Fairy egg annoying easter hunt

[CabritaChicks]

Beautiful eggs! Can you lock your gate as well as just keeping it shut? I would not trust those chicken thieves farther than I could throw them. I truly hope you have no more losses!

Thank you.

We did suffer another loss—unrelated to the last. An electrician showed up with a dog in a kennel and casually let his dog out “to pee." I guess the dog made a beeline straight for the hens, and before I could react from people were screaming trying to stop him, Suki—my rooster, my buddy—rushed in to protect them and disappeared into the brush. He saved the hens... I can’t talk about it right now. I’m still too angry. The guy claimed he just picked up the dog, some kind of pitbull/terrier mix, from a backyard breeder “for protection.”

So now, every single person is vetted, their vehicle inspected and babysat like a child. They’ll be done in two weeks or less, but even now- my husband is standing by the gate like a gargoyle- but with fowl language and hatred in his eyes.

The gate is large but automatic—it locks immediately after closing and can only be opened with one of two remotes.

At the time, though, it was chaos—at least nine vehicles, maybe 18 workers coming and going through the gate, most just illegal laborers in and out every few minutes. You can’t even see the Casita they’re building from the main house, and unlike in the States, there’s no such thing as an official job supervisor here. No real rules—just pay the government for the permit and you’re on your own.

Next week, barbed wire is going up on one unique side of the property. I'm not taking any more chances.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Thank you.

We did suffer another loss—unrelated to the last. An electrician showed up with a dog in a kennel and casually let his dog out “to pee." I guess the dog made a beeline straight for the hens, and before I could react from people were screaming trying to stop him, Suki—my rooster, my buddy—rushed in to protect them and disappeared into the brush. He saved the hens... I can’t talk about it right now. I’m still too angry. The guy claimed he just picked up the dog, some kind of pitbull/terrier mix, from a backyard breeder “for protection.”

So now, every single person is vetted, their vehicle inspected and babysat like a child. They’ll be done in two weeks or less, but even now- my husband is standing by the gate like a gargoyle- but with fowl language and hatred in his eyes.

The gate is large but automatic—it locks immediately after closing and can only be opened with one of two remotes.

At the time, though, it was chaos—at least nine vehicles, maybe 18 workers coming and going through the gate, most just illegal laborers in and out every few minutes. You can’t even see the Casita they’re building from the main house, and unlike in the States, there’s no such thing as an official job supervisor here. No real rules—just pay the government for the permit and you’re on your own.

Next week, barbed wire is going up on one unique side of the property. I'm not taking any more chances.

Oh, poor Suki; I’m so sorry!

 

[Lizzie_Pinecone24]

Very sorry for your losses.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The dog got your rooster!?! I would tell the guy he owes you $100 for a new rooster! After all, that is what your hen sold for! That is ... unacceptable. What country are you in? This is crazy!

 

[CabritaChicks]

The dog got your rooster!?! I would tell the guy he owes you $100 for a new rooster! After all, that is what your hen sold for! That is ... unacceptable. What country are you in? This is crazy!

Oh yeah—like I can collect anything for that. It doesn’t work like that here. I’m in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and people forget—or just don’t realize—how different life is here compared to the mainland. Everyone sees the postcards or goes on holiday: white sand beaches, turquoise water, vacation rentals with hammocks and cocktails. But behind that glossy surface, the reality for those of us who actually live here is much closer to a third-world experience.

There’s no reliable electricity, and what we have only the wealthy can afford (if it works- power outages daily- sometimes lasting for a week), try right now it is going for 59cents per kilowatt (US average is 17 cents) and to ensure it stays on you grease the palms quite a bit. Water? We collect rainwater in cisterns—if it doesn’t rain, you don’t shower or cook. No mailman. No 'malls' or 'Target'. Unreliable groceries (trying going to the market for chicken breast- nope- not today) and something simple like the mini jar of peanut butter I bought today was 12 dollars!. No real infrastructure for legal recourse or consumer protection. So when someone damages your property, lets their dog kill your animals, breaks a contract, beats you, or breaks into your home, you’re pretty much on your own. You can hire goons for recourse- they come a dim a dozen. There's no quick call to animal control or small claims court (not that the person has ID, or a legal place of residence). It’s all just... survival, and community, and a whole lot of self-reliance. It is a different way of life, one that my husband love until it goes terribly wrong.

It’s beautiful, yes—but it’s not easy. And it’s a different kind of frustration when you live in a U.S. territory, under a U.S. flag, but with none of the systems, provisions or safeguards people on the mainland take for granted.

 

[Carontheroad]

Oh yeah—like I can collect anything for that. It doesn’t work like that here. I’m in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and people forget—or just don’t realize—how different life is here compared to the mainland. Everyone sees the postcards or goes on holiday: white sand beaches, turquoise water, vacation rentals with hammocks and cocktails. But behind that glossy surface, the reality for those of us who actually live here is much closer to a third-world experience.

There’s no reliable electricity, and what we have only the wealthy can afford (if it works- power outages daily- sometimes lasting for a week), try right now it is going for 59cents per kilowatt (US average is 17 cents) and to ensure it stays on you grease the palms quite a bit. Water? We collect rainwater in cisterns—if it doesn’t rain, you don’t shower or cook. No mailman. No 'malls' or 'Target'. Unreliable groceries (trying going to the market for chicken breast- nope- not today) and something simple like the mini jar of peanut butter I bought today was 12 dollars!. No real infrastructure for legal recourse or consumer protection. So when someone damages your property, lets their dog kill your animals, breaks a contract, beats you, or breaks into your home, you’re pretty much on your own. You can hire goons for recourse- they come a dim a dozen. There's no quick call to animal control or small claims court (not that the person has ID, or a legal place of residence). It’s all just... survival, and community, and a whole lot of self-reliance. It is a different way of life, one that my husband love until it goes terribly wrong.

It’s beautiful, yes—but it’s not easy. And it’s a different kind of frustration when you live in a U.S. territory, under a U.S. flag, but with none of the systems, provisions or safeguards people on the mainland take for granted.

Sounds like the wild west in days of old. I visited St. Thomas years ago, my friend was living there nursing. I got to live like the locals for a few weeks but you must be on a smaller island. Still, she had crazy stories of the island nurses, definitely a different speed and standard than North America.

If your rooster disappeared into the brush, maybe he is still alive? He might come back. Let the guy finish whatever work he is doing for you then pay him $100 less for the loss of the rooster.

Hard egg shells, must be all that coral on the ground. My shells are on the thin side despite oyster shells, etc. Tell hubby it sucks to have thin shelled eggs break, especially in the nest. I’m going to try giving them crushed egg shells as well but the shells are several years old. I just finished putting them in the oven for a bit to sterilize them. They don’t seem to take much of the oyster shells.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh yeah—like I can collect anything for that. It doesn’t work like that here. I’m in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and people forget—or just don’t realize—how different life is here compared to the mainland. Everyone sees the postcards or goes on holiday: white sand beaches, turquoise water, vacation rentals with hammocks and cocktails. But behind that glossy surface, the reality for those of us who actually live here is much closer to a third-world experience.

There’s no reliable electricity, and what we have only the wealthy can afford (if it works- power outages daily- sometimes lasting for a week), try right now it is going for 59cents per kilowatt (US average is 17 cents) and to ensure it stays on you grease the palms quite a bit. Water? We collect rainwater in cisterns—if it doesn’t rain, you don’t shower or cook. No mailman. No 'malls' or 'Target'. Unreliable groceries (trying going to the market for chicken breast- nope- not today) and something simple like the mini jar of peanut butter I bought today was 12 dollars!. No real infrastructure for legal recourse or consumer protection. So when someone damages your property, lets their dog kill your animals, breaks a contract, beats you, or breaks into your home, you’re pretty much on your own. You can hire goons for recourse- they come a dim a dozen. There's no quick call to animal control or small claims court (not that the person has ID, or a legal place of residence). It’s all just... survival, and community, and a whole lot of self-reliance. It is a different way of life, one that my husband love until it goes terribly wrong.

It’s beautiful, yes—but it’s not easy. And it’s a different kind of frustration when you live in a U.S. territory, under a U.S. flag, but with none of the systems, provisions or safeguards people on the mainland take for granted.

Yeah, we would not know it's different there if we didn't hear if from people like you. I'm so sorry to hear it's like that. I know people who win vacations to there or go on cruises are generally not allowed to see the .. .real, gritty, rough side of the islands the visit. Do you know if it's the same in Puerto Rico? My grandson wants to go to college there bc it's cheaper and I'm afraid he doesn't have any idea what he might be getting in for ...