I live in Hutchinson, my coworker showed me a picture her husband sent her of a mountian lion on a trail cam, 3 miles from her home here in Hutch! Have you guys ever seen those (all the talk of predators made me think of it)
I've seen mountain lions for years. Even over 20 years ago when I was working nights at Wolf Creek I sat and watched one walk down the road toward the access gate. I also saw them along Hwy 75 on my way to work. I have also seen them out at the lake nearby. You can't imagine the size of those footprints in snow! they are huge. Kansas wild life and parks say they don't exist here, but I've seen them with my own eyes on several occasions. I have no idea why they deny it.
I used to live in Council Grove and did hear about the black panthers at the lake but never knew if it were true or not.
Yesterday was one busy day for me. It was well after dark before I got done with all my feeding and watering. I spent several hours moving chickens. I moved my white rocks to the hen house where the light brahmas stay. I figured since I'm not hatching any of them right now they might as well be sleeping together. They all free range all day anyway. They normally just go through the gate to the hen house to get to their pen and coop anyway. I have a gate in between pens. I had a couple of whit rocks wandering around in the dark though cause they were still trying to get into their coop and couldn't figure out how. I'll just have to watch them for a few days to make sure they all get in and stay in.
I moved most of the young orpington and partridge brahmas from the pen they were in to the old white star house and pen. I moved them one by one and treated them for mites with ivermectin while I was doing it. Figured it was a good time to get it done. Then I moved several young buff Orp pullets to the breeder pen. I didn't see any arguing when I did. Might have been because I treated all of them as well and shut the others that were already there in the coop and got them treated. They were so upset with me that they didn't seem to notice the new additions. Or so I hope.
Then I moved my young lavender pullets into a cage in the lavender orpington pen. I hope if I leave them there a couple of days that I can let them out without fights. I also moved some white orpingtons to the white orpington pen in a cage. They are really crowded. I just didn't have the room to get a larger cage in there. I hope they do okay. It is so unfair but I don't want them to get picked on.
Then I moved a bunch of the larger birds from the brooder to the pen where all those other birds came from. I am sure there are others I should have gotten out of there, but they seem so small to be outside in the weather even when they have all their feathers. I am such a softy.
I discovered my blind albino turkey was not doing well at all. I have no idea what was wrong with her. So I brought her in and gave her a shot of baytril. She is much better this morning but I need to get her back to her pen. She is so used to where things are she doesn't know where to find food and water if I move her. So I guess I'll give her another shot later today and put her back out. I realized that although she has no real value....she isn't ever mated, and I've never eaten her eggs.... I teared up thinking she might die. I have become so attached to her just because she is special. She knows my voice and gets excited when she hears me. I know that is in apprehension of food and water but just the same.... I even thought if I were smart I'd just butcher her but I can't do that.
I'll need to reassess the moves today and make sure all the birds are doing okay. I always get nervous when I move young birds especially in cold weather.
I ran out and let the birds that free range out a little earlier. It is sure gloomy out there. Looks like winter for sure. Now they are saying Thursday night we'll have freezing rain and Friday we'll have snow!
