You're right about the stressfulness of outside cats, Lisa. Now, before I even let the dogs out, I run outside to count kittens. Still five today.
I hope your kitty shows up sooner rather than later. Maybe you should have a heart-to-heart with her and explain why she needs to not run off.
With the exception of my rotten Cochin Bantam rooster, all of my Cochins have been great. Except for Polish, I've had and liked everything on your "favorites" list; a Buff Orpington was part of my original flock of four.
I am willing to take care of my original six kittens -- if Binx ever comes back -- but No More than that, Jim!
Taking care of critters is rewarding -- but expensive and worrisome. My plan this year was to have FEWER critters. Between the new chicks and the unplanned cats and kittens, I am failing miserably at my goal. But who can be unhappy when they get to hold baby critters?
BTW, the past week has been an insect horror show here, thanks in part, at least, to all the wet weather. Coop cleaning has revealed hordes of nasty creepy crawlies. Underneath the flooring in the duck shelter, there were maggots. Underneath the flooring in the red coop, there were writhing mealworms and their parent black beetles. My hen clean-up crew took care of all of the aforementioned.
Finally, every morning when I opened the Cochins' run, at least a dozen earwigs would drop down off the gate, and I would do my don't-fall-on-me dance. Some citronella oil, diluted in a spray bottle of water, has convinced those nasty things to move elsewhere. I may spray around the top edges of the garbage cans where I store feed; there are earwigs there every day.
While I do not miss biting wind and frigid temps, there's something to be said for winter kill when it comes to insects.
On a happy note: Although I've been getting some cherry tomatoes, I finally got my first regular sized one. It's a Silvery Fir Tree tomato -- which I'd never heard of before I visited Seed Savers Exchange. Also, despite earwig attacks to the leaves, one of my green pepper plants looks to have some decent-sized peppers growing. I need to spray more Neem oil, which appears to at least slow down the attackers.
I hope your kitty shows up sooner rather than later. Maybe you should have a heart-to-heart with her and explain why she needs to not run off.
With the exception of my rotten Cochin Bantam rooster, all of my Cochins have been great. Except for Polish, I've had and liked everything on your "favorites" list; a Buff Orpington was part of my original flock of four.
I am willing to take care of my original six kittens -- if Binx ever comes back -- but No More than that, Jim!
Taking care of critters is rewarding -- but expensive and worrisome. My plan this year was to have FEWER critters. Between the new chicks and the unplanned cats and kittens, I am failing miserably at my goal. But who can be unhappy when they get to hold baby critters?
BTW, the past week has been an insect horror show here, thanks in part, at least, to all the wet weather. Coop cleaning has revealed hordes of nasty creepy crawlies. Underneath the flooring in the duck shelter, there were maggots. Underneath the flooring in the red coop, there were writhing mealworms and their parent black beetles. My hen clean-up crew took care of all of the aforementioned.
Finally, every morning when I opened the Cochins' run, at least a dozen earwigs would drop down off the gate, and I would do my don't-fall-on-me dance. Some citronella oil, diluted in a spray bottle of water, has convinced those nasty things to move elsewhere. I may spray around the top edges of the garbage cans where I store feed; there are earwigs there every day.
While I do not miss biting wind and frigid temps, there's something to be said for winter kill when it comes to insects.
On a happy note: Although I've been getting some cherry tomatoes, I finally got my first regular sized one. It's a Silvery Fir Tree tomato -- which I'd never heard of before I visited Seed Savers Exchange. Also, despite earwig attacks to the leaves, one of my green pepper plants looks to have some decent-sized peppers growing. I need to spray more Neem oil, which appears to at least slow down the attackers.
