We've seen a feral cat around here several times also.
I feel partially to blame for letting her stay out there. For the first three nights in a row I waited till dark, covered her with a towel and carried her back to coop. But each morning she ran back to barn. The last night I tried I built a pen in coop and carried the entire nest of hay and eggs and her and put her there but she really freaked out and started throwing herself against pen till she jumped over it and ran back to barn in the dark. All I could hope is that the dogs would keep predators away and that the closed stall would deter them but I knew it was a long shot.
A few things contributed to her death, I believe. One is that we had to let Lucy inside last night - she was tearing up doors to get in - she does that when a storm is coming. Also I forgot to open all yard gates so that Rex could get out to barn if necessary. He ended up being trapped in the fenced yards around the house. Normally every night after the chickens are all locked in coop I open the doors to garages, sheds, walkways and all the picket fence gates so that he can get out quickly in any direction if necessary.
Because I free range my chickens I've always known this could happen. Well actually it's not a result of free ranging it's a result of a wild EE insisting on sleeping in an old abandoned barn but still I knew this was a possibilty but it's still hard. My EEs are my wild childs - I've never petted any of them (except Ruth) and they always run to greet me and to get treats but always stay one step ahead if I reach for them. I won't change my free ranging beliefs because I know they live a happier and more natural life but I will NOT let any more take up broody nests in the barn. They will have to use the coop from now on. My mistake was putting more importance on letting her sit on and hatch some eggs than just insisting that she had to stay in coop for her own protection. If another one goes broody I guess I'll have to lock them in Rex's large kennel till it passes.
Sad morning here.
It's sad but I knew the odds were against her. That 100 year old barn has been abandoned for the past 30 years. The family didn't sell it when they sold off the house and we just recently acquired it. The grass around it was 6 feet tall. I'm sure it's full of snakes and I know it's full of mice and rats. We've seen a feral cat around here several times also.
I feel partially to blame for letting her stay out there. For the first three nights in a row I waited till dark, covered her with a towel and carried her back to coop. But each morning she ran back to barn. The last night I tried I built a pen in coop and carried the entire nest of hay and eggs and her and put her there but she really freaked out and started throwing herself against pen till she jumped over it and ran back to barn in the dark. All I could hope is that the dogs would keep predators away and that the closed stall would deter them but I knew it was a long shot.
A few things contributed to her death, I believe. One is that we had to let Lucy inside last night - she was tearing up doors to get in - she does that when a storm is coming. Also I forgot to open all yard gates so that Rex could get out to barn if necessary. He ended up being trapped in the fenced yards around the house. Normally every night after the chickens are all locked in coop I open the doors to garages, sheds, walkways and all the picket fence gates so that he can get out quickly in any direction if necessary.
Because I free range my chickens I've always known this could happen. Well actually it's not a result of free ranging it's a result of a wild EE insisting on sleeping in an old abandoned barn but still I knew this was a possibilty but it's still hard. My EEs are my wild childs - I've never petted any of them (except Ruth) and they always run to greet me and to get treats but always stay one step ahead if I reach for them. I won't change my free ranging beliefs because I know they live a happier and more natural life but I will NOT let any more take up broody nests in the barn. They will have to use the coop from now on. My mistake was putting more importance on letting her sit on and hatch some eggs than just insisting that she had to stay in coop for her own protection. If another one goes broody I guess I'll have to lock them in Rex's large kennel till it passes.
Sad morning here.
