Catnip5
Chirping
When I look back now I realize how little I knew about chicken keeping. Coop size, pecking orders, #chickenmath, lol Most of all predators and where did I go to find solutions? Why HERE of course!
Initially once my girls moved outside to free range everything was rosy. Then the first predator arrived and snatched Mae West - at that time I didn't know it was a fox. Naturally it returned - snagged a second chicken, my Barbara Stanwick and I was in the yard with them! Lost a third before the electric fence went up (RIP Lana Turner) and then all was fine. Then over the winter the hawks showed up. Up went the hoop run. Problem solved. Now the predator of the month is a mink that is intent on flying through the electric fencing (no shock once airborn) and he / she sneaks into the coop. I tried trapping it to no avail but the last visit we had a three hour standoff and it hasn't been back - perhaps I scared it enough by locking it in the coop with me and the trap, lol.
So, I began with 15 and now have a dozen - the dirty dozen. Elizabeth Taylor (Lavender Orp), Sophia Loren (Golden Laced Wyandotte), Brigit Bardot (Applenzeller Spitzhauben), Maryilyn Monroe (Golden Comet), Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford & Bette Davis (Easter Eggers), Greta Garbo & Ingrid Bergman (Australorp Mix - they look like Australorps but have white earlobes and lay white eggs!), Marlene Dietrich (Silver Cuckoo Maran), Ava Gardner (Buff Brahma).
Today the new girls arrived - Katherine Hepburn (Cream Legbar), Audrey Hepburn (Cream Legbar), Imogene Coca (Blue Amauracana), Lucille Ball (Salmon Favorelle) & Grace Kelly (White Cochin). May be adding three more next week and 3 ducklings.
Chicken math in action.
Here's a shot of the girls! Love BYC!
